Re: [AGA SC] update re Sheraton -- or - How many hotels does it take to set up a conference call?

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

Thanks for the progress report Scott.  So glad you're keeping tabs and not 
me right now... I'd be failing miserably.

  - Erik

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004, S. Hieber wrote:

> No news really but this is what has happened. The Sheraton
> ws supposed to place a conference call to Rick, Larry and
> me. For some reason they couldn't do that (a hotel can't
> set u a conference call?) so we had Larry take the call.
> Larry and I spoke for about an hor before the call to
> discuss what we needed to insist on. Our main tack was to
> say that we'd accept a sliding scale on the meeting rooms
> (sliding scale based on room nights) but not guaranteeing
> any rooms. This way, whatever they want to cover their risk
> will be in one figure for one item, i.e., the meeting
> rooms. IF that number is acceptable to us, then we can
> negotiate, if not, then we'll carry on with other hotels an
> stop wasting time.
> 
> How the call went. Larry explained our position and the
> hotel rep seemed very amenable, same as last time, but of
> course she can't actually agree to anything onthe holtel's
> behalf, so we'll see what they come back with to know if
> there's any point in continuing negotiations with them. And
> that's basically how Larry put it to them -- the basic
> structure of the deal they are offering is flat out
> unacceptable.
> 
> Point: we won't guarantee anything that we have no control
> over, such as, for example, the number of roomnights that
> get sold. 
> 
> Point: We want to be able to bring in food and beverage to
> a private room for a hospitality room. She said that might
> be okay if the items are sealed packages -- there's no
> health code issues there if the food is commerically
> packaged. Health code compliance was their "reason" in the
> last proposal for why we couldn't bring in our own food and
> beverage. Larry did not say we would be willing to buy the
> stuff from the hotel (although we would if the price was
> reasonable) because to do so would have been to essentially
> admit we'd give in on bringing in our own stuff and we're
> not ready to give that up. 
> 
> 
> Point: We also said we had to have a better schedule on the
> cancellation terms. He explained that AGA is non profit and
> a big rich corporation. I know that most folks think
> cancellation is not likely or impossible, stuff happens --
> what if Amano is sick, blah blah. The potential liability
> has to be less than would bankrupt both organizations, AGA
> and GWAPA. Also, requiring payments 9 months before the
> event was unreasonable.
> 
> He also asked what she knew about AGA and he explained that
> we're not rich, that we make no profit.
> 
> Point: Force Majeure -- this has to be a two way street.
> 
> She's supposed to get back to us with another proposal --
> he asked her to have it typed up in MS Word so that we
> could track changes.
> 
> That's about it.
> 
> I think Larry is also going to try to talk to his contact
> at the Dallas Marriot to see if they can talk to the people
> at the Crystal Gateway Marriot.
> 
> Btw, Rick expects proposals or draft contracts from the
> Marriot Crystal Gateway and two other hotels that he's been
> talking to and that Ghazanfar and he have visited.
> 
> sh
> 
> =====
> S. Hieber
> 
> -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
> Amano Returns
> to the AGA Annual Convention
> Nov 2004 -- Baltimore
> 
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-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com

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