Morgans Hotel Group First To Integrate Daylight, StarCite To Speed Group Meeting Response
5/9/2005 10:00:06 AM
NEW YORK & PHILADELPHIA, May 09, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Morgans Hotel Group is the first hotel company in the USA to incorporate an integrated group lead solution from Daylight Software and StarCite, Inc., the companies announced today. In utilizing the integrated technology, Morgans will gain the ability to seamlessly view, analyze, price, and book meetings into any of its nine properties, thereby streamlining the meeting Request For Proposal process and enabling its sales executives to faster and more accurately respond to planners.
As part of its overall sales distribution strategy, Morgans Hotel Group has also:
-- Purchased marketing packages for each property in the StarCite Online Marketplace;
-- Added StarCite's private-label Group RapidRFP(TM) to its own hotel web site, www.morganshotels.com, to provide planners with a response mechanism;
-- Partnered with intermediaries including American Express and HelmsBriscoe, both of which use StarCite technology; and
-- Trained its 45 sales representatives to understand and leverage the technology in changing market conditions.
Morgans Hotel Group is known for its boutique hotels and savvy database marketing. A collection of nine properties with meeting space ranging from 2,000 to 18,000 square feet, Morgans Hotel Group began looking for a single technology solution to replace nine disparate systems last fall.
"We had superstar salespeople in many cities, but we needed a way to leverage their relationships for all our properties," said T. Blake Danner, Senior Vice President of Sales, Morgans Hotel Group, New York. "We knew we couldn't be the largest sales force, so we focused on providing our team the tools to create better synergy between our hotels. We sought technology that would encourage more cross-selling, provide more robust property information and increased flexibility, acquire more accurate customer data, and access real-time availability for all hotels. All of this while at any property, customer office, home or location," Danner said.
The integrated solution from Daylight-StarCite addresses these requirements. With single access to their custom Daylight Advanced Sales and Catering(TM) sites, sales representatives can view, respond to, and manage all leads and gain access to any information in the database about properties, space, bookings, customers, etc. All leads sent through StarCite technology to a Morgans property automatically populate the company's Daylight solution. All RFP responses entered into Daylight automatically populate the planner's custom site within StarCite.
To ensure that planners consider Morgans Hotel Group properties including the Delano or The Shore Club in Miami, Hudson, Royalton or flagship Morgans in New York City, or others in San Francisco, London and Los Angeles, the hotel company has enhanced its StarCite's marketing programs and banner advertising.
On its own web site, MHG added StarCite's Group RapidRFP(TM) technology to give users an easy, quick way to communicate all group needs to one property, or all. Leads from the site are automatically flowed to MHG's Daylight application.
Since the two-way interface between Daylight and StarCite was implemented, "our operation is more efficient, faster, more customer-focused and clearly gives us a competitive edge. In some cases, we have responded to the planner and begun negotiations before our competitors have even found the lead in their stack of faxes," Danner added.
"It's clear that Morgans executives understand how to embrace advanced technology now available to level the playing field with much larger competitors," said John Pino, chairman and CEO of StarCite, Inc., Philadelphia. "We commend their innovative approach to developing the strategy, and executing it so well. We look forward to working with Morgans in driving more RFPs to their growing portfolio of unique hotels."
About StarCite, Inc.
StarCite, Inc. provides the most comprehensive suite of applications and services to the $300 billion meeting and events industry. StarCite helps drive efficiencies and cost savings to both corporate buyers and suppliers. More than 400 corporate, association and third-party meeting buyers rely on StarCite's Enterprise Meeting Solutions for workflow, procurement, supply chain management, spend analysis and attendee management. Thousands of industry suppliers rely on the StarCite Online Marketplace, Supplier Marketing Programs and Enabling Technologies to increase meeting revenues. StarCite's international division represents destination management companies and other premier international travel suppliers using both technology and traditional means. StarCite is based in Philadelphia. Investors in StarCite include Internet Capital Group (ICGE); Maritz Travel Company; Seaport Capital; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.; and TL Ventures. For more information about StarCite, or its technologies and services, please visit www.StarCite.com.
SOURCE: StarCite, Inc.
StarCite, Inc.
Media Contact:
Mary Ann McNulty, 267-330-0510
mmcnulty@starcite.com |
