Thanks to accusations of excessive spending at its conferences, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The fact remains, however: The federal government is still a major procurer of meetings and events, and the GSA continues to be the gateway for meeting suppliers who want to turn feds into customers.
With that in mind, conference and event management firm Courtesy Associates — owned by association management company SmithBucklin — has introduced a new consulting service designed to assist hotels, conference centers and convention centers with being added to the GSA Schedule, which is a list of pre-qualified government contractors that offer pre-negotiated prices, delivery terms, warranties, and other terms and conditions to federal purchasers.
To be listed on the GSA Schedule, vendors must undergo a rigorous application process that includes a review of their corporate and financial information, past performance, commercial practices and proposed government rates. Courtesy Associates plans to help clients navigate that application process, then leverage the benefits of being a government contractor. For instance, it plans to each clients how to:
• Develop ongoing, direct relationships with government purchasers within an environment of transparency and flexibility;
• Access government RFPs and leads;
• Respond quickly and consistently to government RFPs using pre-negotiated and GSA-approved pricing packages that include audio/visual, meals, sleeping room rates and meeting room rental pricing; and
• Simplify government contracting, billing and payment processes.
"Many of Courtesy Associates' hotel, conference and convention center partners have expressed a need for education about doing business with the federal government as well as the cumbersome process of getting on the GSA Schedule," said Leslie Thornton, president of Courtesy Associates. "In response, we recruited Elizabeth Perrin, an industry expert in establishing relationships between the government and the meeting and event planning industry, to serve as director of our new consulting services. Thanks to the education and experience Elizabeth's team provides, the time associated with the schedule application process is reduced and clients can expect Courtesy Associates' ongoing help to maximize transparency and accountability in all transactions with the government."
According to Courtesy Associates, FedRooms reported in 2009 that the government spent $2.5 billion on guest rooms. With an average room night cost of $113, that translates to more than 20 million room nights. However, recent spending indiscretions for such services has resulted in demands for more judicious use of government funds and more cautious selections of meeting venues.
"While becoming a schedule holder is an involved process, the resulting transparency and risk management are essential for the hospitality and event planning industry to maintain responsible relationships with the government during this new era of increased scrutiny," Perrin said.
Prior to joining Courtesy Associates, Perrin worked at Dolce Hotels and Resorts, which last year became the first hotel brand to become a GSA schedule holder. Within its first 30 days on the GSA Schedule, Perrin said, it received $1.5 million in sales from a large federal agency.