WORLDHOTELS is observing a significant change in the key factors for meeting planners when booking hotels.
Because continual automation is needed to meet these expectations WORDHOTELS predicts that hoteliers and meeting planners that do not offer automated tools will rapidly fall behind the competition.

One of the key factors in the changed expectations of meeting planners is the reduction of budgets and people dedicated to meeting planning. Additionally, because time is money, the total turnaround of the event planning cycle has dramatically decreased: historically, events have taken as long as twelve months to plan but now time margins have been reduced to as little as three months, or even less. This holds particularly true for the training, insurance, banking and pharmaceutical industries - no matter what size the event. Such rapid turnaround means that planners, now more than ever, rely on automated processes to help them cope with the increased demands on them. 

The advantages of using automated processes speak for themselves, generating faster turnaround times, and a more focussed, service oriented approach. More specifically advantages include:
á Time saving through simplified venue-finding processes

á Cost saving through effective processes

á Wider selection of hotels identified which meet initial criteria

á Increased clarity through comparing like for like

á Quick provision of more detailed venue descriptions

In 2004 WORLDHOTELS launched WORLDHOTELS.events - the hotel industry’s first comprehensive and seamless meeting product for hotels. The product was immediately very well received by meeting planners as well as hoteliers and generated over 560,000 room night requests globally in 2005.

“Using WORLDHOTELS.events is an efficient and easy way to allocate - out of our portfolio of 500 independent hotels in 70 countries worldwide - the venue that best meets the client’s needs”, said Christian Fiederer, Vice President EMEA of WORLDHOTELS. 

“Each request will be replied to within 24 hours by a Group Desk professional from the region the request was generated in, providing a standardised offer, comparing all selected properties and being the central point of contact for all further requests,” Fiederer continues. “Even though automation is key success factor, the human touch remains as having an important impact for each meeting planned.”

To accommodate the need for local support on a global basis WORLDHOTELS has doubled the size of its UK dedicated MICE sales team in 2006. Worldwide WORLDHOTELS offers local meeting support in 35 feeder markets.
——-