StarCite and GetThere officials have agreed to permit individual clients whose attendees register for meetings through one of StarCite's attendee management applications to immediately book air travel through GetThere's DirectCorporate online booking tool, but the firms only may do so upon the specific request of the corporate client, according to StarCite president and CEO John Pino. However, GetThere president Jeff Palmer characterized that statement as "incorrect."
Neither Pino nor any other StarCite official agreed to clarify or expand upon the relationship between the Philadelphia-based online meetings management firm and GetThere.
Palmer would not address the issue specifically but said, "We have no public agreement." After noting that the above description of the relationship was "incorrect," he said, "We do have third-party DirectCorporate applications. We have integrated with expense reporting tools, for example. Our strategy, into which we've put a lot of investment and effort, is to have the best transient booking tool, DirectCorporate, and the best meeting product."
Palmer said his firm works with customers that have purchased tools other than GetThere's. "Our product does have application program interfaces that do support the integration of products that are not in our standard repertoire, like expense reporting, and will work with customers with applications they bought separately. Our goals are to serve customers and maximize GetThere bookings."
In 2001, GetThere developed the ability for meeting attendees to book air travel through DirectCorporate at the time of online meeting registration through its DirectMeetings tool. At the time, company officials said there were no intentions to link DirectCorporate to any other meetings applications besides DirectMeetings
(Meetings Today, Nov. 12, 2001). The StarCite link would be the first.
StarCite also has developed such functionality as a deal with Outtask to fulfill online air bookings at the point of meeting registration through its Cliqbook booking tool
(Meetings Today, April 22, 2002). However, StarCite officials have noted the deal with Outtask is not exclusive. Rival online meetings management firm SeeUthere has formed similar deals with booking tools from TRX, KDS and Cendant.