WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HotelPlanner, a leading travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, celebrated its 20th anniversary in the travel & hospitality industry in 2023. Here is a brief look back at the company’s incredible 20-year run and a year in review of recent milestones and achievements, particularly in sports team travel.
Staying Ahead of the Technology and Consumer Demand Curve
Since the company’s founding in 2003, HotelPlanner has worked to stay ahead of the technology curve with new innovations to meet the evolving needs of travelers. We were one of the first companies to flip the group booking model so that hotels bid on travelers’ group requests, a revolutionary concept back in 2003. We were also one of the first travel platforms to offer e-contracts, online signature, instant group rates, and discounted ‘closed user group’ rates in private sales environments.
In 2020, we launched one of the industry’s only Gig Economy-powered inbound sales call centers, which has greatly increased conversion and quality & speed of service. In 2023, HotelPlanner launched its first loyalty program Hotel Buyers Club. The membership program offers wholesale rates on 1 million properties globally, includes Generative AI solutions with ChatGPT, a travel inspiration and advice newsletter, and white glove customer service.
“Looking ahead, the company is committed to embracing the latest technology and human solutions to deliver a more frictionless travel experience for our customers and partners globally,” says John Prince, Co-founder & CIO.
Awards & Accolades
For the 2nd time in company history, in 2023, HotelPlanner made the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies, ranking 36th in the travel & hospitality category, with three-year revenue growth of 182 percent.
In November, the company hosted their signature charity gala, the American Group Travel Awards to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and in celebration of HotelPlanner’s 20th anniversary, as well as the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Hip Hop. Celebrity appearances included Flavor Flav, Grandmaster Flash, Rob Base, and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and many others.
Three Brand Acquisitions
HotelPlanner made three strategic brand acquisitions in 2023 to expand its service offerings across the travel and event ecosystem. HotelPlanner added Lucid Travel to its family of brands to expand the company’s reach in sports team travel and hospitality. The travel management software serves university, sports teams, and event directors, including 150 universities and 10,000+ teams. The company then acquired Eventsquid to expand its event registration service offerings. Finally, HotelPlanner welcomed Cleverdis to its family of brands, a mainstay in global trade show media.
Expanding Reach with Sports Team Travel
For two decades, HotelPlanner has enjoyed enduring relationships with pro, semi-pro, amateur, and youth sports leagues, teams, and athletes including the NHL, NFL, NBA, NBA G-League, MLS, NGBs, and many more. We believe that sports bring people together perhaps more than any other activity. Our clientele of affiliate partners has included the L.A. Clippers and Chargers, Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers, Washington Commanders, and most recently, the Orlando Magic.
“I believe we have distinguished ourselves as the go-to hotel provider of choice for sports team travel globally, and it’s been our privilege to serve this important industry for the past twenty years, and many more to come,” says Tim Hentschel, Co-founder & CEO, HotelPlanner. “I’m very proud to share that we have the capability and capacity to handle events from 10 to 10,000 rooms per night to drive the best value in rates and to deliver a high touch experience for attendees.”
In 2023 alone, HotelPlanner made an impressive string of new partnerships to become the preferred or official hotel provider for USA Lacrosse, American Youth Soccer Organization, USA Bobsled/Skeleton, United Soccer League, and Vacation Races, to name a few, and renewed its partnership with USA Triathlon. HotelPlanner also announced sponsorships for four rising stars in European pro tennis.
For many years, Innovative Partnerships Group has been HotelPlanner’s agency of record in evaluating potential sports-related partnerships.
“HotelPlanner offers organizations the opportunity to turn what is typically an expense line item (e.g. staff, corporate and participant hotel bookings) into a new source of enduring revenue for their partners,” says Jeff Marks, CEO, Innovative Partnerships Group. “HotelPlanner is helping sports and entertainment properties unlock this significant revenue stream in a very unique category to create a true business partnership.”
About HotelPlanner
HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company and hotel booking platform that combines proprietary artificial intelligence, and a 24/7 global gig-based reservations and customer service network. HotelPlanner is one of the world’s leading providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings. Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with the world’s largest online travel agencies, well-known global hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sporting organizations from youth to professional, universities, and government agencies. HotelPlanner’s family of brands includes its flagship site HotelPlanner.com, its meetings & events-focused sites Meetings.com; EventConnect.com; and VenueExplorer.com; Lucid Travel, which focuses on sports team travel; Eventsquid, which focuses on corporate and association event registration; and Cleverdis, a mainstay in trade show media. Learn more at https://www.hotelplanner.com.
About Innovative Partnerships Group
Innovative Partnerships Group is a global leader in developing naming rights and long-term sponsorships among the most prestigious professional sports teams, entertainment rightsholders and prestige brands. Innovative Partnerships Group has its breakthrough Partnership Intelligence™ valuation system that allows both properties and brands to maximize their return on sponsorship and naming rights partnerships. Innovative Partnerships Groups is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in New York, Charlotte, Dallas, and Barcelona.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Philip Ballard
Chief Communications Officer & Head of Investor Relations
HotelPlanner
Email: Philip.Ballard@hotelplanner.com
