Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., has added Passkey's GroupMAX technology to its meeting planner services, providing event management tools for meeting planners and online booking capabilities for guests. GSR offers 200,000 square feet of meeting space, branded retail shopping, headliner entertainment, a cinema, a 50-lane championship bowling center, an aqua golf driving range, outdoor thrill rides, and an 85,000-square-foot casino.
"With GroupMAX, each event will have a professionally designed custom-booking Web site, and meeting planners will be able to track their events’ pick-up, pace, and reservations online, as well as analyze trends and manage their room lists securely," says Denise Banks, vice president of sales, meetings and conventions.
Event planners and hotels receive both online and mobile-enabled access to real-time event information, and the Passkey-enabled global network includes more than 85 percent of major U.S. convention and visitors bureaus, thousands of hotels, trade associations, meeting planners, and meeting management companies. Available to any meeting planner with an event at GSR, the technology includes a built-in e-mail marketing tool set to customize offers for guests specific to a particular group or event.
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino also now is managed by Santo Gaming LLC, led by Tony Santo and staff. A 29-year veteran of the gaming industry, Santo previously served as senior vice president of Western and Mid-south regions for Caesars Entertainment Inc., where he oversaw 13 properties; as president of the Reno Hilton and the Flamingo Reno; and as president of Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas, and the Flamingo Las Vegas.