The most common event add-ons venues sell

Groups, Meetings & Events rarely consist of just a room booking. From catering to AV production and experiences, additional services often represent a significant share of event revenue for venues.

At MeetingPackage, we work with hotels, venues, and chains globally through both direct booking channels and RFP-based sales workflows. Based on data from our platform across direct clients and distribution partners, we consistently see certain services appear as the most frequently sold add-ons in event bookings.

For venue sales teams, this raises an important question: are you already selling these services consistently, and are they structured in a way that makes them easy for planners to discover and purchase? Many of these add-ons are common across the industry, but not every venue actively offers them in their online booking flow, meeting room packages, or RFP responses.

Reviewing these services can help hotels and venues evaluate whether they are maximizing event revenue opportunities or missing potential upsells that planners frequently request.

While every venue and market is unique, the following categories represent some of the most common meeting and event upsells requested through RFPs and online meeting booking flows. They may also help venues identify additional services that could be packaged, promoted, or monetized more effectively.

The Most Common Event Add-Ons Venues Sell

1. Bedroom-Related Upsells

For meetings and events with accommodation components, room upgrades and flexibility options are among the easiest revenue drivers for hotels.

Common add-ons include:

• Upgraded room types (view rooms, higher floors, club level, premium categories)

• Early check-in or late check-out

• In-room welcome amenities (snacks, wine, branded gifts)

These services are particularly popular for VIP attendees, speakers, and executive meetings.

From MeetingPackage booking data, room upgrades are often sold during the RFP negotiation stage, when rooming lists are collected, while amenities and flexibility options perform well in online booking flows, where buyers want convenience and flexibility and can select them easily during the check-out phase.

2. Food & Beverage Packages

Food and beverage remains the largest ancillary revenue category in meetings and events.

Typical add-ons include:

• Welcome receptions or farewell receptions

• Coffee breaks, snack breaks, or continuous refreshment stations

• Plated meals or buffet catering

• Bar packages

• Specialty menus such as themed dinners or tasting experiences

Meeting planners frequently bundle these services when booking meeting rooms, making F&B one of the easiest categories to package into meeting products.

For many venues using MeetingPackage,  standardized meeting packages with catering included convert significantly better online than room-only offerings. Also, it's easier to purchase, and there are fewer operational tasks when selling services.

3. AV & Production Services

Technology requirements have increased significantly, especially with hybrid and virtual events.

Common services include:

• AV bundles (projector, screen, microphones)

• Hybrid or streaming packages

• On-site AV technician support hours

MeetingPackage clients often see strong demand for pre-configured AV bundles, as planners prefer simple pricing rather than building complex technical setups individually. 

Providing clear AV packages also helps venues reduce back-and-forth during the RFP process. 

4. Experiences & Activities

More meeting planners are looking to create memorable experiences around meetings, not just host functional sessions.

Popular add-ons include:

• Team-building activities

• Off-site excursions and tours

• Event tickets or cultural experiences

• Spa credits

• Golf tee times

• Wellness classes

These services can significantly increase per-attendee spend, especially for corporate retreats, incentive trips, and multi-day conferences.

5. Transportation & Logistics

Transportation becomes essential when attendees travel from different locations.

Typical services include:

• Airport transfers (individual or group)

• Shuttle service from and to the hotel/venue

• Local transport during the event

Many venues sell these services as optional add-ons in RFP responses, while some integrate them into premium meeting packages or incentive programs.

6. Event Production & Miscellaneous Services

Beyond the core meeting setup, planners frequently request additional event services such as:

• Event décor and staging

• Upgraded linens, chairs, and tables

• Registration desk staffing or cloakroom services

• Event security

While these may not be included in every event, they often represent high-margin upsell opportunities for venues.

How Venues Can Sell These Services More Efficiently

Many venues still manage event add-ons manually through emails and spreadsheets. However, modern venue commerce platforms allow these services to be structured, priced, and sold digitally.

