Washington, D.C. (July 24, 2013) – The Knowland Group, the largest data company in the global

meetings industry, today announced the new release of its Advanced Researcher Profiles. These Advanced Researcher Profiles will allow hoteliers to more strategically sell their hotel to meeting planner accounts by providing them an in-depth look at meeting planning departments at large corporations and associations.

Knowland's Advanced Researcher Profiles include information on how meeting planning

departments are structured (centralized or decentralized), contact information for meeting planners, meetings and events history, third party affiliations such as Helms Briscoe or Conference Direct, and any RFP distribution tools used by a meeting planning department. Knowland's Researcher Profiles also allow hoteliers to see possible "rules" and "regulations," such as Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP) stipulations, contractual requirements or preferred hotels, that meeting planners within that account may be placed under that could affect what hotels they book for meetings.

"This is a hotel sales person's dream," states Jim Vandevender, Chief Development

Officer for The Knowland Group. "By utilizing Knowland's Advanced Researcher Profiles, hotel sales people can better understand how the meeting departments within those accounts are structured so they can immediately get to the right decision maker. They can also avoid wasting time on accounts with specific SMMP programs or preferred hotel agreements in place that don't fit their hotel property or brand."

Gathering all of this data requires a huge infrastructure, which is why Knowland has over

400 people working around the clock to research contact details, profile group meeting policies and identify meeting planner preferences. Knowland's Research Center, located in Salisbury, MD houses Knowland's Research Analyst Team, the group responsible for gathering information on meeting planners and the group meetings industry. These Researchers are trained in multiple hotel sales and meeting planner bootcamps and are adept at tracking down meeting planners and other decision makers within organizations and finding out crucial information about their events and meeting needs.

About​ ​Knowland

Knowland provides group data and innovative technology to help hotels, CVBs, and other venues drive revenue with meetings market intelligence. Knowland offers extensive insight into market analytics, industry trends, and powerful benchmarking for booking better-qualified group business. Acting on behalf of the hospitality industry as a whole as well as its customers, Knowland continually strives to increase transparency of the group market and deliver best-in-class meetings and events sales solutions. Visit us at www.knowland.com

Melissa White
The Knowland Group
(202) 312-5880