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This Just In

SMG Launches SITEPAS

SANDI CAIN, NEWS EDITOR

Philadelphia, PA – A global company with a global brand should have a simple lead-sharing culture. That’s the philosophy behind SMG’s new SITEPAS program, launched April 15.

SITEPAS, an acronym for “Send It To Every Peer At SMG,” encourages lead-sharing across SMG properties through a simple form and the company Intranet. The goal is to enable clients to book rotating events in multiple venues in one easy step. It also enhances the professionalism of the SMG sales personnel, giving them a uniform way to communicate with each other about potential business. The easy program that’s always at a salesperson’s fingertips also will remind them to ask every client what future events are in the works and what cities are under consideration.

“It’s a constant reminder of lead sharing,” said Gregg Caren, senior vice president, strategic business development at SMG.  He said SITEPAS is designed to exemplify simplicity. Here’s how it works:

  • Sales staff members sign in to the SMG Intranet, create a password and distribute the SITEPAS form to appropriate colleagues.
  • The form asks typical convention questions, along with space for future cities under consideration and preferred dates.
  • Each lead response is to be sent within 24 hours unless otherwise specified.
  • Completed forms are sent to Dan Hayes, SMG executive director of convention center sales.
  • A central log of all leads sent and received is maintained at each property.

“If each of the company’s 200 sales executives sends one lead per month, it could generate 2,400 new bookings a year across the SMG network. That would represent significant revenue,” Caren said.

Caren said, “Everyone knows the legwork involved in getting RFPs back. SITEPAS will enable SMG to get RFPs out quickly and recognize national clients across the SMG network by using the Intranet to communicate client needs quickly.”  He said it also leverages the breadth of the SMG network. “The network is one of our strengths,” Caren said. “No one else in the world has this many convention centers.”

SITEPAS also has the potential to work to the advantage of host cities. If clients can easily book multiple years in multiple cities with one company, they might be able to leverage some economies of scale as they do with hotel companies. Caren said SMG is encouraging cities where SMG has a presence to work together instead of against one another in order to book rotational events in SMG-managed facilities.

“It could create a sort of favored-nation status for the clients,” he said.

Reach Gregg Caren at (215) 592-6644 or gcaren@smgworld.com.

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