Event organisers already juggle more moving parts than most people realise. Venues, budgets, speakers, sponsors, signage, catering, tech platforms - the list goes on.
So, it makes perfect sense that accommodation often sits further down the list. Once the room block is sorted, it's done, right?
But more organisers are starting to look at accommodation a little differently. Not just as a box to tick, but as a way to quietly improve the experience, support sponsors, and bring communities closer together.
Here’s what we’re seeing.
Experience doesn’t start at registration
For many attendees, the event experience begins long before they reach the venue. It starts when they land at the airport. When they check into the hotel. When they wake up, shower, grab a coffee and walk (or drive) to the first session.
A good hotel setup can make a big difference to how people feel across the event:
- Being close to the venue means less stress, fewer late arrivals and more energy in the room.
- A decent night’s sleep affects how people learn, connect and contribute.
- Shared hotels make it easier for attendees to bump into each other and build relationships.
These aren't dramatic changes, but they quietly shape how the event is experienced.
In fact, a 2024 survey found that 78% of attendees are more likely to return to an event if the hotel booking process is smooth and the options are close to the venue.
Supporting sponsors without stretching their budget
It’s no secret that sponsors are under pressure to prove value. And as organisers, you're already doing a huge amount to help them - from lead retrieval and branding to footfall tracking and prime stand locations.
Accommodation might seem peripheral to that, but it can help, especially when sponsors bring large teams.
Say a 20-person team saves £50 per night, per head for a 3-day event. That’s £3,000 back into their event budget. Enough to upgrade their stand, invest in hosted hospitality, or create a more memorable brand experience on site.
EventBeds give you this data so you can provide a simple post-event snapshot of average savings per person. It helps sponsors demonstrate ROI back to their teams and shows you've thought about the whole picture.
A community isn’t built in the conference room alone
Some of the most valuable event moments happen outside the official agenda. Drinks after hours, conversations over breakfast, spontaneous chats in the hotel lift.
Those moments are hard to manufacture, but easy to enable. Especially when attendees are staying nearby.
Many organisers are becoming more intentional about accommodation:
- Offering a choice of two or three recommended hotels close to the venue
- Hosting optional evening socials at the ‘hub’ property
- Letting attendees know where key sponsors or speakers will be staying, so others can book there too (sometimes called the HQ hotel)
It doesn’t take much - but the right setup can create an environment where community forms naturally. EventBeds’ technology can support this by enabling targeted banner marketing on your preferred hotels, helping you promote them as official HQ or Hub hotels, for example.
Using accommodation as a design input
Hotel booking patterns can be more insightful than they first appear. For example:
- Early bookings can indicate your most proactive and engaged audience segment
- Pickup curves help forecast final numbers more accurately
- Check-out timings can influence when to schedule key sessions (no one loves a 9am keynote on departure day)
These signals are already there - they just need to be used more intentionally.
By building accommodation into your planning process, you can make more informed choices that improve the overall flow and experience of your event.
Final thought
Organisers already do an incredible job managing complex, high-pressure events. You don’t need to add more to your plate. But a small shift in how you use accommodation can unlock added value from the plans you’re already making.
It’s not about doing things differently. It’s about making what you already do work even harder.
We help organisers offer better rates, gather clearer insights, and create hotel experiences that quietly support your goals - from delegate satisfaction to sponsor return to lasting community.
If that sounds useful, let’s talk. Book a demo here.
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