Securing group bookings takes planning, flexibility, and technology
By Tom Gresham
Group business is the hallmark of many successful hotels, a provider of predictable revenue that fills rooms and helps operations on a variety of other fronts. However, securing that group business requires savvy sales and marketing strategies, powerful tech tools, and flexible, appealing spaces that attract the right clientele. At its core, Scott Pusillo, head of sales and account management for Allied Member Aven Hospitality, said group business forms the foundation for strong RevPar during soft periods and provides a predictable base to protect against swings in transient demand.
“When layered well, it smooths peaks and valleys and lets commercial teams yield remaining inventory at stronger rates,” Pusillo said. “Groups also bring meaningful food and beverage, banquet, and ancillary spend that transient travelers rarely match. Our largest customers continue to tell us that group demand is growing faster than leisure and is far less sensitive to personal economic cycles.”
Cheryl Fosberry, vice president of sales for Allied Member Jacaruso Enterprises, explained group business’ importance by noting that strong group bookings do not just fill rooms – they also can stabilize a hotel’s base and allow for more control over pricing and mix.
“Here’s what a lot of hoteliers overlook: Group business can drive revenue across other outlets too, like food and beverage at your onsite restaurant or market, meeting space, parking, late check-outs, early check-ins, and even repeat or shoulder-night stays,” Fosberry said.
Richard Valtr, founder of Mews, noted that group business reduces risk because it tends to book further in advance and is more difficult to cancel, helping to improve forecast accuracy.
“When hotels can plan staffing, inventory, and pricing with more confidence, profitability becomes more stable – and repeat groups can turn into a dependable, yearround engine,” Valtr said.
“Speed, Specificity, and Follow Through”
Juan C. (JC) Rivera, director of sales and marketing for AC Hotel Arlington National Landing in Virginia, said he emphasizes promptness when working with meeting planners, knowing how much they value that level of attention.
“I’m a firm believer in quick responses to proposals because that’s what will get you the contract,” Rivera said.
Fosberry said the group sales funnel is moving faster and becoming more digital. Planners expect quick turnaround, detailed proposals, and answers tailored to them, no matter how tight the timeline, she said.
“What’s working right now is simple: Speed, specificity, and follow through,” Fosberry said. “The teams pairing proactive outreach with consistent follow-up are winning more often. This means responding to a lead in minutes, not days, building proposals around the planner’s actual priorities, and staying consistent with communication until a decision is made. If your team is relying on reactive selling or one-and-done follow-up, you’re more likely to lose the business to a competitor.”
Pusillo said the primary reasons that hotels lose group business in the request for proposal (RFP) pipeline continue to be slow responses, incomplete answers, and proposals that feel generic. Sophisticated new tech solutions can help, but not on their own, he said.
“Technology and artificial intelligence can accelerate the basics and help teams respond quickly and at scale, but they cannot replace the value of a knowledgeable salesperson who adds context, creativity, and a local point of view,” Pusillo said. “The winning proposals blend automation for speed with a human touch that brings the event to life.”
Fosberry said the biggest mistake that hotel professionals make when marketing event space is focusing on what the hotel has instead of how a planner’s event will work in the space.
“What planners want is reassurance that their event will run smoothly and their attendees will be taken care of,” Fosberry said. “They want to know how your hotel will support their group’s success. Showing real photos of the space, explaining how rooms are typically set up, and clearly communicating what your team will handle before, during, and after the event is key. When planners can picture their event in your space, they’re more likely to book it.”
Pusillo agreed, saying many hotels lead with square footage and capacities, which planners “rarely find inspiring at the early stages.”
“They want ideas that elevate the program, energize attendees, meet their organization’s success criteria, and create a memorable experience that reflects well on their role as the event’s architect,” Pusillo said. “Early in the sales process, ask curious questions that uncover what the event is meant to accomplish, in addition to understanding the ‘personal wins’ for the planner themselves. Then offer creative ways to deliver on those outcomes before diving into the logistics.”
Flexibility Matters
The AC Hotel Arlington National Landing recently completed a comprehensive renovation. The new design is intended to allow meeting planners to use the space as they see fit, Rivera said.
“It’s a white canvas for them to create whatever they have planned out for their event, so they can do any creative build-out they would like,” he said.
