[12961] in APO-L
Re: SUMMER CONFERENCES
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Gerald A. Schroeder)
Fri Oct 13 19:56:15 1995
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 19:53:26 -0400
Reply-To: "Gerald A. Schroeder" <gschroed@CAPACCESS.ORG>
From: "Gerald A. Schroeder" <gschroed@CAPACCESS.ORG>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199510131515.LAA04654@cap1.CapAccess.org>
Again, I have "no horse to ride" in this discussion, but I have to echo a
point that Ellen Kranzer made. Room rates are not the only consideration
in picking a hotel. The contract covers everything from meeting space to
electricity for that space, with banquets and special food deals in
between. We must look at the total picture, however that cuts in this
discussion. For example, in DC in '84 the Hyatt through in a free
champagne party for alumni just to get us there. Moreover, even if
you're able to arrange free meeting space, usually there is a charge for
phones, electricity, table coverings, and anything else you can imagine.
Getting a hotel during a slow time -- be that Christmas or summer --
allows us to negotiate those costs away. Believe me, registration would
be much higher if we had to pay as "normal" conventions do. We even
negotiate free microphones for the general assembly, and that is not
usually done by hotels.
My point is only that there's a big picture here that most attendees are
not even aware of. If nothing else, this discussion will focus all of us
on the outstanding job convention organizers do for APO. Hotels are in
business to make money and *nothing* is free unless you negotiate it.
Jerry Schroeder
Immediate Past National President
Alpha Phi Omega
