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LANDRY & KLING and SEASITE.COM APPOINT MARK PHILLIPS
Mar 23rd, 2010 by admin
LANDRY & KLING and SEASITE.COM
 APPOINT MARK PHILLIPS, FORMER STARCITE EXEC, 

AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER


 
MIAMI, FL (March 18, 2010) – Longtime cruise meeting and incentive specialist Landry & Kling Inc. – who last fall launched Seasite.com – has appointed Mark Phillips to the new position of Chief Operating Officer. Phillips, founding team member at StarCite, Inc. and, most recently, Managing Director/Vice President, International Markets for StarCite, will leverage his broad meetings industry contacts and expertise to deepen Landry & Kling’s penetration of the global MICE market and  accelerate the use of Seasite.com, the first online cruise portal for meeting and event planners. 
 
Phillips’ appointment to this pivotal new role is “a defining moment for our company,” said Jo Kling, CEO Seasite.com. “Mark’s track record with StarCite paves the way for Seasite’s strategic relationships with travel professionals around the world who want to add cruise venues to their portfolio to reap the benefits and ROI of the underutilized cruise sector.”
 
“His global sales and operations know-how will be a tremendous benefit to our company“ added Joyce Landry, CEO Landry & Kling “and, since leaving StarCite, Mark has been consulting with Financial Times 1000 companies on initiatives to improve operational efficiencies and global reach. This exposure has multiplied the assets he brings to Landry and Kling.”
 
As COO, Mark will assume day-to-day oversight of both Landry & Kling and Seasite.com, including business development, marketing, strategic partnerships and all operations. This reorganization will allow owners Kling and Landry to focus on strategic growth initiatives, key relationships and diversifying cruise products as the company anticipates exponential growth. Current products range from simple cruise sourcing/brokering via Seasite.com, to Landry & Kling’s custom planning for incentive cruises and ship charters, and cruise logistics for global events using floating hotels.  
 
Landry & Kling tapped Phillips to enhance the electronic product capabilities of Seasite.com as well as expand their international footprint, as he did with StarCite, developing offices in the UK, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong and China. Phillips’ extended experience with Strategic Meetings Management Programs and Strategic Sourcing initiatives will enable Landry & Kling and cruise line partners to bring a new voice into meeting industry conversations which typically have not included cruises in the past.  
 
Additional expertise gleaned from 8 years in the hotel industry will enable Phillips to find unique solutions and opportunities for Landry & Kling/Seasite clients as well as partner suppliers, based on his first hand experiences at Hilton International Hotels and Cunard Hotels as Rooms Division Manager, Group Technology Representative , Front Office Trainer and Manager.
 
Phillips has been an active member and speaker for key industry organizations including MPI, ACTE, NBTA, HSMAI and HEDNA. He is a former board member of the Hospitality Industry Software Council and contributes frequently to media outlets as a topical expert on global meetings, small meetings, expense tracking, audit and compliance issues.  
 
“Landry & Kling owes its success to a corporate culture that is driven by passion, professionalism, creativity and the willingness to revolutionize and reinvent,” states Joyce Landry. “Mark has a reputation as an innovative leader. That, along with being extremely focused and strategic, are among his many attributes that will help take us to greater heights”
 
About Landry & Kling and Seasite.com
Landry & Kling Inc., cruise event specialists and pioneers of the meetings-at-sea concept, provides turnkey solutions for ship buy-outs, incentive cruises, all kinds of meetings-at-sea and dockside ship charters for global events. Services include site selection and ship sourcing, contract negotiations and custom cruise planning.  Landry & Kling recently launched Seasite.com, the first online cruise platform for meeting and event planners.
 

For oceans of information, visit www.landrykling.com or www.seasite.com or call 800-448-9002.

