SpeedRFP Use Grows 70 Percent in 2013, With Nearly 50,000 Unique Event RFPs Submitted During the Year
Santa Barbara, CA (PRWEB) January 14, 2014 -- Elite Meetings International (EMI) announced its cloud-based eRFP technology product, SpeedRFP, surpassed projections for the second straight year in both volume of unique event submissions and in buyer membership growth. As hotels and resorts around the world increasingly adopted SpeedRFP as their websites’ meetings, weddings, and special events eRFP systems, the number of unique RFPs catapulted from 29,196 in 2012 to 49,466 in 2013. These numbers reflect more 350 percent growth since 2011. SpeedRFP’s buyer membership, now over 90,000, is responsible for more than $5 billion in annual spend.
Kelly Foy, chief executive officer of EMI, said, “Growth in 2013 surpassed even our own lofty expectations, and we don’t see any signs of a slowdown. Our objective of creating an industry standard for eRFP forms is becoming a reality.”
Along with growth from SpeedRFP technology adoption, the SpeedRFP Network, which launched during IMEX America last October, contributed to the numbers. The SpeedRFP Network profiles more than 10,000 hotels and resorts worldwide and allows planners to easily submit their SpeedRFPs from a single portal.
Although the SpeedRFP Network currently features 10,000 hotels, it won't remain there for long, according to Foy. "These initial hotels represent the first in a multiphase effort focused on properties around the world that generate the majority of the world's group business. The heavy hitters, if you will. Our research shows that roughly 30,000 hotels currently fit this profile, and it is our goal to include all of them in 2014," Foy said.
SpeedRFP buyer members are different from users of other networks in that the vast majority of users are administrative assistants, executive assistants, or office managers. They are all influencers or decision makers for their entities. They plan meetings, but their titles don’t necessarily reflect that. These adjunct meeting planners are able to take advantage of SpeedRFP’s intuitive forms and eRFP management system to submit group requests for proposals to hotels and resorts around the globe without having to learn any complicated systems.
In addition to powering EMI’s two hotel network portals, EliteMeetings.com and SpeedRFP.com, SpeedRFP technology powers some of the most well-known chains, brands such as ConnectPlus at Hilton Worldwide, MGM Resorts International, Preferred Hotel Group, Dolce Hotels & Resorts, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, and Destination Hotels & Resorts, as well as the world’s top independent hotels and resorts such as Atlantis, Paradise Island; The Broadmoor; Bacara Resort & Spa; Wynn Las Vegas and Encore; plus, and more than 300 others.
About SpeedRFP™
SpeedRFP is a cutting-edge product for creating, submitting and tracking Requests For Proposals (RFPs) online. SpeedRFP recently surpassed the 90,000-user mark, and is rapidly generating RFPs for meeting planners and hotels in the U.S. and internationally. SpeedRFP is a plug-and-play RFP technology that any chain/brand/hotel/conference center/destination can easily add to their existing website, and its use is free for meeting professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.SpeedRFP.com, or call 805-879-4479. Learn more about SpeedRFP watch this http://www..elitemeetings.com/l/9622/2013-07-15/fcv3t [ 2-minute video __title__ ].
About Elite Meetings International, Inc.
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International (EMI) provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs, and face-to-face business-building events. For additional information, please visit http://www.EliteMeetings.com or call 805-730-1000.
Karen Cahll, Elite Meetings International, http://www.elitemeetings.com, +1 805-879-3928, [email protected]
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