Radisson Hotels & Resorts today announced a new `More Meetings Offer` that was developed to attract additional group business and room nights to its hotels this summer. Radisson already offers meeting planners the use of an online meeting planning tool. Now, from May 29 through Sept. 1, 2003 at participating Radisson hotels and resorts throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, the full-service hotel brand is also giving meeting planners the opportunity to extend their meeting budget further.
All meeting and event planners booking a function at a Radisson hotel or resort can utilize `Your Event By RadissonSM,` an innovative web-based online meeting planning tool, to create a private, customized meeting Web page hosted on Radisson.com at no charge. For a limited time during the promotion, meeting planners can also earn a 15 percent discount off the meeting cost at participating Radisson hotels and resorts (at the presentation of the bill) and attendees will also be able to arrive at the meeting destination early or stay longer at the hotel at the groupÀs special negotiated group rate, per availability.

To qualify for this limited time special group discount, the value of the meeting or event must be at least $3,000, including tax and gratuities, on a combination of sleeping rooms, meeting rooms and food and beverage at the participating Radisson hotel or resort. The offer is not valid for previously booked or completed meetings and is based on hotel space availability.
Meeting and event planners that are or become a member of Radisson Gold Rewards® program or the Gold Points Reward Network can also earn three Gold Points® for every dollar in purchases spent through Radisson`s Points for Planners program for these meetings held at Radisson hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. They can further maximize the points they earn by using a Gold Points Visa® credit card. Members earn three Gold Points for every dollar in purchases they charge with the card - and three bonus Gold Points for every dollar spent at Radisson and other Gold Points issuing locations. That`s a total of up to six Gold Points in addition to the points members earn at Gold Points issuing locations. In addition, they earn 5,000 bonus Gold Points after making their first transaction with the card.

“We want to help meeting planners take the hassle out of coordinating group hotel bookings and meetings, recognize their loyalty and offer a special deal to increase our share of group business,” said Brian Stage, executive vice president of sales, distribution and reservations services.

“`Your Event By Radisson` is a key part of our new Group Toolbox designed to help our hotels serve meeting and event planners,” said Stage. “It provides a convenient, professional and customized online communication vehicle for their event that is available for invited guests and attendees to view and book their room on a 24/7 basis at their exclusive, negotiated group rate.”

“We believe the `More Meetings Offer` adds real value to the meeting planner and their guests and fulfills our focus on exceeding guests` expectations and being a hotel brand that is easy to work with,” he added. “For a business conference, a meeting planner can use the online web site to feature their company`s logo, daily meeting agenda, dress codes, profiles on key speakers, and sign-ups for special off-site recreational activities. The use of technology makes it more convenient for the attendees to book their room and get meeting information online with the simple use of a Web page link provided by the meeting planner.”

Radisson has hundreds of hotels and resorts in popular meeting and incentive destinations that cater to all size meetings and events. Mere samplings of some of those locations include St. Louis (2), Branson and Kansas City, Mo.; Myrtle Beach, S.C. (connected to the city`s convention center); Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Denver, Colo.; Augusta, Ga.; Honolulu and Kauai, Hawaii; Baltimore, Md.; Philadelphia, Penn.; Boston. Mass.; and numerous properties throughout California., Florida, Texas and Wisconsin. Some of the top Canadian meeting locations include Vancouver, Canmore (Banff), Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto and Montreal. For an oceanfront meeting retreat, there are full-service Radisson resorts in Palm Beach, Aruba; and Cable Beach, Nassau in The Bahamas; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

For more information about booking a meeting during the `More Meetings Offer` and participating locations, call the Radisson group desk at 1-800-444-3344.

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