Property construction isn’t always the first thing you think
of when you’re planning your meeting, but it should definitely be high on your
list. It is important to always ask, at the outset of the planning process,
whether construction, renovations, or updates will be happening either over
your meeting dates or in the time between contracting and program completion.
Many planners overlook construction as an issue when they are initially told
that the construction will be finished before their program arrives. However,
it is very common for construction to get delayed, potentially causing changes
to or cancellation of your meeting. Without contract language in place to
protect yourself in these instances, a meeting could suddenly become very
stressful and very costly.
When we know that construction delays are a possibility and
our meeting may be affected, we generally ensure that the hotel is responsible
for paying the other party for all increased costs it incurs to use a different
hotel. These costs can include refunding the deposit, food and beverage
minimum difference, profit loss from lower attendance, air ticket changes, and
more. Even with a clause such as this seemingly protecting you, we also need to
make sure to be very aware of the language input elsewhere in your agreement.
Some properties try to include relocation clauses requiring if alternate
arrangements must be made, they must be made with a sister property. This means
you could end up across the street, across the city, or in a completely
different state depending on what hotel chain you are working with. It is important
to make sure these clauses specify both the location of and the class of hotel
you may be relocated to. It’s also a possibility that a property will later
decide that they do not want to fulfill their part of the contract, in which
case it can be very expensive to enforce your legal rights. It is imperative to
include a provision that entitles the prevailing party to an award for all
attorney fees and costs in the event of litigation. Protecting yourself isn’t
limited to reviewing just one clause, but means creating a complete contract.
As a meeting planner, it is so easy to get so wrapped up in
the details that we might overlook bigger issues. A well thought out plan is
useless unless it can be executed successfully and a fully functioning venue is
imperative to the meeting. Therefore, we always look to reduce any possible
threats to your meeting. Starting with making sure we have complete information
on who we are contracting with and negotiating an ironclad contract with them.
