I've run events like this for over 10 years now, a couple pointers;
* Negotiate payment terms that require a deposit, but for which the balance is paid after the event.
* Always have a meeting with hotel management pre-event, review the contract, make sure everything is correct.
* Double Check your BEO's as part of the setup process - again, verify to contract.
* In the event of a dispute, have a copy of your countersigned written contract at hand, and hold them to it, with all the yelling, screaming and waiving of arms required - and by all means, escalate, escalate, escalate (to the most senior person the hotel can muster).
Make them stick to the contract terms, I've had hotels many times try to change the game before it was done being played, I've had 10k plus credits to us before.
@Aloha
+ The minimum room requirement amount (as per contract) was paid a week in advance to the hotel already. So, we held good on the contract terms - this was 28.4 Lakh INR!
+ The actuals, incidentals and additional costs (which were about 8.45L) would have been done via RTGS settlement after the event. However, Hotel refused to let us even check-out! After paying 28.4L, to be threatened for the balance is ridiculous!
+ The Hotel double-booked events - they admitted it was their fault as asked us for our help. Once we had extended our help to save them from a huge liability, they simply shunned us away - we should have been duly compensated for this mess (not to mention the inconvenience at the conference - blasting drums, lunch in the hot sun etc.) But they refused to even MEET us the next day, the moment we helped them avert the disaster!
#Fail #Fail #Fail - we were treated as mis-creatants instead of guests!
Dude - I can't believe they held your family and wouldn't let you leave! I was shocked at the way they treated Zak and I when we left, but never expected anything of this magnitude.
At least you pulled off an amazing conf despite all the following bullshit.
yeah man - cannot risk any confrontation with family around! I heard about your checkout and their goof-up in billing. Jokers had the audacity of telling me that our attendees were rude and abusive!
Glad you had a great time. I wonder when I am going to say - "Hey we nailed it - the conference was successful without a hitch" ;)
* Negotiate payment terms that require a deposit, but for which the balance is paid after the event.
* Always have a meeting with hotel management pre-event, review the contract, make sure everything is correct.
* Double Check your BEO's as part of the setup process - again, verify to contract.
* In the event of a dispute, have a copy of your countersigned written contract at hand, and hold them to it, with all the yelling, screaming and waiving of arms required - and by all means, escalate, escalate, escalate (to the most senior person the hotel can muster).
Make them stick to the contract terms, I've had hotels many times try to change the game before it was done being played, I've had 10k plus credits to us before.