StarCite and Uversa Announce Partnership to Integrate Meetings and Transient Travel Data; For The First Time Ever, Companies Can Capture and Leverage Corporate Meetings and Transient Hotel Spend Together
Partnership Will Help Companies Increase Savings Through Greater Visibility Into, Control Over Both Spend Categories
9/20/2005 9:00:32 AM
PHILADELPHIA, Sep 20, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- StarCite, Inc., and Uversa International, Inc., recognized leaders in meetings and transient travel spend management respectively, today announced a partnership that will give their clients the ability to aggregate corporate meetings and transient travel spend data together into one combined category - an industry first. The partnership will allow companies to manage their total hospitality spend far more effectively through better-informed and more cost-effective spending decisions across their hotel programs.
"Through this partnership, for the first time ever in the travel industry, customers will be able to truly capture and leverage the entire breadth of their hospitality spend," said Michael Boult, President and Chief Operating Officer of StarCite. "As a result, StarCite and Uversa clients can expect more control and increased savings. Both companies are very excited about the value this partnership will bring to our shared customers."
StarCite clients will receive preferred access to Uversa's Hotel Runner solution, which Uversa clients use to manage their transient hotel program. In parallel, Uversa clients will receive access to StarCite's RapidRFP technology for creating and managing meetings oriented RFPs. This will allow both companies to provide their mutual clients with valuable, comprehensive, market-based benchmarking data across both the meetings and transient pieces of their business, greatly enhancing their clients' spend management ability and driving incremental savings.
The companies also plan to combine their supplier databases in order to provide their clients with the added benefit of a broader, richer set of data from which to base their buying decisions and further enhance the listings in client specific preferred hotel programs. The partnership will deliver greater visibility to clients across both spend categories, resulting in an improved ability to report on supplier-specific combined rate and volume history.
"By leveraging and aggregating data and delivering the knowledge capital necessary to manage both categories as one combined spend, this partnership will help Uversa and StarCite ensure our clients' long-term success," said Jo Ann Baynes, President of Uversa.
About StarCite, Inc.
StarCite, Inc. is the provider of On Demand Global Meeting Solutions(TM). StarCite optimizes global investments in corporate meetings and events delivering visibility, savings and control. StarCite provides process efficiency, enabling technology and proven adoption management support to drive significant cost reduction to buyers and enhanced revenues to suppliers. StarCite is based in Philadelphia. Investors in StarCite include Internet Capital Group (ICGE); Maritz Travel Company; Seaport Capital; and TL Ventures. For more information about StarCite, or its technologies and services, please visit www.starcite.com.
About Uversa International, Inc.
Uversa International offers a complete RFP solution for Buyers, Chains and Hotels. The online Uversa RFP Runner automates and streamlines the bid process and gives travel buyers and suppliers the reporting capabilities and tools necessary to achieve optimum cost savings. Uversa is based in Leesburg, Virginia. The Uversa team specializes in assisting clients with the development of global hotel programs and has representation in London to facilitate global bids. For more information about Uversa International, please visit www.uversa.com.
SOURCE: StarCite, Inc.
StarCite, Inc.
by
Sloane & Company
John Hartz, 212-446-1872
jhartz@sloanepr.com
or
Uversa International, Inc.
Jo Ann Baynes, 703-435-6120
jbaynes@uversa.com |
