Why should I stay within a hotel contracted by the PAS?

The success of PAS depends on registrants and exhibitors using contracted PAS hotels to offset the sizable costs of producing the meeting and expo. PAS cannot meet contracted room obligations if registrants and exhibitors reserve rooms in non-PAS hotels. The risk of incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial penalties (attrition fees) increases with each registrant who stays outside a PAS hotel. We hope that by offering a registration discount and a variety of hotels and rates, participants will choose to stay in a PAS hotel.

What are the advantages of PAS hotels?

•       Prepayment of the entire stay is not required when using the PAS hotel reservation bureau.

•       No penalties apply if reservations are cancelled in a timely manner. The PAS hotel reservation bureau offers flexibility in making changes when plans change.

•       You are guaranteed a room. Hotels, like the airlines “overbook” to compensate for a percentage of cancellations. Occasionally, people with reservations might be “walked” to another hotel, but PAS has contracted with host hotels to insure that you will have a room.

•       Rely on the PAS “seal of approval.” All PAS hotels have been inspected by PAS staff for quality and safety.

•       Networking is easier and enjoyable because PAS hotels host a large number of PAS participants.

•       PAS offers complimentary door-to-door shuttle service to those registrants reserving accommodations in official hotels.

Besides cost and convenience, is there any other reason I should select a PAS hotel?

PAS depends on your support. Sustaining a healthy financial future for PAS means ensuring that both conference registrants and exhibitors have a quality, meaningful event that will reap benefits for you and the profession for years to come.

What if I find a less expensive hotel?

Hotel rates, like airfares, vary greatly. PAS negotiated group rates are the lowest rates available, given the number of rooms required to accommodate all conference participants. PAS has taken great care to book a variety of hotels offering competitive rates and amenities. Still, less expensive hotel rooms will always be available. If you find a less expensive hotel rate, take care to compare it to a PAS contracted hotel to insure that your expectations are met. Many hotels are located further from the conference site, lack certain amenities, or are not in the best locales.

How does PAS decide how many hotels and hotel rooms to book?

Future sleeping room estimates are based upon past registration figures, expected popularity of the site, and our best projections for attendance. Once these determinations are made, PAS books the headquarter and secondary hotels near the convention center, securing the best possible dates and rates. This is not an exact science. We build in as much contractual flexibility as possible so adjustments can be made as the meeting draws closer.

Why does it matter where I stay?

In general, hotel require groups like PAS to fill at minimum, 80% of the contracted number of hotel rooms at their property.  If we do not meet that minimum, we are required to pay for that empty room at the standing nightly hotel rate.  This is called an attrition fee. Good conference sites are in demand and groups like PAS contract with hotels six to eight years in advance to remove rooms from inventory to insure enough hotel rooms for you, the attendee. Attrition fees are compensation to the hotel for the rooms that might have been sold had they not been removed from inventory by PAS. 

Why is attrition an issue since it never surfaced in prior years?

Recent, substantial changes in the convention industry business environment have made filling hotels more difficult. Due to various economic factors and the law of supply and demand, it has become difficult for event organizers to meet contract obligations. When a group performs below contract, hotel management seeks attrition fees from even their most valued clients to mitigate losses.

Has PAS ever paid attrition fees?

Through careful monitoring, we have been successful in avoiding attrition fees in the past.  However, like most individuals and academic institutions, the PAS is also being impacted by the economic unfavorable economic environment.  For the meeting to continue to be successful, we need you, our attendees and exhibitors to do your part. PAS has the very real potential of facing very sizable hotel attrition penalties unless you utilize the hotels we have booked on your behalf. It is impossible to sustain this type of financial loss.

You ask, why not avoid contracting with hotels?

Contracting with hotels protects the PAS room supply and future rate increases. PAS guarantees thousands of hotel rooms in advance to insure meeting room and sleeping room availability for all conference participants. Without contracts, the hotels are free to sell rooms to anyone, potentially leaving PAS short on rooms and meeting space. If another large conference were to take place during PAS, hotel rooms would be scarce or offered at much higher rates.

Why not reduce the contracted room block to avoid attrition penalties?

PAS has revisited all future contracts and has been successful in both reducing the contracted number of rooms and re-negotiating rates. However, without guaranteeing that a certain number of hotel rooms will be filled, PAS will not receive sufficient meeting rooms and exhibit space to support the meeting.