Why Package Pricing Makes More Sense for Meetings and Events

In all the hype about visionary products and sleek design, people often forget a core innovation that made Apple the success story they are today.

It was the simplicity with which they packaged and priced products.

While other computer companies had customers pick out each individual component—hard drive, video card, processor, operating system, software—in order to purchase a machine, Apple opted to bundle these things into a sleek package, limiting choice but making the process simple and easy.

When Ryan Simonetti and Chris Kelly co-founded Convene back in 2008, they were entering a meeting and events world that had largely stuck to this type of à la carte pricing model, which was, and is in many cases is today, the norm. Planners were presented with a base rate, upon which every extra was added—coffee priced by the gallon, Wi-Fi, power strips, A/V support, and more.

“What we realized was that when somebody is hosting a meeting they’re not hosting it for the explicit purpose of having a meeting. There’s a business purpose behind that meeting,” says Kelly. “We want to move the conversation to how we as a host can support the strategic purpose of that meeting, instead of ‘Do you want cheddar or Swiss on the sandwiches?’”

Deriving inspiration from Apple’s elegantly simple packages, Simonetti and Kelly implemented a similar Convene pricing model into the meetings and event planning packages at Convene—"Fewer, better, curated options so that you can focus on excellence in everything you do.”

"Everything You Need" Solutions 

These packages were designed for planners of all skill levels, ensuring newer planners felt comfortable and taken care of, while offering all of the crucial elements a more advanced planner often spent so much time dealing with. The team set out to create meeting planning packages that worked “out of the box” for meeting planners, so that they could be free to focus on the content of their meetings instead of logistics. “There’s no such thing as an all-day meeting that doesn’t have coffee, snacks, Wi-Fi, and power,” says Kelly. “If we know that every meeting requires these basic things, why ask every time if planners need it? Of course they do!”

There’s a scientific element to this idea of less choice being a better choice. In his 2004 book The Paradox of Choice, psychologist Barry Schwartz argues that modern Americans enjoy an unprecedented level of choice, yet that has not translated into higher levels of happiness. The solution, then, is to slim down the amount of choices we face, freeing our psychological energy to focus on what is most important to us. In a 2005 TED Talk on the subject, Schwartz reveals the story about the consequences of too many choices when it comes to retirement plans offered by an employer:

“For every 10 mutual funds the employer offered, rate of participation went down two percent. You offer 50 funds—10 percent fewer employees participate than if you only offer five. Why? Because with 50 funds to choose from, it’s so damn hard to decide which fund to choose, that you’ll just put it off until tomorrow.”

“For us, it’s about being a solution provider and partner,” says Jill McCluskey, area director of sales for Convene in Washington, D.C. “I’m here to provide solutions to meet your needs, while helping you stay within a specific budget as well.”

Save Money

While package pricing might have the connotation of being including things you pay for but may not always need, grouping services together can actually save significant costs in the end. Because we are able to source everything in-house,  planners have access to a one-stop shop that helps them avoid paying hefty additional fees that come with booking multiple agencies and vendors.

Save Time

The process of sourcing the right vendor and negotiating prices on needed items takes time. All of this precious time adds up to effort that could be spent working on other aspects of your event, like building out your guest list and securing the right speakers. With Convene’s event planning packages, planners can save significant time on booking vendors to focus on the items that matter most to them.

Flexibility You Need

Our team of event experts has planned thousands of gatherings in the past, so we curated our packages to include the core items we know you’ll need most. If you know that you want to make a change or take your event to the next level, we offer the flexibility to add on additional services as desired. If there’s something that our packages don’t include, planners will be able to bring in 3rd party suppliers that we will work with to execute your event just as you envisioned it.

Peace of Mind

Besides easing the mind of planners, packaged pricing also cuts down on the number of vendors event planners have to coordinate with (and later manage). Where other venues outsource technology management, Convene pricing includes all of the technology needed for any kind of business meeting, complete with a knowledgeable in-house tech manager.

Ultimately, package pricing comes down to providing the best experience possible for clients. Not only does it allow our expert team of event planners to take care of the essentials, but it enables us to provide everything you need at your fingertips.

Achieve peace of mind when you book a meeting or event with Convene. Our package pricing and team of experts make hosting your next corporate event simple and stress-free.