Attrition Best Practices :: Hilton Washington eSALESKIT

HOTEL HOME | RESERVATIONS | CONTACT US | HILTON HHONORS | SITEMAP

Here is a list of our best practices for preventing group block attrition. Read below for some of our most successful tactics for maximizing group pick-up. The table provides all the attrition tools at your disposal to persuade attendees to make reservations at the contracted hotel.

Tools for Preventing Attrition
Attrition Tool	Likelihood of success	Tips & Concerns to anticipate
Attendees can not register without a room booked through group housing.	The highest	Take care to exclude locals and 'day only' or student attendees. There will be some attendee resistance here unless the attendees have no other show to go to for this education or exhibit opportunity. This works primarily in markets where room price is not as much of an issue.
Provide a Registration fee discount of between $100.00 to $150.00 for each room booked and used through group housing.	The highest	Simply publish a fee that is $100.00 to $150.00 higher than previous year and make a big deal about the discount. Publicize this and the reason behind it well in advance and often. You should have a way to ensure that the room was actually used such as verifying their hotel at the badge/registration desk area by checking their room key. Exceptions should be made for one day passes and locals.
Offer early bird rates, with a 60-75 day cut-off. The savings must at least $20, but are obviously more successful if $30 or more.	Moderate	Negotiate based on the fact hotel will fill block quicker and this discount is less than the ones hotel will have to do if they don't fill block by 30 day cut-off. You may have to reduce some concessions depending on size of discount off contracted room rate. Also, since most people book after the "early bird" date, this will not help with later bookers.
For meetings with busing, a room key from the group hotel is required to use free busing.	Average	Imprinted room keys at group hotels (very cheap) or colored wristbands are very effective and provide a sponsorship opportunity. You can also offer bussing “for a price" for those not in the block---don't make it cheap though! Recommend that you assign people to load buses at hotels and Center.
Threaten to increase membership dues or reduce member services to offset attrition fees.	Average	In order for this to be effective there needs to be a good deal of education here. Also, this may not be effective for groups that are really price sensitive.
Offer hotel food & beverage coupons or incentives for hotel amenities like the business center, internet access and health club.	Below average	These are "soft dollar" incentives that not everyone will even use. These need to be bundled with other incentives for a greater impact. Still, without real dollar incentives this will be a tough sell.
Bundle benefits like discounts.	Low to average	Get hotel discounts in restaurants, spas, high-speed Internet, etc. The discounts will need to be approximately 3 times the value of hotel savings before the attendee perceives the comparable value as equal.
Require an advance, non-refundable deposit if people book through the group housing.	Low to average	Explain this well in advance so attendees are aware of this process. Remember that this does not make the group housing a better deal. Instead, it imposes penalties that non-group hotels don't.
Compare registration list early and call those not in room block (with no financial incentive).	Low	The early room pick-up evaluation process should ALWAYS be done but without an incentive to stay in the group housing, your phone calls will have limited impact. Add early (1 and 2 mos. out) room pick-up comparison to your ALWAYS list. This will identify if your "plan" is working and will give you time to try greater incentives if your plan is not effective.
Drawings for unused comps or lottery for prizes.	Low	It takes lots of promotion to try to establish value to attendees. When faced with a choice between a 1 in 800 chance of winning OR saving $100-$200 at another hotel for SURE, the sure money wins every time.
Utilize existing email hotel marketing which is personalized to demonstrate the value to attendees of staying within the conference hotel.	Low	Utilize the existing e-marketing but personalize it to your attendees. List the actual costs of staying outside the conference hotel (taxi, parking or rental car, lack of access to hotel (email, freshen up), diminished networking, loss of potential freebies being offered in the hotel. The attendee may be inundated with email blasts, telemarketing or direct mail so emails should be kept to a minimum. Conference planners need to be aware of the number of times the association member is being contacted prior to it becoming SPAM.
Badge recognition for those that stay in the block along with bundling of other benefits including: Fast passes to avoid lines, special collector pins, password protected access. to handouts, notes from group leaders, complimentary continental breakfast at hotels, early bird benefits offered for on-site registration if they can show they are in contracted hotels.	Low	Remember that all of these are either "soft dollar" benefits or are directed at appealing to "pride". These are best used with incentives that have real dollar advantages to the attendees and exhibitors. Don't rely on incentives that don't compare to the money to be saved by booking elsewhere. Money means the same thing to everyone, soft perks have a narrow appeal.
Show only conference hotels on any maps.	Low	Attendees will find other hotels if there is not a monetary reason to stay in the block.
Discount pre/post convention seminars.	Low	Much marketing is needed to convince attendees of the real dollar value. The majority of attendees and exhibitors don't attend these so impact is limited.
Priority seating at sessions. This means all guests who stay in the contracted hotel get seated first.	Low	Works best when bundled with other incentives. Inform attendees well and often in advance and be aware that room monitors at each door will be required to enforce the policy. This tactic is not hard to do though and there is very little push back.
Special cocktail party or continental breakfast for those staying in group housing.	Low to No	Truth is it takes 3 times as many "freebee" dollars to equate to the dollar value of saved cash. Value alone will not be enough.
Educate the exhibitors and attendees about the problem and request that they stay in the group block for the benefit of the association. Enclose a letter from the Association’s President.	Very low	Few people put loyalty above their financial concerns. This has been tried by many and has failed continually if there is no incentive attached Never use this as your only incentive ! This is a must before ANY other incentive is used. This message must appear to attendees/members multiple times each year in order to be effective.
Publication discounts	Very low	This does not work very well and is being funded out of the association's operating capital. Not recommended.
Sell the benefits of staying in a conference hotel.	Low to none	This needs to be bundled with real dollar incentives since a lower price is the ultimate advantage. Don't rely on this alone.
Discount airport shuttle coupons and other restaurant discounts.	None	This is only of value if bundled with other much more valuable concessions. If the association is funding the discounts, then without other incentives this will be a waste of the association's operating capital.