Of interest to editors and journalists covering:
Travel/Tourism, Hotel/Restaurant, Internet/DotCom, Tenn. News


Former Choice Hotels International & Trip.com VP Joins CoachQuote.com Team 
 
Pigeon Forge, TN - April 1, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- CoachQuote.com(R), the travel industry's
leading online group-booking engine for the past four years, is pleased to announce that Scott Pearson
has joined the company as Vice-President of Internet Distribution and Development.  Pearson, who was
Vice-President of Sales and Travel Industry Marketing for Choice Hotels International's North American
Region in the nineties, was also Vice President Travel Industry Relations and B2B Marketing for Trip.com
and assisted the company in their sale to Galileo International.  Pearson joins a rapidly growing company
poised to launch its 2nd generation Web site technology in early Spring 2004.
 
"The combination of an established company, with a proven record, and the latest technology available in
the group market made it a straightforward decision for me to join CoachQuote.com,"  said Pearson.  "The
small group market is the fastest growing segment in the hotel industry.  CoachQuote.com has recognized
this and has developed powerful online products to capitalize on the growth -- for both the hoteliers and
the group planners.  It is an organization I knew I wanted to join, especially with all of the new and
exciting things that the company is planning to roll-out in the coming weeks."
 
Pearson directed Travel Industry, Association, and Group Sales and Marketing for The Hertz Corporation
for 12 years as Vice President and has developed key distribution partnerships over the years through his
network of industry colleagues.  Along with his experience in the area of Group travel, Pearson has also
worked with such travel industry giants as Budget Rent A Car and as Vice President Sales and Internet
Marketing for Dollar Rent A Car.
 
"We are very excited about having Scott Pearson on board with our company," said Scott Harness, President
and CEO, CoachQuote.com.  "Not only will he play an important role in the next stage of our company's
growth, but he is a true testament to our desire to expand the reach of our technology and the services
we provide to groups around the world."
 
CoachQuote.com(R), which is celebrating its 4th anniversary this Spring with the launch of its second
generation Web site technology, is a popular and powerful online group-booking engine that enables
professional tour operators and group leaders to plan every aspect of their group trip online, faster and
easier.  The company currently has 2,700-plus professional tour operator and over 22,000 group leader
members.  In addition, the company boasts over 11,000 supplier members, with 9,200 being hotels
throughout North America that provide inventory and net rates through its robust extranet.  The company
also has agreements with several travel Web sites to provide group inventory as well as power those Web
sites with its "buy-now" group-booking engine.  Last year, the company recorded online bookings of $38
million.

More information: http://www.CoachQuote.com




Copr. © 2004 Send2Press™