Did You Know That There’s A “Quality First” System Behind All Our Conferences? Behind the scenes at Conferon, the Quality First conference software system works hard to make every meeting you plan a guaranteed success. Quality First, developed and used exclusively by Conferon, is helping you plan, schedule and complete conferences or meetings without a hitch — and in short order. For first-time clients or conferences, we build a Quality First database for your requirements. For repeat meetings, the task is even easier. We simply add the new dates and location and all the successful aspects of the previous event are updated automatically. FROM PROPOSAL TO CONTRACT Your Conferon Account Executive then initiates a research request for your next meeting with the aid of the Quality First system. Our database includes your agenda, locations previously booked, arrival and departure dates and other scheduling patterns, room block history, food and beverage preferences, meeting space needs and Conferon personnel who have served you in the past. This information is electronically passed to our Research Department, where Quality First provides up-to-date information on space availability in the price range you need. (For more on how Quality First software provides location assistance, see article on Customer Service.) The research results are converted in to a proposal to be sent to you. Once the hotel is selected and negotiations are completed, our Contracts Department uses Quality First to pull up standardized contracts that Conferon has negotiated with the hotel. Special hotel concessions, preapproved for Conferon clients, can be blocked into the contract at this time. In addition, you can have your specific contract clauses included. “This process assures our clients of a contract that guarantees adequate function space, guest rooms and reduced liability, etc.” advises Nancy Wise, one of Conferon’s Account Executives in Washington,D.C. AGENDA, FROM START TO FINISH The agenda begins to take shape immediately after your conference plans are underway. “Quality First plays an important part in this process. With this software, we can offer a level of uniformity and consistency that hotels like to see,” says Mark C. Handron, a part of Conferon’s account planner team in Washington, D.C. Dr. Lou Albert, Vice President, American Association for Higher Education, agrees: “The functional agenda format used by Conferon enhances the ability of my association’s staff to work effectively with program presenters, exhibitors and hotel personnel.” All five offices of Conferon are linked to the database, an important feature of Quality First. All data pertaining to your meeting, including changes, are updated and available through computer link on a daily basis. “Few people realize the level of technology that goes into the planning of every meeting, for every client,” notes Bruce Harris, Conferon’s President. “Quality First is the most advanced system available for site research, negotiations, contracting and detailed follow-up,” Harris adds. We tell you more about our plans to computerize agendas later in this issue (see “Inside Conferon”).