Madison Hotel Information

[Jeff Herne]

Hotels have been contracted with initial blocks. We are working with Destination Madison, our control point organization, and establishing a rollout and all of the pertinent information. This information will be released later this fall, after which time we will open blocks for hotel reservations.

There will be MULTIPLE options for convention attendees. Options will range from 5-star accommodations downtown for those who don't care how much they spend, to budget-oriented facilities a short driving distance from the convention center. 

If you try to book a hotel at any of these facilities prior to the block-dates opening, you will be charged whatever the market rate is for that time frame. In other words, you will not get the IPMS rate.

You are, of course, welcome to book your rooms outside of the block-rate window, but that's on you. 

And I will address this rumor directly - we are NOT already sold out. We haven't booked a single room under the auspices of IPMS/USA, as of 7/28/23, in any of the five hotels we currently have under contract.

[ctruss53]

It is good news that you are already sorting out the hotel.  But honestly, the reason why the planning staff is being bombarded by idiots demanding answers is because you are giving them too much information, too soon. Meaning you are telling us that hotels are contracted. Now all the people demanding information are going to be bothering you about it. How much? When can I book? and all that.

If I were the National Convention planning team, I would not give out any information at all, until all the details were worked out. We know where the convention will be next year. And that is all we need to know until you have all the plans sorted.

I don't know why so many participants get so worked up over this. If the main hotels run out of rooms, there are always other hotels. Or like I have suggested, there are AirBnB's. There will be a place to stay. There will be places to part. I wish everyone would just wait until the planning staff has everything ironed out.

Last year I didn't decide to go to Omaha until a week before the convention. I had zero problems finding a room.

[Nick Filippone]

I have attended 35 out of the last 36 Nationals. So I am as experienced as anyone in the acquisition and interpretation of show information- especially hotel reservations. Jeff and his team are not at all to blame for the idiotic behaviour of IPMS members. The amount of info they have released is perfectly appropriate and in keeping with that of previous National host chapters. The tradition has been to provide few details until after the current show is over. This is as it should be- to keep the spotlight on this year’s National.

Host chapters contract with hotels every year. That is not news or too much information. It is Standard Operating Procedure! The fact is, other than knowing where the Convention is next year, the 2024 hosts have told us nothing that anyone with a modicum of intelligence, a little common sense, assiduity, and some experience making hotel reservations could not have figured out for themselves. And, again, appropriately, as previous hosts, they have not gone onto any more detail while the current show is being planned or underway. It would not matter how much or how little information was released or when it was released, a certain fixed percentage of the membership will behave this way every single year.

The fact is, my friend, ‘ the fault is not in Jeff Herne and his 2024 stars, but in ourselves! ‘ Nick
 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Nick Filippone

[ghodges]

I'm on the side of I like being more informed than less informed. I also look at these early updates as an encouraging sign of what is (hopefully) an extremely well organized, communicative, and motivated host committee for 2024.

I have two concrete requests/suggestions for when the 2024 hotel reservations do finally open up:

First: ONLY ALLOW ONE ROOM RESERVATION PER PERSON MAKING A RESERVATION! One of the reasons that these hotel room blocks are selling out so fast is that there are members booking 2 and 3 (or more) hotel rooms at one time. I certainly realize that there could be a reason for that, being it either a larger party planning to travel together or a friend doing a friend a favor because they cannot be on the computer or phone the day/time when the reservations open. The problem is, that short changes those who can and ARE trying to make reservations at that time. Save the multiple room reservations for their SECOND time they get on-line or on the phone.

