Throughout its history, our company has been a pioneer in the publication and technology of local
content and travel guides. In 1992, our company’s founder envisioned a dramatically transformed
world of digital information services that would one day replace what is now referred to as
"old media." By the following year, the first MetroGuide website debuted in electronic format, and MetroGuide
has been in continuous service ever since
| 1992 |
Yes, you saw that right: 1992. In that year, the company’s founder, Mark Metz, envisions
building a series of electronic, networked city guides that will be useful to both visitors and
local residents. Prototype work begins in June, 1992.
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| 1993 |
The MetroGuide™ service, with information about Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
is deployed on a touch screen interactive kiosk system called TouchGuide
®. By the end of the year, the first broadcast fax edition of EventGuide™
is distributed to a list of hotel concierges.
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| 1994 |
Fax on demand is added to the EventGuide service, using the phone number 861-MIAMI. EventGuide Fax
Edition recipients punch in a 4-digit code associated with an event and receive a fax with
complete event details.
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| 1995 |
MetroGuide first appears on the World Wide Web, initially under the domain thesinglesource.com.
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| 1996 |
MetroGuide is formally incorporated in the State of Florida, originally formed as "Metz Advertising & Publishing
Corporation".
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| 1997 |
Using its HotelGuide Network® and related sites, the company begins taking travel
reservations over the Internet.
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| 1998 |
The HotelGuide Network®, located at http://hotelguide.net, begins a
significant affiliate relationship with Hotel Reservations Network (now known as hotels.com).
Using deep-linking on a scale never before seen on the web, HotelGuide rapidly becomes a showcase for
contextual commerce.
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| 1999 |
Company President, Scott Rogers, Esq., joins the company as vice-president and general counsel.
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| 2000 |
The “dot com bubble” bursts, but it has negligible impact for the venture. Both private and profitable,
the company proves immune to the boom and bust fiasco that, unfortunately, has been associated with anything
that possesses “.com” in its name. Instead, the company continues a rapid revenue growth trajectory that
validates its business model where so many others failed.
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| 2001 |
The attacks of September 11th deal a heavy blow to the travel industry, one of the company’s main revenue
sources. The company’s founder, a reserve military officer, volunteers to and rejoins his Army Reserve unit.
Despite the strains of a changed business environment, the company’s hyper-efficient operations, extensive
brand recognition, and sophisticated technology enable it to continue profitably and add staff.
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| 2002 |
The company, then called RealMetros.com, Inc., acquires the domain name metroguide.com and formally changes its names to MetroGuide.com, Inc.
Having found evidence of massive theft of its copyrighted content
on the Internet, the company begins a campaign of pursuing pirates in open court.
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| 2003 |
MetroGuide's premier content service, EventGuide, celebrates ten years of continuous service to the community. The
Company begins the technological preparations to switch from a contextual commerce model to a
contextual advertising mode.
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| 2004 |
MetroGuide revamps and launches The Dining Channel® discount dining service during the
Florida Restaurant Association annual trade show in Orlando. MetroGuide successfully integrates its DiningChannel.com site with its DiningGuide site, MetroGuide's international restaurant locator service.
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| 2005 |
MetroGuide acquires the domain name DiningGuide.com, which replaces the DiningGuide.net site and significantly strengthens its brand theme.
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| 2006 |
Through its MetroData subsidiary, the company establishes its
Link-Back Syndicate program,
making listings from its information-packed EventGuide and DiningGuide website content available
for placements on community-oriented websites (Realtors, radio stations, professionals, etc.)
With its acquisition of YellowPagesGuide.com, MetroGuide considers its portfolio of domains
ready to deliver the full vision of its founder from some 14 years prior. The Company begins
beta testing of its MetroGuide.Community project, scheduled for full rollout in 2007.
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