Dolce Selects SpeedRFP to Facilitate Meeting Requests for Proposals

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. July 23, 2010

MONTVALE, NJ - July 23, 2010 - Dolce Hotels and Resorts, operator of 27 upscale hotels, resorts and conference hotels in North America and Europe, has implemented SpeedRFP, an online request-for-proposal tool that enables meeting planners to solicit bids from multiple hotels across multiple brands.

SpeedRFP enables meeting planners to enter their organization's information and details about their prospective meeting just once using a standardized format at www.dolce-speedrfp.com and then submit that information to the Dolce property of their choice, according to Barry Goldstein, Dolce chief revenue officer.

"Meeting planners traditionally have considered the RFP process to be time-consuming and repetitive", he said. "With SpeedRFP, they establish an online account and keystroke the specifications for each meeting just once. SpeedRFP enables planners to send RFPs to multiple vendors without re-entering data. Planners also use SpeedRFP to manage their RFPs".

Kelly Foy, chief executive officer of Elite Meetings International Inc., the company that developed and markets SpeedRFP, said "Meeting planners have been asking for a RFP management system like SpeedRFP for years". The product is being offered to hotel chains, individual properties and convention and visitors bureaus, among others.

"Our objective is to make SpeedRFP the industry standard for meeting professionals", he said. "We anticipate many recognizable hotel brands in the near future will join Dolce in incorporating SpeedRFP".

SpeedRFP soon will be integrated with MeetingBroker, a lead management software developed by Newmarket International that forwards RFPs to the sales force automation systems of hotels, resorts and other meeting venues. "With the MeetingBroker integration, we expect to see mass adoption of SpeedRFP by large hotel chains", Foy said.

In addition to streamlining the work of meeting planners, SpeedRFP benefits hotel brands like Dolce because it is integrated seamlessly into the brand's central reservations system, does not require costly software upgrades, and exposes the hotel brands to more prospective meetings clients, he said.

SpeedRFP will save Dolce time and money by incorporating RFPs in hotel property management systems and avoiding commissions and transaction fees, according to Goldstein. Dolce expects to expand its use of SpeedRFP to weddings and other social events.

Dolce Hotels and Resorts, founded in 1981, is majority-owned by Broadreach Capital Partners. The company, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., employs more than 4,000 worldwide. Additional information is available at www.dolce.com.

Dolce's portfolio includes properties in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Colorado, California, Ontario, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany.

As a leader in the meetings industry, Dolce hosts some 30,000 events and 4 million group clients globally every year. The company's founder pioneered the conference center concept and Complete Meeting Package, both now embraced as standards by the International Association of Conference Centers.

The company's vision is to create inspiring environments that bring people together, and its mission is to delight its guests, challenge its associates, reward its owners and serve as a role model in its communities.

Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International Inc. provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale and upscale properties. EMI's innovations include FaceTime Appointment Scheduler, a program for helping conference attendees identify synergies, manage appointments and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP ( www.SpeedRFP.com ), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com or call 805-730-1000.