American Express Business Travel (AEBT) announced Small Meetings eXpert, an online marketplace for users to plan and book meetings with fewer than 50 attendees. This fully automated solution drives control to what is considered one of the last areas of unmanaged T&E spending.
“Smaller meetings tend to fly under the radar in most companies, and until now, remained the last uncharted territory for online procurement,” said Issa Jouaneh, vice president of strategic meeting management for AEBT. “Couple this with the fact that meetings of all sizes are under increased scrutiny now, and it is clear there has never been a better time for companies to employ Small Meetings eXpert... [it[ also helps companies reduce costs by ensuring rates are very competitive.”
Small meetings often represent unseen spending that can equal an incremental two-thirds of a company’s managed meeting spend. Through the control and transparency provided by Small Meetings eXpert, companies are able to consolidate this previously unseen and unmanaged spend and ultimately drive significant savings to their bottom line.
Small Meetings eXpert is powered by Worktopia, Inc, a meetings technology provider. It provides real-time connection to browse content, compare rates, as well as book guest rooms, meeting spaces, catering and audio visual equipment. The solution also offers exclusive access to pre-negotiated rates and packaged deals from the American Express hotel and meeting supplier network. Small Meetings eXpert is the only product available that enables users to place a temporary hold on meeting space. This allows for the additional time that may be needed to seek internal approval prior to making a final commitment. Attendee management and reporting capabilities are also key features of the solution.
“Small Meetings eXpert is a solution that can be used by anyone responsible for planning a meeting, whether they are an experienced meeting professional, an administrative assistant, sales staff or first-time organizer,” continued Mr. Jouaneh. “ thanks to an unparalleled network of American Express supplier relationships. Suppliers partnering to provide content to Small Meetings eXpert will equally benefit from this unique online marketplace where they can directly offer their meeting services to clients of American Express Business Travel.” Visit www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel