Page 161 - Leadership Format System

Director of Motivation
Meeting Planner Logistics Site Inspection
The site inspection should be done prior to signing the contract. The purpose of the inspection is to make sure everything is satisfactory with the facility in regards to your meeting.
• The Meeting Room
Is the size adequate to hold your group? What are your options if your numbers go up or down? Check the lighting of the room, especially the staging area. Will your speakers be well lit or will you have an added expense of bringing in your own lighting? Try to hear the in-house sound system. Is it adequate for your meeting?
• Location
The location of your meeting room is very important. Check what meetings or events will be ongoing during your meeting.
• Guest Rooms
If you will be having people stay at a hotel, ask to see a couple of the regular guest rooms. You want to be sure they are clean and in-line with the rate the hotel quotes to you.
• The Contract
The contract must be in the name of the leader holding the meeting and not HGI or any affiliated companies.
This is an enforceable legal document so read it very carefully. Be sure that any agreed request or commitments are stated in the contract or Letter of Agreement. Any of your agreed request or commitments by the hotel that are not stated in the contract are not binding.
• Meeting Room Rental Rates
When you are looking for a hotel meeting room and basically that is all you have to offer the hotel, you don’t have much leverage in the negotiation. Because you are operating under a budget, a rule of thumb is $25 a chair. If you are looking for space for 200 people expect to pay $400-$1,000 per day for your meeting space. There are exceptions depending on the area of the country and/or the quality of the hotel selected.
• Ways to Reduce or Eliminate Meeting Room Rental Rates
The most obvious way is through sleeping rooms. For example, if you have told the hotel your meeting will have 200 attendees and through your group, you can occupy 50 to 100 sleeping rooms (25-50%) each night of your meeting, then meeting space should be provided at no charge by the hotel. If you know you are going to have some sleeping rooms, but are not sure how many, ask the hotel to provide you with a sliding scale.
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