Hotel Online Special Report Puerto Rico Convention Bureau Selects Newmarket International’s CVBreezeTM and NetXchangeTM Solutions Planned state-of-the-art 580,000-square-foot Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan to leverage proven destination sales and service automation tools
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. / SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — JAN. 23, 2003 — The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau — the sales and marketing agent for the 580,000 – square foot Puerto Rico Convention Center scheduled to open in San Juan in 2004 — has selected Newmarket International Inc.’s Destinations CVBreezeTM and NetXchangeTM MeetingBroker sales and service solutions.
Jorge Pesquera, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, said CVBreeze and NetXchange MeetingBroker are expected to increase business opportunities and improve operations at the meeting facility, as well as at its headquarters and eight regional sales offices serving hundreds of resorts, casinos, hotels and other member companies. Pesquera said the solutions will provide the organization with a centralized server for its San Juan headquarters and remote connectivity for sales offices in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Madrid.
“In January, we will begin the implementation process, which will allow us to combine four independent databases into a consolidated, centralized database across multiple locations and departments, including among others: the Puerto Rico Convention Center, Tourism and Memberships,” Pesquera said. “Thanks to Newmarket International’s innovative sales and service solutions, soon we will be able to connect our team to critical information in real time, and harness leading-edge technology for improved efficiency and sales and service delivery.”
Newmarket International’s CVBreeze is designed to unify all locations and departments within a bureau, as well as to generate leads to industry partners; leads generated in CVBreeze are seamlessly transferred via the Internet to members in seconds using Newmarket International’s NetXchange MeetingBroker web services. CVBreeze also functions as a marketing tool for a destination and analyzes demographics through flexible reporting options.
Dan Melesurgo, Vice President Global Sales for the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, said NetXchange MeetingBroker’s volume of more than 500,000 online room bookings per month in 2002 made it a proven sales solution.
“NetXchange allows us to share critical lead information quickly and accurately, Melesurgo said. “Since many properties on the island already use Newmarket International’s industry-leading Delphi Sales & Catering solutions, they are well positioned to reap significant efficiencies by adding Newmarket’s established NetXchange electronic lead-sharing module.”
Sean O’Neill, Newmarket International’s President & CEO, said the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau selected CVBreeze and NetXchange primarily for their complete functionality, unmatched ease of use, and unique data conversion and scalability capabilities.
“With the advent of the Convention Center, the island’s tourism landscape will undergo considerable change and dramatic growth. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is utilizing the most cutting-edge technology and powerful software solutions available, and it will prove to be a highly effective resource at this exciting juncture in Puerto Rico’s tourism industry,” O’Neill said.
About Newmarket International 
Newmarket International, “the makers of Delphi,” is the leader in delivering groups, sales, catering and banquet software solutions to global travel and entertainment organizations. Hotels, Casinos, Visitor Bureaus, Meeting Houses, Convention Centers and Arenas all use this powerful technology. Newmarket International provides competitive advantages to all of its customers by enabling leads to electronically transfer across cities and around the world. By harnessing award-winning technology and support, the industry’s best return on investment, domain expertise, and a commitment to the travel industry, Newmarket International enables customers to increase efficiencies and maximize profits. In addition to its headquarters in Portsmouth, N.H., Newmarket International has offices in London servicing Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and in Singapore servicing Asia/Pacific. For more information, please visit www.newmarketinc.com.
About the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau Based in San Juan, with offices in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Madrid, the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau provides sales, consultation and support services to meeting planners in corporate, incentive and association markets. Founded in 1962, the non-profit organization’s vision is to establish Puerto Rico’s competitive position as the preferred meeting destination of the Americas, to increase awareness of the island’s outstanding services for meeting and incentive markets in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau has more than 500 members, including world-class resorts, casinos, hotels, country inns, attractions, sightseeing companies, restaurants and convention services companies. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is the official sales and marketing agent for the Puerto Rico Convention Center under development in San Juan. The 580,000-square-foot facility is set on a 113-acre site and is slated to open in 2005. For more information, call +787-725-2110 or visit Puerto Rico Convention Bureau’s award-winning web site, http://www.meetpuertorico.com/
Planned state-of-the-art 580,000-square-foot Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan to leverage proven destination sales and service automation tools Contact: Shawn McDonald Director of Marketing Newmarket International Inc. (603) 430-7434 [email protected]
Dan Melesurgo VP Global Sales Puerto Rico Convention Bureau +1-212-265-9500 [email protected]