The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today announced that the NBTA Modular Hotel RFP has been updated for the 2010 bid season to include two new templates that reflect corporate culture shifts in today’s business travel industry. With the new Renegotiation Template and the Unsolicited Bids Template, travel managers and hoteliers can now provide each other with industry standard forms when looking to renegotiate current contracts or seek new bids.

The “NBTA Hotel RFP Template – Renegotiation Request” can be used to convey a company’s goals and requirements so that hoteliers may better position their properties to be accepted into its hotel program. The file allows users to display current rates received, specify requested target rates and amenities requirements per property, and provides a standard template for hotels to respond. Using this tool will simplify and standardize the buyer’s and hotelier’s RFP renegotiation process.

Laurie Kazimer, NBTA Hotel Committee Co-Chair, said, “For the RFP to remain the industry standard template, it must take into account changing industry trends. Travel managers have been telling us about the challenges they encounter when renegotiating or receiving a new bid, especially in today’s changing economic climate. These new templates will serve as industry standards to simplify these processes that have become more important than ever in effectively managing a hotel program."

The "NBTA Hotel RFP Template - Unsolicited Bids" provides a standard format for hoteliers to reach out to buyers in an effort to gain their business. These unsolicited bids have become much more common during the economic downturn. The template will streamline the process for buyers and suppliers by providing a standard format. Hoteliers will know they are providing the information the buyers are looking for, and buyers will be better equipped to respond in a timely fashion.

Kristin Ojala, Co-Chair of the NBTA Hotel Committee, said, "The NBTA Hotel Committee is pleased to continue developing resources to help all sides of the industry effectively manage the partnerships between hotels and their corporate clients. Our team captures the expertise of experienced professionals from every part of the supply chain to create tools that serve as true industry standards."

About NBTA | The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Asia Pacific, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 15,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 4,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$200 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 10 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit .

About the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition | Widely recognized as the must-attend event for business travel buyers, suppliers, industry leaders and business travel journalists, the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition will be held in San Diego August 23-26, 2009. More than 5,000 travel professionals are expected to take advantage of the Convention’s programming, designed to empower attendees to maximize value for their companies, including more than 65 seminars on the most important topics in business travel, more than 400 companies exhibiting in the Expo and countless opportunities for networking with peers. For details, visit .

Nicole Hayes
Assistant Manager, Communications
(703) 236-1133
GBTA