3 hacks on how to combat challenges with event suppliers
Gone are the days of same day response from hotel suppliers to RFP. But let’s lower the bar further… Gone are the days of hotel acknowledging received RFP and giving timeframe for possible response.
With 70 (seventy) in-person meetings (all up to 30 attendees and rooms per night) that we have procured meeting space and guestrooms for in 2022, about 1% of hotels acknowledged that they have received our RFP. Less than 1% responded within 24h.
As a former sales manager for major hotel chains, handling small meetings and working my way up to large conventions, who survived 2007-2008 market crash on a supplier side, it is very interesting to watch how some sales teams operate these days, in the aftermath of 2020-2021.
Event organizers not only have to adapt to RFP response delays and rising room rates, but independent meeting planners, more so now than ever, must come to their clients with tools and tactics to decrease wait-times and realistic budget conversations. Reach out to us if you want and need help in that area.
Learning creative ways to address ongoing hotel supplier and inflation issues, from the beginning to final execution of conference project, is crucial to combat wait times, delays and other factors contributing to scope creep in meeting planning.
Here is a list of solutions we have put together for you.
1. Communication is a two way street.. sometimes a three way street.. and sometimes a 6 lane highway.
Learn how and WHAT to communicate and over - communicate.
Start with communication on your RFP - be smart about what details are crucial at this stage and which are going to have sales manager roll their eyes and stop reading, because there is just too much information, not needed at this stage of the process.
To learn how to create smarter RFP, based on meetings you are organizing, ask us about pre-sourcing assessment that we do for our clients. During this process, we teach exactly what information to share at what step of the process, to create seamless transitions between phases of the project.
2. Have a plan A.. then B.. then C.. Simply put - have alternatives. The most unpredictable and ridiculous scenarios happen more and more. Few weeks ago we had one of our clients loose their meeting space and guest rooms held with a contract, on the day contract was due. Sales manager was out sick for few days, and the DOS of the hotel decided to book 3 weeks - long government group with guest rooms, which sold out the hotel over client meeting dates.
No 1st right of refusal, no at least 24 hours of notice to sign contract. If this scenario sounds familiar, contact us and we will help you!
These scenarios, once unacceptable, are happening more often and, what's worse, are becoming acceptable on supplier side. When asked about reasoning and explaining that we have contract in our hands, we were told “It’s business!”
How do you have alternatives without holding space and guest rooms at multiple hotels? We can show you and teach you smart ways of supplier management.
3. Content is not the king. Research is.
However, research takes time. In the world of promises that everything needs to be faster, more streamlined, more efficient, rely on research done over a period of time. Ideally, research conducted after 2020. If you are a rapidly growing business entity, start your own procurement database and tracking. We have helped many clients start their own database and make informed decisions, rooted in their own data vs. somebody else's. We can help you, too - contact us today!
Happy contracting!
Corporate Event Planning
Global Meeting Planners and Event Management Company
