Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 10:34 am on 30/11/07
PCI stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. These standards were created by all of the major credit card companies to protect cardholders’ credit card transaction information.
Why should you be concerned about security?
If your organization or technology provider collects registration or housing fees online, you’ve become a soft target for hackers and highly vulnerable. The majority of meeting planners and technology providers do not have the resources or the knowledge to establish PCI Compliance and this is the exact access hackers are looking for.
Web applications that give attendees, meeting planners, hotels, housing provider’s access to services and information are difficult to secure and it important to ask your vendors if they adhere to the latest PCI Security Standards. I often hear housing providers state, “our financial transactions take place on a secure server and we encrypt all transactions.”
Don’t be fooled, it isn’t that easy.
I’m not a techy and know how uncomfortable it can be to discuss high level technical terminology. Below, I have provided a “Techy” description of PCI that you can e-mail or include in your RFP’s. Even easier, request a letter certifying their PCI compliance.
Does your system include, but is not limited to, the following: All systems are behind a pair of Firewalls; An additional pair of Firewalls exists between the Application Servers and the Database servers; All sensitive communications between the client and the Web servers are encrypted via SSL; All passwords and sensitive credit card information is encrypted in the database; Password security: Passwords must be at least 8 characters consisting of at least on alpha and one numeric. Inactive passwords are automatically disabled. Passwords must be changed periodically and the last several passwords cannot be reused. Rigorous procedures and safeguards are in place to protect SSL and encryption keys, and those keys themselves are encrypted with a second set of keys. Does your company conduct vulnerability scans; employ an Intrusion Detection System; review system logs for anomalies and archives logs; regularly apply Operating System security patches; utilize a virus protection system on all servers and the virus profiles are updated periodically.
This will put a clear message out to your vendor/provider that you require and understand the latest security standards.
Link- www.pcisecuritystandards.org
Please feel free to ask any questions.
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 3:27 pm on 30/11/07
You are in the midst of a citywide, 30 days prior to arrival, calling 13 hotels requesting pick-up reports. 7 voice mails, 6 contacts stating they will have it to you shortly. The other 7 call you back the following day…meanwhile 2 or 3 days have passed, your registration list has 9 new revisions…and you finally receive 13 pick-up reports…each in a different format.
How much time would you save if a housing technology sent pick-up reports directly to your e-mail based on your desired date and time?
What would the impact be if a housing technology monitored pick-up across all hotels, blocks, sub-blocks and notified you when any of the above reached the 80% threshold regardless of date?
Planners are taking advantage of automated pick-up reports provided by CVB’s, Meeting Management Companies and Hotels as we speak.
Have you experienced this automated reporting? Do you have questions?
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 3:07 pm on 30/11/07
Here are a few best practices to consider when launching an event housing site
1. Implement an event booking portal that is available around the clock allowing an attendee to make, modify or cancel a reservation. Ask yourself, is the housing link easy to find on our internal website?
2. Make sure the hotel booking site mirrors your event look and feel, ultimately providing the attendee a customary entry into the hotel selection process. “Customary entry” includes; your colors, your logo/event banner, your event details, your attendee types, your payment plans, your sponsors and your booking policies.
3. Create a one-stop shop for registration and housing. As your attendees registers, the enrollment information will prepopulate the hotel reservation process. Imagine…no more back and forth of rooming lists, no errors and you can instantly cross reference this data!
4. Build your attendee type reservation policies into the reservation process. For example:
VIP’s may only see host hotel inventory and can reserve shoulder inventory
Exhibitors are required to book a minimum night stay, 10 reservations at a time and are
provided tiered 90/60/30 day cancellation policies
Attendee’s can shop across all hotels
Keynote’s are room and tax to master
5. Provide attendees with a customized instant confirmation for new, modified and canceled reservations.
Please share your best practices…
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 11:47 am on 26/11/07
What do you feel is the greatest benefit in integrating registration with housing?
Please take a moment to ask yourself…1 through 5 and then a or b.
1. Provides a seamless process for attendees to enroll and fulfill housing in one transaction
2. Ability to cross reference registrants to housing at any time
3. Control over attendee booking behavior across all blocks and sub-blocks
4. Time management
5. All of the above
A. Yes, my organization has integrated registration with housing
B. No, we have not integrated the process
I have the opportunity to present a case study with Kevin Johnston, CMP, Director of Strategic Events for CoreNet Global at this year’s IAEE Expo Expo. Here is a sneak preview of the case study outlining the impact of taking the next step in fully integrating registration with housing.
CASE IN POINT- Integrated Registration and Housing Eliminates Attrition Fees.
Atlanta-based CoreNet Global, the premier association for corporate real estate and related professionals, dedicates five meeting planners to managing seven international events per year, including the annual meeting for 3,000 attendees and exhibitors.
Prior to implementing an integrated registration and e-housing solution CoreNet managed housing manually, using rooming lists to track reservations for more than 7,000 room nights over three to four days at up to six hotels. Last-minute cancellations, usually among exhibit staff, accounted for a wash rate of up to 25 percent.
CoreNet adopted a true one-to-one link between individual registrants and housing in 2004 and has effectively minimized CoreNet’s wash rate.
The automated system is so efficient, relative to the manual process, that planners now spend 25 percent less time on housing management. The real-time access to reports allows staff to manage room blocks on a day-to-day basis, opening and closing blocks as needed. Accurate pace reports and pick-up reports not only guide room block management for the current event but also provide the information CoreNet needs to project requirements for future events.
Please feel free to add comments or questions.
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 8:57 am on 30/11/07
What would be the outcome if a balanced mix of experts and visionaries from the hotel, meeting planner and destination management communities came together in one forum?
Well it happened, industry professionals from all channels in the meeting and conventions industry converged at the Passkey Housing Forum in 2007 to share best practices with a goal to drive consistent and ongoing event success.
Here are some notes from the “Maximize Room Blocks” round tables:
Don’t include the direct 800 number to the hotel on the main meeting page; make people click through to the housing form to encourage them to use your housing company. Similarly, make sure your links click through to your housing company, not the hotel’s direct URL.
Give exhibitors points they can use toward prime booth space for staying in the blocked hotels.
Track by bed, not by room, for double-double-heavy groups.
Book the overflow within the same hotel as your regular block, just at higher rates.
To deal with underblocking of shoulder nights, one possible solution offered was to set a minimum stay, so if someone comes in on a shoulder night, they have to stay through peak nights as well. “Once peak night sells, we lift that restriction,” said one attendee.
Provide incentives for attendees to book within a certain time period. Another variation on this would be to provide tiered incentives for different time periods leading up to cutoff.
If you would like to review other ideas shared during Housing Forum, I encourage you to read
“Avoiding Housing Hassles”, Sue Pelletier, MeetingsNet.com, 10/1/07 -
http://meetingsnet.com/checklistshowto/attrition/avoid-housing-hassles/
Please feel free to add your valuable input or elaborate on the ideas…
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 1:59 pm on 13/11/07
As December 10th approaches, it is my goal to provide content and amass your experiences in the coming 4 weeks.
As you negotiate future hotel contracts, are maximizing your three year meeting history?
Detailed pick-up patterns and final numbers?
Sub-block usage?
Arrival and departure patterns?
Single/double/suite mix?
Slippage between the cut-off date and arrival?
This invaluable information becomes critical when forecasting future needs.
It is evident when demand for guest rooms increases, room rates rise, and hotels become less flexible in contract negotiations. PricewaterhouseCoopers / Smith Travel Research forecasts 2007 hotel occupancy of 64.9 percent, with room rates increasing an average of 4.1 percent. In the Meeting Professionals International FutureWatch 2006 survey, 24 percent of suppliers predicted less flexibility in attrition and price concessions.
When meeting organizers face a seller’s market, a detailed, three-year meeting history provides the ammunition they need to spot group booking trends and estimate guest room requirements on the conservative side to avoid attrition penalties.
Please share your experiences and the impact associated with leveraging meeting history…
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 8:22 am on 09/11/07
What comes to mind when you hear TJ Maxx? Max for the minimum? Credit card theft?
