Effective On-Site Management
Minimizes Attendee Discomfort

by Brad Weaber

But even that doesn't always end the process. Negotiation goes on well into the planning cycle and, many times, during the actual event itself. Without a doubt, on-site crisis management, which may include negotiation with a variety of suppliers, has become one of the most challenging aspects of meeting management. ("Crisis" is defined as any act or event that impedes or interrupts the flow or objective of a meeting.)

Granted, most on-site crises can be avoided with solid contracts. Most of the seemingly endless contract addenda exist for the sole purpose of anticipating unforeseen circumstances that can occur during the event. Vision certainly plays an important role in anticipating on-site problems. Effective decision-making requires that planners remain focused on two critical questions:

• Will the problem impact the attendees?
• Will it impact the objective of the meeting?

The potential sources of on-site crises are infinite. Many issues dealing with safety were detailed in a May Convene article written by Delia Chang. Some of the more common sources are the hotels' overbooking of guest rooms or double-booking of meeting space.

Overbooking, unfortunately, has become a relatively common practice. (Associations have contributed to it by mismanaging room blocks, thus leaving hotels exposed to "under arrivals.") All contracts should contain a "walk clause" that requires an overbooked hotel "to provide comparable arrangements at a nearby hotel (at the original hotel's expense) for every reservation not honored." Transportation to the alternative hotel should also be provided.

Because this occurs so frequently, no meeting manager should ever be caught off guard by an overbooked situation. Always be certain to ask the right questions up front. (Editor's note: See accompanying box.)

Double-booking of meeting space – or having your meeting moved to another room – is another area of stress that can be avoided if precautions are taken up front. A meeting manager should never arrive on-site without having previously reviewed the hotel résumé and banquet orders at least a week in advance. (See accompanying box.) This helps ensure that the appropriate meeting rooms are being held. Bear in mind, however, that the hotel cannot submit a résumé if you don't provide it with your requirements on a timely basis.

A complete contract should detail the specific meeting space... or, at the very least, the minimum square footage and ceiling height required. If the hotel does offer "concessions" to re-assign the space, make certain it provides ample signage and staff to reduce confusion. Always remember: The most important thing is to minimize the impact on your attendees.

Overbooking:
Are You Asking the Right Questions?

• Have you asked the hotel at least one week before the meeting and at the pre-convention meeting if it is in an oversold (walk) situation?
• Have you reiterated the walk clause in your contract with not only the convention service manager, but also the front office manager?
• Have you confirmed that the hotel has several nearby accommodations for relocated guests?
• Have you reviewed your VIP list with the hotel in order to ensure that these poeple are not walked?
• Have you asked the hotel general manager to send letters of apology to each of the walked guests?

Double-Bookings:
Are You Asking the Right Questions?

• Have you outlined the meeting room name or specified the minimum required square footage in your contact?
• Have you asked for your resume and banquet even orders (BEOs) at least one week before the meeting? (Note: Three to four weeks would be better.)
• If the hotel double-books, have you asked for hotel personnel to assist in signage and directional assistance? (Note: This is the very least you should expect from the hotel in this situation.)

Prevent a Crisis Before Guests Arrive

Recently a meeting manager arrived at a hotel three days before the arrival day of his full-house convention and found that every other phone call he tried to place from his guest room would ring busy. After asking some of his colleagues, he found that they were having the same difficulties.

The Problem:

• The hotel has an antiquated phone system that cannot handle high volumes of incoming/outgoing calls with a high occupancy in-house. As a result, callers periodically experience a busy tone when attempting to place outside calls.

The Hotel's Solution to the Problem:

• The hotel would tell its staff to stay off the telephones in order to free up more lines.
• If guests called the hotel operator, the operator would place the call. (Note: The hotel only had a few phone consoles in order to do this, which would further exacerbate the frustration of the guest.)

The Meeting Manager's Solution
to the Problem:

• Install direct dial phones into all of the VIP guest rooms.
• Add multiple banks of public telephones in the hotel function space so that members would not have to go back to their guest rooms during breaks in meetings to make phone calls.
• Place a note in the rooms alerting guest that occasionally they may experience a busy tone during peak hours.

The Outcome:

• Hotel agreed to meeting manager's solution and received no complaints during the entire convention pertaining to the telephones.

First published in: Convene Magazine, June 1995