Soroptimist International
215 893 9000 PHONE
of the Americas
215 893 5200 FAX
1709 Spruce Street
siahq@soroptimist.org E-MAIL
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6103
www.soroptimist.org URL
PHONE (215) 893-9000
FAX (215) 893-5200
Region
and District Meeting Contracts
E-MAIL siahq@soroptimist.org
Frequently Asked Questions
URL www.soroptimist.org
How do I request a proposal from a hotel?
Hotels are interested in the history of your last meeting. Be prepared to give the hotel the following
information:
 List of last five venues
 Average number of attendees
 Number of sleeping rooms needed per night (based on previous year statistics)
 Meeting rooms needed
 Amount spent on food and beverage and audio visual (refer to the final hotel bill from the
previous year).
 Amount available to spend per person for conference meals (breakfasts, coffee breaks, lunches,
dinners).
Compile this information along with your preferred meeting dates, proposal due date and your contact
information and send the request for proposal (RFP) to the sales department at the hotel. This information
will help the hotel determine the terms of the contract such as room rate, meeting room rental, and the
minimum amount you must spend on food and beverages.
It is advantageous if the meeting dates are flexible. Provide the hotel with two or three possible dates (1st
option, 2nd option, etc.) to receive the best deal.
Booking the same hotel two years in a row can result in a lower room rate and more attractive terms and
concessions. By booking future business you can lock in a specific room rate for a subsequent year.
How can a site selection company assist my search?
SIA partner HelmsBriscoe can make your future conference or meeting planning much easier. As the
global leader in meeting procurement, HelmsBriscoe can help to find the appropriate hotels at the
best rates and concessions within your budget, while reducing the risk and liability associated with hotel
contracts. Let HelmsBriscoe use their expertise to do the legwork, research the hotels, and negotiate
contracts to ensure that you are receiving the best venue and value for your upcoming meetings. Contact
the team working with SIA: Joanne Grabowski (jgrabowski@helmsbriscoe.com or 908-789-5004) or Sara
McWilliams (smcwilliams@helmsbriscoe.com or 609-567-3190) to receive outstanding no-cost services.
www.helmsbriscoe.com
What concessions and benefits can I ask for from the hotel?
The hotel will traditionally offer added benefits to the contract based on how much you will be spending
with them and what they have available. Request any of your “must have” concessions (suites, upgrades,
etc.) when you ask for the proposal.
Basic concessions include:
 Upgrades to a suite or executive level room for VIPs.
 Complimentary suite for the Governor, speaker or other VIPs.
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Complimentary airport transfers for VIPs using hotel car service.
Complimentary welcome amenities delivered to VIPs.
Free or discounted parking.
How can we negotiate the best room rate?
After the hotel quotes a rate for the sleeping rooms, check the going internet rates for the meeting dates
on the hotel website to make sure that the rate is lower than the published rate. If it is the same or close to
what is currently listed, ask for a lower rate. Also check surrounding properties to determine what rates
they are offering on those dates.
If you consider the proposed rate fair and affordable to your attendees, you can accept that rate. If you
think that the rate is too high and will discourage attendance, propose a rate that is $5.00-$10.00 lower
and see how the hotel responds. They may have no flexibility in the room rate but on some occasions you
will be able to come to a compromise and secure a more affordable rate.
The hotel should offer you one free room night for every 40 or 50 rooms you sell. These earned free
rooms can be applied to your master account and deducted from the final bill or assigned to cover the
rooms of the VIP’s or speakers.
What is attrition and how can we avoid it?
The hotel will charge a penalty called “attrition” if you do not sell the contracted total of sleeping rooms.
Most hotels require you to sell 80 to 90 percent of the total number of room nights contracted without
penalty. This should be clearly stated in the contract. If you do not sell the contracted percentage of the
rooms, you will be charged a fee as outlined in the terms of the contract. If you do not meet your
contractual obligations by the time you reach the reservation cut-off date (usually a month prior to the
meeting), the hotel will return the unsold rooms in your block back into the general inventory. If they are
able to resell your unsold rooms, you will not be penalized.
