Gigi Gleason at Autodesk and Chays Sayre with Renaissance Lodge at Sonoma teamed up for a Cvent CONNECT session that walked attendees through a “roundtrip view” of the RFP process. The example was a small corporate meeting with Renaissance as one RFP recipient.
RFP Process: Planner Steps
General Information
Specify the type and scope of meeting. Then provide basics such as the response date, a decision date, key contact information, and whether this information can be shared with other suppliers.Event Details & Organization Profile
Fill in average attendees per event for their company and the average number of hotel stays per event. This piece helps hotels determine valid leads. Detail your company mission and meeting focus so the hotel understands your event goals.Event Requirements
Provide detail about room block requirements (number and type of rooms) and meeting room needs by day and session type. Also outline any food and beverage (F&B) needs and specific billing information.Preferences & Custom Questions
Planners choose how they want prices shown for meals and meeting components. Custom Questions allows planners to ask hotels questions specifically about their policies on attrition, group rate policies, comp nights and concessions.Hotel RFP Response Process
Once Chays receives the RFP from Autodesk, she:- Confirms final Renaissance pricing for the specs Gigi outlined
- Identifies any complimentary upgrades
- Indicates first option holding rate if she is especially interested in the business
- Assigns Renaissance sleeping and meeting rooms to meet the designated RFP specs
- Answers the customer questions Gigi posed
Bid Report
As the final step in the RFP process, Gigi sends a bid report to her key stakeholders, which includes a photo of the Renaissance and two competing properties, along with detailed information on all three venues. The report includes how rates were calculated, what concessions may be included, terms and conditions, and any exceptions to the RFP specs so that stakeholders get a complete and accurate view of their venue options. For the complete CONNECT session on Cvent RFPs: A Roundtrip View, please visit here.
