Local Sales and Marketing Reference Guide

Meetings and Conventions

If you have convention and meeting facilities in your market, this is an excellent avenue to target supplemental rentals throughout the year.

In this section you will find procedures and helpful hints on how to put together your convention connection package.

1. Contact:

• Local Convention Bureau or local Chamber of Commerce for convention listings. (In order to obtain these lists you must be a member of the organization.)

• Local hotel sales department and establish rapport.

• Local attractions and establish rapport with the sales department.

2. Pick target groups based on:

• Size
• Dates -- length of stay and time of year
• Rental reservations during that time period -- If reservations are tight, don’t try to over book.

3. Contact meeting planner six months ahead by phone or letter:

• Establish need and intent.
• Obtain the following information:

• Size of group

• Confirmed dates

• Number of fly-ins versus drive-ins. Must be predominantly out-of-state.

• Length of meetings -- How much "Free Time" is available? How many days are they staying? Is it over the weekend?

• Are there any outside functions away from the hotel property?

• Are families/spouses attending? What kind of activities and "Free Time" are available to those with and without transportation?

• Past rental needs

• Additional needs

• Mail-out dates

4. Select rates based on all gathered information while remembering:

• Type of clientele - are they going to spend the extra dollars to rent a car?
• Is Thrifty accessible? Will Thrifty pick up and return? Will hotel transport?
• Tourist appeal - what does your city offer a tourist?
• Competition
• Estimate only 10% to 15% actual rentals out of total possible.

5. Send a proposal letter.

6. Follow up and finalize. Establish type of mailing literature (i.e., rate cards and letters, additional  paragraph in existing group literature). Always try to "piggy back" (go in on other mailings). This saves time and money. Materials to meeting planner should be sent by express mail.

7. Guarantee all reservations. Have counter agents input source and referral codes when entering reservations.

8. Contact meeting planner at least one week prior to finalize all details.

9. Greet planner upon arrival and be available. Oversee general arrivals.

Helpful Hints In Putting Together Your Proposal

• Special convention rates
• Complimentary car provision for meeting planner
• Unlimited free mileage
• Car class upgrades available
• Hospitality services and assistance with local attractions
• Complimentary limo pick-up service
• Information/reservation brochure personalized with your location and specifics on convention rates and vehicles for distribution to attendees.
• Expedient shuttle service
• Luxury car fleets
• Extremely reliable and well maintained cars
• Baggage handling service
• Information on optional coverage and additional charges

Basic Convention Solicitation Procedure

An example of a group and convention procedure could be as follows:

1. Mail solicitation letter.
2. Seven to 10 days after initial mailing, follow up with phone call.
3. If interest is expressed, send proposal packet which contains the following items.

• Proposal letter
• Local map
• Fleet sheet
• Local Thrifty brochure
• Brochure of local attractions

4. The final step will be to get a signed letter of agreement. This agreement must designate us as official car rental supplier, allow us to place a flyer in their mailings and be listed in their convention program.

Toll Free Booking for your Meetings and Conventions

Thrifty has established an 800 number for you to use when booking local conventions. The number is (800) 525-5506. This phone number may be published on your brochures soliciting convention bookings rather than your local number if you wish (note, you may not use your area code unless there is more than one area code in your city). We have convention shell brochures that we can print for you. Contact the local sales and marketing department at 918-669-2234. Many convention bookings were lost because we did not have a way to book local convention business through a published 800 number.

If you wish to have your location participate in this rate plan, simply fill out the attached rate sheet with the CNVN rate code listed. You set the rates, car size and time period they are available.

When a customer calls this 800 Convention Phone Number, the reservation agents will answer, "Thrifty Car Rental Convention Desk". With this call, the only rates that will be brought up will be your special convention rates. If you do not wish to participate in this program do not fill out a rate sheet. This 800 number is not published anywhere except by the locations who wish to use it. All reservations booked through this number are subject to the normal reservation fees. All brochures, advertisements, etc. must still contain the 1-800-THRIFTY^sm number for reservations other than convention business. You may, however, make the 800 convention number more prominent.

A report is available for convention reservations booked through the toll-free number.  Contact Jackie Evans in the Reservations department at 918-669-2690, or e-mail jackie.evans@thrifty.com.

Click on the links below to see an example of:

Solicitation letter #1

Solicitation letter #2

Letter of Agreement

Reservation card

Listing of meetings & conventions

Customer Information Letter

Quote letter

Customer profile for meetings & conventions

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