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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) Standardizes Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) has held an annual reunion every 4th of July for the last 23 years all over the country. With 12,000 members and the association growing each year, the internal housing management of their annual meetings started to become a major concern for achieving event success. The association needed a customer-friendly solution for their members, as well as visibility to their room block materialization to ensure attrition avoidance. VHPA was using an outdated and time-consuming event management process that did not offer visibility into their contracted room blocks, leaving them exposed to attrition penalties, dissatisfied attendees, and over-worked staff members. VHPA started using Passkey in 2005. They were so impressed with the technology that now they will only book ‘Powered by Passkey’ venues going forward. The association’s decision to engage in a six year contract with Marriott properties for their reunions was largely based on the properties’ ability to offer the Passkey group housing management solution, resulting in further control over their meetings’ contracted room blocks, and the ability to closely monitor their attendee booking behavior. Joe Bilitzke, National Reunion Chairman of VHPA, adds, “Passkey is an invaluable tool that allows a sense of comfort throughout the event process. With Passkey, no one is cheated because we can control our room blocks with 24/7 access to real-time reports. Plus, our affiliates have access to the same information across the board. Passkey was the deciding factor to sign a 6 year contract with Marriotts, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the service.” The standardization on Passkey for their annual events, which brings in on average 4,500 room nights to a select Marriott venue, generating more than $650,000 in room revenue alone, has resulted in negligible wash for the past 2 years. They have experienced an average 20% increase in pick-up from one year to next, and over 65% of their bookings are done online. Joe appreciates the instant access to reports and event information he gets from Passkey at his convenience. And the accuracy of the reports tend to make it much easier when negotiating contracts for his next meeting. VHPA is also planning on using Passkey’s RegLink capability to link their registration to Passkey housing and provide a one-stop shopping service to their attendees. The attendee will then be able to book their registration and housing in one seamless process, thus giving the planner more control over the attendee’s booking behavior. Passkey gives VHPA:
About Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA): The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) is a non-profit war veteran’s organization filed under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service. It is dedicated to the fulfillment of the following purposes: To enhance and accredit the cohesiveness, esprit de corps, and traditions of valor of rotary wing aircrews that flew in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era. To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary wing aircraft in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era and inform them of the existence of the VHPA and encourage all eligible individuals to become members. Membership is open to all helicopter pilots who flew in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era (1961-1975). Website: www.vhpa.org
About Passkey: Passkey is the worldwide leader in online group reservations. The Boston-based technology company offers event planners and providers a powerful web-based application to optimize group hotel reservations. The heart of the Passkey system is an innovative online booking engine that lets group attendees make and manage their hotel reservations online in the contracted group block, while allowing event planners and hotels to access real-time reports and event information. Offered as an onDemand solution, Passkey delivers benchmark speed, security and scalability. Passkey investors include: Lazard Technology Partners; TravelCLICK, and DRV Investments, LLC. Website: www.passkey.com
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