I have received this email twice now. Thought I should pass it on. Dear FUN Show Member, We are hearing many of you are getting calls and emails from someone claiming they are with FUN Show. This is a false claim. The group calling you is nationally known to scam unsuspecting people. Remember, in an effort to protect your personal information, ie., credit card, and/or checking information, our hotel agents will never call or email you. Beware of Hotel Solicitations Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences. Always go to the FUN Show website and search for the OFFICIAL HOTEL INFORMATION page to ensure you are getting an authentic reservation and the best hotels… www.funtopics.com Thank you! FUN Show’s Housing Staff
Unfortunately this is quite common and not just for coin shows. The more honest crooks (oxymoron) at least book you a room and just charge a hefty commission. The normal ones just charge your credit card and leave you hanging when you arrive to claim your room...
While they like getting as many attendees as they can to book under their block because they can get a bigger discount from the hotels, I have never booked a room through the FUN Show itself. So far, I've always found a better value booking on my own. It could be different this year though, as I'm completely unfamiliar with Ft. Lauderdale.
It's not a 'like'. To get that block of rooms they have to guarantee so many room nights. If they don't get enough bookings, the show has to make good. If they reach the goal, lots of things can be comped, again otherwise the show has to pay for them. This is basically why most large convention venues don't want the ANA shows - there aren't enough room nights and ancillary (dinner) bookings to be worth it to the venue.
Well, I'd venture then that the blocks sold to the show by the hotels in Tampa weren't much of a deal, as I was able to independently secure the same room offered by the show for about $40 less per night after taxes.
The show isn't sold a block of rooms. If the show doesn't get enough room nights they typically have to pay a much higher rate for the convention room and other meeting rooms. And believe me that can get VERY expensive for the show promoter. If too many people get cheap rooms on their own the show may have to pay thousands of dollars more.
We're discussing the FUN Show. The convention hall and the hotels don't even fall under common ownership, so how can that be?
Many convention centers are quasi-governmental, owned by the county or city government. They could impose that condition just for the purpose of guaranteeing economic impact in the area they govern, which would make sense. But again, just like government, they could easily do so under conditions which provide economic disincentive to do so, like cheaper rooms elsewhere.
I only do the January show. I always check around before booking the room but going thru the Fun site is always my best deal. I don't travel enough any more to know how to work the system and find the better deals.
You know all those "hot deal" websites out there - Expedia, Hotwire, etc? They work. You just have to use them all to find the best price, work them against each other.
It's all about co-operative marketing. http://ftlauderdalecc.com/accommodations.html "When it comes to hotel accommodations, one size does not fit all. That's why the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is pleased to offer meeting planners the Lauderdale Convention Collection, a partnership with six upscale hotels located within a short distance of the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center that provides large organizations requiring up to 2,700 rooms with a unified convention experience and one-stop planning assistance. The six frontline luxury hotels participating in the Collection include the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel, B Ocean Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Lauderdale Embassy Suites. Additional outstanding properties are available if meeting needs exceed the initial room package. While each hotel boasts its own exclusive style, all of them are near the Convention Center and provide convenient access to Fort Lauderdale’s world-renowned beaches, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and cultural and sports attractions. The Lauderdale Convention Collection is one more reason that the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center is the perfect choice for an outstanding large group convention or trade show experience." Convention/meeting planners have enough work to do, negotiation with multiple hotels is a lot harder than taking the pre-made packages... especially when it covers multiple price points, etc.
Yes they do. John Burns was an expert at working that system. At some of the shows he and I were both at he would be staying at the convention hotel and paying less than I was at Motel 6.