Flexible spaces and a nimble team helps to ensure that a site can attract and accommodate a wide variety of groups, Rivera said. Among the keys to the hotel’s renovation is that all meeting spaces are on one f loor so that group activities and events are convenient for attendees and “everything blends well,” Rivera said. The renovation is in part about understanding “the modern traveler.”
“We wanted to open something that really talks to the clientele that is booking right now,” Rivera said. “The market has become more and more competitive, so having to sell a product that is 10 or 15 years old is really going to be tough today.”
Nothing is more important to meeting planners making group bookings today than flexibility, Rivera said.
“Meeting planners are looking for a lot of flexibility, and we’re always happy to explore anything that will work for that end user, depending on their needs,” Rivera said.
Rivera also emphasized the importance of location and accessibility for group bookings. He said AC Hotel Arlington National Landing’s competitive advantage includes easy access to Washington, D.C. airports and the local metro and its location in a highly walkable neighborhood featuring locally owned restaurants for “every palate.”
The hotel’s 4,000 square foot fitness center features not only brand-new equipment but private stretch studios. With those studios, he noted, he has the flexibility to potentially partner with a local yoga instructor to offer private yoga classes as part of a package. Similarly, an outdoor patio bar allows for “beautiful activations,” including private activities such as happy hours for groups.
“Those experiential elements or theme activations are something creative that we can do that we couldn’t do before,” Rivera said.
Technology Takes the Lead
Fosberry said hotels can access a mix of technology-based systems that can help them capture leads faster, respond better, and follow up consistently, such as customer relationship management software, lead management tools, market intel platforms, and automation.
“The most successful sales teams use tech to enhance, not replace,” Fosberry said. “It should help you move faster and stay organized, but the human part of selling is still what wins group planners over.”
Pusillo said data plays a central role in a smart group strategy, helping hotels understand shopper behavior, segmentation patterns, and rate and occupancy optimization by day of week and by month.
“Revenue management should influence far more than room rates,” he said. “They add value in decisions about F&B minimums, space utilization, pattern recommendations, and margin analysis. The strongest hotels bring together the full revenue committee to share data across the buying lifecycle. Sales, revenue, and convention services each hold different pieces of insight that, when combined, lead to better decisions and higher quality RFP responses.”
Valtr said hotels are transitioning group business away from spreadsheets, emails, and manual workarounds into “a more connected flow.”
“Instead of tracking inventory in multiple places, they create and manage availability blocks directly in the PMS,” he said. “Teams can then monitor what’s held, what’s picked up, and what’s still available through dedicated block views and reporting, without constant cross-checking.”
Rooming lists are a “big unlock,” Valtr said.
“Rather than typing in dozens of names and preferences by hand, hotels use structured import workflows so guest details and assignments update in bulk,” Valtr said. “That reduces errors, shortens check-in lines, and frees teams from repetitive admin during the busiest moments of an event. They also make booking easier for the group itself. Hotels can share dedicated booking links that allow guests to reserve within the agreed dates and rates, automatically attaching reservations to the correct group.
“Combined with integrated payments and a more structured handover between event planning and operations, that creates a smoother path from ‘we’re interested’ to ‘it’s confirmed,’ with fewer handoffs and fewer opportunities for details to get lost,” he continued.
Not to be overlooked, Pusillo said a strong digital presence that generates qualified group leads is a must, pointing out that group meeting buyers start their search online.
“Meeting planners should be marketed to with the same intensity used to target transient bookings, especially during softer periods,” Pusillo said. “Lead consolidators and RFP networks remain important, but hotels also need a strong proprietary digital strategy. Your website should showcase meeting content that is compelling, clear, and easy to act on. Planners compare dozens of sites, and the hotels that tell their story well tend to win more often.”
The renovation of AC Hotel Arlington National Landing spurred a renovation of the hotel’s online presence, including a revamp of its website, Rivera said. That meant investing in high-quality photography and digital tours that could better showcase the spaces. “We’re leveraging all these tools in order for us to attract bookings,” he said.
“Meeting planners are more visual than ever,” Rivera said. “We’ve talked with people in the past who said, ‘I just don’t see it.’ Or ‘can you help me visualize it?’ So this is really important for them.”
Image: mast3r/stock.adobe.com
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