Policies and Procedures Manual

Finalizing Events

Prior to finalizing the number of events and concurrent sessions, the program chair should confirm with the Meeting Planner the amount of meeting space being held at the hotel for the group. Any deviation from the program, as outlined in the Site Search Request Form, should be reviewed to determine that there is sufficient meeting space available at the hotel to accommodate the change. Meeting space and sleeping rooms are blocked in the hotel contract based on the program flow submitted on the Site Search Request Form. The hotel’s anticipated revenues influence the conduct of the negotiations. Subsequent shifts in plans can cause problems that are best resolved if identified as far in advance as possible.

For example, one group’s traditional meeting pattern had a general session and six concurrent sessions held on one day of a two-day meeting with only a general session the second day. If a subsequent program chair decides (long after the contract had been signed) to substitute a general session and eight concurrents on the first day and a general session and four concurrents on the second day, possible problems that could be anticipated include: (1) no additional meeting space may be available as the remainder of the hotel’s meeting space may be committed to other groups; (2) the hotel may not have meeting space large enough to accommodate the additional two concurrents; and (3) if the hotel does have space, rental charges are likely to be assessed based on the additional space to be used.

It is important that the program chair discuss any desired changes with the Meeting Planner at the beginning of the development process to enable the Meeting Planner and the Executive Director to negotiate changes with the hotel to accommodate a different program as cost-effectively as possible.