I'll have a stuffed Thunderbird, thank you.

[wombat_socho]

Got the word today that the Thunderbird is booked to the gunwales with otaku, NWA aircrew, staff and guests. Yay! We now get to work on filling the additional 120 rooms that our sales rep blocked for us at four other hotels. Be interesting to see how many of those we fill, and which ones - will people pay extra to stay at the closer, more pricey Marriott and Fairfield Inn, or will they prefer the inexpensive but distant rooms at the Microtel and Days Inn West?

Now comes the hard part - entertaining all those people and making sure they don't hang out in the hallways so they don't give the Fire Marshal a coronary.

Comments

[433.livejournal.com]

Is the contract over after this year, or did you get a multi-year deal?

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

We're good through next year, and are hearing rumors that they're not going to tear down in 2008. So we might extend or re-sign, if that's the case.

[433.livejournal.com]

Have you thought about moving to a larger hotel?

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

Sure we have. On the one hand, we could use the extra function space. On the other hand, management at the T-bird loves us, whereas you guys seem to be getting the cold shoulder from the new (jacked) management at the Sheraton. We're going to be changing our hotel team for next year, and the new chairman (99% likely to be stuckintraffik) will be taking a long look at the situation for 2008. We've already talked some about decentralizing programming into the overflow hotels, but I don't think we're going to make any decisions until after we elect a new board - and that won't happen until after the convention.

[433.livejournal.com]

I don't think we're "getting the cold shoulder", we just have to train them in. :)

I think getting a new hotel head is the best thing you can do. Good luck!

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

I may wind up doing that, since Amy has been on staff for less than a year and we want Rick to shed a couple of his hats so he can focus on the dealers' room, which is what he does best. Not really my decision, though.