Site selection and negotiating a contract are very important components of the meeting planning process. The meeting's success depends largely on these two factors.
A good or bad overall meeting experience determines whether or not attendees return to the meeting next year. One contributing factor is the first impression:
- What’s the first thing an attendee notices? The Venue.
- How nice is it?
- How helpful is the staff?
- How easy was it to get there?
- How pleasant is the room?
- How accessible is the meeting space?
Finding the right venue matters. The venue should fit the goals and the program.
The contract also matters. A written document which includes everything a hotel offers a group as well as protection clauses for both the hotel and the group helps to eliminate disputes later.
A contract documents all aspects of a meeting or conference with regard to a specific venue. The most negotiated items include:
- Room block and room rate
- Date of meeting
- Meeting space
- Attrition for guest rooms and food & beverage
- Cancellation
Additional clauses to include in a contract:
- Change in management, ownership or franchise affiliation
- Reverse cancellation
- Hotel performance; hotel construction/renovations
- Mitigation to sell/resell
- Room block:
Walking a guest
Mis-coded room nights: rooms credited to block regardless of rate
Room cancellation fee credited to group
- Late reservations
- Hotel surcharges
- Resort fee, early check-in/check-out fee, additional person fee, Wi-Fi fee, parking fee, fitness center fee, housekeeping gratuity and bellman gratuity to name a few
- Use of outside vendors (exhibit services, audio visual)
- Drayage charges for shipping/receiving
- Noise and disturbance
- Comprehensive force majeure clause
Additional items to negotiate are too numerous to list, however the following are some examples:
- Complimentary rooms
- VIP amenities
- Coffee @ $$
- Free or discounted parkinig
- Upgraded rooms
- Staff room rate
- Soft drinks and water @ $$
- Audio visual discount or option to bring your own
Be sure to negotiate everything you can because once you sign a contract, there is no more negotiating.
We have a saying in the industry: "Before you sign, you are negotiating; after you sign, you are begging."
How can The Planning Connection, Inc. help you? Find out now