The National Business Travel Association's request for proposal templates — which standardize the format members use to electronically solicit business travel bids from hotel companies — now have meeting components available.

Kari Knoll Kesler, co-chairperson of the NBTA Groups & Meetings Committee and global manager of meetings and events at Honey-well, speaking during a May 18 webconference hosted by meetings technology provider OnVantage Inc., discussed the development.

“Most excitingly,” she said, “we've finished two new modules and deployed them, which would enable companies for the first time to utilize the same processes in place [for transient travel programs] to put together a preferred meetings program for hotels. Not a bid for one meeting, but rather for an annual meetings program.”

Kesler said the committee expects to produce RFP templates for a range of meeting components, including air, destination management, and speakers. The committee's next white paper, on leveraging group and transient volume with hoteliers, is due out this summer.