WTP Integrates Mtg. Software

<B> WTP Integrates Mtg. Software</B>

By Chris Davis

Mega travel agency WorldTravel Partners, fresh from its merger with BTI Americas, is testing a new Web-based meetings application that will combine the functionalities of its three existing meeting software products.

The new technology, which WTP officials expect to be available next summer, will combine its Meeting Assist, PlanningPartner and MeetingPartner software products into a single application that will keep the Meeting Assist moniker. It will be available not only to clients of WTP and BTI, but also likely will be sold through WTP's technology subsidiary, the Travel Technologies Group, to corporations that are consolidating their meetings spending, even if they are not WTP or BTI customers. The final price of the product, however, has not yet been set.

The new Meeting Assist "will be the most complete and comprehensive meetings management tool ever conceived," said Kaye Mulkeen, chief operating officer of WTP's meetings and incentives division.

WTP currently offers the three applications separately or as part of a package, but not as a single product. The current Meeting Assist, designed to help clients consolidate meetings volume, allows planners to register all meetings into a centralized database as well as access an airfare database. It can interface with PlanningPartner, which allows users to track meeting costs and expenditures by entering hypothetical items on the event budget, and MeetingPartner, a registration and room block management application that accepts registration information by fax or e-mail.

MeetingPartner also allows a two-way interface with the Apollo, Sabre and Worldspan central reservation systems.

"This is a major upgrade of our existing technology," said Rigsby Barnes, general manager of WTP's meetings and incentives division. "It opens opportunities not only with WTP's customer base, but also with BTI's."

But while there isn't much question the new Meeting Assist will put WTP in a more solid position in the emerging meetings-technology market, some questions exist as to whether the current customer demand really meets this product's scope.

"I'm wondering if it would overwhelm the meeting planner," said Jeff Rasco, president of HMR Associates, a meetings technology consulting firm based in Wimberley, Texas. "But if WTP goes through IT or procurement purchasing--if they take it from a different tack--they might be wildly successful."

Rasco said WTP's three existing applications have been popular, with agents in particular drawn to the ability to interface with the three CRSs.

"Most of the corporate planners I know aren't nearly as reliant on that kind of information. It's not the driving force that it is with travel agencies that are expanding their meeting function. The corporate side is looking for better communication with the attendees," he said.

Still, the ability of the new Meeting Assist to keep track of air reservations will be an attractive selling point to planners, Rasco said. "That's one of the headaches that corporate planners face. So if it's tied into that system, so it can send out an alert if there's a change, then it has to be a good thing."

In any event, Rasco said, WTP deserves credit for advancing the reach of technology in the meetings industry. "Anybody willing to spend time thinking about how technology is going to help the industry is doing the industry a favor, and anybody who is coming out with something that will automate the process and document savings will be successful."

The Meeting Assist upgrade comes as WTP and BTI work to integrate their meetings and groups departments after their merger in October. Barnes and Mulkeen said the merger of the two departments is expected to run smoothly, as the agencies share few meetings clients, and will bring a standardization of service and a best-practices approach. "We're exploring better ways to do benchmarking, best practices, things like that," Barnes said. "Nothing's finalized, it's evolving."

Mulkeen said the two departments also may centralize their purchasing to achieve economies of scale.

In one change, BTI's conference center training and services program now will report to WTP's meetings and incentives division. "They're onsite with a number of major accounts in the country and that opens up an opportunity to help build that business and apply our software to it," Barnes said. "At the same time, some of our clients may be interested in conference center management." Barnes also said WTP may handle consolidation or larger events for some of BTI's clients, if the need presents itself.

"Both BTI and WTP have small groups and meetings units in their business travel operations, and we wholeheartedly endorse that," he said. "It's a very healthy way to go to market. They handle the small and less complex meetings and the air locally, and when there's a large, more complex meeting, they call on our expertise for their clients."

The combined WTP and BTI--the third largest U.S. agency (<I>BTN,</I> Oct. 26)--now has the scope to be a formidable force in the meetings market, Barnes said. "Between the combined strength and client base, we'll be a major factor."

The WTP/BTI merger is not the only recent move among the mega agencies. Also in October, American Express signed a letter of intent to buy Mt. Laurel, N.J.-based super regional Travel One this month. Officials from both agencies said it's too early to tell how their meetings and incentives departments will be combined, though. "They'll operate pretty much as before for the foreseeable future," said American Express spokesperson Melissa Abernathy. "We'll have an analysis period, and when that's through, we'll either offer combined programs or maintain the two separately. It could go either way. But there isn't a set timetable on any part of the transition period.