Online Booking Finally Becomes Reality for Meeting Planners

The meetings and event sector is due for a makeover to bring the process of finding and securing meeting space closer to the traditional online travel booking process. Not every meeting is so complex that a long and confusing contract needs to be signed or months of planning needs to go towards its execution. Ciaran Delaney, co-founder and CEO of online meetings space booking tool Meetingsbooker.com, believes that technology is empowering meetings professionals to make smarter, and quicker, decisions about where to hold events. More meetings are also being help outside traditional hotel meeting rooms places like co-working spaces. "What we're finding is business is so quick now, that the lead time for half of our bookings is within a week," said Delaney, whose firm works on commissions. "If you need a meeting room next Wednesday, you don't have time to make phone calls and send emails. The customer has always wanted an online solution for meetings, particularly when you think