GetThere and HelmsBriscoe are offering meeting site selection and RFP services to corporations using the GetThere booking engine.  HelmsBriscoe provides site selection services to more than 8,000 corporate, association and government clients that plan off-site meetings and conferences. GetThere’s booking engine, used by 62 percent of the Fortune 200, accounted for $6.3 billion in corporate travel in 2005.

HelmsBriscoe has more than 750 associates in 31 countries, each with established relationships in their local hotel community.  Corporate travel managers and planners access these services simply by creating a meeting in GetThere’s DirectMeetings module.  HelmsBriscoe takes it from there, sending RFPs to candidate hotels and preparing easy-to-read grids with information gleaned from RFP responses.  Once the corporation selects a property, HelmsBriscoe assists with contract execution and follow-up, saving planners significant time by handling the numerous administrative tasks associated with events both large and small.  An acknowledged industry leader, HelmsBriscoe is on pace to handle more than 20,000 programs this year.

“GetThere relentlessly promotes the fact that there are tremendous corporate travel dollars to be saved via more efficient meeting planning, and we’re pleased to be part of that message,” said Greg Malark, executive vice president of HelmsBriscoe.  “In today’s global economy, multi-national firms embracing online booking with GetThere represent a perfect match for us as we expand our reach in Asia, Europe and Latin America.”

“The number of GetThere clients actively implementing meeting management automation and policy grows on a monthly basis,” said Beverly Heinritz, general manager of GetThere.  “HelmsBriscoe’s services are truly complementary.  They give travel managers the benefit of local event expertise, along with the leverage that responding hotels must be competitive in rates and service to continue gaining referrals from the HelmsBriscoe associate.  It’s like having an extended staff member working at any meeting location.”

Online meeting registrations via GetThere technology grew by 63 percent in 2005.
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