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Creating Better Meeting Experiences

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Jim Ruszala, Director of Marketing, Maritz Travel Company Three Simple Steps to Create Better Meeting Experiences Designing for a more engaging experience for your meetings can significantly improve performance from both a business and attendee vantage point. Yet, this is more difficult to do in today’s world due to a host of challenges, including budgeting constraints and increased risks for attendee distractions. From the moment an attendee walks into a [...]

by Guest Writer on December 6, 2011

What is SpeedRFP?

If you are interested in generating more complete and qualified group leads from your hotel’s website, then you really need to check out this SpeedRFP PowerPoint.

by Kelly Foy on November 21, 2011

EliteMeetings.com 4.0…Coming soon!

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I’m honestly chomping at the bit to release EliteMeetings.com version 4.0, but the team convinced me that we should wait to launch the new site until its fine tuned and ready for prime time. While I agree we should not launch until all of the new enhancements are complete, I simply can’t wait that long to share the great new look and feel…let alone the time-saving new features incorporated into [...]

by Kelly Foy on November 15, 2011

SpeedRFP reaches 10,000 buyer members!

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I’m very proud to share that the SpeedRFP buyer community reached member # 10,000 today. It is important to point out that to be qualified as a member, they must have submitted at least 1 RFP using the system. If you take in to consideration that each of these members likely plan multiple meetings and events on an annual basis, they represent millions of hotel guests each year. This active [...]

by Kelly Foy on November 3, 2011

Curing the Tech that Ails you

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This article was written by Midori Connolly, Pulse Staging & Events Have you been diagnosed with the TechSick bug? This viral condition is akin to a hangover. The means of catching the bug is unfortunately far too easy and widespread. Wooed by the excitement and promised solutions of a new technology, meeting planners spend a significant portion of their budget on the tech. Upon implementing and using the new technology, [...]

by Guest Writer on October 18, 2011

Tech Tenets Every Meeting Professional Should Know

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This article was written by Carole Woodward, FedEx Services, VP of Information Technology The warp speed advancements of tech devices and digital services have allowed for extraordinary innovation in the meeting and event planning space over the last decade. Much like we’ve seen at FedEx, where customers have moved from hand-written paper air bills to sophisticated online tracking systems, the meetings industry has rapidly evolved too, from presentations with overhead [...]

by Guest Writer on October 17, 2011

Hot New Hotels Slated for 2012 Elite Meetings Alliances

Selected hotels seize opportunity to showcase the very best and latest in event offerings. | Highly regarded invitation-only EMA continues to set the standard for one-on-one buyer-seller format. Santa Barbara, CA – October 2011 – Elite Meetings International today announced the sites of next year’s three Elite Meetings Alliances (EMA). CEO Kelly Foy said, “All three of our 2011 events set new records for attendance and performance because we continue [...]

by Bryce Johnson on October 11, 2011

Recipe for Success

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This article was written by Chris Gaia, Vice President of Marketing, Maritz Recipe for SuccessHow a Culinary Component Can Spice Up Group Events With the rise in popularity of cooking shows like The Next Food Network Star, Chopped, and Hell’s Kitchen, and celebrity chef guest appearances like Bobby Flay on Entourage or Curtis Stone on The Biggest Loser, it’s clear that breakfast, lunch and dinner are no longer just about [...]

by Guest Writer on August 29, 2011

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The Power of Print? Don’t believe what you hear, its still in demand!

We recently announced that meeting planners will be able to pick up a copy of Elite Meetings magazine at major airport newsstands, and this week I received confirmation that our presence on airport newsstands is a huge success. In fact, we received a reorder today from Hudson News for Houston area airports, which indicates that Elite Meetings magazine is selling well. That was music to my ears! This news is [...]

by Kelly Foy on July 15, 2011

The Evolution of DMCs Today

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This article was written by Kathy Fort Carty President AlliedPRA North America and Founder of DSC, Destination Services. The Evolution of DMCs Today Over the last few years Destination Management Companies (DMCs)—and the industry as a whole—have evolved, entering a new era in business. We’ve moved past the days of the AIG effect, with its negative undertones and intense scrutiny. Meetings have proven to provide a direct positive impact on [...]

by Guest Writer on June 27, 2011

SpeedRFP…its Popping Up Everywhere!

