Sleeping Room Blocks Are Old School
I went to a family reunion recently. It really is so awesome to see family from all over the globe gathered. I know in my family, it doesn’t happen nearly often enough. So, suffice to say, I was thankful for the opportunity to bounce around six different airports in four days to attend. Whew!
One of my relatives graciously went through the trouble of reserving a discounted block of sleeping rooms for us all. However, I don't think we filled it because so many folks went and their own thing. It got me thinking about how old the school of concept room blocks is.
Just think about all the options there are these days for guests at an event… they could stay at the event hotel, or with friends or family in the area, they could use a vacation rental website like Airbnb or VRBO, they could use an online travel agency like Travelocity or Expedia, book with points, book with a military or government discount, or maybe they use a travel search engine like Kayak, my personal favorite, to find something less expensive nearby.
So many options.
No wonder live event leaders struggle to fill their room block, right?
So if you’re struggling to fill your room block, here’s a tip: incent the action you want your guests to take. If you need your rooms filled, offer a special swag item (that they can’t buy anywhere else) or an exclusive content session (during or after your event) that compliments your event. Do this, and you'll increase your chances of those rooms being booked!
Make it an outstanding day.
