Meetings Beat: CIC Upgrades Apex Technology Toolbox

CIC Upgrades Apex Technology Toolbox
The Convention Industry Council last month released a new version of its Apex Toolbox, a deliverable of the council's Accepted Practices Exchange initiative. The upgrade includes new request-for-proposals templates and rooming-list templates, and is free for current toolbox customers. Apex leaders said they are pushing mandatory registration for users. The new version is the "toolbox on steroids," said E.J. Siwek, head of the Apex technology advisory council and president and founder of Hague, N.Y.-based Flashpoint Technologies. With the new version, companies are able to deploy the toolbox online through their company servers, he said. The system eventually may be available through third-party technology vendors and is supported by the Open Travel Alliance, a trade group developing a common standard for the exchange of information within the travel industry. Contrary to expectations, Apex leaders said companies are finding the tool is most useful for occasional meeting buyers rather than experienced planners. A long-awaited project to establish accepted practices for contract negotiations is nearly finished, according to representatives, and is expected to be delivered to council members this fall. The Apex Initiative has entered its next stage, moving from the concept-development phase to the industry-implementation phase, according to a council release. The organization in June hired Katie Brannan as Apex director to "take positive steps to ensure Apex maintains forward momentum." In addition, the council has hired Katherine Brick as Apex coordinator to promote to CIC member organizations and specific industry segments new Apex marketing and learning tools, according to the release.

Airline Alliances Add Group Offerings
The Oneworld airline alliance, including carriers American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, on July 27 announced that it would offer three of the alliance's most popular fare types to group travelers. The three fare types now eligible for group travel are an around-the-world fare and two versions of the Oneworld Circle Fare, which enable passengers to fly to the other side of the world and back without actually circumnavigating the globe, according to an alliance release. The three fares are available for groups of between 10 and 30 passengers in economy class, or between 10 and 15 in business class. Online booking of the fares is not available, according to the alliance. The round-the-world fare is priced based on the number of continents visited, rather than the exact mileage flown. The SkyTeam alliance, including Continental, Delta and Northwest airlines, in April announced it would offer a new product aimed at large international meetings. Event organizers now are able to coordinate attendee bookings across 10 member airlines through one sales contact, while event attendees received discounts, accrue frequent flyer miles and customized flight information, according to a company release. With the SkyTeam announcement, all three major global airline alliances offer products aimed at large international meetings. All three programs carry heavy restrictions and offer similar benefits. The SkyTeam program is only for individual international travel to a common destination, and qualifying events include trade shows and exhibitions, conventions, congresses, meetings and incentive programs, training courses, in-house seminars and product launches. Potential participants using the program must originate from at least three countries, not including the destination. The United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean all are considered as part of a single entity: North America. Groups are qualified based on unspecified size and events must be registered with the program at least six months before the event.

Luxury Hotel Collection Expands To Europe
Associated Luxury Hotels International last month announced it has added to its portfolio the InterContinental London Park Lane in London, its first hotel in Europe. The group includes more than 80 U.S. luxury hotels and additional members in Mexico, Canada and The Caribbean. "Associated Luxury Hotels is more strategically positioned to best serve meeting planners in North America," said David Gabri, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels, in a company release. "The globalization of the meetings, incentive and convention business is increasingly apparent, so we're simply meeting the demands of our meeting professional clients to offer them an array of upper-tier member options for their groups, with easy one-call access to ALHI's national sales network." The company acts as a sales and marketing agent for four- and five-star hotels and resorts and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It has 12 national sales offices. "Expanding our international membership helps North American meeting planners by providing to them easier access to these exceptional hotels and resorts, and it helps the properties by becoming more accessible to meeting planners in North America," Gabri said.