Here are some meeting elements and possible pitfalls that, according to the experts, often get overlooked at the bargaining table. Addressing them during negotiation can add up to big savings and, in some instances, protect the meeting from disruption and inconvenience.
Parking. Find out if the hotel owns its own parking facility. If it does, parking is likely to be a negotiable item, according to Tricia Van Every, an independent contractor who is a director of National Accounts for Premier Event Resources.
Even if it doesn’t, ask for a discount on valet parking charges, she advises.
Coffee. Coffee is an expensive item that is part of every meal and break, so it’s well worth negotiating the cost per gallon, advises Jill Leimbach of the National Association of Credit Management. To cut down on volume, she also asks for coffee cups that are smaller than the 12-ounce size that many hotels prefer to provide.
Rebate. Ask if the hotel will give a rebate off the master bill, Van Every advises.
“For instance, Starwood offers some clients a 5 percent rebate off the master bill, so it may be possible,” she says.
Renovation. If the hotel is undergoing or planning to undergo a renovation, put a clause in the contract that addresses the possibility of noise from the work disrupting the meeting.
“This came in handy during a meeting where renovation work that was supposed to have been completed was still going on,” Van Every says. “So it was not the nice quiet meeting I envisioned. I worked with the hotel to compensate us for this.”
Service Charges. “Services charges are completely negotiable,” says Leslye Norman of CWT Meetings & Events. “I’m not talking about the amount of tax that is set by law, but the service charge that often lies on top of it. Planners who take a close look at service charges in terms of the overall value they’re bringing to the hotel may have some success with negotiation.”
