Your friendly and proactive solution to venue finding and event management

HOW TO NEGOTIATE RATES WITH VENUES

Finding a suitable venue can be time consuming especially if you have a limited budget. From our experience and expertise in this field we have compiled the following points to help you get the best deal when booking venues.

Plan your event during the off peak seasons & days, Mondays & Fridays are especially good days, and also weekend conferences will always be the best value. Peak seasons cost more and the venue may not have the time or the staff to devote to your meeting.

Be clear and precise about layouts, space and venue requirements, if you give detailed specifications they can work out the rate accordingly and be more specific with what they can offer you.

The larger your enquiry the more power you have for negotiation on added extras & rates. If you have a series of bookings highlight this at enquiry stage.

Often meeting space will not be charged for providing they know that they will get enough revenue from refreshment breaks and meals during the event.

When the room is free watch out for other charges like for example over night hold of the room, resetting for the day or evening, security & room deliveries.

Ensure that all negotiations and concessions are put in writing to avoid confusion and frustration at the time of confirming or even settling your bills.

Know what you are talking about; familiarise yourself with the venue before calling - check their web site. When you call you are familiar with the venue and can ask for particular rooms for your event. If you know about the venue they may assume you have visited the venue or are really interested in using their venue so could be more flexible with the rates.

Join frequent guest schemes. To join these you do not have to be a frequent guest. With these schemes you usually benefit from upgrades, use of leisure, express check in and other added benefits. Most hotels, especially the large chains run these.

Don't accept the first rate that they quote, ask them questions like for example 'what is this reduced from' or 'what is your rack rate?' From this you can then see what sort of saving you have made.

Give the venue your overall budget and ask them look at the figures and try and put a package together within this set amount.

Bedroom types can be negotiated; ask for a particular view, on the executive floor, a room that has been recently refurbished or close to the lift.

Simple hot lunches often cost less than a buffet. Ask for biscuits or pastries to be included in your coffee breaks to add value or taken out to cut costs.

ASK; always ask even if it is for something you do not think they will offer you. You won't get it if you don't ask. If they can't reduce costs they can add value.

Finally it is best to negotiate once the venue knows you want to book with them and not simply play one off against another. If they know they are in with a chance they are often more willing to offer you a better deal.