Two stages free, then a refundable hold
Most of what you need to make a decision costs nothing. The part that costs is the detailed quote, and this page explains exactly why, exactly how much, and exactly when it comes back to you.
The three stages
| Stage | You get | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Feasibility | Whether your dates hold at your headcount, what constrains them, which destination fits, and any constraint worth knowing before you go further. | Free | 8 working hours |
| 2. Indicative range | A price band per person at your group size and season, with what is in and out. Enough for an internal budget conversation. | Free | Same reply, usually |
| 3. Detailed quote | Named venues and properties, hour-by-hour programme, itemised costing, contingency plan, payment schedule, and dates held for 7 days. | Refundable authorisation | 3 working days |
If you are comparing destinations, checking whether Vietnam fits a budget, or getting internal approval to proceed, stages one and two are enough and cost nothing. Stage three is for when you are choosing a supplier.
The authorisation — the numbers
| Group size | Authorisation | Released |
|---|---|---|
| 20 – 49 | USD 500 | When you decide either way, or automatically after 30 days |
| 50 – 119 | USD 1,000 | As above |
| 120 or more | USD 2,000 | As above |
- It is a hold, not a charge. Funds are not taken. The hold is released whether you book with us or not.
- If you book, it is applied to the deposit. Not an additional cost.
- If you do not book, it is released when you tell us, and automatically after thirty days if you go quiet.
- It is per programme, not per revision. Revisions to a quote you have already commissioned are free.
Why it exists — the honest version
A detailed quote for a group of a hundred is roughly three days of work: visiting or re-verifying venues, checking function space against your actual agenda, holding dates with properties, building a costing that survives scrutiny, and writing a contingency plan.
A supplier who gives that away free is not absorbing the cost. They are recovering it inside the price paid by the clients who do book — which means, if you book, you are paying for the quotes of everyone who did not.
The other reason is more practical. Corporate buyers are frequently asked to obtain three quotes for a procurement process. Producing a full costing for a programme where we are the third name on a list, added to satisfy a policy, is work with no prospect attached. The authorisation filters that without our having to guess who is serious.
Some companies cannot authorise a card against an unconfirmed supplier, which is a legitimate constraint rather than an excuse. Tell us and we will discuss an alternative — a purchase order, a letter of intent, or proceeding on the indicative range and pricing in detail at contract stage. What we will not do is quietly produce the detailed quote free while telling other clients it costs, because the whole point of publishing this is that it applies evenly.
What the detailed quote contains
- Named venues and properties, not categories. If a quote says '5-star beachfront resort', it is not a quote.
- An hour-by-hour programme, not a paragraph of description.
- Itemised costing by component, so you can see what removing the gala or downgrading the accommodation actually saves.
- Inclusions and exclusions at line level, particularly gala production and alcohol.
- The contingency plan, with the named alternative venue and the decision deadline.
- The payment schedule and the cancellation position, as numbers.
- Named subcontractors for any element we do not deliver directly.
- Dates held for 7 days from issue.
If you are comparing us against other suppliers, this checklist works on any quote, including ours.
Questions clients ask most
Is the authorisation refundable if we book elsewhere?
Yes, in full, and released as soon as you tell us. We would rather know quickly than hold your authorisation for thirty days while you have already decided.
What if we need to change the brief after the quote?
Revisions are free. The authorisation covers the programme, not the document version.
Can we see a sample detailed quote?
Yes — a redacted one from a comparable programme, on request, at no cost. It is the fastest way to judge whether the detail is worth the authorisation.
How long does the free stage really take?
Eight working hours to a substantive answer during GMT+7 business hours. Not an acknowledgement — a yes, a no, or a specific question.
Where to go next
Four fields and you can send
Send the outline and you get a free feasibility reply within eight working hours — whether your dates hold at that headcount, what constrains them, and an indicative price range. No payment and no commitment at this stage.