NBTA Foundation

The NBTA Foundation, the research and education arm of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), in partnership with StarCite, Inc., today announced the development of a new model for strategic meetings management programs (SMMP) designed to help companies accurately identify where they stand in the SMMP implementation process and how to progress successfully to the next level.

“The Strategic Meetings Management Maturity Model will be an invaluable guide for our industry as the practice of strategic meetings management continues to advance and provide even greater value to a growing number of companies,” said Steve Singh, Chair of the NBTA Foundation Board of Trustees. “The model builds on the strategies for success outlined in a suite of industry-leading papers by the NBTA Groups & Meetings Committee, as well as the collective expertise of strategic meetings management practitioners, many of whom were consulted during development.”

Based on a successful framework for software development created at Carnegie Mellon University, and incorporating the results of industry research and focus groups, the new SMM Maturity Model is structured to allow companies to gauge their current progress in each essential category of an SMMP such as policy, strategy, meeting registration, sourcing, planning, payment, technology and reporting. In each category, users of the model will assess their companies as falling into one of six levels: Random, Discovery, Emergent, Operative, Excelling or Mastery.

The model will also offer a prescriptive report on how to advance through the stages of SMMP development, including the actions required to achieve mastery and the tangible and intangible benefits of an SMMP at each stage. The SMM Maturity Model supports companies as they develop their SMMPs by providing information on best practices and case studies at each level, along with benchmarking data from companies in similar industries. NBTA will also incorporate the model into the Strategic Meetings Management Certification (SMMC) program.

“We felt it was crucial to team up with the NBTA Foundation and invest in the research and development of this model, because when it comes to strategic meetings management, companies need clear standards and benchmarks on which to focus,” said Kevin Iwamoto, Vice President, Enterprise Strategy, StarCite. “The SMM Maturity Model promises a new degree of rigor for companies as they work to develop and implement their own SMMPs, coupled with the professional education and tools needed to ensure success.”

Kevin Iwamoto will be participating in an Education Session Panel to discuss the Maturity Model on Tuesday, August 10, at 8:30am at the NBTA International Convention & Exposition taking place in Houston. Information will also be available at the NBTA Booth #343 and the StarCite booth #2018 in the exposition hall.

About the NBTA Foundation | The NBTA Foundation is the education and research foundation of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Asia Pacific, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Mexico and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 15,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. The foundation was established in 1997 to support NBTA’s members and the industry as a whole. As the leading education and research foundation in the business travel industry, the NBTA Foundation seeks to fund initiatives to advance the business travel profession. The NBTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, see www.nbta.org and .

About StarCite, Inc. | StarCite, Inc. provides a technology platform that makes meeting and event planning, booking and management simpler and more cost-effective for corporations, hotels, venues and meeting suppliers worldwide. StarCite’s solutions deliver visibility, cost savings, and control over meeting spending for businesses and enhanced revenue opportunities for suppliers. Through Web-based, on-demand technology, StarCite automates and supports every key element of the meeting planning and procurement process: planning, budgeting, buying, attendance, payment, and results measurement. Using StarCite’s proprietary online marketplace, meeting buyers can connect and conduct business with over 93,000 hotels, venues, destinations and suppliers globally. StarCite is based in Philadelphia, PA. Its equity holders include Internet Capital Group (NASDAQ: ICGE), TPG Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), and TL Ventures. For more information about StarCite please visit .

Nicole Hayes
Assistant Manager, Communications
(703) 236-1133
GBTA