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10 Reasons Why Seasite.Com Will Revolutionize The Cruise Meetings & Incentive Market
Oct 9th, 2009 by admin

10 Reasons Why Seasite.Com Will Revolutionize The Cruise Meetings & Incentive Market

1. Seasite.com is the first and only web portal for the cruise meetings and incentive market. Until now, there has been no single, online platform dedicated to serving the highly specialized cruise meetings market. Seasite’s innovative technology opens up the untapped world of cruising for planners, connecting cruise lines and meeting professionals like never before. Cruise sourcing can now be as easy and efficient as planning hotel events, and equally reliable – thanks to the tried and tested experience of Seasite’s founders, Landry & Kling, the meetings-at-sea experts.

2. One source delivers it all. The tedious tasks of phoning and searching multiple cruise web sites in vain are gone, as Seasite provides impartial access any day, any time, to 35 cruise brands (over 250 ships), and its meeting-friendly search criteria even allows users to search for charters of a specific size, plus three other specialty searches. A simple click compares ship choices along with maps, itineraries, ship profiles and essential meeting planning data.

3. Data not found elsewhere. Planner’s Guides offer comprehensive ship data harvested only for Seasite – never before published – not even on individual cruise line web sites. Planners will find meeting space grids, function room capacities, outdoor function areas, group dining information, photo galleries, an inventory of guest rooms by category, AV equipment, communications technology and more.

4. High tech/high touch. Rich data and sophisticated search technology lets planners “loose” yet “in control,” providing 24/7 answers and ship-sourcing tools so they can become more knowledgeable planners and educated cruise buyers. At the same time, Cruise Advisors, who are trained by Landry & Kling, offer the expertise, backup and support to source and deliver with confidence.

5. Search, sort and conquer. Seasite’s powerful search capabilities allow planners to drill down and refine searches by cruise line, ship rating, size, capacity of largest function room, cruise style (floating resort, boutique ship, sail ship, river boat), by port or day of departure, destination, cruise length and much more.

6. Unique eRFP process. Streamlining and simplifying what can be an arduous process, Seasite offers the first group cruise RFP online, all supported by Cruise Advisors. One single RFP is sent to multiple cruise lines, generating electronic bottom-line quotes for a quick and accurate “apples to apples” comparison.

7. Cost cutting and value driven. Cruise meetings can provide cost savings of 25-40%, and Seasite helps make that a reality. No longer is sourcing and planning a meeting or incentive at sea labor intensive and intimidating for those unfamiliar with the process. With Seasite, everything you need to research the possibilities and create a successful program is a click away (with expert Cruise Advisors at your service when needed). Seasite.com finally puts cruise sourcing on par with hotels, so group travel buyers can easily compare price/value – their main focus in today’s economy.

8. The ultimate source for Do It Yourselfers (DIY). An indispensible tool for savvy DIY planners as well as those looking to learn more about cruise meetings and incentives, the Knowledge Center is a repository of information and advice designed for all levels of expertise. It includes operational checklists and timelines, comparison of using a cruise verses a hotel, how to overcome obstacles and myths about business at sea, distance between airports and seaports, sample day-by-day agendas, cruise contract terminology, a cruise event feasibility quiz; case histories and much more. Planners no longer have to rely on others to spoon-feed them information and ideas. A wealth of data and resources, driven by a robust search engine, allows 24/7 research and planning anywhere, anytime.

9. Creativity and inspiration. Seasite’s “Great Ideas” section stimulates individuality, creativity and customization. An invaluable source of ideas, planners will find recommended “Gems,” (rare and hard to find, short cruise opportunities), a “Top 10” list of best ships and itineraries for groups and “Quick Picks” with cruise ideas based on group size. Additionally, the all important aspect of on-board dining is transformed from challenging to exciting as Seasite provides the facts about dining facilities, seating capacities and exclusive use of specialty restaurants.

10. It’s free. There’s no cost or membership fee to use Seasite.com and pricing is the same as buying direct.

For more information on Seasite.com, A Landry & Kling Company, visit www.seasite.com or call 888- 713-1371.

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