Hotel Room Block Strategies for Events

What do Attendees, Guests, Clients, and Members all have in common?  They are customers in the sense they pay money for goods and services, including attendance at our events. Customers are vital to any organization that relies on revenue in order to operate.

Event attendees are valued customers.  Much time and attention is devoted to building attendee loyalty for our events.  We spend marketing resources to recruit first-time attendees and then develop ways to nurture them through the journey in order for them to become loyal, repeat attendees, and advocates for our brand.  Keeping our attendees (customers) satisfied and engaged is a key measure of success for any event. No attendees, no event, right?

So why would we call our customer’s names?

I recently read the article “9 Ways to Capture Room Block Renegades” The article referenced the recent study conducted on behalf of PCMA, The Hilton Corporation, and NYC & Company.  It’s a good read and has several very useful tips to improve bookings within the block. 

What struck me most about this article, though, is the title, in which event attendees, i.e. CUSTOMERS are referred to as “renegades.”  Merriam-Webster defines a renegade as 1) a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another, or 2) an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior.  This is not a compliment. 

I don’t believe the article was written with the intention of insulting customers, and I don’t mean to pick on the author.  It addresses the frustration planners face when, despite their best efforts, their customer chooses a different path. It’s a good article, with a not-so-good title. A more positive title could be something like “Nine tactics to make your room block more attractive to attendees.” Do you see the difference?  In one case, we are labeling customers as non-compliant, which somehow makes them bad.  In the other case, we are seeking to improve the customer experience.

I often hear terms like “renegade” and “rogue,” at various industry events, and it bothers me. Yes, we want our attendees (and sponsors) to follow the path we set for them.  It’s good for everyone when that works.  Our blocks fill and we maximize our concessions and commissions.  Our attendees get a good rate and access to shuttles and other conveniences.  However, it’s important to consider there can be many factors that go into the decision to book accommodations outside the block:

• Company policy may require all hotels to be booked through the corporate travel agency.
• Some companies require their employees to share hotel rooms when attending a conference in order to lower costs – in this case, only half of the attendees from these companies could book in the block and the other half wouldn’t be counted, even though they are technically in the block.
• Budget constraints may force attendees to choose a lower-priced property, in spite of the increased distance and possible lower quality.
• Late registration may mean the room blocks are already closed.
• The hotel is offering a lower rate than the conference rate while the room block is open.
• Some attendees (customers) have a preference for non-hotel alternatives.

There are undoubtedly more, but the important thing to remember is that it’s the customer’s choice. It’s also important to remember that it’s not practical (or possible) to create a room block that will satisfy even 80% of your attendees.  When I was managing site selection and housing at my former employer, we routinely ran into situations where the conference hotels wouldn’t agree to contract more room nights.  We knew we could use them, and yet, the hotels had a ratio of group to transient that they needed to maintain. When the blocks sold out, attendees booked on their own as transients at our conference properties. We audited for rooms booked out of the block, and got credit for the majority.  No harm, no foul. On the flip-side, if you over-contract, the specter of attrition looms large.

I think the smart thing to do is to accept that you’ll likely never get 100% of your attendees booking in the block and focus on optimizing your block for those who can and will use it. If you would like to learn about how I can help you build an effective room block strategy, click here.