💸 The Hotel Fees Planners Hate Most

And How to Fight Back

The Stand-Up September 12, 2024 by Miguel Neves View in browser Hi there,   If there's one thing guaranteed to drive planners up the wall, it's hidden hotel fees.   Just when you think you've locked in a great venue, surprise costs pop up that make you question the deal.   What started in the '90s with resort fees has turned into a seemingly endless list of extras, catching many planners off guard.   Skift Meetings editor Barbara Scofidio heard from planners about their most frustrating experiences:   •AV Fees: In-house services that cost more than flying in your own tech. •Destination Fees: The "All Access Pass" for things that used to be free. •Parking Fees: Outsourced vendors make negotiating impossible. •Setup Fees: Extra costs for basic room setups. •Surprise Taxes: Local taxes sneaking into your bill.   Fortunately, some of these fees can be negotiated if addressed early in the contracting process, giving you some leverage to control costs before they spiral out of hand.   What's the worst fee you've encountered, and how did you handle it? We'd love to hear your stories and solutions—just hit reply and let us know! Skift Meetings Forum is Next Week We're gathering the meetings industry's brightest minds for our flagship event. Don't miss this exclusive one-day learning experience on September 17 in New York City.   Less than 10 seats remaining.   Get your ticket now. 14 Ways to Upgrade Your Awards Program Your awards program could benefit from a refresh to stay competitive and relevant. Here are 14 ways to help revitalize it. How to Level Up Your Sales Kickoffs Created collaboratively with Stova  Sales kickoffs (SKOs) start the engine for a productive year. Securing the right technology partner can ensure they reach their maximum potential and drive growth. Hotel Fees Planners Hate the Most Destination charges. Administrative fees. Water excise taxes. Hotel fees can add 30 to 40% to a meeting budget. NEW REPORT Meetings With Meaning: An Introductory Guide to Harnessing the Positive Impacts of Meetings and Events Sponsored by Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Destination Toronto, Hilton, Meeting Destination Vienna, Snoball, Tourism Montreal, and Visit Lauderdale   With insights from industry experts, strategies, and relevant case studies, this report, produced in partnership with the IMEX Group, presents a starting point for more impactful, purposeful meetings and events. DOWNLOAD MY COPY Hotel Strikes Impacting Conferences in Hawaii The University of Hawai'i moved its 700-person summit from Hilton Hawaiian Village, where it has been held for the last 10 years, to its campus due to the hotel workers' strike. Sotheby's and Marriott Partner to Auction Off Exclusive Travel Experiences Sotheby's and Marriott are auctioning off two high-end travel experiences. With bidding closing soon, are these exclusive packages extraordinary enough to attract the VIPs they are aimed at? The Neverending Fam Scammer Nightmare As long as there have been fams, there have been fam scammers. They're a costly nuisance that the industry can't seem to get under control. INDUSTRY EVENTS CALENDAR   the Event invites event industry veterans, emerging professionals and visionaries to converge and make everyone involved better. The 6th edition of the EVENT aims to be the epicenter of growth for Canada's meeting and event experts.  September 13-15: IACC Europe Knowledge Festival in Surrey, UK September 17: Skift Meetings Forum in New York City September 22-24: the EVENT in Ottawa, ON, Canada Explore our full calendar here. Cvent's Spending Streak Continues with Splash Acquisition Cvent has acquired event marketing technology company Splash, the event technology giant's fourth acquisition this year. [Skift Meetings Podcast] Rethinking Next-Gen Events For an event to be memorable for younger-generation attendees, it must be meaningful and authentic—not just creative. All This Talk About Planner Stress is Stressing Us Out Could we be making our jobs more stressful by constantly talking about how stressful they are? Some experts say yes, and there's even a term for it. More From Skift Meetings Beyond the Mocktail: 10 Planners Share Their Favorite Healthy Alternatives 14 Meeting Pros Share Their Best Packing Tips When Team Building Misses the Mark To ensure there are no pauses in our communication, please add our email address to your contacts: meetings@skift.com. Skift, 35 W 31st St., Frnt 1, New York, NY 10001, USA, (516) 399-0304 Manage preferences