What is retained is what has been collected
There is no separate penalty grid. If you cancel, what is forfeited is exactly what has been paid at that moment — no percentage of the total, no invoice arriving after the fact for money you have not sent.
Payment schedule
| When | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| At confirmation | 30% | Converts the hold. Price is fixed from this point. Any card authorisation is applied here rather than added. |
| D-30 | 40% | Calculated on your guaranteed minimum headcount, not on the current estimate. |
| D-7 | Balance | Adjusted to final confirmed numbers from the D-14 lock. |
| After delivery | Amendments only | Anything added on site, itemised in the post-event account with supplier invoices attached. |
For programmes above 120 delegates, or where a venue requires an earlier commitment, the schedule moves forward and the quote states it explicitly rather than surprising you at contract stage.
Cancellation — the whole policy
| Cancelled at | Paid so far | Retained | Further liability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before deposit | Nothing | Nothing | None |
| After deposit, before D-30 | 30% | 30% | None |
| After D-30, before D-7 | 70% | 70% | None |
| After D-7 | 100% | 100% | None |
A conventional grid charges a percentage of the programme total regardless of what you have paid, which means a late cancellation can produce an invoice for money you never sent. Ours cannot — you can never owe more than you have paid. The trade-off is that at a late stage the retained amount is the full value, with nothing to argue about. Both sides know the exact number at every point in the calendar.
Headcount changes, which are not cancellations
- Within 5–10% of the guaranteed minimum: no charge. Absorbed.
- More than 10% below: the difference is charged, because rooms, vehicles and staffing were contracted against that number.
- Additions above the minimum: at the same rate where capacity exists. Not guaranteed after D-14, particularly in peak season.
- Nominate the minimum conservatively. Clients who nominate an optimistic figure to reach a better size band then pay for the gap. The band saving is almost always smaller than the shortfall charge.
Invoicing, currency and force majeure
- Invoicing. Issued by the contracting entity to your company with full Vietnamese VAT documentation. Purchase order references carried through where your finance process needs them.
- Currency. USD by default, VND on request. Held in the quoted currency for the life of the booking, so exchange movement after confirmation is not passed on.
- Bank charges. Sender pays. Shortfalls from intermediary deductions are invoiced as a balance rather than absorbed.
- Amendments. Free within the programme structure before D-14. After that, only where a supplier charges us — passed through at cost with the supplier's invoice attached, not marked up.
- Force majeure. Where a programme cannot proceed for reasons outside either party's control — typhoon, port or airport closure, government restriction — the position is a credit valid twelve months and transferable, not a cash refund. Stated at quote stage rather than buried in a schedule.
- Insurance. Event cancellation cover is the instrument for recovering cash and is worth pricing for a large programme in a risk window. We supply whatever documentation an underwriter requests.
Questions clients ask most
Can payment terms match our internal approval cycle?
Where your cycle is later than our schedule, the gap has to be bridged — we cannot fund supplier deposits. Where it is earlier, no problem. Companies with an established relationship can discuss adjusted terms rather than negotiating per booking.
Is the deposit refundable if our board declines?
No, and that is exactly why the seven-day hold exists and costs nothing. Use the hold for internal approval and pay the deposit once the decision is made.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. A PO referenced on the invoice is standard for corporate clients and we will work to your procurement process rather than insisting on ours.
What if a supplier fails and we want compensation?
A material failure attributable to us is credited on the affected component and settled against the final invoice, not through a separate claim process. See accountability.
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.