When a reunion planner submits a Request for Proposal (RFP) to a Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), they are initiating a multi-layered process involving sales strategy, destination positioning, hotel coordination, and internal evaluation. The CVB is not just forwarding your document. They are evaluating risk, value, timing, fit, and opportunity.
Let’s walk through it.
Step 1: Intake and Qualification
The moment your RFP hits the CVB inbox, it doesn’t go straight to hotels. First, it is reviewed by a sales manager. They are asking:
- Is this a real, qualified lead?
- Are the dates flexible?
- What is the room block?
- What is the pickup history?
- Does this group fit our destination?
- Is this multi-year or rotating?
- What is the decision timeline?
If your RFP is vague, missing history, or unclear on numbers, it slows this step down. The CVB may have to contact you for clarification before they even move forward. Strong RFPs get fast action. Incomplete RFPs sometimes get delayed. Your RFP is their first impression of you.
Step 2: Internal Assessment of Value
Now comes the business side. CVBs in some cases are funded by hotel occupancy taxes. Their primary metric is room nights. When your RFP arrives, they calculate: Room block × number of nights = total potential room nights.
Then they assess:
- Are these peak dates?
- Is the city already compressed?
- Is there citywide convention overlap?
- Is this shoulder season (which they love)?
- Does this group typically overperform or underperform their block?
Reunions are good business because: - They are flexible and can book over hotel need dates.
- They generate F&B.
- They book multiple nights.
- They bring high emotional value to destinations.
- They rotate cities.
That last point matters. CVBs know military reunions rarely return to the same city year after year. That means this is often a one-shot opportunity to win your business. And they treat it that way.
Step 3: Identifying the Right Hotels
The CVB does not blast your RFP to every hotel in the city. They consider and strategically match your requirements to properties that:
- Have the right size meeting space
- Fit your budget range
- Can handle your room block
- Have potential availability on your dates
- Are experienced with reunion-style business
If your RFP says you need 150 rooms peak with banquet for 200, but only two hotels can realistically accommodate that, the CVB narrows the list immediately. They may also call hotel sales directors directly to gauge interest before formally distributing your RFP. Yes — phone calls happen behind the scenes.
Step 4: Distributing the RFP to Hotel Partners
Now your RFP is sent to selected hotel partners. Hotels then evaluate internally:
- Do we have availability?
- What is our current forecast?
- Is this high-rated or value-rated business?
- What concessions are we willing to offer?
- Is this multi-year potential?
- What is their historical pickup vs block?
This is where your three years of history becomes critical.
Hotels study: - City
- Hotel
- Room block
- Room pickup
- Total attendees
- Room rate
If your history shows consistent pickup and realistic room blocks, you gain credibility instantly. If your history shows 200-room blocks with 110 pickup, hotels adjust their strategy.
They may:
- Propose a smaller block
• Add attrition protections - Increase rate to offset risk
- Limit concessions
The data you provide directly impacts your leverage.
Step 5: CVB Coordination and Advocacy
Here’s what most reunion planners don’t realize: The CVB often acts as your internal advocate.
They:
- Follow up with hotels to ensure proposals are submitted on time.
- Encourage competitive offers.
- Ask hotels to sharpen concessions.
- Coordinate site visit support.
- Package destination assets.
The CVB wants you to choose their city. They are selling the destination as much as the hotel. They may offer: - Welcome bags
- Registration table assistance
- Discount attraction tickets
- Transportation guidance
- Marketing materials
- Recognition elements
- Honor ceremony coordination
- Assistance securing military speakers
For military reunions, this advocacy is often stronger because the emotional value of hosting veterans resonates deeply within communities.
Step 6: Destination Positioning
Your RFP is not just evaluated on numbers. CVBs ask:
- Why would this reunion choose us?
- What is our competitive advantage?
• Do we have military history? - Do we have memorials?
- Do we have base proximity?
- Do we have patriotic alignment?
A CVB crafts a destination story around your reunion. For military reunions, they may highlight: - WWII heritage designation
- Military Branch Museums
- Cold War Memorials
- National cemeteries
- Military aircraft exhibits
- Veterans memorial parks
- Patriotic events
They are not just sending hotel rates. They are building an emotional case. Because reunions are about reconnection — not conferences. And CVBs understand that.
Step 7: Compiling Proposals
Once hotels respond, the CVB often compiles proposals into one organized package. Instead of you chasing five hotels individually, the CVB may:
- Summarize key details
- Compare room rates
- Highlight concessions
- Clarify meeting space inclusions
- Outline tax structures
- Include city-level incentives
They streamline your review process. This is why sending your RFP to a CVB first (rather than directly to hotels) often saves time.
Step 8: Supporting the Site Visit
If you narrow down to their city, the CVB moves into hosting mode. They may coordinate:
- Hotel tours
- Meeting space walkthroughs
- Off-site venue visits
- Restaurant sampling
- Attraction previews
- Transportation demonstrations
- Airport pickup
- Customized itineraries
For reunion planners — especially volunteer planners — this support reduces overwhelm. The CVB wants planners to have confidence in their decisions.
another planner later. Reunion planners are powerful referral sources. CVBs know this.
Step 9: Long-Term Relationship Building
Once you book, the CVB doesn’t disappear. They stay involved:
- Monitoring room pickup
- Assisting with city permits if necessary
- Connecting you with vendors
- Suggesting photographers
- Coordinating military color guards
- Assisting with proclamation requests
- Helping with media coverage And here’s the strategic truth: They are also building a relationship with you for your next rotation. Even though reunions rarely return to the same city year after year, CVBs know reunion planners often serve for multiple cycles. If they impress you now, you may bring another association or influence another planner later. Reunion planners are powerful referral sources. CVBs know this.
What This Means for Reunion Planners
Now that you know how it works, here’s where accountability begins. If you want strong proposals:
- Provide clean, complete three or four-year history.
- Be realistic about room blocks.
- State your flexibility clearly.
- Provide decision timelines.
- Explain what makes your reunion unique.
- Share your attendee profile (age range, military branch, event style).
- Clarify if you need banquet-heavy space.
- Be transparent about budget sensitivity.
The stronger your RFP, the more confident the CVB and hotels feel competing for your business. And confidence translates to better concessions.
What CVBs Wish Reunion Planners Knew
Let’s go one level deeper. CVBs appreciate reunion planners because:
- You can be flexible on your reunion dates
• You book multiple nights.
• You incorporate local attractions.
But they also quietly worry about: - Overstated room blocks.
- Under-communicated attrition.
- Last-minute decision delays.
- Leadership turnover in associations.
- Volunteer burnout.
When your RFP demonstrates organization and clarity, you instantly separate yourself from higher-risk groups. You become preferred business.
The Bottom Line
A CVB does far more than forward your RFP. They:
- Evaluate its value.
- Assess destination fit.
- Strategically match hotels.
- Advocate for competitive proposals.
- Position their city emotionally.
- Coordinate site visits.
- Support execution.
- Build long-term relationships.
Your RFP sets that entire machine in motion. When done correctly, it signals professionalism, reduces perceived risk, and increases your negotiating strength. When done poorly, it slows momentum and reduces leverage. Reunion planners often operate as volunteers. CVBs know that. But make no mistake — once your RFP hits their desk, it enters a professional sales ecosystem driven by room nights, revenue forecasting, and competitive positioning. Understanding that system makes you stronger. And strong planners get better reunions.
It is important to note that there are hundreds of Convention Visitor Bureaus across the United States. Each organization RFP process may vary from the information listed above
