Corporate travel managers are rethinking how they source hotels and meeting venues. A new GBTA and Cvent survey shows that the traditional request for proposal (RFP) is no longer just about cutting costs, but also about traveler satisfaction, risk management and sustainability.
Formal Sourcing Still Dominates
Two-thirds (63%) of travel managers negotiating directly with hotels use formal RFPs, with nearly half (47%) relying on them exclusively. Smaller companies, especially those with fewer than 5,000 employees, are more likely to negotiate informally—seven in ten skip RFPs entirely. In Europe, however, structured sourcing is more established: 55% of buyers use RFPs exclusively.
The risks of informal deals are clear. Buyers cite lack of standardization (53%), misunderstandings over contract terms (47%) and fewer comparable options (37%).
‘RFPs are no longer just about rates—they’re helping companies deliver employee satisfaction, manage risk and meet carbon goals,’ said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA.
Fixed Rates Remain a Cornerstone
Despite rising interest in dynamic discounts, fixed rates are still the backbone of managed hotel programs. Four in five buyers (79%) say they always or often negotiate fixed rates, compared with 47% who negotiate dynamic deals at the property level.
Hotels are also sweetening the pot: more than half (53%) sometimes include free breakfast and half (50%) offer flexible cancellation with fixed rates. Most buyers (84%) benchmark their negotiated discounts against public rates to ensure competitiveness.
Meetings Programs Lag Behind
The survey reveals a gap in managed meetings. While 61% of buyers negotiating directly with venues conduct RFPs, only one-third (32%) have a well-developed program. One in three companies lacks a defined sourcing process for meetings altogether.
The consequences? Higher costs (79%), less data for future negotiations (74%) and increased risk concerns (63%). Companies with structured sourcing report average savings of 22%.
A Strategic Shift
Julie Haddix, Senior Director of Marketing at Cvent, said: ‘As travel programs evolve to reflect broader company goals, formal RFPs remain a mainstay. They drive consistency, visibility and cost savings across both hotel and meeting spend.’
The survey—based on responses from 278 corporate travel managers and hotel professionals in the U.S., Canada and Europe—underlines that structured sourcing is moving from transactional to strategic, with RFPs playing a central role.
The full report, Hotel and Meeting Sourcing: The Current Landscape and the Future, is available to GBTA members via the GBTA Member Hub.
