As the Group Meetings Business Gathers Strength Entering 2011,
Elite Meetings International Introduces its First Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
for the Gold Collection, January 23-25, 2011,
Paradise Point Resort & Spa, San Diego

Premier Gold EMA to Feature One-on-One Business Building Sessions, Education and Hands-on Introductions to Elite’s Industry Leading Technologies

Santa Barbara, CA, November 22, 2010 – New technologies supporting the work of meeting professionals and hotels will compliment one-on-one business building sessions and unique educational opportunities at Elite Meetings International’s (EMI) first Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) for the Gold Collection, a new tier of upscale properties launched by EMI to better serve meeting professionals who seek the highest quality meeting and incentive offerings in North America. The EMA is a three-day forum that brings together prequalified corporate, association, and intermediary meeting professionals with leaders in the luxury hotel industry.
 

Taking place at Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego, CA, January 23-25 2011, the EMA includes prescheduled one-on-one meetings, educational sessions for CMP credit, great speakers and unique networking events. For more information, visit www.EliteMeetingsAlliance.com. 

“We are excited to announce our first ever EMA for the Gold Collection,” said Kelly Foy, chief executive officer of Elite Meetings. He continued, “As the recovery in group business really takes hold, it’s more critical than ever to make available tools and technologies that allow meeting and hotel sales professionals to do their jobs better, faster, and more profitably. We look forward to welcoming top hotels and prequalified meeting professionals to Paradise Point to kick off 2011 in a uniquely fun, fast-paced, business-building environment.”

More than 100 top meeting planners and Elite Certified Gold hotels are expected to attend the first EMA of 2011. In one-on-one business sessions, they will conduct hundreds of face-to-face meetings to book business and create and reinforce business relationships using EMI’s FaceTime™ Appointment Scheduler technology.

The FaceTime™ Appointment Scheduler has been utilized to bring planners and hotels together at hosted buyer programs at the Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress in Vancouver last summer; and at the 2009 and 2010 ITME/Motivation Show in Chicago. It is also currently in use by major luxury hotel chains, CVBs and meeting planning organizations around the world.

Gold EMA attendees who have not already done so will also have the chance to participate in hands-on demonstrations of EMI’s cutting edge technology, SpeedRFP™.

SpeedRFP, a new product for creating, submitting and tracking RFPs online, officially launched earlier this year, and is generating adoption from meetings planners and hotels in the U.S. and internationally. It is the system that powers EliteMeetings.com, and is also being utilized as a primary online RFP-generating system for Destination Hotels & Resorts and Dolce Hotels & Resorts, among others. As SpeedRFP gains in adoption, input from users continues to be gathered to shape the technology into a game-changer for the industry. SpeedRFP is a completely portable and seamless RFP tool that is fully APEX-compliant. Any hotel can download the Community Edition at no charge, and it is free to meeting professionals, from whom it is drawing enthusiastic support.

Anticipated EMA Gold attendees include meeting professionals from organizations such as ALCOA, Ameriprise Financial, Booz Allen Hamilton, Electronic Arts, Fujitsu, Johnson & Johnson, and the US-ASEAN Business Council; and hotel sales professionals from properties such as Hilton Waikoloa Village, the Intercontinental Dallas, the Palms Casino Resort, Thunder Valley Casino, and the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center.

The event will also feature top industry speakers and motivational professionals, providing insight as well as hands-on instruction that is sure to be of value to attendees.

About Paradise Point Resort & Spa
Paradise Point is a 462-room bungalow-style resort set on Mission Bay in the heart of San Diego. Established in 1962 by famous Hollywood Director Jack Skirball, this island getaway features over one-mile of sandy beach encircling the resort, five swimming pools, a freshwater lake and tranquil lagoon. Among the resort’s various amenities are a luxurious Asian-themed spa, two dining venues, an 18-hole putting golf course, fitness center, and private marina equipped with sailboats, jet skis, kayaks and more. Secluded yet centrally located, the resort is just minutes from top attractions including SeaWorld, Old Town, the Gaslamp District, Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. For more information, visit www.paradisepoint.com.
 
About Elite Meetings International
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 other innovations include FaceTime™ Appointment Scheduler (www.FaceTimeScheduler.com), a sought after program for helping conference attendees identify synergies, manage appointments, and make direct connection 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.
 
For more information on the 2011 Gold EMA, contact [email protected] or call 805-879-4485.