In an effort to streamline the booking process for hotels and meeting planners, Expedia is rolling out its automated MICE online booking engine in the United States.
The white label tech solution – available currently to select hotel partners - is designed to enable hotels to respond to RFPs about 20 times faster, thus speeding up and simplifying the sometimes lengthy process for small- to medium-size events.
For hotels, the backend software can be integrated into their own websites and used for any number of properties.
Through the booking engine, meeting and event planners can search, price, configure and book spaces online, as well as manage other meeting elements such as AV equipment, catering and even group lodging.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
The MICE booking tool was initially launched last year in Germany with both the white label approach as well as a marketplace proposition.
According to Expedia, while the white label rollout has also reached the EMEA and APAC regions, the company is still evaluating expanding its marketplace function.
Felix Undeutsch, head of Expedia’s MICE and Groups, says there are plans to take the MICE solution to Latin America and Southeast Asia, though the company is first focused on primarily English-speaking areas such as Australia and Singapore.
"What we've found is that, while these English-speaking countries are different in how they price out their offerings - such as their inclusion of taxes - they're similar in how they address their audience," he says. "For this reason, it made the most sense to offer Expedia MICE rollouts there."