Planning an Event at a Hotel?

I found this article in "Meetings & Events Las Vegas Meeting Planner Resources Magazine" and thought that it was a very handy and helpful piece of information to pass along to our readers. Hope this will help share some insight into some things often over looked when planning meetings. This is just another reason why leaving planning to the professionals such as Encore is a great idea ;)

Enjoy!

"Consider the following before making a final decision:

• Decoration- Hotels usually offer lavish settings for meetings and events compared to convention centers or other meeting venues. On the other hand, the restrictions placed on decorating hotels are often more strict and can prevent meeting planners from achieving a desired look. Meeting planners should have a vision before committing to a space that can not be altered.
• Security- Hotels offer 24-hour service and usually have security officers in place at all times. Convention center "close for business so security is often not available after hours. It is important to determine what level of security the event will require. Hotels are public so additional security may need to be put into place to keep attendees safe. 
• Freight Elevators- Many meeting planners are shocked to find that they have been charged a fee to use the freight elevator when the bill comes. It is important to discover any hidden fees before the situation arises.
• Additional Services- Hotels can often offer a multitude of services to meeting planners that convention centers are forced to contract out. This is beneficial to meeting planners because it is easier to negotiate discounts and keep services organized when they are coming from a single source. Hotels are essentially a one-stop-shop for meeting planners.
• How to Negotiate With a Hotel?- Promise multiple meetings. One of the best ways to leverage negotiations with a hotel is to commit to holding several events at the location. Hotels are looking for return customers and are more likely to make deals with meeting planners that they know will contract their services, time and time again. "