[19768] in APO-L
Re: 2000 National Convention
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Richard Quodomine, Thomas Register)
Fri Dec 11 21:37:15 1998
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 21:35:36 -0500
Reply-To: "Richard Quodomine, Thomas Register, Long Island" <trrdq@SPRINTMAIL.COM>
From: "Richard Quodomine, Thomas Register, Long Island" <trrdq@SPRINTMAIL.COM>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
To rebut,
Joseph M. Fisher wrote:
> If I may say one more thing...
>
> There are some things you ought to expect a bid committee to do... and
> some things you can't expect to get from us at all. A bid is not in a
> good position to get special deals.
This is not true. When we were in Buffalo considering a bid on '95 regionals,
we were able to secure several discounts in exchange for potential advertising
in our bulletin, coupons, etc. And we hadn't gotten anything secured yet! I
knew some people who were willing to give me a "possibility" quote. Nothing
firm, but again, something to work off.
*snip*
> > A free shuttle from the major airport in the area to the hotel is a
> > major plus in my book.
>
> But highly unlikely to happen. A hotel might conceivably offer its
> shuttle, but we are much too large a group for any hotel's shuttle
> service. A bid or the convention committee can negotiate a reduced rate
> from SuperShuttle or something like that - but reduced, not free!
Not true, there are many hotels that offer free shuttle service. Disney World
has some, among others. There are also hotels in Rochester, NY that offer the
same.Same goes for Tampa International Airport. So, I would be surprised that
no hotel in such major areas as Washington, Pittsburgh or Philly offers free
shuttle service.
> > 3. On-site restaurants should offer a variety of fare at a variety of
> > prices.
>
> Again, not likely to happen. We are talking about business hotels. They
> cater to people on expense accounts. There will be cheap food and it is
> our job to find it for you, but it will almost certainly not be in the
> hotel itself (at least one in DC is connected to a food court, that may
> be something to look for).
Again, also not true, we found some moderate-priced fare at regionals, at
nationals in Dallas, as I remember. Nothing was extraordinarily cheap, mind
you, but moderate. In Philly (Cherry Hill, NJ), Ginsberg and Wong's did, at
the Cherry Hill, NJ Hyatt, offer decent prices. Disclaimer: This was not for
'93 regionals, though, that I went there, but a spearate trip some 10 years
ago.
> > 7. Available discounts for AAA, AARP, American Express, and other
> > hotel-related offerings should be known in advance of the convention, if
> > not 2 years in advance.
>
> Most, if not all, discount programs will not apply since our convention
> rate tends to be about 1/3 or 1/4 of what people usually pay for the
> rooms...
Room discounts are one thing, but restaurant and associated programs with the
hotel may still be subject to discount. Its worth checking out. Certainly, AAA
and other places have several travel-related discounts, whether or not they
are directly associated with the hotel or its rate.
-- Rich Quodomine, Sec. 97 Staff
