MICE Sales Enquiry Study Reveals Performance Gaps throughout Asia-Pacific Region Research identifies issues in responsiveness, service

and follow-up Horsham, PA, Singapore, March 11, 2013 -- LRA Worldwide, Inc., the leading provi der of customer experience management consulting and research services to the gl obal hospitality industry, recently published the results of its 2012 MICE Perfo rmance Indicator (MPI) Study conducted throughout Asia-Pacific. The study, which tested the effectiveness of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Events ) sales staff at 51 properties in 10 key markets, revealed startling deficiencie s in even the most basic elements of the sales process. A summary of the findings indicated that: The overall average audit score was only 28-percent compliant to industry standa rds; 11-percent of the hotels failed to respond to the event request at all; Of the 45 hotels that did respond, 35 (78-percent) did not attempt to personally contact the prospective client to learn more of the specific event details; From the enquiries that generated a proposal, nearly six in 10 were completely g eneric (pricing sheet and fact sheet only) with no mention of any of the specifi c event details; The sales staff neglected to follow-up on 88-percent of the proposals sent. While all of the markets involved in the study scored poorly in aggregate on the audits, there was a statistically significant difference in performance between the market that scored best (Hong Kong 47-percent) and worst (Bangkok 20-percent). "The results are certainly eye-opening, but not totally surprising given the cha llenges that sales managers in the region face in building and cultivating a pro fessional sales staff," said Ben Flournoy, Vice President of Asia-Pacific for LR A. "But the increased emphasis of MICE business as a revenue source for hotels i n the region and the pending influx of product in the development pipeline will punish those properties who continue to leave revenue on the table." A recent study by American Express on meeting planners indicated that 87-percent expected to maintain or increase their business in the region. Likewise, a CBRE Asia Pacific 2012 Market View reported that an estimated 375,000 hotel rooms, m ost of them in the luxury and upscale market segments, will enter the Asian hote l market over the next two years. The hotels that are best equipped to handle th e resulting increase in enquiry volume will be best positioned to reap the benef its of this growth. Another trend identified in the data was in an area that should be core to the i ndustry hospitality. Overall, the enquiries lacked a personal touch, with 75-perce nt of the initial responses taking place by email, limiting the sales associate' s ability to qualify the lead, understand the needs of the client and personaliz e the interaction and proposal. Not surprisingly, this led to poor scores across all service elements professionalism, friendliness, helpfulness and knowledge, am ong others. "The overall trend in the hotel industry, especially in the luxury and upscale m arkets, is towards seeking every opportunity to make a personal connection with the guest," Flournoy explained. "This mindset has not effectively spread to the sales operations at many hotels." Methodology: The LRA Worldwide 2012 MPI Study for Asia-Pacific was conducted out

of LRA's Singapore office at 51 hotels representing 21 different luxury and ups cale hotel brands in the following markets: Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, G uangzhou, Saigon, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore and Taipei. The LRA MICE Consult ants conducting the study made enquiries into each hotel via three channels phone, email and web portal and evaluated the performance of the sales office and associ ate from the initial enquiry through the submission of the proposal, follow-up a nd attempt to close the business against LRA's best of breed industry standards for MICE sales. The LRA MICE Consultants were equipped with market- and hotel-ap propriate event scenarios, with live "potential client" websites and email addre sses to ensure the enquiry appeared legitimate. About LRA Worldwide, Inc: LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging disci pline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order t o drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and prof itability. In LRA s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assura nce evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consultin g company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting sol utions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more tha n 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels International, Anantara Hot els & Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group deliver exceptional customer exp eriences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworl dwide.com. Zach Conen, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, +1.215.449.0304, zach.cone n@lraworldwide.com Ben Flournoy, Vice President, Asia-Pacific, +65.6646.3053, Ben.flournoy@lraworld wide.com Contact: Zachary Conen LRA Worldwide 300 Welsh Road Building 1, Suite 200 Horsham, PA 19044 +1 215 957 1999 zach.conen@lraworldwide.com http://www.LRAworldwide.com