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Contracts & Negotiations

Contracts, Negotiations and Financials

by Smart Meetings

July 31, 2024

Contract signing

2024

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Ask the Attorney: Future Agreement

We asked Phoenix-based attorney Lisa Sommer what clauses she sees as most problematic after practicing hospitality law for the past 25 for large hotel groups, including Hilton and Marriott. Then we asked her how to fix them.

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Event Contracts: Agree to Be Agreeable

Experts share tips to negotiate event contracts where both parties act in good faith and come together to create the best event possible.

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Contract Clauses Planners Need in 2024

Contracts are the life blood of the meeting industry. The sticky details and specific wording make for important safeguards for planners.

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2024 Contracts Playbook

Contracts: They may not be the most fun aspect of event planning but they’re a necessary part of the industry. To keep abreast of all things contracts, and to avoid potential contractual pitfalls, here a few key items you should keep your eyes peeled on.

2023

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Tips for Negotiating Your Next Big Event Contract

Cheryl M. Payne, strategic partner at INNOV8 Meetings + Events, gives her take on the current marketplace and its impact on meeting planners and how to negotiate that next big event contract.

2022

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A Breakdown of Post-Pandemic Contract Clauses

Two years out from the pandemic’s genesis, one question remains: “Can the fear of Covid be sufficient enough to trigger force majeure?”

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Work Smart: Updated Tax Tips for Independent Planners

Are you an independent planner? Would you like a 100% deduction on your F&B expenses? Bonnie Lee, an Enrolled IRS Agent, tells us how.

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New Contract Essentials in an Ever-Changing Environment

Contracting in the current Covid climate is complex—everything feels unsettled, so it’s hard to know how to plan. McCoy tells how to navigate.

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Don’t Ask for a Covid Force Majeure Clause Now, and Other Advice from a Hotel Attorney

Phoenix-based hotel attorney Lisa Devlin sat down for some rapid-fire questions about what is and isn’t working in contracts and offered her prescription for a win-win solution to trading contract clauses.

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New U.S. Privacy Laws Will Give More Power to Meeting Attendees

New privacy laws are being introduced to five U.S. states in 2023, in addition to more stringent security measures, they will allow meeting attendees to take more control of how much of their information is used—or to say if they want their information used at all.

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5 Tips for Flexible Event Budgeting, No Matter the Format or Economic State

If there’s anything Covid taught meeting profs beyond general preparedness, it’s that a flexible event budget is an effective event budget. Melissa Park, CEO of Melissa Park Events, shares five things she’s learned about creating an event budget that helps you make the most of your dollars.

2021

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Harness the Power of Negotiation for Post-Covid Success

In the latest Smart Meetings webinar, “How to Harness the Power of Negotiation to Master Your Post-Covid Events Career,” Alison Fragale shares how to be your own cheerleader and the science of prenegotiating.

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Contracts and Negotiations Amid Covid: Best of What’s Worked in 2021

This year, we spoke to legal professionals for the best tips, tricks and insights on negotiating event contracts during Covid. Unfortunately, it looks like these questions will still be necessary in 2022; fortunately, we have rounded up our best advice from 2021 for you.

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Lessons from the Front: Covid-era Med Meetings

Tackle the challenges of Covid-era medical meetings with tips from Smart Meetings’ latest webinar with Kara Ferguson, meeting planner for American Society of Anesthesiologists, and Katie Bohrer, CEO of event design company Onwardly.

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Contract Negotiation: Post-Pandemic Clauses You Need to Know

Ty Sheaks, faculty legal advisor to International Association of Venue Managers, shares the post-pandemic clauses you need to know in the latest Smart Meetings webinar.

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The Event Vax Debate Uncovers Legal, Health and Moral Questions

Meeting professionals leading the way back to the convention center are increasingly finding themselves between a pandemic and a hard decision. To ask if attendees are vaccinated or not.

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Event Contract Essentials in the Covid Era

Smart Webinars hosted attorney John S. Foster, CHME, for an exclusive Q&A on event contract essentials in the Covid era.

2020

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Acing the Post-COVID Contract

The post-COVID contract will put greater emphasis on epidemic-like scenarios. Bookmark this guide to learn what you need to know.

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Your Post-COVID Planner Contract Questions Answered

Addendums, amendments, mutual cancellation clauses—what do they all mean? Lisa Sommer Devlin answers your burning post-COVID planner contract questions.

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How to Write Force Majeure to Protect Your Meeting from the Next Pandemic

One of the side effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was a sudden rush to learn a foreign language—or at least two words: force majeure.

2025

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Ask the Negotiator: The Clauses That Bind

We talked to HelmsBriscoe Senior Director of Global Accounts and contract negotiation expert Wendy Carmichael for tips on how to move forward while minimizing risk. Her goal is to find a win-win that helps everyone achieve their most important goals.

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Everything Is Negotiable: How Sharp Planners Master the Modern Hospitality Contract

While there are still experienced sales professionals on property, most no longer hold the pen on the clauses that matter most. Since the pandemic, legal and revenue management teams have stepped in and taken control of contract structure and risk terms. The result is a new layer of rigidity, but not necessarily one that eliminates negotiability

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Ask the Negotiator: Event Boss Lessons

Contracts come in many forms, but careful clauses protect everyone By JT Long When you own your own event business, you would be forgiven for concluding that setting up the […]

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Event Negotiating: Mastering the Art of the Ask

The ability to negotiate is one of the most important skills a meeting can have. But whether haggling with clients, vendors, properties and even their own team members, negotiation can be scary, especially as many planners are “people people,” averse to ruffling feathers.

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The Last Word: Kindness is Your Secret Weapon

For meeting professionals, who negotiate everything from AV contracts to F&B minimums, embracing negotiation as a conversation rather than a conflict is key. Here’s how Taheripour reframes the process—and how you can use it to protect your budget, elevate your role and create more successful events.

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The Art of Negotiation in Unpredictable Times

Whether on the world stage or within our own industry, negotiations are everywhere—and their outcomes matter more than ever. In a time marked by geopolitical tension, fragile supply chains, and economic uncertainty, the ability to negotiate effectively isn’t just a business skill—it’s a survival tool.

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Mastering Event Contracts: Essential Negotiation Strategies for Meeting Planners in 2025

Smart Meetings chatted with Tyra Warner, associate professor and chair of the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at College of Coastal Georgia, to learn what they should consider when entering the contract negotiation phase of their event planning.

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Event Contracts: What to Watch in 2025

As we head deeper into 2025, attorney Joshua L. Grimes shares advice around event contracts that may be helpful for planners.

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