One-stop shopping has arrived for people looking to plan meetings in Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region.

Ottawa Tourism has launched MeetingsEasy - a free-of-charge, innovative web-based software program that allows planners to attach their meeting details and receive proposals over the web.

While MeetingsEasy is accessible online 24/7, the Ottawa Tourism team is introducing the product to planners across Canada at a series of Meet Canada tradeshows.

The “unveiling” took place May 8-12 in Halifax, Ottawa, and in Laval on May 10; Toronto and Calgary. “The response has been fantastic,” says Tom Price, Director of Meetings and Conventions Sales and Marketing at Ottawa Tourism.

“We’ve managed to take out the tedium and make planning a meeting a much more streamlined process.”

MeetingsEasy, which has been in development for a year, allows planners to research facilities, request and receive proposals, plan, save and update meeting details instantly.

Meeting plans can be forwarded to colleagues at any time, anywhere in the world as a “read only” file. The program also allows users to create password-protected areas for confidential material. Planners can return at any time in the process to make changes, book new services, or request additional information.

Perhaps most importantly, MeetingsEasy allows planners to upload their own documents to the system, rather than forcing them to complete pre-packaged, one-size-fitsall forms that may not meet their needs.

In addition, a Meetings Concierge is available during regular working hours to help new users walk through the system or answer any other questions that may arise. Sound easy? It is.

“To the best of our knowledge, there is no other program like it in the world”, continues Price, who adds that $250,000 has been spent on developing and marketing MeetingsEasy. “We’re saving meeting planners not only the cost of the software but also endless hours in researching, collaborating and recreating documents.”

Price foresees the program appealing not only to Canadian-based meeting planners, but international planners looking to meet in Ottawa. The program is also ideal for individuals wanting to plan a wedding or family reunion in the Ottawa area. “It’s user-friendly, available 24 hours a day, and geared to any meeting budget,” adds Price.

MeetingsEasy automatically distributes information to over 300 Ottawa suppliers that meet a planner’s requirements, each of whom responds individually, while the program collects and collates the information for review and selection.

Partners include hotels, restaurants, caterers, attractions, museums, outdoor activities, and audio-visual specialists – virtually all the services required during the course of a meeting.

Ottawa Tourism provides industry leadership and destination marketing to service the travel media and attract visitors, tours and conventions to Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region.