Before quoting, confirm the date, room timings, guests, programme, services, budget and decision-maker. Ask only for missing details that affect the offer. If the venue fits, quote; otherwise suggest a workable alternative or explain the constraint.
Timing: not just the day, but the whole time in the room
Ask about the event date, guest arrival, the start and end of the programme and the time needed by technicians or suppliers. Then find out what can move. One organiser will happily switch from Wednesday to Thursday but needs exactly the same hours. Another has a fixed date but could start after lunch. Record both options separately, and never describe a free slot in the calendar as a booking.
A question that works well: “If the first date isn’t possible, which other days would work, and by when do you need to decide?” The answer separates alternative event dates from the client’s decision date. Check availability with the colleague responsible for the space, including set-up and clearing. A meeting ending at five does not mean the room is ready for the next group at five. When you check provisionally, note who checked and when.
What will people actually be doing?
The number of guests alone does not describe an event. Will they listen to a presentation, work in groups, have lunch together, move between rooms or join remotely? Find out the expected number and note whether it is an estimate. If the programme and lunch numbers differ, record both. Judge capacity by the set-up required: a room for 120 at a standing reception is not a room for 120 at a workshop with tables and a projector.
Translate the brief into operational terms, for example: one main room, a registration area, two smaller breakout rooms and lunch at 12:30. Then ask what is essential and what is only a preference. When the exact combination is not available, you can offer a sensible alternative instead of a refusal.
Link the budget to the scope
Find out whether the client is working with a total amount, a per-person figure, or is still waiting for internal approval. And what the amount should cover: room hire, food, AV, accommodation or everything together. Note the currency and whether the client’s figure includes VAT; do not guess. If there is no budget yet, explain what you need to price the event and offer a clearly defined starting option.
Even “we don’t have a budget yet” is useful. You might ask: “Would a comparison of a simple meeting and a version with lunch help with your internal discussion?” If the scope and the stated amount don’t match, name the specific part that could change: a simpler menu, shorter room hire or a different day. Only suggest it once the organiser confirms that this part of the brief can change.
Who decides, and what do they need?
Ask who is comparing venues, who approves the choice and who will come to the site visit. It is often not one person. A coordinator collecting proposals needs material they can pass on. Agree the next decision and its date. A vague “send us something soon” often means “send a short outline for Tuesday’s team meeting”. That is a clear task, even if the final decision has no date yet.
Check access needs; don’t promise them
Find out whether any attendees need step-free access or other adjustments that affect the choice of room and route. Ask about practical needs, not medical details. The organiser might need, for example, a step-free route from the entrance through the room to the toilets. Pass the exact request to a colleague who will check it on site. Never confirm accessibility from memory. Send the client what has been checked, what is still being checked and when they will hear back.
Intake form for the first contact
- Contact: organiser, company, how they want the reply and who at the hotel owns the enquiry.
- Purpose: type of event, what it should achieve and what must not change.
- Timing: preferred day, alternative days, arrival, programme and the time the room must be cleared.
- Attendees: expected number, whether it is an estimate, set-up and catering numbers.
- Services: rooms, food, AV, accommodation and supplier access.
- Budget: amount or “not known yet”, currency, what it covers and whether it includes VAT.
- Decision: who decides, the next step, the deadline and the material needed.
- Open points: availability, access, who will check them and when the client will hear back.
For uncertain details, note the source: the client said, the hotel confirmed, or we are waiting for an answer. The form supports the conversation; it is not a questionnaire to send out. If the client has already written a lot, confirm it and ask only about the gaps that affect the next step. The client then sees that someone has actually read their message.
Sample follow-up reply
“Thank you for the details of your workshop. We understand that we are checking both Tuesday and Thursday, you expect around forty participants and you would like one shared working room. To prepare an accurate proposal, we need to know whether guests will work at tables and whether lunch should be part of the programme. We are leaving the budget open for now. A colleague will check room availability and we will reply by Thursday. What material will you need for your next internal meeting?”
The reply repeats what you already know and focuses on the two questions that will change the proposal. It does not hide the unknown budget or promise to hold the room. Give a reply date you will definitely keep. If you agreed points by phone, send the same summary by email for confirmation.
Three enquiries, three different next steps
A workshop with no budget. A company is planning a workshop for forty people next month, suggests two dates and has no budget yet. The sales manager checks the set-up on both dates, asks whether they want lunch and when the internal meeting is, then sends a short outline of the scope. It is a good enquiry with a clear next step, not a weak lead.
A fixed date, a booked room. An organiser needs space for sixty guests on a specific Saturday, but the requested room is booked. Before declining, the sales manager asks whether the day or the room could change. The client confirms neither can. The right reply explains the reason and closes the enquiry politely, without preparing a menu nobody needs.
A step-free route required. A third organiser knows the date and the numbers but needs a checked step-free route. The sales manager assigns the check to a named colleague, agrees a reply date and does not confirm the room is suitable until the information has been checked.
End the conversation with a clear next step
Send a short summary: how you understand the brief, what is still open, who will check what and when the next reply will come. Ask the organiser to correct anything that is wrong. Keep the summary with the original message so a colleague covering for you can follow it. Carry the agreed scope into the proposal, not every sentence of the conversation. And when you decline, record the real reason, such as a booked room on a fixed date, not an impression of how “serious” the client seemed.
To keep the enquiry, proposal and next action in one place, see Verando for hotels. Once you have sent the proposal, use our proposal follow-up guide. With your next real enquiry, you can try Verando for free.
Frequently asked questions
Is an enquiry without a budget a bad enquiry?
No. Mark the budget as not known yet, clarify the scope and offer material that helps the organiser set a figure, such as a comparison of two options.
Do I need every detail before I reply?
No. Deal first with the details that change whether the space works or what the next step is. Confirm what the client has already given you and fill in the rest later.
Does a free date mean the room is booked?
No. Check real availability, including set-up and clearing, and tell the client the exact status. Agree any provisional hold and how long it lasts separately.
How should I handle a request for step-free access?
Record the exact practical need, assign the check to a colleague who knows the space and send the client the checked facts together with the points still being checked.