The Key to a Better RFP
Every meeting planner has experienced it. You send a detailed RFP, receive a stack of proposals, and weeks later realize some of the biggest cost drivers and operational challenges weren’t part of the conversation until contracts were already being negotiated.
The reality is that most RFPs don’t fail because planners ask the wrong questions; they miss the mark because some of the most important conversations happen too late.
At Teneo Hospitality Group, we see this every day. Through conversations with our Client Advisory Board and hotel partners, one message continues to surface: bringing key partners into the planning process earlier leads to maximizing budgets, fewer surprises and ultimately better meetings.
Pricing Isn’t Just About Room Rates
Many planners naturally focus on guestrooms, meeting space and food and beverage during the RFP process; however, today’s budgets are increasingly influenced by costs that aren’t always fully evaluated until much later, such as audiovisual, transportation, labor and destination services.
Our Client Advisory Board noted that A/V costs have become one of the biggest factors influencing destination and hotel selection, with planners expressing frustration over pricing transparency and the difficulty of accurately forecasting costs early in the planning process.
As several members of our board noted, the most successful RFPs don’t simply compare room rates but the total cost of delivering the meeting experience. Looking beyond the initial hotel proposal can help planners avoid unexpected expenses and make more informed destination decisions.
Rather than negotiating every A/V detail during the initial RFP stage, planners may benefit from understanding:
- What is included in the price vs. what needs to be outsourced?
- When should the A/V partner be brought into conversations?
- What assumptions about A/V or on-site tech be clarified before budgeting?
- Which costs have historically created surprises for similar programs?
Your DMC Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought
Destination Management Companies (DMCs) are often engaged after a hotel has already been selected. By then, planners may discover transportation limitations, venue logistics or off-site opportunities that could have influenced destination selection from the start.
Bringing DMCs into the conversation earlier can help planners build more realistic budgets from the start – taking transportation, local experiences, operational costs, and more into account.
Contracting Has Become More Complex
Contract negotiations continue to grow longer and more complicated. During Teneo’s Client Advisory Board discussions, planners expressed interest in finding ways to streamline negotiations while improving consistency and flexibility across the contracting process. They emphasized the importance of having trusted partners who can help navigate complexity rather than simply facilitate introductions.
The earlier potential challenges are identified, the fewer surprises emerge once legal and procurement teams become involved.
The Best RFPs Invite Collaboration
The strongest RFPs don’t attempt to answer every question. Instead, they create space for meaningful conversations.
Hotels, CVBs, DMCs and trusted partners each bring expertise that can strengthen a program before decisions become locked in. Rather than viewing the RFP as the finish line, the most successful planners treat it as the beginning of a collaborative planning process.
Five Questions to Ask Before Hitting Send
Before your RFP lands in a hotel’s inbox, take a step back and consider whether you’ve asked the questions that can uncover opportunities, avoid unexpected costs and lead to stronger partnerships throughout the planning process.
Start with:
- Have I identified every major cost center outside of guestrooms and F&B?
- Should a DMC be involved before destination selection?
- What assumptions am I making about A/V pricing and production?
- Which stakeholders need to review requirements before the RFP goes out?
- Have I left room for suppliers to recommend solutions I may not have considered?
A Better Process Delivers Better Results
As meetings continue to grow more complex, the most successful planners aren’t expected to have every answer but they are expected to know when to bring the right partners to the table.
Whether it’s identifying potential A/V challenges, engaging a DMC earlier, navigating contract negotiations or uncovering opportunities that weren’t initially considered, early collaboration leads to stronger outcomes for everyone involved.
That’s where Teneo comes in. By connecting planners with trusted hotel partners and industry experts before key decisions are made, we help transform the RFP from a transactional document into the foundation for a more strategic, successful meeting.
