Seven steps, and the three deadlines that bite
The sequence below is the same for every destination and every group size. What changes is the lead time. Knowing where the immovable deadlines fall is worth more to you than knowing the rate.
The sequence
- Enquiry. Five fields: destination or 'undecided', committed minimum headcount, month and duration, programme type, and whether the evening carries the programme. That last one changes a third of the costing and almost nobody volunteers it.
- Feasibility reply, within 8 working hours. Whether the dates hold at that headcount, what constrains them, and an indicative net band. Not a quote — a yes, a no, or a yes-but.
- Detailed quote, within 3 working days. Named properties, a day-by-day programme, net at your committed minimum, and the inclusion and exclusion list at line level.
- Soft hold, 7 days, free. Rooms and key venues held while your client decides. No money, no commitment, and we tell you the day before it lapses rather than letting it expire silently.
- Deposit converts the hold. Calculated on a guaranteed minimum headcount you nominate. The rate is fixed from this point.
- Numbers lock at D-14. Rooming list, names, dietary and medical notes, flight details. After this, changes are handled as amendments and some carry cost.
- Delivery, then a post-event report within 3 working days. Photographs, attendance, an itemised account, and a written note of anything that did not go to plan — including where we were at fault.
The three deadlines that actually matter
| Deadline | What locks | What it costs to miss it |
|---|---|---|
| D-45 | Date changes | After this a date move is treated as a cancellation and a rebooking, at the prevailing cancellation position. This is the one partners are most often caught by. |
| D-14 | Headcount and rooming list | Additions may be impossible in peak season rather than merely expensive. Reductions below the guaranteed minimum are charged. |
| D-3 | Programme content | Activity and menu changes stop. Suppliers have provisioned; the coordinator has briefed. |
If your client needs to approve a rooming list by our D-14, ask them for it at D-21. Every experienced partner does this and every new one learns it the hard way. The gap absorbs one round of internal delay, which there always is.
Lead times by size and season
| Group size | Shoulder season | Peak (Oct–Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 – 49 | 45 days | 60 days |
| 50 – 119 | 60 days | 90 days |
| 120 – 199 | 90 days | 120 days |
| 200+ | 120 days | 150 days, and we may decline |
Shorter than this is sometimes possible and always more expensive, because holding inventory at short notice means paying for flexibility. We will quote it rather than refuse it, and the quote will show why it costs more.
What speeds a quote up
- A committed minimum rather than a range. 'Between forty and eighty' cannot be costed meaningfully; it spans three size bands and two venue categories.
- Whether the evening carries the programme. An awards dinner and a group dinner are different products with different venue requirements.
- The client's actual budget band. Partners withhold this out of habit. It means we quote a mid-grade programme, the client wanted five-star, and we both lose three days.
- Nationality mix. Drives visa handling, menu planning and guide language.
- Whether flights are booked. Fixed arrival times constrain the first and last day considerably more than most briefs acknowledge.
Questions partners ask most
Can we hold inventory longer than seven days?
In shoulder season, usually, on request. In October and November, rarely — the inventory has other buyers. We would rather tell you no than hold something we cannot actually keep.
What if our client's headcount drops after the deposit?
A shortfall of 5–10% against the guaranteed minimum carries no penalty. Below that, the difference is charged, because the rooms and vehicles were contracted on that number. See payment terms.
Do you quote against a competitor's itinerary?
Yes, and we will point out where the two are not comparable rather than silently matching a lower number by removing something. Usually the gap is gala production, alcohol or the contingency.
Who is our contact during the programme?
The on-site coordinator, with your named account contact reachable in parallel. Both numbers are in the final programme document. Escalation above them is on the SLA page.
Where to go next
Four fields and you can send
Send the outline and we will come back within eight working hours with feasibility — whether the dates hold at that headcount and what constrains them — and a detailed net quote within three working days.