Starwood Hotels & Resorts next month will introduce a loyalty program for travel professionals and meeting planners,

the company announced this week. Under Starwood Preferred Guest Pro, meeting planners and travel professionals will earn points, status and upgrades when they book business-to-business events at Starwood properties globally, an effort to "extend our reach beyond managed accounts to attract new businesses, regional organizations and a next generation of travel professionals," according to Starwood sales organization senior vice president Christie Hicks. SPG members who are not travel professionals but book group stays, events or corporate business meetings also will earn points and status under the program, according to Starwood.