The application deadline for qualified meeting professionals to receive a free hotel stay plus either complimentary registration or air travel to Meeting Professionals International’s upcoming MeetDifferent 2010 conference in Cancun, Mexico, has been extended to November 15. In addition, Elite Meetings International announced that its proprietary FaceTime appointment-scheduling technology has been selected to facilitate the Hosted Buyer Program for the February 20–23 conference being held at Moon Palace Resort.
Meeting planners with proven purchasing power for meeting services can fill out an application online. In return for committing to meet with 15 suppliers, MPI will offer a complimentary hotel stay for four nights (at $238 per night a $952 value), plus a choice of either complimentary conference registration (valued at $625 for MPI members) or reimbursement of airfare (up to $500).
Applicants will be notified if they are selected by the week of November 30. Approximately four weeks before the conference, program participants will be able to begin requesting appointments with each other, using the FaceTime application.
FaceTime is EMI’s proprietary technology for helping buyers and sellers request, create, and manage appointments. It was used in September at The Motivation Show. Features of the product include appointment scheduling, detailed user information allowing potential business to be identified easily, “smart” scheduling that cross-references multiple appointment schedules and suggests available slots, and an appointment-alert system that notifies participants of additions, changes, cancellations, and messages from other event participants.