Blog article • 2 min read
A better way to compare hotels and vendors
Three quotes just came in. One’s a PDF. One’s buried in an email chain. One links to a Google Drive folder with no context. You open a spreadsheet. Again.
Proposal review shouldn’t feel like detective work. But until now, that’s exactly what it’s been.
The suppliers you choose for your event can either make or break the experience. The right choice can mean thousands of dollars saved, stress-free planning, and a better attendee experience. The wrong one? Wasted budget, unnecessary risks, and logistical headaches.
Despite the high stakes, the tools available for comparing proposals haven’t kept up with the pace of modern events. Not only does it take hours to enter all the details manually, but it’s a nightmare to keep up to date. You end up losing a lot of time, and missing out on critical information—like photos, reviews, feedback from your team—just because Excel isn’t built for event sourcing.
Enter Proposal Comparison: Built for Event Planners, Designed for Better Decisions
That’s why we built Proposal Comparison. As part of Planned’s end-to-end sourcing flow, it brings automation to a notoriously manual process, eliminating inefficiencies while improving data-backed decision making.
What started as a simple table that enabled side-by-side comparisons has evolved into a dynamic, interactive tool where stakeholders can leave feedback, auto-fill details with AI, and create category-agnostic groups to compare suppliers.
- AI-powered data entry: Instantly populates supplier details, including pricing, images, and contract terms—eliminating the need for manual input.
- All supplier types: Compare venues, catering, AV, entertainment, and more—all in one structured, intuitive view.
- Automatic updates: Get notified of negotiation progress and pricing changes without sorting through email threads.
- Stakeholder collaboration: Internal teams can leave comments, react to proposals, and align faster on the best options.
- Savings tracking: Directly integrates with Planned’s savings dashboard to ensure cost visibility and financial reporting.
How it works
- Submit your brief – Tell us what you need, and we’ll source the best options.
- Receive three quotes per category within four days – Venues, catering, AV, and more.
- Compare options at a glance – View structured insights, images, and key details in one table.
- Share with collaborators – Gather internal feedback without email chains.
- Make your selection – We handle the negotiations, securing the best rates and terms.
With Proposal Comparison, you gain a visually polished, automated solution that integrates sourcing, negotiations, and reporting—saving time, reducing friction, and making better decisions easier than ever.
A Smarter, More Scalable Way to Source Suppliers
The impact goes beyond convenience. By centralizing supplier comparisons and streamlining decision-making, Proposal Comparison creates a smarter, more scalable approach to sourcing.
Organizations ensure consistency in how decisions are made—whether by a seasoned planner or someone booking a venue for the first time.
Procurement teams no longer have to piece together fragmented data; savings, negotiations, and policy adherence are all built into the process.
No matter the event size, scope, or planner’s level of experience, Proposal Comparison eliminates unnecessary admin work and brings clarity to supplier selection.
No spreadsheets. No copy-pasting. Just faster, data-backed decisions.
What’s next
Currently in the works is an add-on to Proposal Comparison that will display summary of what has been sourced for the event, and what concessions and things of that nature we're negotiated for each booked supplier, further improving visibility into event sourcing.
