Should Planners Request Meeting Room Assignments In Hotel Contracts?

The information provided in this video does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information in this video may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice concerning any particular legal matter.

In this video, Sean Whalin (Co-founder and CEO of HopSkip) sits down with Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups) and Lisa Sommer Devlin (Devlin Law Firm, P.C. representing hotels) to discuss if event planners should request meeting toom assignments in their event's hotel contracts? And how to approach this topic to make it a win-win for both the group and the hotel.

Should Planners Request Meeting Room Assignments In Hotel Contracts?

TL;DR:

• During your RFP process, it's vital to include meeting room parameters, location, square footage, amenities, capacity information, room layouts needed
• It can be difficult for hotels to guarantee meeting room assignments, especially when the event is a few years out
• One suggested approach is to execute your contract without room names and set a date within your contract for when meeting room names will be guaranteed by the hotel

Video Transcript:

00:00
Sean Whalin (Co-founder and CEO of HopSkip)
How should planners approach getting meeting room name assignments included in their hotel contracts?  Barbara, do you want to kick this one off? 

00:12
Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups)
Yes, absolutely.  As much as it's important to have specifics in the contract as it relates to the room block rates.  Function space is critical.  This is you're going to have the meeting.  This is the reason you're getting together.  So being able to understand the space that you're reserving and plan accordingly to sell sponsorships, to get budgets and bids for audiovisual and other services.  The location of the space is critical.  Many large hotels have space in a large area, and groups have ten minutes between sessions, whatever the case may be, so there can be logistical issues.  All that said, I think putting meeting room names in the contract is important. 

00:59
Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups)
But I think equally important is to identify the activity that is to take place in this room.  Is it a general session?  Is it a breakout?  Is it a welcome reception, or is it a staff office?  Understanding capacity, estimated capacity, understanding the room set.  In some cases, if it is a breakout between sessions, communicating the need for these rooms to be located close to one another.  So room names are important.  Equally important, I would say giving information to the hotel about what will take place in this room 24 hours hold.  To the extent we're talking about a room that needs to be set like a general session room over many days is important. 

01:44
Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups)
Parameters, location, square footage, amenities, of what the rooms may have.  Those are also key components.  The group will be in the best position to decide whether a particular space will work for them. 

Regarding the scenario that you mentioned, Lisa, about the ballroom not being available, I'm sure this has happened to no one on today's webinar.  I will say that having a benchmark of a room is helpful to better understand what other options are out there, and then having a conversation with your hotel partner is essential. 

02:18
Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups)
I realize groups can often be space hogs, and they want to reserve more space, but if the opportunity is there, that space can be released at request, I think that's a reasonable outcome. 
I do see a concern, though, with not having room names because, again, I look at it from the group's perspective, so much of what the group will have to do to make this meeting successful is going to have to be built around the meetings and the space and these opportunities, and they need to know where that's going to happen. 

02:50
Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups)
And my last comment, Lisa, is something you always pick up on, which is.  If I'm a small group at a big hotel, I might not be able to get that clause and then vice versa.  Right? 

02:59
Barbara Dunn (Partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, representing groups)
I still think even with a small fish in a large hotel, being able to earmark those areas and reserve them does become necessary. 

How to communicate meeting room needs during the RFP process using the HopSkip platform:

Interested in learning more?  Sign up for a free trial of HopSkip here! 

03:08
Lisa Sommer Devlin (Devlin Law Firm, P.C. representing hotels)
I agree with everything Barbara said, but from the hotel perspective, arranging meeting space is like Tetris.  I think that's right.  I'm not a gamer.  The hotel is trying to slot in groups as they come on the books, and they're trying to figure out how to manage all their space. If you're not using room names, that gives the hotel more opportunity to do that Tetris exercise.

Now, if it's a wedding, obviously, you want the Grand Ballroom or whatever your preference is, and you don't want them substituting a meeting room in the basement, so it depends on the nature of your event.  Something I don't see often happening enough is making a contract without the meeting room name.  

As Barbara said, can you document what's going to happen in this room?  How many people do we need in that room?  And then setting a date in your contract for six months in advance of your event to guarantee the room names for your meeting space.  Because that gives the hotel the time to slot in other opportunities.  Often it's those catering events that they want to slot in relatively late and then confirm the names in time for you to do your planning and printing of materials and all those kinds of things.  

That's an option that I don't see considered enough.  Again, as Barbara says, if it's something that's critical to your event, and you're trying to get a commitment from the hotel three years out that you will get rooms A, B, and C, then you may have to give up some concessions to get that guarantee.  Otherwise, I agree with what Barbara says. 

The information provided in this video does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information in this video may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.