SAUSALITO, Calif. -- EventSource.com, a Web site for meeting planning,
launched a redesign via a live Webcast earlier this month.
Ed Sarraille, president and chief executive officer of
EventSource, said the site is a "cooperative effort" between the
industry and hotels, and gives meeting planners -- whether they are
members of a chain or an independent company -- a "sense of
confidence" in setting up an event.
Sarraille added that the site has become more user-friendly
because the company worked with meeting planners and formed the
content according to their needs.
The Webcast included a guided tour of the redesign and an
opportunity for visitors to ask questions "live" of the site's
staff.
Meeting planners who registered on the site and attended the
Webcast were automatically entered into a drawing to win a "Where
in the World" trip.
The winner had a choice of any European, Pacific or U.S.
destination served by American Airlines and Starwood Hotels -- the
Web site's sponsors -- and received two roundtrip air tickets,
seven nights' hotel accommodations and $1,000 in American Express
Travelers Cheques.
According to Sarraille, the Webcast was seen as the most
efficient way to bring together planners and hotels from all across
the country for an orientation meeting.
The cornerstone of the EventSource site is the My Meetings
section, which is a free meetings manager.
It enables visitors to maneuver quickly through the planning
process, shaving as much as 75% off the time it normally takes to
set up an off-site meeting.
My Meetings features several categories to aid planners in
selecting a property, including cities, diamond ratings and rates.
Planners get a response to their requests within 24 hours of
submission.
In the Resource Center section, visitors can improve the
efficiency of their search for the ideal meeting property by
finding, sorting and comparing unbiased information on thousands of
global properties, according to Sarraille.
In an industry first, EventSource's Auction area brings meetings
planners and hotels together in a real-time on-line competition for
meetings space.
Sarraille said the Auction area will change the way hotels
submit bids to meeting planners.
He noted that last year's auctions achieved an average of 25% to
30% savings for the planner. While the goal is to make planners
aware of the value of the auction product, Sarraille said, this
option may not be the best in every instance.
As far as the amount of auctions EventSource will hold,
Sarraille said, "We'll see what the market says on that."
The Networking & News section hosts information, including
property reviews, that gives planners a forum to provide insights
to others on their experiences at a certain locale.
In addition, reviewed properties can respond on line to
planners' comments. Although the relaunch was sponsored by Starwood
Hotels and American Airlines, Sarraille said their support was
"totally promotional" and that the "unbiased" site offers a "level
playing field" for planners, whether they are members of a chain or
independents.
He added that EventSource has been successful because the
company shows the same attention to service as does the hotel
industry.
The site's technology is half of the process, he said, and
EventSource's execution of the service is the other half.