SpeedRFP 2.0 Allows Hotels to "Sell Direct" to Buyers, and Consolidate and Manage all Group Bookings in One Place

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Until now, hotel sales professionals have sold space and rooms to corporate meeting planners, social event planners, and wedding planners, via multiple sales systems, often on different technology platforms.

That changes today, with the launch of SpeedRFP 2.0 – the only technology that allows buyers to book any kind of group business, direct from any hotel website, anywhere in the world, by using a single, easy to manage, "three-in-one" RFP form.

For the meeting planner, event planner, or bride and groom, SpeedRFP serves as a sophisticated yet user-friendly eRFP management tool. Buyers now have an intuitive system that allows them to easily store and repurpose RFP information, creating efficiencies never before available. Hotels adopting SpeedRFP are seeing substantial increases in both the quality of RFP data, and quantity of RFPs submitted from direct buyers on their own websites. More information on SpeedRFP is available at http://www.SpeedRFP.com.

"Imagine the efficiencies and cost-savings to be gained by having a uniform system for booking groups, all groups, directly from a hotel's website, without any intermediary," said Kelly Foy, the CEO of Elite Meetings International, which created SpeedRFP. He concluded, "Now, for the first time, a hotel sales professional can manage the process of selling not just to meeting customers, but to wedding and social buyers as well, by using a single cloud-based solution that is easy to use, completely portable, and has already generated a community of more than 14,000 users worldwide."

Widely Adopted – and Affordable

Foy added that hotel brands that have already adopted SpeedRFP, include Destination Hotels & Resorts, Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Corinthia Hotels, and Preferred Hotel Group. He's confident many more brands will follow suit.

Andre Fournier, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, at Destination Hotels & Resorts, said, "Since replacing our previous online RFP form with SpeedRFP, the number and quality of RFPs Destination Hotels & Resorts received has increased exponentially."

Fournier is among the more than 9,000 hotel professionals that have already used SpeedRFP. When combined with more than 14,000 buyer members, SpeedRFP is the fastest growing industry community of meeting and hospitality professionals.

SpeedRFP is also easy to install on any hotel or chain website, and is directly integrated with MeetingBroker and other important operating systems. New functionalities that include multiple languages, lead sharing and a unique tracking capability, are expected to be unveiled shortly.

And it's affordable. Starting at a subscription level of less than $100 per month per hotel for the Enterprise Solution, having SpeedRFP on a hotel website is dramatically less expensive than the alternative – a hotel re-creating any kind of online RFP functionality on its own. And for the benefit of reaching an online community of more than 14,000 users, leveraging SpeedRFP's unique functionalities, the minimal monthly subscription cost is a veritable "drop in the bucket."

Foy concluded, "While there are many ways for hotels to receive group leads online, there is simply nothing else in the marketplace like SpeedRFP – its versatility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and ease of use, should make it an indispensable choice for hotel professionals everywhere."

About SpeedRFP

SpeedRFP is a cutting-edge product for creating, submitting and tracking RFPs online. SpeedRFP recently surpassed the 14,000-user mark, and is rapidly generating RFPs for meetings planners and hotels in the U.S. and internationally. As it gains in adoption, planner input continues to be gathered to shape SpeedRFP into a game-changer for the industry. SpeedRFP is a completely portable and seamless RFP technology Any hotel can download the for a 60 day trial, and it is free to meeting professionals, from whom it is already drawing enthusiastic support. More information is available at http://www.SpeedRFP.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, 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 conference attendees identify synergies, manage appointments and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP™ (http://www.SpeedRFP.com), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit http://www.EliteMeetings.com call 805-730-1000.

Media Contact:
Michael Frenkel
Michael(at)mfcpr(dot)com
(201) 317-7035

SOURCE SpeedRFP