Blair Potter

An event RFP (request for proposal) template should do more than collect pricing. It should help planners define what the event needs, show suppliers how to respond accurately and reduce the chance of hidden costs later in the process. When the template is too vague, suppliers make assumptions, proposals become harder to compare and unexpected charges are more likely to appear after decisions have already been made. Hidden costs rarely come from one major mistake.

By Chelcie Abajian, CMP (MPI Greater Orlando Chapter), senior manager, conferences & events, United States Tennis Association We’ve all been there: an event schedule packed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., followed immediately by a high-energy “networking mixer.” By 2 p.m., your brain feels like a browser with 50 tabs open—none of them are loading and the fan is spinning at maximum speed. I’ll be the first to admit it: I am that attendee.

“Wellness in hospitality has moved from a trend to a category and is here to stay,” Lisa Starr, task force chair of the Consulting Initiative for the Global Wellness Institute, said during “The Wellness Economy Meets Hospitality: How Experiences That Restore Also Drive ROI,” held last in May at Caesars Palace.