Now is the time to test out this new feature says 15 year old convention site selection directory...
Thousands of listings on MeetingSource.com, a fifteen year old meeting and convention site selection directory, are getting a new look by having a Google +1 button. The website is testing whether by integrating this new tool from Google, it is easier for meeting planners to find and compare leading meeting destinations and facilities with visual recommendations from their contacts and industry peers.
Google Plus has been in the news a lot since September 20th, when the company opened the network to everyone. Because of this MeetingSource.com decided to add one of its most prominent features, the +1 button, to all its listings soon after.
John Horchner, a publisher at MeetingSource.com, points out how easy it is to make recommendations using Google Plus.
"Once you are logged into Google Plus, it is just a matter of a single click to make a recommendation of a facility or destination on MeetingSource.com," he said. "Think about the opportunities for working groups to improve and collaborate on convention site selection."
Using MeetingSource and Google Plus, meeting planners can make several recommendations and share them not only within their circle, the members of which will be able to see the sites they recommended with a quick scan of the listings on MeetingSource, but also with the entire world. Selected sites have the potential to have their Google +1 recommendations displayed on the web, next to Google search results.
"Many business travelers won't go near a hotel if they haven't first read a recommendation online," Horchner said. "It's only a matter of time before the same is true for convention planners."
MeetingSource always offered meeting and convention planners a way to sort and compare possible convention locations based on various criteria, such as its distance to a major airport and the availability of a convention center. Google Plus is its attempt to add the social element.
"Our industry more than most gets down to working with people. A Convention and Visitors Bureau, for example, usually has an amazingly lineup of people, facilities and services. Google Plus will make it easier for meeting planners to see a human face and personal recommendation before adding a place to its short list," Horchner concluded.
About MeetingSource.com
Since 1989, Travmar Destination Directories, Inc. - the parent company of MeetingSource.com - has been helping meeting planners find convention centers, conference facilities and meeting space by offering compelling information and innovative technologies for the web.
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