What Hotels and Venues Should Do Now

Hotel owners, venue operators and sales leaders planning for 2027 have good reason to put group and event business near the top of the agenda.

Recent industry research points to a group market with strong underlying demand and growing opportunities across several segments.

The U.S. Travel Association’s U.S. Group Travel Report found that the group segment remained resilient through a challenging 2025 and entered 2026 with renewed momentum. The report identifies continued demand for in-person gatherings, improving hotel performance and opportunities across business events, sports, entertainment and smaller markets.

One of the strongest indicators is RFP activity. According to the report, RFP volumes reached 109% of 2019 levels. It also found that 85% of meeting professionals were optimistic about 2026.

Other industry research is pointing in the same direction. Safe Harbors Business Travel reports that 51% of travel agents consider group travel vital to their business, with growing interest in affinity trips centered around areas such as wellness, culinary experiences and other shared interests.

For hotels and venues setting budgets, staffing plans and revenue goals for 2027, the implications are worth considering now.

The U.S. Travel Report Shows Group Demand Has Remained Strong

Group travel faced a difficult operating environment in 2025.

Higher costs, economic uncertainty, evolving travel policies and changes in corporate spending affected portions of the market. U.S. Travel reported declines in group room bookings during parts of the year, with larger businesses and international travelers among the segments facing greater pressure.

Demand remained active throughout that period, and several indicators strengthened as the year progressed.

Business events remained relatively steady. RFP volumes exceeded 2019 levels. Smaller businesses continued to participate in conferences and trade shows. Group hotel performance improved toward the end of the year.

The outlook heading into 2026 was also positive.

According to U.S. Travel, 86% of business travelers expected to travel the same amount or more for group trips, while 85% of meeting professionals were optimistic about 2026.

Those numbers provide useful context for 2027 planning. Demand has already demonstrated resilience, and the sources of group business are becoming more varied.

Group Growth Is Coming From Several Segments

Corporate meetings and conferences still matter, but the opportunity goes much further 

The U.S. Travel report highlights stronger activity in midsized cities, continued participation from small businesses and opportunities across several categories of business events.

Youth sports has emerged as a particularly important growth area.

More than half of U.S. youth participate in organized sports, and U.S. Travel estimates the youth sports industry at approximately $40 billion. Tournaments and competitions can generate guestrooms, meeting space, food and beverage revenue and event business from athletes, coaches, parents and families.

That creates opportunities for hotels as well as convention centers, conference facilities, sports complexes, independent event venues and other properties that can serve group organizers.

Live events are adding to overall demand. 

The report found that 20% of travelers in 2025 took a trip solely to attend a live event, providing another indication of the value people continue to place on in-person experiences.

For hotel and venue sales teams, 2027 opportunities may come from:

• Corporate meetings and conferences

• Association events

• Trade shows

• Sports teams and tournaments

• Weddings and social events

• Entertainment and live events

• Training programs

• Retreats

• Reunions

• Affinity and special-interest groups

The opportunity will vary by market, property type, capacity and available dates. Sales teams that understand where demand is developing can build their prospecting and revenue plans around the segments that make the most sense for their business.

Rising RFP Volume Requires Stronger Sales Execution

Higher group demand also means more inquiries for sales teams to manage.

Each RFP needs to be reviewed, qualified and answered. Proposals need to be created. Availability and pricing need to be confirmed. Follow-up has to happen. Contracts need to move forward. Event information needs to stay organized as business progresses from sales into planning.

Those steps can become difficult to manage when information is spread across email, spreadsheets, shared documents and individual task lists.

The impact becomes more noticeable as inquiry volume increases.

A planner considering several hotels or venues may send multiple RFPs at the same time. Response speed, accurate information, clear proposals and consistent follow-up can all influence which properties stay under consideration.

Having sufficient capacity in the sales process will be a key consideration for 2027 planning 

If the market produces more opportunities next year, sales teams need to be able to handle them.

What Hotel and Venue Sales Leaders Should Review Before 2027

Revenue targets should reflect the sales team’s ability to manage the expected opportunity volume.

Before finalizing 2027 plans, hotel owners, venue operators and sales directors should take a close look at how group business currently moves through their organization.

How quickly does the team respond to a new inquiry?

Can sales leaders see every active opportunity in one place?

Are follow-ups clearly tracked?

How much time does it take to prepare and deliver a proposal?

Can salespeople quickly access rates, availability, event requirements and previous communication?

Does information move easily from sales into contracting and event planning?

Can management see conversion rates, lost business and sales performance without manually assembling reports?

