Marriott UK & Ireland has seen a dramatic rise in enquiries for conferences and events since introducing improved functionality and additional features on its dedicated meeting planner website.
”We anticipated an increase in leads when we added new features designed to help meeting and event planners, but we were surprised at the extent of the customer response,” said Marriott UK & Ireland director of marketing communications, Roger Binks.
”We talked to our customers and developed these enhancements with their needs in mind and the response shows how effective this has been. There is a clear demand for easy to use electronic event planning tools and customised information.”
Marriott has introduced a complimentary, customised web page devoted to each individual event ” similar to Hilton”s recently introduced worldwide POG offering (click here to read more) ” which allows planners to upload travel directions, conference programme, corporate logo and photography.
The planner can then post the ResLink (link to the webpage) on the event homepage or email it to delegates so attendees can access the special group rate direct and keep track of any changes to the agenda. All information entered by the participant is then electronically linked to rooming and delegate lists to ensure names and titles are correct and avoid room allocation errors.
Marriott guarantees a response to all online RFPs (request for proposals) within 24 hours (business days), with all requests sent direct to the hotel”s lead management system rather than via email to help ensure a fast response.
The company has also upped its incentives for event planners, offering current special rates on the dedicated website, alongside its Marriott Rewards scheme that gives 50,000 points when a planner signs up, automatically promoting them to Elite level when booking for a second time.