I’ve been a trade show manager longer than I care to admit, and consequently I have some deep-set biases about certain things in the industry. It used to be that I shunned a show’s Housing Bureau for fear of having my booth staff spread out among four or five hotels, or having to accept a rigorous policy regarding changes. But over the past two years I’ve warmed to the idea and today my trust in the Housing system paid off in spades.
The NAB Exhibitor Advisory Committee has been working with Expovision, our Housing vendor, to negotiate lower rates with the area hotels during the show. After years of having to accept inflated rates during show dates, this year has brought a change in the air and we exhibitors have the power for once. The poor economy is our friend when Vegas hotels have to compete for our business in a very real way. I have a large block of rooms at a convenient hotel where just about everyone in my company loves to stay, yet while all the other hotels were lowering their rates by seemingly more each day, this particular hotel refused to budge. Expovision told me that I could move my entire block to a less expensive hotel with no problem whatsoever, but meanwhile they also never gave up pushing my preferred hotel to lower their rates. Today the hotel gave in to our requests and surpassed all expectations; my staff is happy and my company will save over $35,000 in hotel costs. Expovision made me look like a hero!
I strongly suggest all exhibitors work through the NAB Housing Bureau; they have more negotiating power than any of us (even the anchor exhibitors) will ever have on our own.
Posted by Nancy Boyd, Tektronix, EAC Representative – North Hall
