Philadelphia-based meetings technology provider StarCite has partnered with Waltham, Mass.-based EveryScape, creator of "the real world online," to enable three-dimensional "WebScapes" in its Global Online Marketplace, it announced last week.
Available to participating hotels, the so-called WebScapes offer fully navigable and interactive replicas of destinations that meeting planners can use to research potential venues.
"Through this next generation virtual experience, we're giving suppliers a new way to showcase their offerings and differentiate themselves while improving the user experience for planners using StarCite technology," StarCite Senior Vice President of Global Supplier Sales and Operations David O'Donohoe said in a statement. "This is consistent with our goal of providing functional, cutting edge rich media content to enable our suppliers to put their best foot forward early in the meetings procurement process. WebScapes are truly the next best thing to being there. Planners can actually view the property or destination before making their selections for RFPs or direct booking requests."
According to StarCite, WebScapes in its Global Online Marketplace will feature eye-level photographs of specific hotel properties that allow guests to virtually enter the property itself. In addition to helping them scout venues, therefore, the WebScapes can help planners secure sponsorships, drive attendance and market their meeting destination.
"In this day and age, planners need to make quick but thorough and educated decisions," O'Donohoe continued. "Prior to the introduction of WebScapes through our Global Online Marketplace, there was no alternative available to meeting planners that came so close to visiting a site in person. With WebScapes, users can now view space flows, guest rooms, meeting space, and in some cases, even the city streets online. This exclusive capability gives our planners a true edge in booking and provides our supplier partners an opportunity to clearly stand out during the planning process."
Added EveryScape CEO Jim Schoonmaker, "By going beyond the traditional maps, reviews and photos that meeting planners might normally see in other products currently available in the market, we're offering a valuable new level of detail through an immersive experience that benefits meeting planners and properties alike. We're pleased to bring our technology to the world's leading online meetings marketplace to arm sales teams with a powerful visual tool that increases online bookings and customer engagement on and offline."
To view a WebScapes demo, visit
www.everyscape.com.