Our industry is no stranger to this issue and I’m not speaking of bargain shopping. When you really consider how we manage the rooming list process…You, Your attendees, Your Exhibitors personal information is frequently shared and sent in spreadsheets.
Are there ever revisions to your rooming lists? How many times prior to arrival? Multiply the number of revisions sent back and forth prior to arrival…and you get an idea of how readily accessible this information is to those that spend their days hacking for personal credit card information.
Industry technologies are now taking action to become compliant with the latest credit card security regulations, ultimately doing away with the traditional rooming list management process. Fewer and fewer people are sending rooming list with credit card information and this is just the first action item, what is your organization doing to protect this critical information…
What questions are you asking your hotels and technology vendors in regards to protecting personal information?
Have you reviewed the recent PCI Security Standards? www.pcisecuritystandards.org
Has your organization experienced a loss of data to hackers and what were the repercussions?
Please click on the comments field to the right to provide valuable information on this topic…
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 7:43 am on 13/11/07
Based on the feedback provided in the Attrition Blog I wanted to continue the strategy and idea sharing. Regardless of who is assuming the attrition risk for exhibitor blocks, is pick-up history being taken into account when prioritizing allocation of exhibitor room blocks?
We’ve discussed the priority points model and thank you all for commenting…however, communicating pick-up history will truly make the exhibiting company aware you have a pulse on their trends.
For example, if ABC Company states they need a block of 10 rooms…would it make sense to throw this in your guaranteed inventory, when in reality; you know they cancel five rooms 30 days out? Obviously not, however if you track their pace and trends…and note they actually do pick-up the rooms one week prior to arrival…we now have a path to resolution moving forward.
Although the above may seem obvious…communicating with these exhibiting companies that you are aware of their trends and “moving forward”, require the rooms be guaranteed well in advance of cut-off as a tiered cancellation policy will kick in 90, 60, 30 days prior to arrival. It may seem aggressive; however you understand their business and want to assist in placing a sense of urgency on the pick-up to avoid the risk of attrition.
Please click on the “comments” field to the right to provide feedback and questions…
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 7:45 am on 09/10/07
Whether you or the exhibiting company take on the attrition burden, attendee booking behavior is a major factor for meeting contracts with a charge equal to the number of room nights under 80% - 90% utilization.
Here are a few collaborative strategies to prevent exhibitor attrition:
- Provide a one-stop shopping experience for attendees to register and secure housing in one transaction
- Give priority points for exhibitors that book rooms early and extra points for those that actualize 90% of their rooms
- Provide discounted registration and complimentary breakfast for reservations made within the block
- Offer pre and post stay dates for exhibitors at a discounted rate
- Communicate the consequences for attendees booking outside of the contracted block high and wide within the exhibiting company
- Implement 90, 60, 30 day penalities for cancelled reservations
- Give the exhibiting company visibility into the pick-up
Although we have only scratched the surface, please feel free to post success stories and questions regarding exhbitor block management.
Filed under: Housing Jim Gowell @ 11:29 am on 08/10/07
With hotel room and meeting space demand outpacing supply, venues are once again enforcing attrition penalties. Although there is no one solution that 100% eliminates the risk of attrition, it is important to understand the behavior of our attendees and why it is happening.
It is evident attendees have embraced the registration process, as industry statistics show that over 80% of attendees register online for an event, however over 30% book their hotel within 30 days of arrival.
Why is there such a breakdown between registration and housing?
- “found a cheaper rate on Expedia”
- “waited until the last minute and no rooms were available for the event”
- “needed to come in early and stay late, nothing was available”
- “prefer to book online and the option was not provided”
- “was not aware we had a specific place to reserve rooms”
- “the hotel didn’t ask me if I was coming in for an event”
Do you have examples of incentives your organization has implemented to entice attendees to book within the contracted block?
Is your organization gaining credit for reservations made post cut-off? How are you managing this process?
Have you found yourself in a difficult attrition scenario with a hotel and how did you resolve the issue?
How has technology impacted the reduction of your attrition exposure?�
