The document discusses how hotels evaluate potential business and manage meeting budgets. It states that when evaluating business, hotels consider overall revenue, room to meeting space ratio, length of stay patterns, flexibility, lead time, and historical performance. It then provides tips for managing food and beverage, sleeping room, and audiovisual budgets for meetings. Some key tips include negotiating prices, controlling guarantees, leveraging past spending history, and considering alternatives to packaged options.

1. How to Save Money on Your Meetings & Events Prepared by Sharon Smith Manager, Global Accounts HelmsBriscoe

2. What’s New in Washington State Most new hotels rooms coming on line are luxury products, not much in meetings & convention hotels Rates are coming down, especially for short-term business, but F&B prices are not More flexibility on concessions, except meeting room rentals Hotels are continuing in-progress refurbishing but are delaying new projects

4. Meeting space to guest room ratio

5. Length of stay/pattern

6. Flexibility

7. Lead time

9. Sleeping room to meeting space ratio. How does this meeting fit into the hotel’s mix?

10. How many nights will a group use, and what is the day of the week pattern?

11. Flexibility. Is the group open to alternate dates or changes in their arrival/departure pattern ?

12. Lead time. What other opportunities will present themselves between now and the dates in question?

15. What operating department contributes the most profit to a hotel’s bottom line?

18. Sleeping room to meeting space ratio. How does this meeting fit into the hotel’s mix?

19. How many nights will a group use, and what is the day of the week pattern?

20. Flexibility. Is the group open to alternate dates or changes in their arrival/departure pattern ?

21. Lead time. What other opportunities will present themselves between now and the dates in question?

23. Sleeping room to meeting space ratio. How does this meeting fit into the hotel’s mix?

24. How many nights will a group use, and what is the day of the week pattern?

25. Flexibility. Is the group open to alternate dates or changes in their arrival/departure pattern ?

26. Lead time. What other opportunities will present themselves between now and the dates in question?

28. Sleeping room to meeting space ratio. How does this meeting fit into the hotel’s mix?

29. How many nights will a group use, and what is the day of the week pattern?

30. Flexibility. Is the group open to alternate dates or changes in their arrival/departure pattern ?

31. Lead time. What other opportunities will present themselves between now and the dates in question?

33. Sleeping room to meeting space ratio. How does this meeting fit into the hotel’s mix?

34. How many nights will a group use, and what is the day of the week pattern?

35. Flexibility. Is the group open to alternate dates or changes in their arrival/departure pattern ?

36. Lead time. What other opportunities will present themselves between now and the dates in question?

38. Sleeping room to meeting space ratio. How does this meeting fit into the hotel’s mix?

39. How many nights will a group use, and what is the day of the week pattern?

40. Flexibility. Is the group open to alternate dates or changes in their arrival/departure pattern ?

41. Lead time. What other opportunities will present themselves between now and the dates in question?

43. Sleeping Rooms

45. Hotels are over set by 3-5% (typically)…use this to help control costs.

46. The total number of attendees should be the total set not the guarantee. Very rarely does everyone show up for meals unless it is dinner. Gamble a little, it will save you money.

47. Custom Menus

48. Give the Executive Chef your budget and let them put together your menus for you. By involving the chef you will get the best products and maybe many items that are in season and at a lower price.

49. Develop and keep good Food & Beverage Records/History

50. History is key to reducing F & B costs. Without good history it is hard to give accurate guarantees and most likely cause over ordering.

51. Breakfast

52. Continental Breakfast versus plated or buffet

53. Expanded Continental - sometimes you can add one hot items such as an egg sandwich.

55. Carry leftover items from continental breakfast items over to morning break

56. Price items by the piece versus packaged breaks. Don’t assume they are the best price, but be cautious – know what you’re ordering.

57. Count soft drink bottles before and after all breaks. Too many times the hotel is ready to charge for what was put out vs. consumed.

58. Bottled water…can destroy an F&B budget. Go with large bottle of water on tables versus bottles. People will take large amounts back to their rooms.

59. Lunch

60. Consider 2 course lunches and taking the dessert money and putting it in to the afternoon break. People are in such a hurry at lunch they typically do not stay for dessert.

62. Beer & wine vs. Full BarConsider creating a signature cocktail!

63. If you have liquor on the bar, inventory before AND after the event.

64. You are charged per opened bottle

65. Ask the bartender to consult you later in the evening prior to opening a new bottle

66. Passed hors d’oeurves vs. buffet tables

68. Pre- and post- meeting dates guarantee

69. Loyalty Program points

71. Sleeping Rooms

73. The outside company will not have to pay the hotel the commission for right to be in the hotel.

74. At a minimum, competition will keep the prices in check with in house firm.