Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants to Target Group Meetings Biz with Cvent Alliance

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announces a marketing alliance with the Cvent Supplier Network. The Cvent Supplier Network is an online directory of venues and an electronic Request for Proposal (eRFP) engine that meeting planners use to search for event venues, send out eRFPs, and receive supplier proposals back regarding pricing and availability. In the fall of 2009, Kimpton implemented a marketing partnership on the Cvent Supplier Network for select hotels in order to increase their online exposure for group business leads. Kimpton has now opted to enhance its marketing with an enterprise-wide upgrade on the Cvent Supplier Network in 2010.

Kimpton's marketing alliance on the Cvent Supplier Network positions its properties as an ideal fit for small-to-medium-sized meetings. Overall, Cvent's RFPs in 2009 averaged 316 total room nights with an average of 82 room nights booked for the peak night of the program. In the small-to medium-sized meetings segment, Cvent's average total room nights per RFP were 131, with an average of 46 peak room nights. These numbers demonstrate that the Cvent Supplier Network delivered group business leads that fit with Kimpton's desire to target the small-to-medium-sized meeting market.

"As the largest boutique hotel brand in the US, our ultimate goal is to be our customers' premier brand of choice. Our relationship with Cvent provides us the opportunity to connect to new planners, to continue to support our existing customers and to provide these customers with the personal and high end services Kimpton is known for within the industry," says Christine Lawson, Vice President of Sales at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. "Since the Cvent Supplier Network is the sourcing tool of choice for thousands of meeting planners across the country, it is logical to align our group sales and marketing efforts with Cvent."

As part of the Kimpton marketing partnership on the Cvent Supplier Network, all featured hotels will showcase Kimpton's exclusive Pick Your Perk campaign, offering five percent off the master bill. Meeting planners can also get a jump-start at booking meetings at Kimpton's brand-new hotels, including the Hotel Palomar Chicago and Eventi Hotel in New York City, both opening in early 2010.