Press Release: April 27, 2006
Hotel Meeting Estimator Launched
By Greystone Marketing Group
"MeetingCalc"© Meeting Application Available to Hotels and Conference Centers for Real-time Meeting Estimation.
http: www.MeetingCalc.com
Planners price meetings online at Hotel & Conference Center Web sites.
Annapolis, MD. An interactive meeting estimator - MeetingCalc - was released today for use by hotels and conference centers as an Internet based marketing and sales resource.
The real-time Meeting Calculatorª released by Greystone Marketing allows meeting planners to estimate the price of a meeting in a matter of minutes, thus eliminating the traditional time consuming RFP process, so frustrating to Meeting planners. Hotels, resorts and conference centers are able to offer this online service to address the meeting and facility needs of busy planners to price and submit meetings online, in real-time. Meeting planners can now price estimate an entire meeting in minutes, including rooms, catering, gratuity and taxes anytime, day or night at the property's web site, when the Meeting Planner wants.
This innovative meeting estimator service gives properties an edge in the fiercely competitive local group meeting market. Establishing a true customer service, increasing sales productivity and profitability.
According to Greystone's president, Lawrence Wilhelm, "This is the latest paradigm shift to hit the hotel and meeting industry. First it was online airline tickets, then room reservations and now meetings. Busy meeting planners appreciate the service and reward the property with pre-priced meeting requests. Our most recent study shows an astonishing 30% of the meeting requests convert into meetings."
The Product:
MeetingCalc, a Web browser based application is released for commercial use in the hospitality market by Greystone Marketing Group of Annapolis, MD. Greystone developed and Beta tested the product for two years with the Belleview Biltmore Resort, Clearwater, FL (http://belleviewbiltmore.com/meetings.html)
This Internet real-time Meeting Calculator is changing the entire "Request for Proposal" (RFP) process for the first time in 75 years. Meeting planners can now instantly price an entire meeting, without picking up the phone, and spending valuable time trying to make contact and transmit their needs. The "RFP" process which traditionally channels information in one direction, from planners to hotel sales departments, has now become fully interactive as meeting planners price their own meetings in minutes and submit it to the facility.
Comments from a recent Planner survey:
"Beats the heck out of the wasted time trying to get it done using the phoneÉ I can plan a meeting in minutes with the hotel, sometimes with only 3 days notice É fits my needs.' said a Software VP of Sales, who books 38 hotel events a year.
"The Meeting Calculator is great. Its operation is short, simple, to the point and easy to use - both from the Planner/New Business side and from the management side. The idea is brilliant. The premise and purpose is right on the mark." said a twenty year veteran meeting planner who plans 400 small meetings a year.
While initially developed in conjunction with the Belleview Biltmore Resort in Clearwater, Fl., MeetingCalc is now appearing on hotel and conference center web sites around the country. According to Wilhelm, Greystone is currently in discussion with national management companies with the expectation of several brand-wide releases in early 2007.
Web Site:
For more information visit, www.MeetingCalc.com
MeetingCalc is a protected and copyrighted property of Greystone Marketing Group. Patents have been applied for pertaining to MeetingCalc as well as trademarks and copyrights for many of the unique aspects of the application and integration into the hospitality market.
Contact Jason Williams: 410-849-2177
Greystone Marketing Partners is a privately held partnership based in Annapolis, MD. For more information contact Larry Wilhelm at 410-849-2177, lwilhelm@greystonemarketing.com.
#
Greystone Marketing, Annapolis, MD
Phone: (410) 849-2177 E-mail:SMC1@GreystoneMarketing.com
|
