[Nfbmo] appreciation to Gene for setting up the hotel arrangements

Cari Kness carisuekness at gmail.com
Tue Mar 29 16:01:22 UTC 2011


Hi Gene and list,
I want to express my appreciation to you for 
going through the process of finding hotels for 
conventions. A few years ago I had a glimpse of 
what goes in to arranging hotels. Now I'm working 
with a travel agent to find a hotel for the 
wedding guests. It's not easy to find the hotel 
with the lowest rates offered and the services 
needed. At first we were even considering having 
our reception at a hotel but decided against it 
after hearing the rates. I'm sure I don't have 
all the ins and outs to fully understand the 
process involved with setting hotels up for state 
but now I have a better picture thus more 
appreciation of the process. Thank you for doing the work.
Peace,
Cari
At 01:52 AM 3/29/2011, you wrote:
>Bryan, you bring up a point I’ve have wanted 
>to address because I think a lot of folks are 
>curious as to why we are repeating the hotels 
>from seven years earlier in Springfield, St. 
>Joseph and Kansas City. So, I really want to 
>share how this happens as I know it is kind of 
>boring always ending up at the same places and I 
>try not to do so. My first consideration is to 
>attempt at least a three star hotel realizing 
>that sometimes two star is the best we can do. 
>Secondly the hotels have to have enough meeting 
>space. My two favorite chains are Drury Inn and 
>Stony Creek but neither of these have on-site 
>restaurant and most Drury Inns do not have 
>meeting space. In Springfield we had four bids 
>but the Clarion was $10.00 a night lower than 
>it’s nearest rival. There was one hotel with a 
>walking trail,nature area, and an ice bar that 
>sounded really cool but I couldn’t get them to 
>budge on meals that started at $35.00 for 
>dinner. The University Plaza, a really nice 
>place, gave a bid of $99.00 I talked them down 
>to the low 80’s. In St. Joe there are not many 
>hotels with meeting facilities. We got bids from 
>three. The Stony Creek Inn came very close to 
>our room rates and catering but they wanted 
>$2000.00 a day to rent meeting and banquet rooms 
>with no outside food. They explained that they 
>make their money off of brides and grooms as 
>they do 150 weddings a year there.The only other 
>choice was the Holiday Inn but they wouldn’t 
>budge under $84.00 a night We actually were 
>within days of moving this year’s convention 
>to Jefferson City when the Ramada finally met my 
>demand to lower the cost of meeting rooms. For 
>Kansas City the Holiday Inn Cocoa Key (formerly 
>the Adams Mark) simply blew the rest of the 
>competition out of the water. Even though 
>banquet is going up next year it is still much 
>cheaper than other bids I received. In fact, I 
>was concerned that there was something wrong 
>with the hotel if they were offering such low 
>rates. So, my family stayed there last Summer to 
>take in a Royals game and found the facilities 
>in good repair. Other bids ranged from $89 to 
>$149.00 a night. The Crown Center Hotel sent me 
>a very nice letter apoligizing for not being 
>able to even come close to our rates and they 
>hoped we had a great convention anyway. Thanks 
>for bringing up something many people have been 
>curious about. It is kind of depressing to spend 
>day after day trying to coax several hotels and 
>have them bid against each other and after all 
>is said and done wind up at the same place. The 
>bright spot in it is normally I have knocked our 
>costs down by over 25% of where their initial 
>bid was. We will shall see if Jefferson City or 
>Columbia afford us any new opportunities Take 
>care Gene From: Bryan Schulz Sent: Tuesday, 
>March 29, 2011 12:39 AM To: NFB of Missouri 
>Mailing List Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] OMG! You're 
>not serious hi, I don't have any anger towards 
>Gene as i have learned the process at least five 
>years ago and know how to get information. I 
>think the weekend went well other than the 
>facility issues and someone not 
>confirming/understanding a comment from friday 
>night. Just because we attended a certain hotel 
>about seven years ago, that doesn't mean that 
>has to be the first choice the next time around. 
