Can Knowing Hotel Secrets Lower Event Costs?

I recently read an article posted on a social media site that suggests there are secret ways to work with hotels to lower your event costs. I wondered how significant these secrets were and asked an industry expert for his analysis. Tom Berkman, President and CEO of Omnia Housing Services is our industry expert. Tom is a 36-year hospitality and housing company veteran that created and has overseen the operation of the THS Company, the nation’s premier sports housing service and Omnia's parent company.

Fill Need Dates was number one - This seemed obvious to the author and our industry expert but not me. They explained this applies to event space not guest rooms.  If a hotel is full due to a large city wide event, its event space (meeting rooms) are likely not being used. The hotel may be willing to negotiate better rates for this unused space which can come in handy as long as you don’t need guest rooms.

Check Cancellation Clauses – the author of the article says to be careful about this important item as it may result in steep penalties should you need to cancel less than six months from your arrival date.  Our industry expert says his firm never agrees to cancellation clauses more than 30 days from arrival.

Both the article’s author and our expert agreed the next several items were standard so we won’t devote much time to them but felt they should be noted here.  They are: Be Aware of Food and Beverage (F&B) minimum.  Seems reasonable but be aware F&B calculations do not include gratuity or tax; Understand audiovisual (AV) requirements. Some hotels have a preferred vendor and may charge you a fee if you use your own;  Contract internet upfront. Until recently, this has been a major cost to your event.  Hotels are better equipped today but be aware of these hidden charges.

Attrition-Lower it – The article’s author suggests a variety of tips and tricks for calculating attrition penalties should they occur. Our industry expert tells me they never agree to attrition penalties in their contracts and feels they could be avoided all together.

Ask for a Resell Clause – This refers to your attrition penalty but our industry expert reminds us they have no attrition so this clause is unnecessary.

Leverage Sales Manager – this was more of a tip on how to work with a sales manager to get the best deal. It sounded more like shopping for a car as it was suggested it’s better to call at certain times of the month or quarter when they have to report sales to quota.

While the article offers some things to consider when negotiating a hotel contract, it seems more complicated than that to me. A housing services vendor can be a great partner in working through the hotel selection process and execution of an agreement. If you want to remove the risk from your organization and increase your reward, that is my best suggestion.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner

Redesigning Web Sites

It may be a coincidence but several organizations I’ve worked with are undertaking or recently completed a web site redesign.  So I started thinking about when and why do organizations decide it is time to address this time consuming and stressful undertaking. 

The first example is the consulting business of a friend.  He manages a consulting firm based in the Washington metro area.  Based on recent conversations and what I’ve seen on his new web site, the redesign project was driven by changes in his business.  He had taken on some new clients, created new partnerships and his business was going in a direction not represented by his old web site.  His site has a new look and seems to suggest a new energy. It is clear the objective of this new web site is to define the company brand and increase visibility with a focus on its mission. While I thought the former web site was fine as a communication vehicle that included an informative blog, this new site really does suggest a change has taken place in the business. I believe he really captured the image he was seeking in this new design.  www.potomaccore.com

The second example is a web site that is still a work in progress and it belongs to a non-profit organization for which I have been a board member for several years. The new web site is desperately needed as the current site is typical of a non-profit that put together a functional web site on the cheap. It probably seemed like a good site at the time it was created as there was nothing to compare it to.  This was the organizations first web site. Naturally, everyone thought it was great. Of course we look at it today and say “what were we thinking?” Even a non-profit has to uphold a certain image and the most visible representation today is an organization’s web site. Today, anyone can create an informative and professional web site that conveys the proper message based on the organizations purpose and mission.

Does it offer value to visitors and if you’re in the association world, does it portray the image you want your members to have of you? If you cannot objectively assess the message your web site delivers, ask your customers. People love it when you ask them what they think. Then you can determine if it’s time to invest in your web site.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner

Neighbors-helping-Neighbors - a job seekers networking and support group

Neighbors-helping-Neighbors USA, Inc. (NhN) is a job seekers networking and support group that celebrated its 2^nd Anniversary in January 2013. Today, NhN has over 2,000 members in 27 chapters in New Jersey, Boston and Washington, D.C., and more than 330 of its members have landed, or in other words, found a job. While many of these success stories are members that are now underemployed or working part time, for most it’s a welcome source of income.

Like many non-profit organizations, NhN is in need of support and funding. Additional funding could help the organization reach more unemployed that need assistance and to provide them with greater resources in their job search. The support that is needed varies from employers posting available positions on the NhN Linkedin group job board to providing speakers that have the expertise to help the job seeker in today’s competitive environment.

NhN was founded by John Fughazzie who received support from his community and network of friends when it was needed.  He started NhN to pay it forward and that is the core message today. To learn more about NhN and its founder, visit:http://www.nhnusa.org or the NhN LinkedIn group at:http://www.linkedin.com/groups/NeighborshelpingNeighbors-USA-3892534.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner