I spoke with a corporate meeting planner recently and she said “I’m happy to have a job but I lost my assistant in the downsizing and now I am doing the work of two people. I feel as though I was demoted. There is not enough time to do it all and do it well.”

Did you know you can hire a professional meeting planner to do all the research, negotiate all components of the meeting, ensure the best rates at no cost to you or your company?

Regardless of whether your meeting is an intimate board meeting, an intense sales training meeting or a multi-day trade show, what you want and expect as your end result is the same…. a successful and well received event. As all professional meeting planners know, the key to a successful event is dependent upon the seamless execution of your details.
If you have experience in the meeting planning industry, you may be quite capable of managing the event yourself. Assistance with advance research may be all that you need to get the process started. If you do not have background in meeting and event planning, allow a professional consultant to lead you on the path to securing the right site with the right terms.
A professional meeting planner will save on your budget expense and add some cost effective enhancement ideas. They will partner with you and become an extension of your team. They can yield a more detailed site selection process along with a better contract, all the while insuring the needs of your event are considered.

Why isn’t there a fee for this service?
Independent meeting professionals do not charge any fees to our clients for hotel site selection services because we are compensated by the hotel you choose on each room they sell to your group. Hotels give us a placement fee, this does not inflate your room rate what so ever. Your buying power is increased because we book thousands of rooms per year, at multiple properties. Hotels compete for your business, benefiting you with the lowest room rates available. It is in the best interest of the hotel to offer great rates to our clients, so we may in turn book their hotel or their brand again for other business.

Will hotels raise their rates to compensate your placement fee?
No. The hotel rates that A2Z Meetings & Events receives are at least as competitive as those you might find on your own – with the placement fee already built in. A2Z is able to negotiate these great rates due to the large quantity of business we direct to the hotel industry. The added bonus is that we know the rates and seasonality of properties throughout the country so we can make recommendations of how and where you will get the best value for your dollar.

Are meeting planners biased when choosing a venue?
An independent meeting professional will have your best interest and needs as their first priority. You are the decision maker as to where the meeting goes. Our job is to negotiate the best overall value package so you can make the best decision. The placement fee is fairly standard within the industry, so the meeting planner’s “pay-out” is comparable wherever the meeting is booked. Professional meeting planners rely heavily on their reputations and the referrals they acquire so you can be confident they are going to work hard to earn both your business and your respect.
Enlist a planner that is honest about receiving a placement fee. We have over 27 years of experience in the meeting and event planning industry. We have earned a reputation by providing quality services based on an honest and ethical relationship with our clients and the properties you select. We work hard to gain and maintain your trust.

Are there other services available besides site selection and contract negotiation?We are experienced in all avenues of professional meeting and event planning and have a team of service providers that assist us when a group chooses to have us work the meeting. The fee based services available are listed on our A2Z Meetings & Events website. Many independent meeting planners only provide the complimentary site selection and contract negotiation services while we will see you through from A2Z!

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