>Bryan Schulz ----- Original Message ----- From: 
>"Horchem Gary" 
><horchemg at gary-springfield-mo.net> To: 
><nfbmo at nfbnet.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 
>12:12 AM Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] OMG! You're not 
>serious > Eggs and some sort of liquid 
>refreshment are a must if the budget allows > in 
>K.C. You can blame everything on Gene you should 
>direct oy anger > towards the caters next will 
>be better nicer hotel and an on site > catering 
>staff. P.S. How much would the hotel charge us 
>to include a can > of NOS at the prayer 
>breakfast just kidding only crazy people like 
>me > drink that stuff. > >>>> "Gene Coulter" 
>03/28/11 11:51 PM >>> > The meals are no secret 
>but often the menu is not set until very close > 
>to > the event as there can be a lot of haggling 
>over menus as there was this > > year. Also, I 
>don’t post the menu to the list as the hotels 
>generally > have > to change something up to the 
>day of the meal and I don’t want to hear > 
>complaints about the change. this year, for 
>example, half of the people > at > lunch were 
>supposed to get apple cobble and half were to 
>get cherry. The > > caterer had to substute 
>Peach for the apple. I genrally try to keep 
>the > food > simple and stay away from certain 
>foods due to allergy and religious > concerns 
>like pork products, strawberries, and peanut 
>based items. > Now can someone please tell me if 
>there was really no fruit Sunday > morning > at 
>the Prayer Breakfast, Please? Or, did Debbie 
>overlook it? I doubt she > did > but unless 
>several folks confirm it I can’t complain 
>again to the Ramada > and > their caterer. > 
>Thanks > Gene > > From: Bryan Schulz > Sent: 
>Monday, March 28, 2011 11:29 PM > To: NFB of 
>Missouri Mailing List > Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] 
>OMG! You're not serious > > hi, > > if that was 
>the plan, sounds like continental to me. > why 
>do we have to be a dentist to get meal details 
>every year? > > Bryan Schulz > > ----- Original 
>Message ----- > From: "Gene Coulter" > To: "NFB 
>of Missouri Mailing List" > Sent: Monday, March 
>28, 2011 11:22 PM > Subject: [Nfbmo] OMG! You're 
>not serious > > >> Hey guys, >> are you serious 
>there wasn’t meat at the prayer 
>breakfast!????? >> The menu was supposed to 
>consist of >> breakfast rolls and muffins >> 
>assorted danishes >> bagels and cream cheese >> 
>whole and cut fruit >> juice >> coffee >> So 
>what was missing? >> Gene >> >> From: Debbie 
>Wunder >> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 10:51 
>PM >> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List >> 
>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Feedback wanted but not 
>about the Meat >> >> Gene, maybe some fruit 
>could be added. It was a difficult breakfast > 
>for >> diabetics.You did a good job as 
>coordinator, now go to bed! >> Deb >> ----- 
>Original Message ----- >> From: "Gene 
>Coulter" >> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing 
>List" >> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 10:47 
>PM >> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Feedback wanted but 
>not about the Meat >> >> >>> Thanks Susan, >>> 
> From now on there will be eggs at the prayer 
>breakfast at the very > least. >>> I >>> can’t 
>guarantee meat due to the obscene banquet prices 
>of all hotels. > >>> This >>> year’s menu is 
>the exception that proves the rule. >>> As far 
>as the content of the event that is up to those 
>putting the > event >>> on >>> I rent the hall 
>so to speak and let the event happen. >>> Thanks 
>for the imput very much >>> Gene >>> >>> From: 
>Susan Ford >>> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 
>10:08 PM >>> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing 
>List >>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Feedback wanted 
>but not about the Meat >>> >>> Gene: >>> >>> If 
>we are going to have a prayer breakfast, I think 
>it should be a >>> worship >>> service, not an 
>NFB speech. If we are going to have a 
>Continental >>> breakfast, it should be 
>advertised as such. If people came thinking > 
>it >>> would be a nutritious meal, they must 
>have been sorely disappointed. >>> >>> If people 
>continue to pre-register at the rate they did 
>this year, > maybe >>> we >>> don't need as many 
>hours of registration. If there is enough > 
>manpower, >>> it >>> might be helpful if you had 
>one line to just pick up their packets, > and 
>a >>> second line for anyone who wants to 
>purchase anything, even if they > got >>> 
>registration and some of the other things with 
>pre-registration. That > >>> would >>> mean 
>those who must only > pick up materials would 
>not distu>> >>> I have thought about the lunch, 
>and I am wondering if we could have a > >>> 
>couple >>> of smaller ones, amking it possible 
>to have meetings during the time. > >>> The >>> 
>grief seminar could have been done at such a 
>time. So could the > family >>> responsibilities 
>panel, but I'll bet there are many more people 
>who >>> should >>> have heard that discussion 
>than those who listened or took part. > 
>Maybe >>> the >>> student group could meeting 
>that way too. That would then make less >>> 
>crowding of evening meetings on Friday night. 
