I Put Out Many Fires, But I’m Not a Firefighter: Guestrooms: Playing the Numbers

I was two weeks into a new job. I’d fly out to the annual meeting in ten days. Three hundred participants and their guests were registered to attend. And we were fifty guestrooms short on the first night of the event!

The destination was a small Canadian city, and the conference dates were in mid-September – still high season for a thriving tourist trade. We had guestroom blocks at the three largest downtown hotels, all of which were sold out over our dates. With the calendar pages turning quickly, the pressure was on. 

Options we considered included:

• requiring staff and crew to double up;
• moving staff and crew to Airbnb accommodations;
• securing a room block at a property outside the downtown core and providing ground transfers to the host hotel; and
• paying to relocate another group from the host hotel.

It was important to get the support of the senior leadership group, no matter what solution we chose. The executive team was convened by conference call and the decision was made to source a room block at an additional hotel for the first night of the event, while simultaneously investigating the possibility of relocating another group from the host hotel. It didn’t take long to discover the second option was a non-starter, so the race was now on to secure another room block.

The senior team led the way by agreeing to stay in the new block. Anyone arriving early (for ancillary meetings or personal travel) would be also assigned to the new block. The executives decided that the conference team should remain at the host hotel, given our hours onsite, and enjoy the privacy of single rooms. But we moved the AV crew to an Airbnb.

In the end, with the DMO’s help, we secured two smaller room blocks to accommodate everyone on the first night. Once we assigned participants to the five(!) properties, we crafted emails to those who would move hotels during their stay, explaining the situation and managing their expectations.

We established accounts with three taxi companies so participants could move freely from property to property without taking the time to pay fares each trip. This ended up costing less than shuttles would have, and participants didn’t have to conform to a set schedule. Organized transfers for the morning of the second day were arranged to bring participants and their luggage to the host hotel. While participants were engaged in activities in the afternoon, all luggage was delivered to their new hotels.

Delivering a strong event overall meant that, in the end, the participants who were relocated didn’t leave the conference with the move being their lasting memory. 

In summary, when you’re facing a difficult situation under time pressure:

• reach out to existing suppliers;
• seek assistance from the DMO;
• communicate early and clearly;
• minimize inconvenience where you can; and
•  don’t let fixing the thing that’s going sideways prevent you from delivering on all the things that aren’t. 

About the Author:

Helen Van Dongen has held senior event management positions with recognizable Canadian and global brands, working with a broad range of clients as a hired gun for 30 years. She has led teams of planners and provided guidance and mentorship that fostered their growth and progress, professionally and personally. To continue the conversation with Helen email her at vandongen.helen@gmail.com.