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Site Selection

Selecting the Site
Decision time…if you have done your homework, you will be armed with information that will help you make good decisions about your site selection. Once your needs are identified, you must match them with the sites that can handle them. Determine the geographic location that best suits your event…the United States, the West Coast, the Northwest, Oregon, Portland, Downtown Portland. These are all decisions that determine from whom to request proposals.

Resources to Select the Site
You can call upon many resources to help you determine the best location for your event. Once you have narrowed the possibilities, you will be ready to make some comparisons and decide. Use the expertise of travel agents, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, professional planners—anyone that you feel understands your needs. The Bravo! Event Guide gives you a good comparison of over 450 local meeting and event facilities in the Portland, Salem, Vancouver and outlying areas.

Meeting Profile
Develop specifications and requirements for your meeting. This is sometimes referred to as a “Meeting Profile.” This will be the natural outcome of your Needs List. It may be as simple as, “I need a room and meals for 30 people on this date, at this time.” It might include preferred dates, number of sleeping rooms, meeting rooms, types of food functions, range of acceptable rates, exhibit requirements, and special needs of your group. The more information you can provide, the better chance you have of getting what you want. Many groups provide a detailed history of their event or meeting and the monetary value it has to a property. The profile becomes a request to all sites you choose to bid on your business. Once bids begin to come in, the planner can begin the evaluation and elimination process. After selecting an appropriate number to consider—and that number is up to you—it is recommended that you conduct site inspections.

Site Inspection
A site inspection is the best time to ask questions and get a good look at what each facility has to offer. It will be important for you to identify the property that can best meet your space requirements and the level of service you will need. Request references from groups with similar attendance and requirements, then contact them.

Negotiation & Contracts
Facility negotiations sound serious, but they don’t have to be intimidating. These are important conversations because negotiations build relationships, which will lead to contracts. Contracts are serious business and when you, as a planner, enter into a contract, you want to be sure you have all the knowledge and information you need. Keep in mind that negotiable items and practices vary between areas of the country, so what may be standard procedure on the East Coast is not necessarily the same on the West Coast.

HOMEWORK PAYS OFF!
Before you begin negotiating, you need some tools! If you have done your homework (refer to the first section), you’ll be set! You need your meeting profile or prospectus, a history of your meeting or event, the value of your meeting to the facility (your budget), and a profile of your group. If you know your requirements, they will dictate the specific items you can negotiate.

Negotiations Should be Win-Win
Don’t get bogged down in sleeping room rates! Rates are only one item that can be negotiated. The list of negotiable items may be as long as you want …it never hurts to ask! But, in order to have a successful meeting, negotiations should be a win-win process. For example, if you get the hotel to provide complimentary meeting room space, but in order to afford this, the hotel cuts back on service staff for your meeting…who wins?

Contracts
The most important things to remember are that contracts should be written with an equal amount of risk for both parties, and that all your discussions are put into writing so there will be no confusion when it's time for your event.

Vendor Selection

Working with Vendors
Facilities are not the only vendors you will be working with to put on meetings and events. You will communicate with many different suppliers of services. Good planners realize that vendors have their own needs as they relate to your event. You need to select vendors on criteria that you develop for your event. XYZ bus company may have the most modern and comfortable equipment available, but if they are late, or their drivers are rude, they might cause more problems than the shiny buses are worth!

Be Sure to Check References
Take every bit as much care in selecting a caterer, transportation company, or a dance band as you do in selecting a site for your event. Unless you have worked with the same vendors over and over again (personnel does change), make sure you check references and ask for bids for their service. Good vendors know how to make planners look good…and good vendors want and deserve repeat business!

Using the Bravo! Resource Guide
This Resource Guide is an invaluable resource of goods and services. Everything from caterers to musicians is listed in an easy-to-read format that allows you to make informed “apples to apples” comparisons of hundreds of products and services. You can count on reliable information and references. Also included are helpful hints on checking references, protecting your deposits, securing dates and more.