>Resolutions, ways and >>> means, >>> and 
>membership are more important than they appear 
>to be at our >>> convention. >>> >>> Just some 
>thoughts. >>> >>> Susan Ford >>> >>> ----- 
>Original Message ----- >>> From: "Gene 
>Coulter" >>> To: "NFB MO List" >>> Sent: Monday, 
>March 28, 2011 6:39 PM >>> Subject: [Nfbmo] 
>Feedback wanted but not about the 
>Meat >>> >>> >>>> *(Gary please send to leaders 
>list)* >>>> Hello everyone, >>>> I hope all of 
>you are recouperating from our 49th annual 
>state >>>> convention. >>>> I really appreciate 
>the effort all the chapters and members made 
>in >>>> helping >>>> St. Joe put on the 
>convention. It really felt like family. Of > 
>course, a >>>> great big thanks to the small but 
>mighty St. Joseph chapter which >>>> 
>already >>>> seems to be making a comeback; way 
>to go. >>>> I would like some feedback from a 
>convention coordinators > perspective on >>>> 
>the >>>> convention. But, please don’t bother 
>telling me how horrible the > meat >>>> was >>>> 
>as >>>> I already have been told that and wish 
>it had not happened. >>>> Here are some 
>questions helpful folks might answer. >>>> 
>Registration was open from 5:00 to 8:00 on 
>Friday evening. Was that >>>> long >>>> enough 
>or too long? Should we have done different 
>hours? >>>> Registration hours were reduced on 
>Saturday as it ran from 8:00 to > 9:30 >>>> 
>instead of until 10:00. Did this cause problems 
>for anyone? And, > would >>>> folks >>>> have a 
>problem if it it ended at 9:00 instead? >>>> The 
>planned lunch seems to be getting more popular. 
>Should we have a > >>>> program >>>> or leave it 
>as it is giving you an opportunity to get lunch 
>quickly > so >>>> you >>>> have a chance to do 
>other things before session starts back up? I > 
>ask >>>> because if we don’t have a program 
>there is no point in a head > table. >>>> How 
>did those of you attending the prayer breakfast 
>ffeel about it > being >>>> a >>>> buffet? 
>Should other meals like either lunch or banquet 
>be buffets? > The >>>> reason I ask is that we 
>can always get buffets cheaper but it would >>>> 
>require >>>> some volunteers from our group even 
>if we persuade the hotels to man > >>>> 
>extra >>>> people there. >>>> Would you all 
>rather that I try for the weekend of March 21-23 
>or > April >>>> 5-7 >>>> for the 2013 
>convention? March 30 is Easter. Whichever 
>weekend is > chosen >>>> by >>>> us the other 
>weekend would be the alternate to get best 
>rates. >>>> Some states are automatically 
>packaging banquet and registration >>>> 
>together. >>>> Instead of charging $30 for 
>banquet and $12.00 for registration we > 
>would >>>> just charge $42.00 for the set. There 
>are pros and cons to this > idea. >>>> A couple 
>of people have suggested paying more for banquet 
>if you > wait >>>> until >>>> you get to 
>convention. Anyone like this idea? I have 
>reservations > but >>>> said >>>> I >>>> would 
>bring it up. What do you think? >>>> Finally, 
>any other thoughts on convention logistics. This 
>is not > making >>>> any >>>> changes but merely 
>asking questions as any major changes would 
>come >>>> before >>>> the board of directors as 
>I only have the power to implement what > 
>our >>>> President, board and members decide. 
>Just thought that convention is > >>>> 
>fresh >>>> on everyone’s mind that it would be 
>a good opportunity to brain > storm. >>>> Gene 
>Coulter, Convention Coordinator >>>> Still 
>tired >>>> 
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