November 27, 2012 – EventSphere Leverages Passkey’s GroupMAX™ technology to deliver Seamless Housing Service at the 2012 Democratic National Convention EventSphere recently reflects on its use of GroupMAX to flawlessly process over 16,000 reservations at 170 hotels Waltham, MA — While delegates filled the floor and speakers delivered their speeches at the 2012 Democratic National Convention (“DNC”), EventSphere, the leading event services company, leveraged Passkey’s GroupMAX technology, the industry’s most advanced event housing platform, to deliver impeccable housing service to thousands of convention attendees.
EventSphere’s housing team used Passkey’s GroupMAX to successfully manage all aspects of the event’s hotel booking process, from building multiple sub-blocks for each state party and monitoring lengthy lists of VIPs, to managing multiple requests, handling last minute changes and coordinating with hotels. Nicholas Pellito, operations manager for the Florida Democratic Party, the nation’s third largest democratic delegation, says, “As a first time housing director overseeing hotel accommodations, I was a bit overwhelmed by the size and scope of the housing process. From the first training session, I knew that I could count on EventSphere’s knowledge, experience, and customer service approach to guide me as we put together a most successful event.” When handling an event the size of the DNC, a focus on efficiency and customer service is the key to success.
Just as important is having a tool robust enough to handle all of the complex housing information that moves through systems round the clock. EventSphere’s president & CEO, Todd Lambert, comments, “Smoothly processing 16,000 reservations at 170 hotels was no small feat. Our team’s use of GroupMAX allowed us to simplify our workload and focus on our customer service delivery.” Having just celebrated their second anniversary, Lambert credits their success to the combination of their staff’s 90 years of industry experience and their skill in leveraging Passkey’s GroupMAX toolset.
Thanks to the power of Passkey’s GroupMAX technology, EventSphere was able to ensure that the housing aspect of the event would be efficient and convenient for all parties involved. “We began working on the convention over a year in advance and deployed staff to all areas of the housing process, including having staff permanently located in Charlotte. We were thrilled when we won the bid to handle the housing for the DNC, and knew that our team’s depth of experience combined with Passkey’s technology would enable us to manage the complexities of the DNC’s housing process,” states Lambert. “We’re impressed with how EventSphere was able to leverage our GroupMAX technology to deliver impeccable housing at an event of the scope and visibility of the DNC. Both of our companies have a shared goal of taking event quality and attendee experience to the next level.
The success of this event certainly validates our vision,” says Greg Pesik, CEO and president of Passkey. Kelsey Larus, director of housing for the 2012 DNC, commented, “We were looking for a Housing Services partner that understood the complexity of the DNC’s housing process and would go above and beyond to offer the best customer service possible to the convention attendees. EventSphere’s incredible knowledge of the unique convention housing process was an amazing asset. They understood the number of sub-blocks involved, the sensitivity and security processes needed in handling our various groups, and the amount of changes that would and did occur leading up to Convention week. They were able to meet each challenge with utmost professionalism, timeliness, thoroughness, and customer service for both our guests and our contracted hotels.”