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Holding Events at Hotels

Hotels specialize in one-stop shopping for meetings and special events, since meeting and banquet room facilities, food and beverage operations and staff are already at your service. Following are tips, guidelines, and points to consider when looking to find the perfect hotel venue for your upcoming event.

New Directions

Hotel properties are constantly changing. Not only is re-branding and new construction rampant these days as chains seek to expand their presence in up-and-coming markets and new companies enter the fray, but they are also continuously upgrading, renovating public spaces, meeting and banquet facilities and sleeping rooms, and re-conceptualizing the use of their existing space to better address market demands. New amenities from state-of-the-art business centers to wine-tasting bar/lounges, destination restaurants spearheaded by celebrity chefs, and spas are becoming more and more popular as hotels try to attract business from a variety of sectors, from business travelers and tour groups to meeting and event planners.

The net-net is that planners benefit by having more options to choose from within the hotel venue category. In addition, hotels often offer incentives in the form of time-sensitive specials or frequent-use programs to entice planners to use their facilities for meetings and events. Be sure to ask if any special discounts or incentive programs apply when you are investigating the various facilities for upcoming events.

Advantages of Hotels

Hotels have several built-in advantages for accommodating groups of various sizes. They generally have multiple, flexible banquet areas, in-house food and beverage provisions with chairs, tables, linens and table service on hand, established coat-check areas and rest room facilities, plus staff that deals with groups on a daily basis. More and more, hotels seeking corporate event business have a dedicated team of event and meeting specialists on hand to help planners host events on their premises. They can assist in coordinating and executing a wide range of details from A/V services and IT needs to special menu requirements, décor, transportation, extra amenities, recreational options and entertainment.

Pricing

When pricing an event at a hotel, you generally have to consider the cost categories of food and beverage, staff, room charges, and that catch-all category called "extras." F&B prices are generally based on head count and quoted in terms of costs per person. If a meal is being served, there are usually no additional fees for the room rental or staff, unless extra staff is requested.

For meetings, most likely you will have to pay a fee to use the space. Coffee service, refreshments, etc. are extra, but meeting packages are often available that spell out exactly what you will get, when, and for how long, and the charges are "bundled."

Keep in mind too, that you will generally have less bargaining power during peak demand times. To get more bang for the buck, schedule an event at a time when fewer people want to book the space.

Don't forget to factor in gratuities, taxes, any service or other fees too. Ask in advance for a complete cost breakdown before you book the space. Pricing policies differ from one property to the next. Sometimes charges included in a quoted price at one hotel will be extra at another, so be sure to get the complete picture. What looks like a bargain may not be a bargain in the end.

The Space

You will need to have a pretty accurate head count in order to book the best space for your event. Often, though there may be some flexibility, since many hotel banquet areas have moveable walls to allow for smaller or larger groups, as well as multiple event areas. However, hotels often host several events at the same time, so additional space may not be available for you at the last minute. A good plan is to give the hotel representative you are working with the minimum head count you expect but choose a space large enough to accommodate what you think will be the maximum number of guests who might attend. There will come a point, however, when you need to pin down as accurate a number as possible. (It should all be spelled out in the contract.)

You will need to get answers to many questions during your site inspection:

• Is there a room rental charge? If so, how much is it? Is it negotiable?
  
  
• What is included in that fee? How long can you use the space? Does the time include set-up and breakdown?
  
  
• Is the room equipped with all the necessary A/V equipment or can it be brought in? When? By whom?
  
  
• Is dancing allowed? Does the room have a dance floor? What about space and electrical requirements for musicians?
  
  
• What is the condition of the room and appointments in the room? Is it clean? Does it smell of cooking odors or is it musty?
  
  
• What is the rest of the property like on the way to the room?
  
  
• How will seats be arranged? Tables?
  
  
• What kind of linen and table settings will be used?
  
  
• How many chairs will be placed at each table?
  