Second: OPEN UP TO IPMSUSA MEMBERS ONLY FOR RESERVATIONS THE FIRST DAY, AND TO EVERYONE ELSE THE SECOND DAY. It's the IPMSUSA National Convention and IPMSUSA members ought to have this PERK as a part of their membership. If you want to include vendors on the first day, you could do so, but with a special code or ID that allows them. I don't know IF this can be done since it'd have to be tied into somehow being able to verify who's a current member and who's not, but it would seem with computer abilities, it's just a matter of adding a current list into the hotel's data base which then cross checks the person making the reservation against that list before letting the reservation even start to be made. Or, perhaps the "early" date and time would only be emailed to the membership by the Wild Apricot system so that only they would have that info to begin with, with regular reservations opened up a day or even a week later. Would it be fool proof? No, as there's always people looking to game any system. But it might help! More importantly, it would show IPMSUSA is trying to give something more of value for their membership money.

Other than that, I'd like to repeat my request from early 2022 for the '23 show which went unheeded by the San Marcos committee: Please, Please, PLEASE "beta check" the hotel reservation "system" before opening it up to the membership. Be sure the membership KNOWS of any possible snafus inherent in the system (like trying to add a Tuesday to the preset Wed-Sat computer reservation, which the computer page would allow, but the "system" would then reject and not allow it to go through). It will help immensely if we know of any specific things to do or don't do when we log on to get a room.

Thanks!

 

Gil 

Edited July 31, 2023 by ghodges

[Chris Bucholtz]

Amen to the Tuesday-night option. It allows us west coasters to be there for Wednesday. 

[66Foxtrot]

I appreciate the transparency and early flow of information Jeff is providing us. I also love Gil's two suggestions.

[BWScholten]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:29 PM, ghodges said:

I'm on the side of I like being more informed than less informed. I also look at these early updates as an encouraging sign of what is (hopefully) an extremely well organized, communicative, and motivated host committee for 2024.

I have two concrete requests/suggestions for when the 2024 hotel reservations do finally open up:

First: ONLY ALLOW ONE ROOM RESERVATION PER PERSON MAKING A RESERVATION! One of the reasons that these hotel room blocks are selling out so fast is that there are members booking 2 and 3 (or more) hotel rooms at one time. I certainly realize that there could be a reason for that, being it either a larger party planning to travel together or a friend doing a friend a favor because they cannot be on the computer or phone the day/time when the reservations open. The problem is, that short changes those who can and ARE trying to make reservations at that time. Save the multiple room reservations for their SECOND time they get on-line or on the phone.

Second: OPEN UP TO IPMSUSA MEMBERS ONLY FOR RESERVATIONS THE FIRST DAY, AND TO EVERYONE ELSE THE SECOND DAY. It's the IPMSUSA National Convention and IPMSUSA members ought to have this PERK as a part of their membership. If you want to include vendors on the first day, you could do so, but with a special code or ID that allows them. I don't know IF this can be done since it'd have to be tied into somehow being able to verify who's a current member and who's not, but it would seem with computer abilities, it's just a matter of adding a current list into the hotel's data base which then cross checks the person making the reservation against that list before letting the reservation even start to be made. Or, perhaps the "early" date and time would only be emailed to the membership by the Wild Apricot system so that only they would have that info to begin with, with regular reservations opened up a day or even a week later. Would it be fool proof? No, as there's always people looking to game any system. But it might help! More importantly, it would show IPMSUSA is trying to give something more of value for their membership money.

Other than that, I'd like to repeat my request from early 2022 for the '23 show which went unheeded by the San Marcos committee: Please, Please, PLEASE "beta check" the hotel reservation "system" before opening it up to the membership. Be sure the membership KNOWS of any possible snafus inherent in the system (like trying to add a Tuesday to the preset Wed-Sat computer reservation, which the computer page would allow, but the "system" would then reject and not allow it to go through). It will help immensely if we know of any specific things to do or don't do when we log on to get a room.

Thanks!

 

Gil 

Does IPMS run the reservation system? or does the hotel run the system?

I can't imagine a hotel chain giving an outside agency administrator privilages to their reservation system.

