When we were in business we had two business plans for hotel stays. For RPMs and the like we stayed at the host hotels to support the “free” meeting rooms. However, when we had tables at professional trade shows we found the cheapest place available. The booth fees and associated costs cover the hall and are really expensive. We have no choice but to find a cheap hotel if we want to make a profit. For example at the Cincinnati NMRA National Train Show we stayed at a Motel 6 across the river in Kentucky. As Robert Heinlein said, “TANSTAAFL”. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. – Al Westerfield
From: Andy Carlson
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 12:16 PM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: Cheap room to share in Cocoa Beach
I will be attending my 1st, and LAST Cocoa Beach RPM meet. My impulse is to say
Screw you to all that deserve it, but I will refrain.
-Andy Carlson
Ojai CA
________________________________
From: Anthony Thompson <mailto:thompson%40signaturepress.com>
To: mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, December 9, 2011 10:12:32 AM
Subject: [STMFC] Re: Cheap room to share in Cocoa Beach
I entirely understand the impulse to find a cheaper hotel
room, and it's perhaps unfortunate that Andy Carlson finds himself in
the spotlight on this issue. But this is really another example of
taking into account NOT ONLY your own finances, but those of the
meeting. As several people have pointed out, the reality of hotel
contracts requires "room nights" to keep registration fees within
reason. If everyone "did a Carlson" (sorry, Andy) and stayed outside
the meet hotel, our registration fee would probably be $250 each,
maybe more, and there goes the savings on that "cheap room," plus now
we are ALL worse off. I have always felt an obligation to stay in the
meeting hotel if at all possible, because I know that's how meetings
work. Yes, the room costs more: it's really part of the true meeting
cost, and we hide from that at our peril. But of course YMMV.
Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, mailto:thompson%40signaturepress.com
Publishers of books on railroad history
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