M. SILVER ASSOCIATES, INC. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HOLIDAY INN® OFFERS GROUP MEETING SPACE BOOKINGS VIA WORKTOPIA – Allowing Meeting Planners to Search, Compare and Book Meeting Space On-Line – NEW YORK (July 14, 2007) – Worktopia, the global leader in on-demand meeting space procurement services, today announced that Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, the world’s most recognized hotel brand, will offer planners live meeting room pricing and availability on-line though instant meeting space booking services. This new deal provides meeting planners access to Holiday Inn meeting rooms to search compare and acquire from Worktopia’s already extensive database of inventory. “We are pleased to partner with Holiday Inn in offering meeting planners a better way to complete their research and book corporate meetings for up to 100 participants” said Brian McCabe, Executive Vice President of Worktopia. “By offering this service Holiday Inn can better serve corporate meeting planners who only have hours, not days, or weeks to arrange meetings. Procurement for corporate meetings is migrating on line and we are proud to be the first to offer a comprehensive, real time solution.” Putting the latest in online technology to work, Worktopia offers planners real-time access to over 10,000 meeting rooms in 1,800 locations through its proprietary automated booking engine. There is no special training or certification requirement to use Worktopia, and the service is free to end-users and site visitors. In addition to the automated service, the Worktopia call center support team facilitates transaction fulfilment and provides quality assurance for the customer experience. “Meeting planners still expect the same superior service from Holiday Inn, but the way they want to interact with us is evolving,” said Ken Pahkim, Director of Field Marketing for Holiday Inn. “Our new relationship with Worktopia will help Holiday Inn further meet the needs of meeting planners by providing them 24-hour access to research and book our meeting space, catering services and equipment on-line,” Pahkim adds “The move is part of the Holiday Inn brand’s commitment to developing consumer-enabling technology for the ever-growing community of meeting planners and guests who seek products and services online.” Meeting planners who book space at Holiday Inn through Worktopia, as well as through traditional means, are eligible to participate in Priority Club® Meeting Rewards – the new loyalty program just for meeting planners. Upon enrolling, planners earn loyalty points with every qualified meeting held at more than 900 Holiday Inn hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Members of Priority Club Meeting Rewards receive three points on every dollar spent on qualified meetings, reach Elite status after holding just one qualified meeting and have the flexibility to use points for savings on future meetings or toward personal rewards. For more information, please visit www.holidayinn.com/meetingrewards. About Worktopia, Inc. Worktopia has enabled the online marketplace for meeting space in hotels and conference centers. Worktopia’s live meeting space booking engine takes the RFP out of meeting procurement for meetings up to 100 participants providing efficient marketing of hotel meeting space and time savings for planners. The Worktopia engine is available at www.worktopia.com and as a white label for leading GDS and travel distribution partners. The service allows meeting planners to search for properties that match their specific requirements, review live, comparable proposals, check availability of meeting space, catering and equipment and then buy on line. With over 2,000 properties in 150 US Cities, Worktopia, is the only service that brings meeting planners and all major hotel brands together, on line in real time. About Holiday Inn With nearly 1,400 hotels worldwide, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts is the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world. Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts provide the services that business travelers need, while also offering a comfortable atmosphere where guests can relax and enjoy amenities such as restaurants and room service, swimming pools, fitness centers and comfortable lounges. The casual atmosphere and amenities such as meeting and full-service business facilities, KidSuites rooms, Kids Eat and Stay Free programs, HolidomeŇ Indoor Recreation Centers, Indoor Waterparks, and the ability to earn Priority Club Rewards points that can be redeemed for great merchandise, airline miles or free room nights, are just a handful reasons why, when it comes to Holiday Inn, it’s time to LOOK AGAINTM. This year, guests can cheer for Holiday Inn as The Official Hotel of Major League Baseball, sponsor of the NASCAR Busch Series No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet with Richard Childress Racing and proud national sponsor of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. For more information or to book reservations, call 1-800-HOLIDAY or visit www.holidayinn.com. |
