For Meeting Planners: 6 savvy strategies that you will help you protect your room block.

1. Savvy Strategies for
Protecting Your Room
Block
Moderator:
Christine “Shimo” Shimasaki, CDME, CMP
DESTINATION MARKETING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

2. Conchevia Collins
Monica Green
Philadelphia Convention &
Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB)
Atlanta Convention & Visitors
Bureau

3. Attendees & Exhibitors Have a Mind
of Their Own…

4. Why Does It Matter?
• Negotiation Leverage
• Credit report (room pickup compared to the block)
• How your meeting is valued by hotels and centers
• Financial Implications
• Attrition charges

5. Six Savvy Strategies That YOU Can
Take Back Home

6. #1-Packaged Registration & Housing
+ Shorten Lead time
The best “onetwo” punch to
avoid attrition
Source: Adapted from CIC Project Attrition Final Report

7. #2-Provide attendee and/or exhibitor
incentives and targeted communications
Source: Adapted from CIC Project Attrition Final Report

8. #3-Audit Hotel Bookings at One or
More Hotels
58%
Of respondents performed a room block audit for their
most recent event
5%
Is the average gain in room nights respondents realized
after performing post-event audits.
Source: CIC Project Attrition Phase II Attendee Behavior Report

9. Suggested Language
Please book your lodging within the official room block. Staying
at our contracted hotel(s) is important to (your organization’s
name) and to the destination where we are holding this meeting,
and ultimately…even to YOU!
When you book a hotel outside of the block, and a contracted
room goes unsold, we must pay penalty fees to the hotel. In
addition, the inability to prove the actual number of hotel rooms
occupied weakens our negotiation power in the future.
Please support (your organization) by reserving your sleeping
room at one of our official hotels. Think of it as securing our
combined long term interests.

10. #4-Keep meticulous histories

11. #5-Provide a range of rates &
possibly hotel brands

12. #6-Have a formal plan and involve
leadership
80%
Of those who had a formal organizational plan felt it
was successful
Source: CIC Project Attrition Phase II Attendee Behavior Report

13. www.empowerMINT.com
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