CVBS, Conference Venues and Booking Services
Get My Shortlist
How we're paid

It's free to you. Here's how that works.

The question we're asked most often is what the catch is. There isn't one, but you should know how we're paid before you trust us with your event.

Who pays what

How a booking through us is paid for

Three parties are involved in every booking. Only one of them pays us, and it isn't you.

  1. You, the organiser

    You pay the venue's rate

    Usually a better rate than you'd find on your own, because we negotiate it for you, along with the inclusions.

    $0Your fee to CVBS

  2. The venue

    The venue sets aside a commission

    Venues allow a standard commission on bookings brought to them by travel agents and event planners. It's part of how they price, whether or not you use us.

  3. That commission comes to us

    When your booking comes through CVBS, the commission comes to us rather than staying with the venue. It covers the sourcing, the negotiating and our support right through to your event.

What it means for you

Everything we do for your event, at no cost to you

Nothing to pay us

There's no fee for our service and no invoice from CVBS, whether it's a board meeting for twelve or a three-day conference.

A better rate, negotiated for you

We negotiate rates and inclusions with the venue, and they usually beat what's published. If booking direct were better for you, we'd tell you.

Advice that stays on your side

We only put forward venues we can speak for, and you'll hear the drawbacks as well as the pitch.

Independent advice

Why this keeps our advice honest

Commissions are broadly similar from one venue to the next, so we gain nothing by steering you toward one over another. What reaches your shortlist is what fits the brief.

What grows our business is getting your event right, so you come back for the next one. Many of the organisers we work with have been with us for more than a decade, and some have taken us with them from company to company.

Read what our clients say
“Their rates are competitive and the venues are incredible, often in locations I would never have considered or even knew existed.”
Amy Bousamra
Executive Assistant, Inghams Group · CVBS client for 11+ years
FAQ

Questions organisers ask us

If it's free, what's the catch?
There isn't one. Venues set aside a standard commission for bookings that come to them through an agent or planner. When your booking comes through us, that commission comes to us, so you have our sourcing, negotiating and support through to the day at no cost to you.
Won't you just recommend the venue that pays you most?
No. Commissions are broadly similar from one venue to the next, so there's nothing to gain by steering you. What grows our business is getting your event right, so you come back to us for the next one.
Could I get a better rate booking direct?
Rarely. The rates and inclusions we negotiate usually beat public pricing, and you save the hours of chasing quotes yourself. If booking direct were genuinely better for you, we'd tell you.
Who pays the venue sourcing company?
The venue does, from a standard commission it already allows on bookings that come through an agent. It doesn't change the rate you pay, and you're never invoiced by us.