Hospitality Performance Network (HPN) and Meetings International have announced a joint venture that will result in a rebranding as HPN Global, making the new entity a major global site selection and meeting procurement company. The joint venture will take effect March 1, 2010 and the company will provide bespoke site selection and meeting planning services to corporate, association, and government clients worldwide.

HPN Global will be headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., and provide coverage to clients in 45 countries through a team of seasoned and professional meeting planners. Beginning March 1, 2010, it will offers its clients a customized and comprehensive approach to consolidating their meeting procurement needs; including site selection, contract negotiation, destination management, recreation, transportation, housing, registration, and production. The new combined company will have a highly experienced management team. All four founding partners have extensive experience in hotel management, site selection, meeting procurement, sales and marketing, and finance.

Bill Kilburg, CEO of HPN Global, has over 30 years of entrepreneurship and involvement in the hotel and meetings industries. In addition to HPN, he is the founder of both Epix Hotels and Resorts and Set Solutions Inc. Joe Forster, president & COO of HPN Global, is co-founder of Hospitality Performance Network. He spent 20 years selling and managing various Conference Center properties, spending the last seven years as executive vice president of the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Ian Quartermaine, CEO-International, has over 20 years experience in international sales distribution areas with airlines and the meetings industry. Prior to forming Travel PIE Group in 2000, he was vice president-international sales for the airline division of GetThere.com. He also served as vice president-The Americas for Air New Zealand.

Bob Gilbert, executive vice president of HPN Global, has over 30 years of global travel and hospitality marketing experience. He is current president of The Big Sky Group, which operates the international sales network of Meetings International with over 150 associates in 45 countries. Previous to that, he was executive vice president at ClickSquared and he also led the global sales and marketing efforts for Best Western International. He served as senior vice president with SuperClubs, vice president with Walt Disney Attractions and Walt Disney Travel Company, and vice president-worldwide sales and intermediary marketing at Choice Hotels. HPN and Meetings International will continue to operate independently until the joint venture is final on March 1, 2010. For more information, visit www.hpnglobal.com .

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