International hotel group Radisson has recently expanded its real-time, self-service online booking platform for meetings and events in its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) portfolio.

'Book It Easy' is now available across all key conference hotels in EMEA.

"This best-in-class digital solution allows meeting and event organizers to save hours of precious time when planning for a meeting and booking a venue by making the process faster and more efficient," Radisson said in a statement.

"Planners can simply enter their event details, check real-time availability of meeting spaces, view the room options with ground-breaking 360 technology, book their preferred venue, and receive instant booking confirmation," the statement continued.

'Book It Easy' key functionalities include:

• 24/7 real-time availability of meeting spaces.
• 360-degree views of rooms.
• Best available rate guaranteed and transparent pricing.
• Custom-made packages, including AV equipment or additional amenities.
• Easy and secure online payment.

"We are incredibly proud to have launched our Book It Easy tool successfully across key hotels in our EMEA portfolio over the last 12 months. We conducted extensive research with our valued meetings and events partners to create this new platform and to ensure it includes all the technology and information required for a seamless, real value, and real-time experience," said Chema Basterrechea, Global President and Chief Operations Officer at Radisson Hotel Group.

The tool is fully compatible with the Group’s unified technology platform to allow for real-time availability and transparent pricing based on event requirements throughout the booking process.

SA's MICE sector

Looking at the MICE industry in South Africa, Sandra Kneubuhler, Country Director of Sales and District Director, South Africa at Radisson Hotel Group said: "We have been seeing wonderful progress post-pandemic, for instance, the international MICE business returning in the form of incentives, conferences, and associations. Immediately post-COVID, the lead time was as short as a week, and we are now seeing an increase and return to longer lead times, which is now up to 12 months for international bookings.

She added: "There is an evident, growing trend to make MICE more experiential and centered around local experiences. We are thrilled to launch the Book It Easy tool in South Africa, making it that much easier to book a meeting or event at our hotels."