NSBE Amplifies Sourcing Efficiency and Options with HopSkip

Background:

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) had a sourcing process heavily dependent on manual inputs, with RFPs created using Word documents based on previous years’ agendas. These were emailed to existing contacts, leading to limited hotel sourcing and offering little flexibility for options to host their events. LaTika Webster, Event Sourcing Manager at NSBE, responsible for sourcing all of NSBE's regional events, was brought on board to streamline and modernize the organization’s event and hotel sourcing process.

The Challenge:

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) encountered substantial hurdles in its sourcing process, primarily due to its heavily manual system.

NSBE grappled with a fragmented and ineffective system where critical sourcing information was stored in countless emails. This method presented considerable difficulty in sharing important details across teams and tracking the status of RFPs.  

The existing methodology for sourcing hotels led to only a handful of venue options being available to their members as potential host hotels. This restriction often left their regional stakeholders with limited flexibility in selecting venues, causing potential cost savings to be lost and curbing the potential growth of their events.

Critical sourcing data was dispersed across numerous emails, making it exceedingly difficult to share essential details across teams and keep track of the status of RFPs. Furthermore, the lack of a centralized database complicated the retrieval and analysis of historical data from past years, significantly inhibiting informed decision-making and process improvement. NSBE urgently needed a solution that could streamline this process, expand the range of potential host hotels, and provide a comprehensive overview of their sourcing history.

The Solution:

The integration of HopSkip into NSBE’s sourcing process marked a transformative shift for the organization. The platform served as a conduit for increased transparency around event costs and projected spending. This clarity in financial aspects gave NSBE an elevated understanding of their forecasted spend vs. budget, paving the way for more educated and effective decision-making.

HopSkip also provided NSBE with a much-needed centralized platform for their organization’s event sourcing history. No longer were records spread out across countless emails and out-of-date documents. HopSkip gathered all crucial information under one digital roof, easily accessible and searchable.

Furthermore, HopSkip’s robust hotel inventory equipped LaTika with the capability to extend her sourcing reach beyond traditional boundaries. Sourcing properties were no longer restricted to known industry contacts but could now span a broader spectrum, welcoming many new options available to source. This enhanced approach allowed LaTika to establish more impactful relationships for NSBE within the industry and opened doors for collaborations that had previously remained out of reach.

The Results:

3.5x increase in venue options to present to their members

By implementing HopSkip, LaTika and the team at NSBE have unlocked a more effective sourcing process, time savings, and a more professional and transparent communication flow.

One of the key outcomes was a substantial increase in the options presented to the regions - a 3.5x surge that resulted in more varied and better-suited venues for their members to select as host hotels.

3x Increase in sourcing efficiency 

The introduction of HopSkip also led to a dramatic increase in sourcing efficiency. Tasks that previously consumed extensive time were now streamlined, resulting in a threefold improvement in overall efficiency. LaTika has secured meeting spaces in just four months and begun contracting with five properties. 

LaTika describes HopSkip “as a game-changer for non-profit organizations like NSBE”- providing a more structured, efficient, and data-driven approach to sourcing and ensuring that the organization is well-positioned to meet its current and future sourcing needs.

100% of sourcing is centralized and organized in one spot

Centralizing NSBE’s sourcing history in one accessible location facilitated an easier comparison of costs and projected spend across all hotel proposals. This newfound transparency empowered NSBE’s stakeholders to make more informed, data-driven decisions when selecting venues, helping them maximize value while maintaining strict control over their budgets.