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Marriott promotes venue inspiration with event-planning mobile destination

Marriott International is shifting its mobile focus to a new group of potential clients via a site rife with inspiring imagery, quizzes and helpful tips designed to entice event planners to book a venue for their next fete, showcasing the importance of tailored content.

As the hospitality brand celebrates several new digital milestones ? including surpassing more than 12 million mobile check-ins and check-outs ? it is ensuring that its marketing materials reach a critical group of non-vacationing customers ? event planners. The mobile-optimized MeetingsImagined.com site employs a visual and social angle to provide tidbits of inspiration to time-strapped event planners searching for the ideal venue at which to host their next conference, celebration or meeting.

?We?re thrilled with how we?ve seen MeetingsImagined.com inspire planners, whether it?s creating an experiential event or a cutting-edge cocktail list that reflects the hottest spirits trends,? said Brian King, global brand officer at Marriott International. ?I actually used the site to plan my own wedding and come up with ideas that I never would have thought of by myself.

?I call it the ?Pinterest of meetings.??

Attracting business travel professionals
The new digital destination was created to connect event planners with more than 750 Marriott hotels. Event planners and business executives interested in hosting a conference or meeting at a Marriott resort can visit MeetingsImagined.com on their mobile devices or desktops to take advantage of snackable content, including quizzes, articles and tips.

The site hosts more than 4,000 images meant to inspire visitors? imaginations, alongside articles detailing the best cocktails to serve at events and the latest technologies available to create memorable experiences.

Individuals can get started by tapping an icon representing their desired type of meeting, such as celebration, educational summit, promotional event or networking party.

This will bring consumers to a page that aggregates all content related to that meeting purpose, including images, articles, tips and trends.

Site visitors can also opt to find their ideal venue by using a filtering tool that takes location, meeting space, amenities and rooms into consideration.

By introducing mobile-optimized content for business travel professionals, Marriott is able to better highlight its luxury properties and new ballrooms, which could prompt event planners to choose one of its venues over a competitor?s.

Other mobile enhancements
The hotel chain has also enjoyed the fruits of its mobile-related efforts by seeing more than 12 million mobile check-ins and check-outs occur after being one of the first brands to roll out this functionality for guests.

A Marriott International executive revealed that the hospitality brand saw more than $1 billion in revenue booked via its mobile application last year, a feat accomplished partly due to a strong social media strategy and dedication to testing new digital initiatives (see story).

Additionally, Marriott is expanding upon its Netflix streaming options by enabling guests to log into existing accounts or make new ones on in-room television screens in more than 300 of its properties.

The Hyatt Regency San Francisco is also showering consumers with a wider array of mobile offerings by enabling guests to stream subscription-based content from their smartphones to in-room televisions, showcasing how hotel marketers can offer more entertainment options for personal devices (see story).

?We know today?s travelers depend on technology in all aspects of their lives ? including when they relax,? Mr. King said. ?When they travel, they have that same expectation so we think it?s important to offer streaming entertainment in our guest rooms.

?This will continue to be a focus at Marriott going forward.?