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First
Elite Meetings Alliances of 2016 Score High Marks
from
Both Planners and Hoteliers
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Santa
Barbara, CA – May 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / Elite
Meetings International (EMI), a leading provider of integrated solutions
to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals, concluded
its first three Elite Meetings
Alliances (EMAs) of 2016. Each three-day event, which included one-on-one
meetings, continuing education sessions eligible for Certified Meeting
Professional credits, and numerous networking events, resulted in high
praise and equally high expectations for resulting business between the
meetings and events planners and suppliers in attendance.
The
first three EMAs of 2016 took place at the following EMI-certified Platinum
Collection hotels:
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February
29–March 2 at the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA
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March
20–22 at The Ballantyne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Charlotte, NC
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April
3–5 at the Island Hotel Newport Beach in Newport Beach, CA
Exit surveys
conducted at each event showed that nearly 100 percent of both planners
and suppliers in attendance said they would book business with a planner
or supplier they met at their EMA. Additionally, nearly 50 percent of suppliers
said they received four to six leads in the course of the three-day event
they attended.
“The
first three EMAs of 2016 exceeded our expectations. From our sponsors to
the speakers and the teams at the resort and hotels, everyone went above
and beyond to provide attendees with an unforgettable experience,” said
Kelly Foy, vice president of sales at Elite Meetings International. “As
luxury group business continues to grow, we’re committed to raising the
bar each year to provide both planners and suppliers with invaluable education
and tools they need to conduct business.”
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Feedback
from all three EMAs was uniformly positive, although each event was entirely
unique. The year’s first event at Salamander Resort & Spa came with
an unexpected weather delay as winter storm Jonas forced a last-minute
postponement, something that most meeting planners must deal with during
their careers. However, the hotel accommodated the event just three weeks
later in extraordinary fashion. Foy praised the hotel’s efforts and said,
“Salamander worked with us to reschedule an incredible event, and our attendees
were delighted with the results.” Highlights of the event came during the
resort’s collaboration with local restaurants to showcase local wines and
farm-to-table dining. Planners at the event were also among the first to
see the 10th Anniversary edition of Elite Meetings magazine, which
also received enthusiastic feedback.
Just
three weeks later, the second EMA of the year kicked off at The Ballantyne,
a Luxury Collection Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. Attendees experienced
quintessential Southern charm with a wonderfully entertaining “Bourbon,
Brews, and Blues” reception at the Ballantyne’s private lodge. Attendees
especially enjoyed a creative team-building event with Ella B Candles,
and praised the inspiring keynote address from Matthew Tenney, whose presentation
moved many in the audience to tears. A CSR activity with Stop Hunger Now
offered planners and hoteliers a chance to give back to the local community.
The
EMA headed west for the next event, to the Island Hotel, Newport Beach,
where talented teams from Visit Newport Beach and ACCESS Destination Services
orchestrated a planner welcome reception that invited attendees to customize
their own pair of Havaianas sandals. One of several highlights for hoteliers
and planners alike: the lunch banquet at Newport Beach’s high-end shopping
destination, Fashion Island—complete with a flash mob. An official welcome
from the mayor of Newport Beach and boat cruise around Newport Harbor that
collected donations for the local food kitchen enhanced the third of the
year’s EMAs.
Two
additional EMAs will take place in 2016. The next will take place September
25–27 at Paradisus Playa del Carmen in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The last
EMA of 2016 will take place November 6–8 at Pasea Hotel & Spa in Huntington
Beach, CA. For more information on Elite Meetings Alliances, visit www.EliteMeetingsAlliance.com.
About
Elite Meetings Alliance
The
EMA is a three-day, invitation-only event that brings together prequalified
corporate and association planners with leaders in the luxury hotel industry
to cultivate relationships and build business. It centers on private, personalized
business development meetings, continuing education breakout sessions for
CMP credit, and unique networking activities.
About
Elite Meetings International
Based
in Santa Barbara, California, Elite Meetings International (EMI), a subsidiary
of Cvent, provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting
and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination
of innovative technologies, direct sales support, customized marketing
programs, face-to-face business-building events, and an annual publication,
Elite
Meetings magazine. 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 innovations
include SpeedRFP™ (www.SpeedRFP.com),
a time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online.
For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com
or call 805-730-1000.
About
Cvent
Cvent,
Inc. (NYSE: CVT) is a leading cloud-based enterprise event management
platform, with more than 14,000 customers worldwide. Cvent offers software
solutions to event planners for online event registration, venue selection,
event management, mobile apps for events, e-mail marketing and web surveys.
Cvent provides hoteliers with an integrated platform, enabling properties
to increase group business demand through targeted advertising and improve
conversion through proprietary demand management and business intelligence
solutions. Cvent solutions optimize the entire event management value chain
and have enabled clients around the world to manage hundreds of thousands
of meetings and events. For more information, please visit www.Cvent.com,
or connect with us on Facebook,
Twitter
or LinkedIn.
“Safe
harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995
This
press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements
relating to the growth of the luxury group business market and expectations
regarding the performance and results of the EMAs. The achievement or success
of the matters covered by forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties
and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize, or if
any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the company’s results could differ
materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements we make. For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors,
please refer to the risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including: our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on
March 1, 2016, as amended on April 29, 2016; our Form 10-Q filed on May
5, 2016, and other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Media
Contact:
Karen
Cahill
805-879-4488
Elite
Meetings International
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