Credit Card fee negotiation results in a benefit or cost to a company. Steak dinner is a benefit to an individual. "Relationship building" activities are important, but should be treated separately and unrelated to contract negotiations and deal terms.
I wouldn't be so harsh, so quickly. "Company will eat certain fees if davidu gets free steak," would be a problem. But "Company will eat said fees if employees of Company, nominated by Company, get steak dinners" passes muster. It's not uncommon for travel expenses to be covered in contracts. With periodic sign-off from an officer not party to the dinners, I could see it flying at even the most conservative of companies.
> should be treated separately and unrelated to contract negotiations and deal terms
A contract is a memorialisation of a relationship between two parties. Creative drafting often involves bringing in factors one hadn't considered to mediate a disagreement.
But it wasn't a specific named individual in the contract... it was "Two Hootsuite representatives" (presumably to be chosen by someone with decision making authority at Hootsuite). I would say that changes the dynamic, as it's not like the person negotiating the contract negotiated a steak dinner for themselves.