American Express Business Travel launches online marketplace
New tool helps manage spending on small meetings
By Susan Avery -- Purchasing, 4/6/2009 1:06:00 PM
American Express Business Travel has introduced Small Meetings eXpert, an online marketplace for users who plan and book meetings with fewer than 50 attendees.
Such gatherings can make up two thirds of a company’s annual spend on meetings, the company says.
“Smaller meetings tend to fly under the radar in most companies, and until now, remained the last uncharted territory for online procurement,” said Issa Jouaneh, vice president, strategic meeting management at American Express Business Travel.
NBTA’s 2009 Business Travel Overview & Cost Forecast shows that 38% of travel buyers expect meetings spending at their companies to remain steady with spending in 2008. Another 31% projects that it will actually decrease. Still, just 19% of survey respondents say they have a strategic meetings management program in place. Another 22% plan to implement one in 2009.
Small Meetings eXpert provides real-time connection to browse content, compare rates and book guest rooms, meeting space, catering and audio visual equipment. The marketplace also offers access to pre-negotiated rates and packaged deals from the American Express hotel and meeting supplier network.
In addition, Small Meetings eXpert enables users to place a temporary hold on meeting space. Other features are: attendee management and reporting capabilities.
Anyone responsible for planning a meeting, whether an experienced meeting professional, an administrative assistant, sales staff or first-time organizer can use the marketplace, adds Jouaneh.
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