I Have a Contract!

I’m sure all of you who plan events at a conference or convention center have worked with a delightful, cooperative, helpful, and knowledgeable Convention Services Manager (CSM) who follows your contract to the letter and never throws you a curveball right? You’ve never required multiple phone calls about your meeting space being reallocated to another group, expectations changing, or meal prices increasing. Your group has never been re-assigned to a new CSM mid-program because your current CSM is no longer there. The Sales Manager and CSM are always on the same page over what’s been promised to your group, and your CSM clearly and frequently communicates with you. Sadly, my most recent experience with a CSM couldn’t be more opposite of these experiences if I made the story up myself. And, I’m sure I’m not alone.

I was working with a Sales Manager at a conference center I am very familiar with; both the manager and the property, on meeting space for a group I’m helping to plan their event. We discussed the perfect space for this program, drafted and received approval for a proposal, and he created a standard, well-appointed contract, which we signed. Our program was then assigned to a CSM to begin the planning process.

Everything was going as planned, or so I thought, until a few weeks later when I followed up on some details. I received notice that our program had been re-assigned and the original CSM had “moved on.” That’s never a good sign. During every subsequent conversation with this new CSM, she NEVER seemed to be listening. It was like she was standing in another room or daydreaming every time we communicated. For example, emails I’d send with four questions in it, she’d only answer three. When I asked a this or that question, she answered with a “yes.” She would agree to certain terms and conditions when we met in person, but then vacillated when she sent me a follow up email. Then, the final straw. She gave away space in the very CENTER of my group’s contracted meeting rooms to another group.

Hot didn’t begin to explain my feelings at the time. Space we had under contract, for months, she felt was within her purview to re-assign to another group without checking with us first. On top of that, she didn’t just re-assign rooms at one end of our meeting space, she thought the rooms smack dab in the center of our space, splitting our event in half, guaranteeing there would be co-mingling of the groups, posing a security risk to our group because we couldn’t identify everyone in our space, was her best option in a property with several hundred thousand square feet of meeting space and hundreds of rooms. Has this woman EVER planned an event in her life?

Without asking why our group had secured extra space for a smaller meeting size, she assumed that our group was using breakout rooms for…well…breakouts. Based on the group’s anticipated attendance, in her mind, we didn’t require all of the space. She didn’t bother to email me or pick up the phone to ask what the space was being used for, or if the group truly needed ALL of the space. Had she done so, she would have understood that the group DOES, in fact, need all of the space. Their program includes appetizers in one space, a plated dinner in another space, and a game night in several others. Disproportionate space is required when playing several oversized games and others that require being spaced apart such as Cornhole than setting up a room for a theater-style breakout. Additional space is needed when tossing bolas in Ladder Ball, Juggling tennis balls, or Hula Hooping the night away.

I have worked with several CSMs in my day, and this one had the appearance and language to converse as if she had some experience under her belt. Initially the Sales Manager gave her a good recommendation when he introduced her to me. When I encountered this debacle, I immediately contacted the Sale Manager who, much to my chagrin, is also no longer with the property after 10+ years.

After hoping in my car and screaming over to the property to talk through rectifying the situation, we’re still at an impasse. The CSM doesn’t want to admit that she overstepped her authority giving away space already under contract, eat crow, and tell the other group the space they thought THEY had under contract was not hers to give and they now need to move. Because of this, she’s trying to “trouble-shoot” and offer me alternative solutions instead of just honor the contract. Because of her rotten attitude, I’m not inclined to acquiesce for the sake of getting along.

So here’s my public service announcement for this week. Dear CSMs, please, before assuming that you know how your space is being used even though you know how your space us USUALLY used, what the capacities are, and what setups are typically done, if a group has already contracted meeting space and you feel it’s disproportionate to the number of registrants they’re reporting, pick up that 500-pound phone and make the call to the planner. You’ll save yourself the very uncomfortable conversation with not only the group who’s space you gave away, but also the other group you now also have to move OUT of the space you assigned to them when you shouldn’t have.

This is not about politics. It’s not about anything related to our personal or professional differences. It’s not even about me liking or disliking you. I have grace for anyone who is new to the position or the industry if you attempt to review the contracts and do your due diligence. This about doing what is right and what your venue is legally obligated to via contract.

How have you handled a challenging situation like this? I would love to hear from you! Please send me an email!

Be sure to pass this blog on to those you know who work with CSMs and plan events, and be sure to like it!

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