HelmsBriscoe

What HelmsBriscoe does

HelmsBriscoe is a private hospitality services company founded in 1992 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, that provides hotel site selection, contract negotiation, and meeting planning services to corporate, association, government, and nonprofit clients. The company operates through a global network of 1,500+ commission-based independent contractor Associates spanning 64 countries, functioning as an intermediary between meeting organizers and hotels, resorts, cruise operators, and convention destinations. Service lines include site selection (RFP management and venue sourcing), full-service meeting management via the wholly-owned ResourceOne subsidiary, cruise event solutions (HB Cruises, developed in partnership with Landry & Kling), and Venue Sourcing Consolidation for enterprise-wide meeting programs. Named enterprise customers include Best Buy, Nike Global Meetings & Events, and Hitachi Vantara, with association clients such as Infusion Nurses Society and the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC).

The technology backbone consists of two proprietary platforms: HB Connect, an RFP management and venue sourcing system used to manage proposal flows and preferred hotel/destination listings; and HB InSite, an internal knowledge-sharing platform providing destination intelligence for Associates. A proprietary database aggregates three decades of property intelligence, rate histories, and client anecdotes collected across the global Associate network, and is positioned as a key source of competitive differentiation in pricing and venue recommendation.

HelmsBriscoe earns revenue primarily through commissions paid by hotels and venues when meetings are booked through its network, allowing clients to receive site selection services at no direct cost. Pricing for full-service meeting management (ResourceOne) is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market model is sales-led via the Associate network, with secondary inbound channels through the corporate website and an online Associate locator tool, supported by an industry events presence (MPI WEC, IMEX America, Cvent CONNECT, GBTA Convention) and a company-hosted annual business conference. The company is privately held with no parent, no institutional funding rounds disclosed, and no public ticker.

Name

HelmsBriscoe

Legal name

HelmsBriscoe Performance Group, Inc.

Website

https://helmsbriscoe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HelmsBriscoe is a private hospitality services company, founded in 1992, that operates through 1,500+ independent contractor Associates across 64 countries to deliver hotel site selection, contract negotiation, and meeting planning services to corporate, association, government, and nonprofit clients via a commission-based model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meeting and Event Procurement Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Travel Agencies (56151)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Sourcing & Contracting (Hotels, Conference Centers) (THACAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supplier Sourcing, Negotiation & Contract Management (THAKAMAG), Supplier Management & Preferred Vendor Programs (Meetings) (THACAFAL), Hotel Chain & Brand Contracting (Global/Regional Agreements) (THACAGAE), Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA)

Keywords

• Hotel site selection
• Meeting procurement
• Venue sourcing
• Event management services
• Hospitality sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Commission-based Site Selection: HelmsBriscoe earns revenue through commissions paid by hotels and venues when meetings are booked through their network. This model allows clients to receive site selection services at no added cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HelmsBriscoe provides hotel site selection and meeting placement services through a global network of 1,500+ commission-based independent contractor Associates in 64 countries. Associates manage the full RFP, evaluation, and contract negotiation process for clients (corporate, association, government, and nonprofit) at no direct cost to the client, funded by commissions from hotels and venues. Complementary offerings include full-service meeting management (ResourceOne), cruise venue solutions (HB Cruises, with Landry & Kling), and enterprise venue sourcing consolidation.

Product overview

HelmsBriscoe is a hotel site selection company that operates as a unified service platform with multiple interconnected service offerings. The core service is Site Selection, which uses a network of over 1,500 Associates across 64 countries to match clients with optimal hotel venues. Supporting this core are complementary services: HB Cruises (developed with Landry & Kling) for cruise-based events, Venue Sourcing Consolidation for enterprise-wide meeting management, and ResourceOne for full-service meeting management. The company also operates proprietary internal technology platforms including HB Connect (RFP management system) and HB InSite (knowledge sharing platform). The organization is structured around commission-based independent contractor Associates and maintains charitable initiatives through the Helms Family Foundation and HB Cares program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ResourceOne: Full-service meeting management subsidiary providing event management, incentive programs, conferences, and virtual/hybrid meeting solutions.
• HB Connect
• HB InSite

Products and services

• Site Selection Core service that matches clients with optimal hotel venues at best value, managing the entire RFP process including researching, contacting, and evaluating venues on behalf of clients. Provided through a network of 1,500+ Associates across 64 countries at no added cost to clients (funded by hotel commissions).
• Full-Service Meeting Management (ResourceOne) Comprehensive event management subsidiary offering logistics, event management solutions, registration services, and on-site management for conferences, incentive programs, product launches, and meetings.
• HB Cruises Cruise event solutions developed in partnership with Landry & Kling, providing access to unique cruise venue options for group events and full ship charters, with expertise in cruise planning including budget control, simplified planning processes, and exclusive packages.
• Venue Sourcing Consolidation Centralized venue sourcing program designed to increase visibility, savings, compliance, and risk mitigation across an organization's meeting spend.

