Elite Meetings International Announces
Mark Ley as Director of Marketing

Sales and Marketing Executive to Spearhead Building Communities and Social Networks Around EMI�s Suite of Products, Services and Events

SANTA BARBARA, CA, January 20, 2010 � Elite Meetings International (EMI) announced its second executive appointment of the new year, naming Mark K. Ley to the position of Director of Marketing. Ley comes to Elite Meetings from Auberge Resorts and has deep experience in hotel sales management, marketing and training. Most recently he was Director of Sales at Rancho Valencia, an Auberge Resort. Ley will begin his duties with EMI in early February and will operate out of Southern California; he can be reached at 805-730-1000 or [email protected].

�We are delighted to announce Mark as our new Director of Marketing, our second executive appointment in 2010,� said Kelly Foy, EMI�s Chief Executive Officer. He added, �A key value driver for our company and its partners is building vital, interactive communities around our innovative products, services and events � Mark brings a dynamic track record and set of ideas in this area, and we look forward to his leadership as we enter a year that promises even bigger accomplishments for EMI.�  

Among his responsibilities, Ley will manage EMI�s database and online community building efforts �  using social media to help grow customers� involvement with Elite�s products � and create marketing programs that help the company�s hotel partners grow sales. Ley will work closely in these areas with EMI�s sales team and with Carol Lynch, EMI�s Director of Planner Communications, whose appointment was announced earlier this month. 

�I am excited to join Elite Meetings at this dynamic time for the company,� said Mark Ley. He concluded, �Having worked with the EMI team from the customer side and participated in Elite�s success to date, I am eager to make a strong contribution as we enter a new decade.� 

In addition to other milestones, in 2009 EMI announced two innovative new technologies: FaceTime�, EMI�s proprietary appointment scheduling system, and SpeedRFP�, the only online Request For Proposal (RFP) tool that is completely portable, enabling planners to take meeting, event, and incentive RFPs anywhere on the web, and submit an RFP on any SpeedRFP-enabled site, with as few as 3 clicks. 

Both of these innovative technologies will be demonstrated, and actively used to help planners and hotels do business, at three EMAs in 2010, including the first ever offshore EMA in Hawaii, January 24-26, 2010, and at its Spring and Fall EMAs. FaceTime will be featured at the Hosted Buyer program at MPI�s MeetDifferent event in Cancun, in February. Additional announcements are expected in coming weeks.

A Native of Hawaii, Ley has more than a decade of experience in all aspects of hospitality sales and marketing. He spent three years with Auberge Resorts, including opening its Solage Calistoga property in Calistoga, CA. Ley is active in numerous industry organizations, including Meeting Professionals International (MPI). He lives with his wife and daughter in Southern California. 

About Elite Meetings International, Inc.
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International, Inc. (EMI) provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale and upscale properties. EMI�s innovations include FaceTime�, a widely used program for helping buyers and sellers � across any industry � identify synergies, manage appointments and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP� (www.SpeedRFP.com), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com or call 805-730-1000.