How can you negotiate a hotel contract for your conference?

My best advice after having been in hotel sales booking conferences for Hilton , Hyatt and LeMeridian is to NOT overestimate your skills and negotiating prowess if you don’t have volume to offer (multiple conferences & meetings WITH the number of guest rooms in equal proportion to the amount of meeting space you are needing) , haven’t done it before or only a few times, or have not worked in hotel sales.Find & utilize a third party planner (from companies like ConferenceDirect or HelmsBrisco) who book thousands of conferences a year & have the experience & volume you don’t. Put your ego and desire for hotel perks aside and get professional help which is in most cases at no cost to you the planner. They WILL get better terms then you can.

Cultivate leverage by first amassing a portfolio of viable hotels, each capable of accommodating your event's unique specifications. Utilize this array of options as a battleground for competitiveness, encouraging hotels to hone their offerings, sharpening room rates, and refining fees. With a foundation of competitive options laid, escalate the negotiation, delving into additional concessions. This phased, meticulous approach ensures each contract facet is optimized, enhancing overall value and positioning your event for unparalleled success.

I like to utilize a hotel sourcing software like Cvent that will send out the same RFP/RFQ to several hotels that fit the criterias that is being sourced. This helps to level the playing field and can also result in favorable pricing, concessions and terms.

When comparing proposals, it is so important to not just go with the "cheapest" rates. You must ask the question, why is that property offering such lower rates than others? Why is this property charging so much more? It is imperative to review the goals of what you are trying to accomplish. I would recommend you look at the reviews on both ends of the spectrum. The good and the bad. No property is perfect but if the reviews are more favorable at the higher cost property, I would think it might be worth the increased rates for a better guest experience.

Absolutely! And I would also like to add that you should have the company attorney look at the contract as well to ensure that you are not overlooking important terms or contract clauses that could increase your liability.

I once had a conference that I booked that started out with events and rooms for 200ppl. The event became so popular that it grew to almost 700ppl! It is so important to let the hotel know if they can actually accommodate the growth of the event as soon as possible. Not only is it important to inform the hotel right away, the hotel has to inform all of their key staff as well to put a massive plan in place. Having a pre-convention meeting ahead of time with the onsite contacts/ team members of event as well as the hotel leadership staff. This will ensure that the event is started out on the right foot and to ask and answer any last-minute questions or any operational challenges that may arise. Communication = a successful event!

Part of that communication should include a timeline for tasks that are due from you the sources and from the hotel to te sourcer. I would highly recommend that this be spelt out in the contract and added to the overall conference timeline. This will help with transparency on both sides, and clear and timely communications!

I agree with the comments about utilizing a 3rd party. Their services are usually free for the client (they get paid via a commission from the hotel, which does not increase rates). Most 3rd parties have extensive hotel backgrounds (like myself) and their organization has developed stronger relationships with both the destinations (aka CVBs) and the hotel chains. Why try and figure everything out yourself when you can bring on an expert at little to no cost who will do the majority of legwork for you? Another set of eyes on a contract (including your legal department) never hurts. The goal is to reduce your financial obligations as much as possible while getting you the best hotel at the best value at your ideal time period.