Glenna Fulks* has advice for meeting or conference planners who are seeking to get the best deal from venues while working to tight deadlines.
We are getting into what I call the Request for Proposal, or RFP season — that time in late summer when organisations start to think about meetings, conferences and other events to be held during the rest of the year.
If you’re one of those organisations which has delayed before committing to your mid-year meeting or conference, the good news is that there are almost always hotels with “need dates”.
This could be because they have suffered a cancellation, or still have open dates.
Your timing could be perfect to book a meeting room at an extremely lucrative rate and negotiate concessions that add even greater value to your contract.
Regardless, when it is time to put together an RFP for your next meeting, here are some of my tried and true tips that will stimulate interest if hotels have availability to offer.
Remember, a hotel does not have to bid on your event, and unless they are in dire straits for business, they often have several opportunities from which to pick and choose.
You want to make your RFP as attractive and appealing as possible so that hotels will respond with a good rate and those valuable concessions that help to lower the overall cost of the meeting.
Hoteliers dread receiving RFPs that are vague, non-specific and leave every indication that they have a better chance of finding the proverbial needle in the haystack than being awarded the piece of the business you are trying to place.
What I’m sharing is based on 20 years of experience in sourcing, negotiating and awarding group meetings to countless hotels.
Don’t put hotel partners through the unnecessary agony of RFP Fatigue. That’s my term for planners who set RFPs into motion and don’t provide specific information.
This could include dates — and especially provide alternative dates; a general idea of the agenda and necessary function space and identifying target cities and the history of where this meeting has previously occurred.
If you need all of your meeting space to be on one floor, then share a fact like that up front.
Indicate a date by which responses should be received and if possible, a target date by which a decision will be made
I strongly suggest that planners do not attempt to call a hotel directly, but rather, develop partners among the various chains and brands and send your RFPs to that person.
They will be your advocate and do a lot of the legwork for you.
Or, use a third party meeting planner who will source on your behalf since they already have relationships with all the global sales managers.
You will get farther with your negotiations, experience a quicker response time, and enjoy much less stress than if you attempt to telephone or email hotels one at a time.
The exception to this is if you already have a great relationship with the sales person at a specific hotel.
The whole point of an RFP is to search for a venue that best works for your event.
Make it clear, concise, and communicate the most important details that affect your group and meeting.
If possible, have an idea of the venues you envision being the right fit for your meeting, and limit your list to not more than eight properties.
Remember, when you cast a wide net you will receive many responses and proposals to which you will need to read, analyse and respond.
That takes time, and more than likely, you don’t have that much time.
So do yourself, and the hotels, a favour, and limit the distribution to not more than eight venues, and even less if it’s possible.
It may seem daunting at first, but providing solid information is the first key to getting timely responses and excellent offers.
* Glenna Fulks is a partner in Kite Meeting Management with experience in sponsorship campaigns, event marketing and the use of social media and technology in strategic planning. She can be contacted atkitemeetings.com
This article first appeared at LinkedIn.