To avoid attrition, take the following steps:
 When asking for a proposal from the hotel, ask only for the number of sleeping rooms that you
realistically think that you can fill. Look at how many rooms sold last year and determine if there
are any factors to this year’s conference that could impact those numbers (meeting location, fewer
members in the area, cost, transportation, current economy, a trend of decreased attendance when
comparing past years, etc).
 Before signing the contract ask for the hotel to reduce the minimum percentage of rooms you are
obligated to sell. (Example: If they offer 90 percent ask for 80 percent.)
 Emphasize to the members the importance of staying at the conference hotel. Let the members
know that staying at the conference hotel will help ensure that contractual obligations are met.
When members choose to stay elsewhere, it can mean the difference between breaking even and
creating a budget deficit for the meeting.
 Ask for a periodic room block review to be included in your contract. If the hotel agrees, this will
allow you to review and reduce the room block at set dates (six months out, three months out,
etc.) The hotel will put these released rooms back into their general inventory so that you are no
longer responsible for selling them.
 You should ask the hotel for periodic “pick up reports” as you approach your reservation cut-off
date so you can track your progress. This will show you how many rooms have been sold per
night. If you have more members registered for conference then there are room reservations, you
can ask the hotel for a master rooming list to check against the registration list. Some members
may have not mentioned the group code when making their reservations or the hotel did not credit
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them to your room block. If you find any discrepancies, ask that these reservations be credited to
your room block.
Send a few stand-alone reminders to the members to book at the conference hotel before the
cutoff.
How much will meeting space cost?
Most hotels will offer the use of meeting rooms at no charge based on the minimum number of sleeping
rooms you have agreed to sell (room block) and the amount you will spend on food and beverage. If the
initial proposal requires a rental fee for the meeting space ask if you can get the fee waived (or at least
reduced).
How do I manage my food and beverage costs?
Hotels will require that you spend a minimum amount of money on food and beverage (F&B) based on
the program and the number of catered events anticipated. This total will be clearly stated in the contract.
Make sure that this minimum amount is obtainable by calculating the anticipated number of meals you
will sell and the price you will charge for the meals. Remember to allocate a portion of the registration fee
towards F&B if you offer non-ticketed food functions such as coffee breaks or continental breakfasts.
 Ask if there is an anticipated increase in catering costs before your conference dates when
budgeting for F&B amounts.
 Ask if the chef will work with you to produce a menu that costs less than the current catering
prices.
 Confirm the final meal cost with the hotel before you set your meal ticket prices to make sure you
will not lose money.
 Remember to factor in the state and local tax and mandatory service charges (usually 18-28
percent). These fees will be listed in the contract. You should also price your meal tickets a few
dollars above actual cost to cover audio/visual rental charges and other costs associated with
meals (bartender fees, decorations, ticket printing, etc).
How do I negotiate the contract?
When you receive the proposal review all terms listed and determine what you would like to go back and
discuss with the hotel (lower room rate, lower food and beverage minimum, reduced or waived meeting
room rental, additional concessions, etc.). Never accept the first contract because there is always room for
negotiation. There are some terms that the hotel won’t change but there are others that they will be willing
to compromise.
How can I manage registration and ticket sales?
Event Brite is a website that offers registration services, badge and ticket generation and payment
processing. Members can pay fees via credit card, Pay Pal or Google Checkout. Event Brite offers a nonprofit rate of 2% and $.99 each ticket (as opposed to the 2.5% regular rate) plus 3% for credit card
processing. These fees are deducted from the total registration earnings and the money can be paid to the
Region or clubs by check, Pay Pal, Google Checkout or deposited into a merchant account. You are able
to set up your event, personalize it and link it to your website or Facebook page. Customer service is
available 7 days a week if assistance is needed. For more information and to apply for a non-profit
account, visit <http://www.eventbrite.com/npo/>.
Can I get help with my conference planning from SIA Headquarters?
Please Contact Eva Matyskiela at eva@soroptimist.org for a sample RFP, help with contract reviews or
any general meeting planning questions.
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June 2011
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