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I started out my day today wondering just how many hotels are now capable of receiving SpeedRFPs, and was very pleasantly surprised when I learned planners can now use SpeedRFP to submit eRFPs to nearly 3,000 hotels worldwide. It seems that every day we see a handful of new hotels and resort adopting this time-saving technology, and we see exponential growth on the horizon. Our objective when creating SpeedRFP was [...]

by Kelly Foy on June 21, 2011

Join Elite at IMEX America

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Join the Elite Meetings Team in Las Vegas for IMEX America October 11-13, 2011. Our team is very excited that they are bringing this tradeshow to the United States after years of success with IMEX Frankfurt. By teaming up with organizations such as PCMA, MPI, and ASAE, this show will be able to not only offer an extraordinary hosted buyer program but also a great mix of educational sessions. Monday, [...]

by Amanda Smith on May 18, 2011

The Evolution of CSR and the Result for Event Planners

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This article was written by Louise Barnes, Principal, TredLite Consulting. TredLite Consulting helps businesses adopt strategies and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to social and environmental responsibility while meeting stakeholder expectations, supporting bottom lines and strengthening brands. Louise is certified in LEED, GRI’s CSR reporting standards and ISO’s environmental management systems. She also has experience with the requirements of the green house gas (ghg) reporting standards. Prior to her role [...]

by Guest Writer on May 16, 2011

Time Saving Tips for Meeting Professionals

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If there is anything we crave more of in the event industry…it’s time. It’s amazing how often we find ourselves wishing for just a few more hours and minutes to get the last details completed. Essential time management yields increased success and productivity by eliminating distractions, getting enough sleep, and making use of the best tools. You can maximize your productivity and get more done in the few hours you [...]

by Mark Ley on July 19, 2010

What’s New With FaceTime 2.0?

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We’ve certainly come a long way… …since we first released the FaceTime Appointment Scheduler back in early 2009. I always have to remind myself that we built FaceTime for our Elite Meetings Alliances and never really planned on opening it up to the world. But the little “scheduler that could” has exceeded all of our expectations and has evolved into quite the robust scheduler that is now used to power [...]

by Brad Pirman on July 15, 2010

SpeedRFP Spotted In The Wild!

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Ever since the release of SpeedRFP into the wild, we’ve been on the lookout for websites that have created a home for SpeedRFP forms. A form is pretty easy to create and immediately “APEX-enables” the hotel that posts it. While we’re not working hard to improve SpeedRFP based on user feedback, we’re busy tracking SpeedRFP to find all of the hotel and hotel chain websites where it may be hiding [...]

by Brad Pirman on July 8, 2010

Meetings Have Changed

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It was only May, but the limousine driver apologized to his out-of-town passengers for the June Gloom that had arrived early. The cool, overcast and almost foggy weather dimmed the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean as the airport shuttle brought meeting planners and luxury hoteliers to the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Seventy-six planners and 73 hoteliers converged on the stunning new luxury resort to talk, and [...]

by Mark Ley on July 8, 2010

Meet Elite at the MPI World Education Congress

Join the Elite Meetings International team at the Vancouver Convention Centre on July 24-27 for the MPI World Education Congress. The theme this year is “When we meet, we change the world” and in what better place to have the event than a city who, only months before, hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. John Furlong, CEO of the 2010 Vancouver Organizing Committee, will speak at the general session on Sunday, [...]

by Amanda Smith on July 1, 2010

The Evolution of Global Meetings

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The thought of managing meetings globally…somehow sounds very “glamorous.” Traveling to faraway places? Having your finger on the pulse of happenings half way around the globe? As a manager of a global meetings team, I’d have to say there are elements of “global” that are very edifying and educational. There are also elements that are exhausting. It requires a ‘no boundaries mentality’ to working hours, as someone on your team [...]

by Carolyn Pund on June 24, 2010

Warm Destinations for Winter Meetings

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It’s hard to think ahead to the chill of winter when summer is knocking at your door. Yet, as a meeting professional, that is exactly what we must do, even if we are in flip flops holding an ice cold drink to keep ourselves cool. This is exactly why we at Elite Meetings put together a list of top destinations that would provide a warm alternative when the chill comes [...]

by Mark Ley on June 11, 2010

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