Communication breakdown
 It's always the same 
I'm having a nervous breakdown
 Drive me insane
...Led Zeppelin, 1969

Communication breakdown is an obvious reason for delayed RFP responses. RFPs by their very nature relay many details. Suppliers consider factors that go beyond matters of space, dates and rates.     

Include Vital Information:

When information is missing, your RFP may be put aside until more data is available, i.e.:

• Your decision date is important to suppliers who are juggling other groups that are interested in your meeting/event time-frame.
• How is the decision made? Suppliers need to understand the next steps in the decision-making process, including who makes the decision.
• What factors will the decision be based upon? A supplier needs to know if they have a real chance to book your meeting/event and may become more competitive.
• Where can you be flexible? Tweaking a program to fit the meeting space or shifting the pattern of dates may move things along.
• Include information that makes your group more appealing, such as recent room pick-up history, and accurate food and beverage spend.

Current Industry Factors:

• Consider the Landscape – The recent volume of meetings and limited hotel staffing has had an impact on our industry. Additionally, the complexity of hotels and variety of destinations has changed the landscape. In an effort to adapt, suppliers have been steadily categorizing the RFP inquiry by room block size, market segment and region.
• Lead Spam – When your RFP is duplicated and sent to many unqualified hotels, the RFP is not taken seriously, and response time suffers.
• Online Portals – Meeting professionals are not necessarily employed by the organization they plan meetings/events for, and hotel salespeople are not always situated at the property. This is more prevalent in today’s post-pandemic world and not likely to change. To streamline the process, digital portals cut through these complications to connect the buyer with the seller.

ConventionPlanit.com can help streamline the process!

Meeting professionals who are frustrated with RFP response times can save time and get the job done with RFP Valet® – a complimentary sourcing tool with white glove service.

• No RFP templates to fill
• Effectively communicates your requirements
• Facilitates RFP distribution
• Collects and compiles quotes and concessions by your deadline
• Quickly narrow down to a short list of viable options