Take a (Concession) Stand

At times, a hotel may not be able to lower its room rates enough to meet your budget; in those cases, it might be possible to make up the difference in concessions, such as a rebate on sleeping rooms or one free room per 30 booked. When sending out an RFP, Amanda Bigley, a meeting planner for Philadelphia-based StarCite Inc. (starcite.com), includes a "preferred concession list," which prioritizes which concessions would be most helpful.