  
• Where are the bar, rest rooms, coat check, etc., in relation to the room?
  
  
• Are they adequate? Is service staff included? Do you need more attendants?
  
  
• Is there elevator service?
  
  
• Is the space easy to get to?
  
  
• Will other groups be holding events near yours on the property? Will traffic flow be a problem?

Food and Beverage Service

Today, hotel properties seeking to attract new business will offer many menu options to suit contemporary tastes. It's also becoming more common for hotels to house destination bar/lounges and top-quality restaurants that draw a steady clientele from the surrounding areas as well as hotel guests, so fine dining on the premises is often an option too.

In terms of beverage service, hotels usually do not allow clients to bring in their own liquor for reasons relating to sales tax requirements and other considerations. If you have particular beverage requests—you are hosting a special wine tasting, for instance—arrangements may be made through the hotel in a variety of negotiable ways. The hotel may be able to purchase what you need through their own distributors, or if you are bringing in a special selection, the hotel may buy it and sell it back to you at cost plus a small percentage and perhaps additional corkage fee. Arrangements vary with the property.

When discussing the food and beverage program for an event, be specific about what is being served, and how and when it is going to be presented. Be sure to get a list of what the bar will stock for your event, and stipulate the specific brands and varieties of liquor, wines, beers, mixers and nonalcoholic beverages you want. Determine how costs will be assessed in advance.

Here are some additional points to address:

• Will there be butlered hors d'oeuvre or a buffet?
  
  
• Specifically, what foods will be served and how much will be offered?
  
  
• Will the meal be presented buffet style, or will guests be served at the tables?
  
  
• Will plates be prepared in the kitchen and then brought out or will individual portions be served to guests by waitstaff attending the tables?
  
  
• Will guests have a choice of entree?
  
  
• How many courses will be presented and how much time allotted between courses?
  
  
• What beverages will be served with the meal?
  
  
• Will there be open bar service before the meal? For how long? What type of bar?
  
  
• Will beverage costs be determined per person, per hour or by actual amount consumed? The latter is usually most economical.

Extras

Many hotel services and amenities are included in the fees, but the more "extras" you request the more you will likely be charged. Be specific about what you want in terms of flowers, table settings, decor and special considerations. If you do not want to use the standard hotel linens or table service, others can be specially ordered, but at extra cost. Check with the hotel staff about bringing in the florist, decorator, special-effects specialist or entertainment of your choice. House rules and regulations about what you can or cannot do will likely apply.

If you have more than the standard audio/visual requirements, ask your hotel representative about speaking directly with the A/V technicians employed by the property. Sometimes, additional production pros will be needed to execute what you want to do. And be sure to test-run all equipment in advance to make sure all is in working order for your all-important event.

Be specific about how much staff you require, as well. If you want more than the number generally provided, you will be charged additional fees. Rest room attendants will most likely be extra. Inquire about coat-check facilities and if you want coat-check gratuities to be included in your bill or charged individually to the guests.

Contracts and Payment

Read all contracts carefully to determine exactly what is covered in the costs.

Make sure you account for taxes and gratuities and watch out for double tipping. (There's no need to tip at the end of the event if gratuities are already included in the fee and you've paid them.) If you don't understand what a charge is for, ask.

Pay attention to insurance requirements too and make sure you are covered in the event of an accident or damage to the property.

Also review cancellation policies. Find out what additional costs you will incur if the number of guests attending varies from the number you guaranteed in the contract. Check on how long in advance you have to guarantee the head count—sometimes a facility will hold you to the first number you stated when booking the space even if your final head count is much smaller. Others let you change the figure up to 48 hours in advance. Also, make sure that you know how long you can use the room and if there are overtime charges for the space or the staff after a specified amount of time.

Terms of payment vary from establishment to establishment and with the specific client. Often you are required to pay 50 percent upon signing the contract and the balance by the time of the event, although provisions are sometimes made for billing the balance after the event, within a prescribed period of time.