What does it cost to use Premier Meetings’ services?

We charge a fair and equitable fee to our clients based on the full range of planning required for each meeting or event. Though some planning companies charge a fee equal to 15% to 20% percent of the total meeting budget, we prefer to be paid a fair management fee that our clients agree is in line with the scope of work to be performed by Premier Meetings.

Do you mark up invoices from your vendors to augment your fees?

Absolutely not. We do not have any contractual agreements with vendors or hotels for mark ups or commissions. We work only for our clients. To provide added-value to each of our clients’ meetings, we provide comprehensive historical accounting summaries at the conclusion of each meeting containing original receipts and invoices for each and every project expense. These reports serve as complete financial and historical documentation as well as valuable tools for planning and forecasting for your next meeting.

Do You Accept Hotel Commissions to Offset Your Fees?

The ONLY circumstance where we would accept hotel commissions (typically 10% of your total sleeping room revenue) would be under the clear direction or at the special request of our clients. We believe in full disclosure and will ensure clear, concise language in the contract that will explain, in detail, any commissions to be paid to Premier Meetings. This is the only special circumstance whereby we will accept any commissions, and we will never make this exception for accepting commissions from our vendors.

Don’t your hotel commissions increase the hotel room rates and cost us more money?

Quite honestly, it depends on the hotel. Hotels have traditionally paid 10% commissions to travel agents and meeting planners, justifying this practice as merely “the cost of a sale”. Today, most hotels (but not all hotels) pay these commissions from their marketing budget instead of expensing it through their operations budgets. This results in a “true net rate” whereby the room rate extended to the meeting planner or a corporation contacting the hotel directly will be the same rate, whether a commission is paid or not.

My boss wants to know what it will cost to use Premier Meetings before we request a proposal from you. What should I tell him/her?

Let your boss know that blind cost proposals from us, or any meeting planning company, can severely hamper your initial budget planning process. You need accurate numbers fast, therefore we request an initial meeting with you to fully understand the goals and scope of the work required to make your meeting a resounding success. In addition, we need to evaluate your internal resources that may help keep your overall costs at a minimum. We firmly believe that a truly professional proposal from us requires careful and accurate research prior to estimating costs.