Fixing group business

Shifting the meetings and events funnel into the modern direct-booking era

Hotels have largely solved the transient direct booking challenge, but group rooms and meeting space sales remain stuck in outdated, intermediary-heavy processes. This article argues that the same tools and thinking that transformed transient sales can now unlock higher-margin, faster, and more data-rich group business—if hotels choose to act.

Key takeaways

• Group remains outdated: While transient direct booking has modernized, group sales still rely on legacy lead sources, manual RFPs, and high commissions.
• Existing tools can be connected: Hotels already have the needed technology—digital ads, UX-led experiences, and intelligent sales tools—but haven’t integrated them for group demand.
• Direct group strategy lifts margins: Reducing commissions and lowering acquisition costs improves profitability for meetings and events.
• Automation accelerates conversions: Faster responses and smoother digital workflows cut lead loss and boost planner satisfaction.
• Owning planner data matters: Direct channels give hotels first-party insights to nurture long-term group relationships.
• A new industry rallying cry: “Book direct for groups” can become the next major commercial movement, mirroring the success of transient direct booking.

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