This enables hotels and venues to sell services across:

• Direct online booking engines
  
  

• Offline channels with an eRFP response

• Third-party event distribution channels

Structuring Event Add-Ons as Catalog Items

Within MeetingPackage, venues can create service catalog items for common add-ons such as:

• Coffee break packages

• AV bundles

• Airport transfers

• Welcome receptions

• Team-building activities

Catalog items allow venues to:

• Standardize service descriptions

• Apply pricing rules and speed up response times

• Attach services to specific business rules

• Offer services consistently across sales channels

• Allow AI-automations to utilise the offered services automatically

This makes it possible to sell Groups, Meetings & Events more efficiently. Fast replies convert better, Better conversion increases revenue. 

Creating Packaged Meeting Products

Another common strategy is building meeting packages that combine multiple services into a single product.

Meeting packages simplify purchasing decisions and often increase conversion rates.

Examples include:

Day Meeting Package

Includes:

• Meeting room

• Standard AV

• Two coffee breaks

• Buffet lunch

• Water and stationery

Half-Day Meeting Package

Includes:

• Meeting room

• One coffee break

• AV bundle

Executive Meeting Package

Includes:

• Premium meeting room

• Enhanced AV setup

• À la carte lunch

• VIP room upgrades

• Breakout room with premium Food &  Beverage items

Structured meeting packages enable venues to easily sell bundled services while increasing average booking value.

Testing sales strategies for Groups, Meetings & Events business

One advantage of centralising group and event commerce is the ability to test different pricing and packaging strategies for group and meeting services.

Hotels and venues can experiment with several approaches.

1. Online Direct Booking Upsells

Offer optional services during the booking flow, such as:

• Coffee breaks

• AV bundles

• Welcome drinks

• Transportation

This approach works especially well for small meetings and instant meeting room bookings.

2. Optimizing Offline RFP Responses

In RFP workflows, venues can include structured add-on options in their proposals:

• Recommended AV setups

• Suggested catering upgrades

• Optional experiences or activities

This helps planners quickly understand the available services and increases upsell opportunities during negotiations.

3. Bundled vs. Modular Pricing

Venues often test two different approaches when selling meeting services.

Bundled pricing

• Services included in meeting packages

• Easier for planners to purchase

• Faster decision-making

Modular pricing

• Base meeting room price

• Optional add-ons available separately

Different markets respond differently at different times, which is why testing both approaches can help maximize meeting and event revenue. The key is to monitor your tactics and adjust them based on results and findings. One aspect loved by many MeetingPackage clients is the centralisation of Groups, Meetings & Events sales, which helps them make quick, informed decisions.

Why Structured Event Services Matter for Venues

The meetings and events market is increasingly moving toward automation, similar to hotel room booking and airline ancillaries.

By structuring common event services into standardized offerings, venues can:

• Increase event revenue

• Simplify the meeting planner buying process

• Enable instant meeting room bookings

• Improve operational efficiency

• Sell services consistently across multiple distribution channels

Final Thoughts

Based on MeetingPackage data across global venues and partners, the most frequently sold event services fall into a few clear categories: food & beverage, AV services, room upgrades, experiences, transportation, and event production services.

For venue managers and hotel sales teams, reviewing these categories can be a useful exercise:  are these services already part of your meeting sales strategy?

If you are not selling these common services as efficiently as you would like, they may represent opportunities to expand your meeting service catalog, create better meeting packages, and increase event revenue per booking.

Venues that structure these services into clear catalog items and meeting packages are better positioned to sell them across both RFP workflows and online meeting booking channels.

As automation in Groups, Meetings & Events commerce continues to evolve, the ability to package, price, and distribute event services effectively will become a key competitive advantage for venues worldwide.

If you want to learn what kind of business intelligence MeetingPackage can provide, book a demo.

{{cta('9350ca7d-bc02-4fc5-b81b-b6ab868b64cc')}}