Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterNewsmaker Alert is on Pinterest
Back To News/PR Index
|
Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
|
Enthusiastic Business, Emotional Highs, and a Look at New
Initiatives Highlight May 2015 Elite Meetings Alliance in Las Vegas
|
Santa Barbara, CA – May 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / Elite Meetings International (EMI), recently acquired by Cvent, Inc., concluded its May 2015 Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) with reports of new business opportunities, positive feedback on education and team-building sessions, and appreciation for the quality of attendees. The event, which took place May 3–5, 2015, in Las Vegas at Vdara Hotel & Spa, combined education, networking, and two days of one-on-one appointments. Once again in exit surveys, 100% of responding meeting planners and suppliers said they expect to book business with a buyer or supplier they met with at the EMA.

In his opening speech, EMI General Manager and Founder Kelly Foy addressed the changes, expected growth, and new initiatives taking place as a result of the company’s recent acquisition by Cvent. His presentation summed up the company’s new position in two words: better, stronger. He discussed next steps, including Elite Meetings magazine’s redesign to celebrate its tenth anniversary; new blog, Meet Well; SpeedRFP’s mobile interface plans; plus the robust new suite of offerings now available to planners and suppliers alike.
|
May 2015 Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
|
“The response from attendees was overwhelmingly supportive and I believe that kind of positive energy channels itself into an environment for great business,” Foy says. “Vdara set an incredible backdrop for good business and we received very favorable feedback throughout the show for our host property.”

Hotelier Erik Dombroski of Hotel Terra Jackson Hole says that the most valuable aspect of the EMA for him was the attendee list. “There were only two planners whom I had met prior to attending this event. Gaining the exposure to new companies and planners is one of our main goals for travel this year. The EMA was a perfect event for us,” he says.

Feedback from meeting planners was equally revealing. Shawshonee Stokes of Cardinal Health says, “As a fairly new planner I was completely blown away by the experience. The educational talks were spot-on with content that was very thought-provoking, the activities were amazing, and the one-on-ones were super valuable as I have made so many contacts that I plan to use in the near future. I will recommend this conference to all meeting planners.”

Education and Team Building
Education sessions eligible for 4.5 hours of CMP credit covered topics ranging from Human Trafficking to Industry Trends, Corporate Social Responsibility and becoming a Corporate Athlete©. One highlight was the Jam Session presented by Hello! Las Vegas which took place on opening night. Teams worked with local high school students competing for their student to win an orchestral instrument. When it was revealed that all participants would—and did—receive a violin, cello, or bass, the night hit an emotional high.
|
May 2015 Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
|
Business
Over 1,100 one-on-one appointments between suppliers and buyers—plus countless networking interactions—provided a wealth of opportunities for business. In exit surveys, 100% of responding meeting planners and suppliers said they expect to book business with a buyer or supplier they met with at the EMA.
|
May 2015 Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
|
The Experience
As always, great hotel partners played an essential part in the event’s success. The Vdara Hotel & Spa, a nonsmoking, non-gaming casino in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, provided a sanctuary of sorts in the high-energy city. Separated from the hustle and bustle normally associated with Las Vegas, the attendees had the unique opportunity to meet, learn, and network in an inviting, mellow environment—yet still had the action of The Strip a short walk away. The Bellagio (Vdara’s sister property) hosted the theme dinner and after-party at their chic nightclub, HYDE. Situated directly above the iconic Bellagio fountains, HYDE offers attendees a spectacular view of the glowing cityscape. One lucky attendee won the opportunity to start the evenings’ fountain show paired to their music of choice, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any Las Vegas visitor.
|
May 2015 Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
|
The Future
The third EMA of 2015 will take place at La Cantera Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas, September 20–22, 2015. Registration is now open. To learn more, visit www.EliteMeetingsAlliance.com.

About the Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA)
The EMA is a three-day, invitation-only event that brings together prequalified corporate and association planners with leaders in the luxury hotel industry to cultivate relationships and build business. It centers on private, personalized business development meetings, continuing education breakout sessions for CMP credit, and unique networking activities. For more information on the Elite Meetings Alliance, visit www.EliteMeetingsAlliance.com, contact EMATeam@EliteMeetings.com or call 805-879-4485.

About Elite Meetings International
Based in Santa Barbara, California, Elite Meetings International (EMI), a subsidiary of Cvent, provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technologies, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale and upscale properties. EMI’s innovations include AttendeeHub™ (www.AttendeeHub.com), a sought-after program for helping conference attendees identify synergies, manage appointments and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP™ (www.SpeedRFP.com), a time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com or call 805-730-1000.

About Cvent
Cvent, Inc. (NYSE: CVT) is a leading cloud-based enterprise event management platform, with more than 14,000 customers worldwide. Cvent offers software solutions to event planners for online event registration, venue selection, event management, mobile apps for events, e-mail marketing and web surveys. Cvent provides hoteliers with an integrated platform, enabling properties to increase group business demand through targeted advertising and improve conversion through proprietary demand management and business intelligence solutions. Cvent solutions optimize the entire event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world to manage hundreds of thousands of meetings and events. For more information, please visit Cvent.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

“Safe harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including the company’s plans and expectations regarding the growth and performance of Elite Meetings following its acquisition by Cvent, the redesign of Elite Meetings magazine, and the development of SpeedRFP’s mobile interface. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, the company’s results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to the risks detailed in Cvent’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2015, our Form 10-Q filed on May 11, 2015, and other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Media Contacts:

Karen Cahill
Elite Meetings International
805-879-4488

Lana Sieg
Cvent, Inc.
571-830-2335
|

Elite Meetings International
|
Placement Dates: 05/21/15 – 07/21/15
|
Back To News/PR Index
|
Hospitality Newsmaker Alert