The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is partnering with PhoCusWright to create an in-depth study that tracks and reports online behavior, trends and opportunities in the burgeoning groups and meetings marketplace.

The comprehensive study, PhoCusWright’s Groups and Meetings: Market Opportunity Redefined, 1st Edition, will be available in early 2007. An invaluable report for hoteliers, meeting planners, travel agents, travel technology firms, and anyone interested in the groups and meetings industry, it will:
Illuminate the online behavior of consumers, planners and suppliers when planning and reserving group events and meetings;

Identify trends and opportunities of key sectors - small leisure gatherings, small corporate meetings and large meetings;

Compare feature sets and integration capabilities of leading technology providers.

“Savvy marketers can take advantage of this rare opportunity to leverage their business by really getting an insider’s understanding of the current trends and technologies affecting the groups and meetings market,” said Robert A. Gilbert, president & CEO of HSMAI.

Providing a 360-degree view of this complex market, the report will provide facts, figures and forecasts regarding: market size; future technologies; growth trends; key players and new market entrants; and purchase influencers.

“PhoCusWright is examining the market for meetings and social gatherings just as we approach other research efforts: by weighing buyer’s shopping and booking behavior against the strategies of the leading players to see if they’re in sync,” said Lorraine Sileo, vice president of information services at PhoCusWright Inc. “Our research indicates that travel agencies, hotels, meeting tool providers and other travel companies may be missing a huge opportunity in this sector because the market is actually much larger than traditionally defined.”

The report is priced at $300; quantity discounts are available on orders of 25 or more reports. To order, contact Bruce Rosard at PhoCusWright at +1 860 350-4084 x375 or [email protected].
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