Successful Chapter Events

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Successful Chapter Events

• Planning and Pitfalls

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What is the purpose of the meeting?

• To provide education?
• To conduct association business?
• To provide networking opportunities?
• To make money?

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Meeting History

• Past Attendance
• Past FB
• Past Guestroom Usage
• - Original Block and Actual Usage
• - Breakdown of single/double occupancy
• - Arrival and departure patterns

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Request for Proposal

• What is the maximum number of participants?
• How many will need accommodations? How many will
  drive in?
• Where are most of the participants located?
• What kind of accommodations can participants
  afford?

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Prepare Meeting Specifications

• Number, size and usage of rooms, including times
• Room sets
• Office/Registration area
• Exhibits (include move-in and move-out)
• Times and types of FB events
• Audio Visual Requirements

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Additional RFP Information

• Sleeping Room Rates
• FB Charges, Taxes, Service Charges
• Access fees for T1 lines or electricity
• Meeting room rental charges
• Daily resort fee
• Energy or other surcharges
• Renovations recent or planned

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• Outlets and other services
• - Number and type of restaurants
• - Seating capacities hours of operation
• - Room service hours or operation
• - Health Club
• Restaurants/Entertainment/Activities within
• Walking distance

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Site Inspection

• Meeting Space
• - Pillars or obstructions?
• - What is the ceiling height
• - Is there a built-in sound system?
• - Can you use your own vendors or bring
• in your own A/V equipment without a
• surcharge?

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Site Inspection

• Sleeping Rooms
• - Are hallways adequately lighted?
• - Are walls soundproofed?
• - Do guest rooms have data ports or
• wireless internet access?
• What is the cost?
• - Are there minibars/refrigerators?
• - Are amenities the same in all rooms?

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Avoiding Problems

• What other groups will be in-house?
• Experience of security staff
• How many staff are trained to perform CPR or use
  AEDs? How many per shift?
• Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place plans

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• Are workers organized for collective bargaining?
  When do contracts expire?
• Is there a local ballot initiative to raise hotel
  or guestroom taxes?

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Negotiations

• Demonstrate the value of your meeting
• Know the market
• What can you negotiate?
• - Rate
• - Complimentary Rooms
• - FB or A/V discounts
• - Cut-off date for room reservations

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• What you need vs. what you want
• Are meeting dates flexible?
• Is the meeting room set-up flexible?
• Can you change your pattern?.

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Contracts

• Dates sleeping rooms are available and at what
  rates
• Dates and times meeting space is being held for
  the group
• Complimentary rooms/upgrades
• Attrition
• Cancellation
• Termination

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Contracts

• Make sure that the contract language is clear and
  unambiguous!

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Ambiguous Contract Language

• Should the number of anticipated attendees
  fluctuate substantially from original estimates,
  an attrition fee may be assessed as follows
• Attrition of Estimated Revenue Fee Charged of
  Difference in Revenue
• 25 49 50
• 50-74 75
• 75-99 100

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Clear Contract Language
Sleeping Room Pick-Up
Fee 900-1125 Rooms 0 788-899
Rooms 3,500.00 675-787 Rooms 7,000.00 563-
674 Rooms 10,000.00 0-562 Rooms
15,000.00
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• Be Aware of the Double Whammy
• - Rooms not used and FB Slippage
• Make sure the contract allows your performance
  to fall up to a specific amount.

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Termination

• Termination Both parties are excused from
  performance without liability
• The Force Majeure clause
• An unanticipated circumstance that makes
  performance of the contract impossible.

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What is not covered in a Force Majeure Clause

• Changes in the economy
• Lower than expected attendance
• Your speaker cancels
• Hotel workers go on strike
• Fear of travel or a threat of danger.

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Budgeting

• Do not overestimate your attendance
• Do not overestimate you sponsorship revenue
• When budgeting, make sure you consider food
  beverage tax and service charges
• If hosting an off-site event, consider
  extraordinary costs

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Saving Money on FB

• Know your FB minimum
• Can special menus within a specific budget be
  created?
• What is the over-set policy?
• Compare menu prices vs. a la carte
• - Order on consumption.
• Can you serve the lunch dessert later?
• Use butler service for hors doeuvres

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Avoiding Problems

• Review your Banquet Event Orders
• Monitor your room block
• Request emergency contact information and dietary
  restrictions from attendees
• Have contingency plans

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Risk Management

• Avoid the risk dont serve alcohol
• Minimize the risk have a cash bar
• Transfer the risk alcoholic liability clause
• General Liability Insurance

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Alcohol Liability Clause

• Alcoholic Beverages
• If alcoholic beverages are to be served at an
  official Association function on the hotel
  premises (or elsewhere under the hotel's
  alcoholic beverage license), beverages will be
  dispensed only by the hotel's employees and
  bartenders. The hotel's employees and bartenders
  must (a) request proper identification of any
  person of questionable age and refuse alcoholic
  beverage service if the person is either under
  age or proper identification cannot be produced,
  and (b) refuse alcoholic beverage service to any
  person who is obviously or visibly intoxicated.
  The Hotel represents and warrants that all Hotel
  personnel who dispense or serve alcohol have
  undergone adequate training to prevent any
  incidents that could result in claims of liquor
  liability. Notwithstanding any other provision,
  the Hotel shall defend, indemnify and hold
  harmless NAHU, its directors, officers, employees
  and agents, and each of them, from and against
  any and all losses, damages, claims, expenses,
  and liabilities of any kind, including costs of
  defense thereof, caused by or arising from the
  Hotel's sale or service of alcoholic beverages.
• The Hotel agrees to carry a minimum of One
  Million Dollars (1,000,000) in liquor liability
  insurance and further agrees that all of its
  employers and agents performing services under
  this Agreement shall at all times comply with all
  federal, state and local laws pertaining to the
  sale, service or furnishing of alcoholic
  beverages.

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• Contingency Planning
• is easier than
• Crisis Management!