Every event that draws travellers fills hotel rooms. The planner who caused that demand can be paid for it in four ways, and each one comes with a different string attached.
The four ways
- Rebates: a fixed amount per room night on rooms booked inside your block, usually built into the block rate.
- Commissions: a percentage of room revenue, often paid to planners and housing companies by hotels that treat them like travel agents.
- Comp rooms and concessions: free rooms earned per number of rooms picked up, plus credits such as meeting space or upgrades. Not cash, but real value.
- Revenue shares: a share of every stay booked through the planner's own pages, at any property, with no block required.
What each one asks of you
The first three are tied to a block, and a block is a purchase commitment. If pickup falls short of the attrition threshold, the planner owes the hotel for the difference, which can erase the rebate and more. They also pay only on the attendees who book inside the block, which on most events is a minority of those who travel.
A revenue share asks for nothing up front. It earns on whatever attendees book through the planner's page — hotels, rentals and houses alike — and costs nothing if nobody books. With Bookend that share is around 6–8% of each booking, and the attendee pays the same rate they would pay anywhere else.
Choosing between them
- If you need guaranteed rooms in a tight market, a block with a rebate is worth its risk — size it conservatively.
- If most attendees book on their own anyway, a revenue share earns on the majority a block never sees.
- The two combine well: a small block for those who want it, an open lodging page for everyone else.