Quantifiable outcome

• No added cost to clients - services funded through hotel commissions

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Landry & KlingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelmsBriscoe Cruises was developed in partnership with Landry & Kling to provide customers access to unique cruise venue solutions. The HB Cruises team specializes in all events at sea, from group events to full ship charters, with expertise in cruise planning including budget control, simplified planning processes, and exclusive packages.
• Hotel Partners (Major Chains)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHelmsBriscoe is the largest client of all major hotel chains, with recognized business volume that provides significant influence and power in the industry. Clients benefit from the combined power of the HB Associate network and the company's strong relationships with brands and properties. The Hotel Partner Program enables hotel companies and individual hotels/resorts to increase exposure of their products and services through HelmsBriscoe's global network.
• Destination Partners (CVBs/DMOs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThrough hundreds of destination partners worldwide, HelmsBriscoe clients benefit from the combined power of the HB Associate network and local expertise of each destination. The Destination Partner Program enables CVBs/DMOs and national tourism organizations to enhance exposure of their destinations and services through HelmsBriscoe's global network. Benefits include preferred listings in HB Connect, access to the partner website and destination production analytics, enhanced listings in HB InSite, invitations to the Annual Business Conference, enhanced communication within the global HB network, and FAM trip opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ConferenceDirect: ConferenceDirect is a direct competitor to HelmsBriscoe, offering hotel site selection, meeting planning, and venue sourcing services for corporate and association clients through a global team. Closely comparable in product, customer base, and commission-based revenue model.
• BCD Meetings & Events: BCD Meetings & Events is a global meetings and events management provider within the BCD Travel group. Comparable to HelmsBriscoe in serving enterprise clients across venue sourcing, full-service meeting management, and strategic meetings management programs.
• Maritz Global Events: Maritz Global Events is a major meeting, incentive, and event management company serving enterprise clients. It overlaps with HelmsBriscoe in meetings procurement, venue sourcing, and end-to-end event delivery for large corporations.
• AlliedPRA: AlliedPRA is a destination management and event services company that overlaps with HelmsBriscoe in providing meeting planning, ground services, and event logistics for corporate clients across multiple destinations.
• McVeigh Global Meetings and Events: McVeigh Global is a longstanding independent meetings and event management company serving corporate clients, comparable to HelmsBriscoe in offering site selection, contract negotiation, and full-service meeting planning.

Broad incumbents

• Hilton Worldwide: Hilton is a major hotel chain that is both a HelmsBriscoe partner and a potential competitor via its own direct group sales and meeting planning channels. It shapes commission economics across the site selection industry.
• Marriott International: Marriott is one of HelmsBriscoe's largest hotel partners and also competes indirectly by offering direct meeting planning tools, group sales, and brand-direct RFP platforms that bypass third-party intermediaries like HelmsBriscoe.
• American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) — Meetings & Events: Amex GBT Meetings & Events is part of a much larger corporate travel and expense platform and serves many of the same Fortune 500 clients as HelmsBriscoe. It is a broader incumbent that competes for the full meeting management mandate rather than specialized site selection.

Emerging players

• Cvent: Cvent is a leading event management technology platform with sourcing tools that increasingly allow meeting planners to bypass third-party intermediaries. Cvent competes with HelmsBriscoe on the technology layer (RFP management, venue sourcing) but does not offer the human-Advisor-led model.
• Groups360: Groups360 is a technology-driven venue sourcing platform that connects meeting planners directly to hotel chains. It represents a competing, more software-centric approach to the same site selection problem HelmsBriscoe solves through human Associates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helmsbriscoe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HelmsBriscoeChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/helmsbriscoe-178052340674
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helmsbriscoe
• Instagraminstagram.com/helmsbriscoe
• Pinterestpinterest.com/helmsbriscoe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HelmsBriscoe