i-Meet Announces Peer Marketing Solution

Launches Global Correspondents Network; Social Media Engagement Possibilities Emerge

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – Oct 12, 2011) – i-Meet.com, the professional and social network for people who plan meetings and events, announced today a new online marketing approach that leverages the power of its worldwide community, which now includes over 65,000 members. Through its newly created Global Correspondents Network, i-Meet now provides a solution for awareness challenges with peer marketing capabilities that can be deployed quickly.

Designed to help brands and suppliers with their social media engagement strategies, i-Meet has put together a global team of experienced professionals available on-demand to participate in proactive messaging and awareness campaigns online. The team, which boasts an average of 11 years of meeting and event experience, is geographically dispersed and active in the industry. Together they provide an online marketing capability designed to reach tens of thousands of planners quickly to get the word out on new campaigns and special advantages.

“The research has confirmed that peer-to-peer marketing works,” said Dave O’Donohoe, Senior Vice President at StarCite. “Savvy marketers understand that online channels and influence programs are here to stay. Bringing value in all phases of the buying process, especially through peer engagement, can drive positive results and advertising synergies. We’re excited to be able to bring this solution to our clients through our partnership with i-Meet.”

i-Meet has been working on this concept for quite a while, carefully vetting the right professionals who have the skills and the creative abilities to execute this online marketing capability. Personal integrity is at the heart of this approach, and is an important feature to the selected Global Correspondents. Each is an independent, and is expected to fully utilize their direct experience, their industry networks, and their research capabilities to deliver thoughtful analyses and recommendations to other professionals around the world.

“I haven’t seen anything quite like this,” said Jennafer Ross CMP, CEO of JR Global Events and Past President of MPI Philadelphia Chapter. “I’m excited to be a part of a thoughtful resource to reach people like me around the world using social media. I’m impressed with the integrity of the approach, and the design of the process, which stresses speed to market on relevant industry messaging.”

Dubbed i-Meet’s “Street Team,” Global Correspondents are available for a variety of communications assignments, including research, reviews, and engagement campaigns. In many cases, they can personally visit venues that can help planners better assess their options. Members in the Network know the products and services in the industry, having worked with most major brands, destinations, technology providers, convention centers and unique venues, so they can confidently communicate their impressions and recommendations. They also contribute to content on i-Meet.com, and continuously build their personal networks to extend their influence. Collectively, Global Correspondents have a powerful voice with an extraordinary reach, based on their personal connections. Launched with 40 professionals, i-Meet expects the Global Correspondents Network to reach several hundred in the future.

“This is a powerful and very talented group of professionals,” said John Pino, i-Meet’s CEO and Founder. “Many are journalists, marketers and business owners, and all of them have deep meeting and event experience. They know how to communicate effectively, and they have stellar reputations that make their editorials, ratings and posts credible and valuable to their peers. This is designed to improve reach results, and to tackle awareness issues quickly and credibly.”

About i-Meet
www.i-Meet.com is the industry’s most relevant worldwide online community for the meeting and event industry. With over 65,000 members from 173 countries around the world, i-Meet brings social and professional networking, industry social media marketing and relationship opportunities to its members and suppliers. Its Skills Marketplace provides project-based work and employment opportunities to the industry.

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