How much time is the team spending on administrative work?

These questions can help identify where additional group volume may create problems and where improvements could increase sales capacity.

Sales Technology Should Be Part of the 2027 Group Strategy

Sales technology can play an important role in helping hotels and venues manage a larger pipeline.

SalesAndCatering.com’s platform was built specifically for hotel and venue group sales — helping teams manage leads, build proposals, move contracts forward and report on performance, all from one connected system utilizing AI assistance. 

Sales teams can keep opportunities organized, create proposals more efficiently, track follow-up and maintain visibility into what is happening across the pipeline.

Sales leaders and operators can see which opportunities are active, what is converting, where business is being lost and how the team is performing.

For management companies and multi-property organizations, that visibility can also provide a clearer view of group sales activity across multiple locations.

As RFP volumes grow, small improvements in response times, follow-up and conversion can have a meaningful effect on total group revenue.

Group Business Can Contribute Revenue Across the Property

The value of group business also extends beyond the initial room block or venue rental.

Depending on the property and event, a group may generate revenue through guestrooms, meeting space, food and beverage, audiovisual services, parking, equipment rentals, amenities and additional event services. That makes the quality of the business even more essential during uncertain times.

Sales teams need enough visibility into their pipeline to understand what types of groups are producing the strongest results, which dates need additional demand and where the best revenue opportunities are coming from.

For venue operators, the same information can help teams understand which event types, spaces, packages and lead sources are driving the best results.

Clear reporting makes those decisions easier as 2027 strategies are developed and adjusted.

The Research Gives Hotels and Venues a Strong Reason to Plan for Growth

The U.S. Travel Association’s findings show continued demand for in-person experiences and significant opportunities across business events, sports, entertainment and other forms of group travel.

For hotels and venues, the 2027 planning process is an opportunity to decide how much of that business they intend to pursue and what their sales teams will need to capture it.

• Review the group segments growing in your market.

• Look at current RFP volume and conversion rates.

• Identify where opportunities slow down.

• Review response times and follow-up.

• Make sure your team can see and manage the full pipeline.

• Determine whether your current sales process can support the level of group business included in next year’s revenue plan.

The data implies that 2027 could be a really strong year for groups and events, so make sure your team has all the tools to be better positioned when the opportunities arrive.

Planning for More Group and Event Business in 2027?

SalesAndCatering.com helps hotels and venues manage group opportunities from lead through planning, respond efficiently, keep follow-up organized and understand what is converting. Give us 30 minutes to show you how the platform can simplify your team’s day-to-day sales and catering workflow.  Schedule your demo today.

About Mike Pavicich

Mike Pavicich is the Global Sales Vice President at SalesAndCatering.com, where he leverages over 20 years of rich experience in the hospitality industry. His professional trajectory is marked by a series of leadership roles across prestigious hotel brands, demonstrating a consistent ability to drive sales performance and revenue enhancement. Mike’s roots in the industry trace back to fundamental roles in sales and operations at distinguished establishments such as Hyatt Hotels, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and Station Casinos.

Mike’s career trajectory shifted when he began exploring the synergistic blend of technology and hospitality. His contributions have been pivotal in advancing growth-driven solutions at leading technology firms, including Orbitz (now part of Expedia), Rainmaker (later acquired by Cendyn), and Sabre. In a recent role, he played a key part in managing the gaming markets for Priceline-Agoda. As a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, class of 1999, Mike combines a profound understanding of the hospitality sector with a keen insight into technological innovations.

Outside the professional sphere, this industry veteran is a dedicated family man residing in Las Vegas. When not working, he relishes quality time with his wife and two teenage sons, passionately supports the UNLV Running Rebels basketball team, and contributes to the community as a volunteer youth lacrosse coach.

Connect with Mike on Linkedin

About SalesAndCatering.com

SalesAndCatering.com provides the most affordable full-featured Sales and Catering systems for hospitality.  Its STS Cloud Sales and Catering system is widely installed and engineered to give property sales teams the sales tools that help them achieve their goals. SalesAndCatering.com’s  systems are developed and supported by the company’s US-based offices. It is a trusted full-service sales and catering partner that delivers solutions via a software-as-a-service model that ensures greater client communication to streamline the sales process and maximize staff productivity. SalesAndCatering.com’s systems help hotel companies meet revenue goals through anytime-anywhere data access and integration with multiple PMS systems.  STS Cloud delivers unparalleled performance to help you thrive in today’s competitive sales environment. 

For more information, please visit salesandcatering.com.