Redfern Travel, one of the fastest growing travel management companies in the UK and a leading travel services provider for the Government sector, has introduced the online Request for Meetings (RfM) system from ABC Connection to manage its venue search, enquiry and client proposal process. The integrated system enables the Redfern Travel team to take detailed briefs, negotiate with suppliers, compile a shortlist of the most suitable properties and create professional online proposals with at-a-glance venue comparisons, all in one seamless process.

Its new RfM system provides Redfern Travel with instant online access to the ABC Connection database of meetings and conferences content which it can interrogate on behalf of its clients, including 3,500 Government departments and agencies. The system automatically alerts hotels and venues when they have an enquiry from Redfern Travel and enables them to respond online with availability and prices.

Mark Bowers, Commercial Manager, Redfern Travel, said: “Bringing automation to the meeting and conference part of our business has been a key objective for Redfern. We have been very successful in reducing manual intervention to a minimum in most parts of the business, and benefitted from the associated reduction in costs. Meeting and conference is the last labour-intensive area we needed to address, and our agreement with ABC Connection will not only result in process benefits to us but will improve service delivery to our clients.”

Redfern Travel also is taking a feed of ABC Connection’s hotel and venue content for its dedicated customer search portal, where its clients can view detailed information and images on thousands of venues in the UK and Ireland, all searchable by name, location or capacity.

ABC Connection’s database includes the widest range of options for conferences, meetings and events, ranging from grand sporting venues and specialist sites to city centre hotels and intimate local properties.