[jcorley]

In the past, it has been the hotels - which has been the source of controversy as their job is to sell rooms

[ghodges]

Yes, the hotels have their "own" registration systems. And, since the Madison show will probably use several different hotel chains that could mean there'll be differences in how to use each one. THAT is my main reason for my last request to "beta check" those systems so WE know what to do and what not to do for each and every hotel being used.

As for my first 2 suggestions, they may or may not be technically feasible. But, it's also something that the host committee can check up on to see what can and cannot be done and then let us know what the hotels can/or are willing to do; and what they won't.

Lastly, I think they're ideas that future hosts could try to incorporate into their planning and choosing host hotels, though those pickings are generally slim to begin with.

If you don't ask, the answer is always "no", and I also believe that the Eboard needs to be seen taking some actions that better serve IPMS members ahead of the general public for the IPMSUSA National Convention.

 

Gil 

[Mark43015]

Do you have an approximate date as to when the hotel blocks will open? Thanks!

[Jeff Herne]

7 hours ago, Mark43015 said:

Do you have an approximate date as to when the hotel blocks will open? Thanks!

I do not have specific dates. It will be late fall, early winter, so, prepare for sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

[davidckoopman]

It would help to know the parking situation around the Madison convention venue before trying to pick a hotel.

 

[Nick Filippone]

If you go on Google Earth, you can see the relationship of the Convention venue to the parking lot, the nearby hotels and downtown Madison. Nick

[Jeff Herne]

 

Sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving, we will release a statement here, on the IPMS/USA Facebook group, the IPMS/USA forums, and via IPMS/USA Wild Apricot email system (to current IPMS/USA members) that includes ALL of the pertinent data for all of the hotels currently under contract. This includes room rates, amenities, parking, distance to the venue, and whether or not you get a chocolate mint on your pillow each night. In this release, we will include the "GO LIVE" date and time for the blocks, which will ALL happen simultaneously. It is our hope that this will give folks enough time to research where they want to stay, the costs involved, and make an educated decision. Hopefully, this will prevent the mad rush of stupidity that happens when the hotel blocks have opened in the past and everyone goes full-on stupid for the hotel closest to the venue.

 

Now - There is a brand-new hotel currently under construction right next to the Monona Terrace Hilton. It is currently scheduled to be open in early 2024. IF this hotel opens on schedule, then we instantly add another 200 rooms that are within walking distance (less than 200 meters) from the convention center. We have this hotel contracted under contingency, meaning, we are not contractually bound if the hotel does not open on schedule. This poses several problems for the Madison team... First - if this hotel opens AFTER our block date is released, and it is NOT included in the initial block release, then people are going to cancel reservations at other hotels to move to this one, and this causes issues with the block contracts for those hotels that are being cancelled. Second - we are in constant communication with the new hotel's parent company to get confirmation of an official "go live" date from them. It is our hope that their "go live" date will fall INSIDE our own "go live" window and we can add this new hotel to the list already under contract. That is why, for now, our own "GO LIVE" window is still not locked in.

[Highlander]

As a former military logistics planner, I salute you.  Good planning.  Good contingencies.  Good awareness.  Good communication.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Highlander

[ghodges]

Ditto on the great communications!

I can only add my DIRE PLEA to once again please, Please, PLEASE Beta check these hotel computer registration systems to check for any potential landmines like occurred in San Marcos (where the hotel computer system would let you add a day to your reservation to the convention set dates, and then REJECT it when you tried to book it when reservations opened).

If you're going to say that your room blocks are for "this date- this date", please check to let us know whether or not we have the flexibility to add or subtract to those dates and STILL have the computer system work when you open things up.

I realize that with multiple hotels this might add a bit to your plate, but I'm sure you can sympathize with the extreme frustration of being all set to make a reservation using the hotel page with NO indication that anything with your dates is wrong, only to have the system reject it and then by the time you can talk to anyone all of the rooms are sold out.

THAT is what I'm hoping you in Madison will be able to avoid. Thanks!

Gil