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Elite Meetings International (EMI) Announces Expansion
in Europe at IMEX � Alda D. Egurrola-Wienke
is Appointed Regional Director �

� European Platinum and Gold Hotels will be added to www.EliteMeetings.com; 
A European Board of Advisors (EMAB) is formed to Evaluate and Rate Properties


Frankfurt, May 26, 2010 � Elite Meetings International, Inc., the innovator in online solutions for the hotel and meeting industries, announced at the 2010 IMEX that it has appointed Alda D. Egurrola-Wienke as Regional Director for Europe, a move that marks the company�s first entry into the European market, in which it expects to grow quickly. The expansion will further broaden the meeting options available to planners at www.EliteMeetings.com � already the leading online resource for meeting professionals -, a process begun earlier this year with the announcement of EMI�s Platinum and Gold designations.

�We are delighted to welcome Alda and announce our plans to certify hotels in Europe,� said Kelly Foy, Chief Executive Officer of Santa Barbara-based Elite Meetings International.

He continued, �With this announcement, we further reaffirm our commitment to providing planners with the best, most accurate information on the broadest possible range of Elite hotels, in the U.S. � and now, in Europe. Under Alda�s leadership, we are assembling a European Elite Meetings Advisory Board (EEMAB), a distinguished body comprised of corporate meeting professionals and hospitality executives, which help grant Elite Certified status. We expect to add Elite European properties very quickly and will be making additional announcements in the coming weeks.� 

Alda Ergurrola-Wienke will report to Therese Adams, EMI�s Director of Sales in the United States, and can be reached directly at [email protected], or  + 34 94 624 0026.

Egurrola-Wienke said, �I am pleased to join Elite Meetings at this exciting and promising moment in the company�s growth.�   She continued, �The market here can benefit tremendously from the successful strategy of Elite Meetings in North America. Planners everywhere will find the web site, magazine, networking event, and SpeedRFP technology extremely helpful for researching and sourcing the best hotels in the European market. The connectivity with EMI�s North America network also offers increased communication and an effective solution for European planners and hoteliers.�

About Alda A. Egurrola-Wienke

Alda Egurrola-Wienke is a senior hospitality sales executive with close to two decades of experience in the upscale, luxury and group markets in Europe, Latin America and the United States. Most recently, she held senior sales positions at Franklyn Hotels and Resorts and the Kessler Collection, both in Spain. Prior to that, she held at Westin and Amerisuites Hotels (now Hyatt Place), in Orlando, Florida, and Cancun, Mexico.

Egurrola-Wienke is a graduate of the Stenden University School of Hotel Management, The Netherlands, and is fluent in Spanish, Dutch, German and English. She is a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP), and is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE). She resides in Bilbao, Spain. 

About the European Elite Meetings Advisory Board (EEMAB) and Elite Certification

The EEMAB is a distinguished group of senior hoteliers and corporate meeting planners that considers resorts and hotels for inclusion on www.EliteMeetings.com, based on a demonstrated commitment to providing an exceptional group experience.

Elite Certified properties rank among upscale, upper upscale, and at the high end of leisure rankings, though the certification process that also values the unique, the extraordinary, and the memorable. An Elite Gold hotel is one that ranks in the highest echelon in the country, in areas such as average ADR in its market; overall service levels and amenities for meetings, events, and incentives; food and beverage service; and distinctive property characteristics and accommodations. An Elite Platinum hotel is one that consistently meets and exceeds criteria in each of those areas, and provides an experience that is truly memorable and unique.

There are currently approximately 1,400 Elite hotels featured at www.EliteMeetings.com

About Elite Meetings International
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International (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� APPOINTMENT SCHEDULER  a sought after program for helping conference attendees 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 call 805-730-1000.

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Contact: 

Michael Frenkel, MFC PR
for SpeedRFP
[email protected]
(212) 330-8120
 

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Also See: Innovation and Business-Building to Take Center Stage at Elite Meetings International's Spring 2010 EMA - May 16-18 at Terranea Resort; Elite Meeting Alliance (EMA) to Feature One-on-One Business Building, Educational Sessions and Hands-on Introductions to Elite Meetings' Industry Leading Technologies, SpeedRFP� and FaceTime� Appointment Scheduler / May 2010
Newmarket International and Elite Meetings International Partner to Enable Direct Online Connectivity between Hospitality Venues and Meeting Planners; SpeedRFP� to Integrate with MeetingBrokerSM and Directly Connect to Leading Sales and Catering Solutions Offered by Newmarket International / May 2010
SpeedRFP� Launches - Elite Meetings' Free Online RFP Solution is Generating RFPs and Gaining Rapid Support in the Planner Community - Destination Hotels & Resorts Becomes the First Hotel Brand to Adopt SpeedRFP / April 2010
Elite Meetings Creates Two Tiers for Elite Certified Hotels, Which Will Soon Number More Than 1,400 on www.EliteMeetings.com; Elite Properties Are Now Categorized as Platinum and Gold, to Provide Even More Options and Information to Support Meeting Professionals / March 2010
FaceTime Appointment Scheduler is Now Available to Meeting Professionals, Suppliers, and Conference Organizers Worldwide; After Connecting Record Numbers of 'MeetDifferent' Attendees, Overwhelming Demand Spurs Elite Meetings to Release its FaceTime Scheduling Technology as a Universally Available Solution for Organizing Appointments at Meetings and Conferences / March 2010
Elite Meetings International (EMI) Holds its First Offshore Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA); Meeting Professionals and Hotels Come Together in Honolulu to do Business, Exchange Ideas / February 2010
Elite Meetings International (EMI) Adds Two Sales Directors and Promotes a Third; As EMI Increases its Suite of Products to Support Meeting Professionals and Hotels, it Bolsters its North American Sales Team / February 2010
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 / January 2010
Elite Meetings International Names Carol M. Lynch Director of Planner Communications; Seasoned Sales and Planner Relations Executive will Expand Program of Meeting Planner Outreach, as EMI Brings SpeedRFP, Other Innovations into 2010 / January 2010
Elite Meetings International to Present SpeedRFP� at The  Travel Innovation Summit@The PhoCusWright Conference � Available in Q1 2010, SpeedRFP offers a Solution to the Inefficiencies and  Costs of Submitting Request For Proposals Online / November 2009
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