Comments on: 8 Creative Techniques For Avoiding/Reducing Attrition Expense http://experiente4blog.com/2009/06/24/8-creative-techniques-for-avoidingreducing-attrition-expense/ Building a Community of Collaboration! Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:14:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michael M McCurry, CMP http://experiente4blog.com/2009/06/24/8-creative-techniques-for-avoidingreducing-attrition-expense/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Michael M McCurry, CMP Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:09:45 +0000 http://experiente4.wordpress.com/?p=424#comment-24 Nancy, thanks for your comments and your post! In the situation I was referencing the organization is communicating with attendees through electronic newsletter sent weekly. Your points about timing of communication with regard to block releases are right on target! Thanks again for your contribution to the discussion Mike Nancy, thanks for your comments and your post! In the situation I was referencing the organization is communicating with attendees through electronic newsletter sent weekly.

Your points about timing of communication with regard to block releases are right on target!

Thanks again for your contribution to the discussion

Mike

]]> By: Nancy Wise http://experiente4blog.com/2009/06/24/8-creative-techniques-for-avoidingreducing-attrition-expense/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Nancy Wise Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:08:15 +0000 http://experiente4.wordpress.com/?p=424#comment-25 Mike, those are some great suggestions. How are you identifying those who stay outside the block hotels so that you can move them to the group block? Do you send out a e-mail blast to all registrants? My clients have been using the early bird rates a lot and the hotels have been very receptive. One other thing that is key is to be in tune with your block and pickup early enough so that you can release rooms back to the hotel soon enough so they have a chance to re sell them. And then be flexible if they get another group to take them. I had a client this spring who released a significant number of rooms back that they could not use. The hotel was able to sell some of them to a short term booking and consequently oversold on one of the group's peak nights. In return for my group relocating a number of people to another property (next door and less expensive)the hotel forgave all of the attrition. So a lot can be done if a group is proactive and flexible. Mike, those are some great suggestions. How are you identifying those who stay outside the block hotels so that you can move them to the group block? Do you send out a e-mail blast to all registrants? My clients have been using the early bird rates a lot and the hotels have been very receptive. One other thing that is key is to be in tune with your block and pickup early enough so that you can release rooms back to the hotel soon enough so they have a chance to re sell them. And then be flexible if they get another group to take them. I had a client this spring who released a significant number of rooms back that they could not use. The hotel was able to sell some of them to a short term booking and consequently oversold on one of the group’s peak nights. In return for my group relocating a number of people to another property (next door and less expensive)the hotel forgave all of the attrition. So a lot can be done if a group is proactive and flexible.

]]> By: Michael M McCurry, CMP http://experiente4blog.com/2009/06/24/8-creative-techniques-for-avoidingreducing-attrition-expense/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Michael M McCurry, CMP Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:09:20 +0000 http://experiente4.wordpress.com/?p=424#comment-23 Dave, these are great suggestions! Thanks for sharing them. Mike McCurry Dave, these are great suggestions! Thanks for sharing them.

Mike McCurry

]]> By: Michael M McCurry, CMP http://experiente4blog.com/2009/06/24/8-creative-techniques-for-avoidingreducing-attrition-expense/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Michael M McCurry, CMP Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:08:13 +0000 http://experiente4.wordpress.com/?p=424#comment-22 Tracy, another possibility is to offer a drawing for a prize of some sort, which attendees making their reservation by a certain date will qualify for. For example Dinner for two at the hotel's gourmet restaurant, or a spa pass for two, etc. We tried this with an event I am working on and it created a significant spike in reservation activity. Thanks for your comments! Mike McCurry Tracy, another possibility is to offer a drawing for a prize of some sort, which attendees making their reservation by a certain date will qualify for. For example Dinner for two at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, or a spa pass for two, etc.

We tried this with an event I am working on and it created a significant spike in reservation activity.

Thanks for your comments!

Mike McCurry

]]> By: Dave Ryder http://experiente4blog.com/2009/06/24/8-creative-techniques-for-avoidingreducing-attrition-expense/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Dave Ryder Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:54:25 +0000 http://experiente4.wordpress.com/?p=424#comment-21 How about offering them a "buy 2 nights, get 1 free" option, and build the cost of that free night (or at least a significant portion) into the registration fees? Or perhaps you have some corporate sponsors / supporting partners whose dollars may off-set some of these costs. Give them a cut-off date that is well before your block reduction date. Something "Free" almost always works. Or perhaps you can negotiate a "three-fer" package at the hotel whereby as part of your program, you buy two nights and get a third night free? I'm sure you will have to identify some other revenue stream for the hotel - perhaps F&B - but that might be a creative way to start. Something to consider! How about offering them a “buy 2 nights, get 1 free” option, and build the cost of that free night (or at least a significant portion) into the registration fees? Or perhaps you have some corporate sponsors / supporting partners whose dollars may off-set some of these costs. Give them a cut-off date that is well before your block reduction date. Something “Free” almost always works. Or perhaps you can negotiate a “three-fer” package at the hotel whereby as part of your program, you buy two nights and get a third night free? I’m sure you will have to identify some other revenue stream for the hotel – perhaps F&B – but that might be a creative way to start. Something to consider!

]]>