Q: Why is the registration rate higher for attendees who aren’t staying in an official conference hotel?
A: Staying in rooms at our conference hotels helps COMMON offset the costs of meeting space, exhibit hall rental and many other costs associated with our meetings, from tables & chairs, to power, air/heat and lighting. These are sizeable costs to the organization that must be covered. Attendees who stay in other non-official COMMON conference hotels do not help offset these expenses. Additionally, low sleeping room usage at our contracted hotels increases COMMON’s exposure to financial penalties. We hope that $200 or $300 in savings for attendees who stay in a conference hotel will provide added incentive to attendees to stay in COMMON's official conference hotel(s).

Q: How can I get the lowest conference registration rate?
A: To get the best price, register before the Early Bird cutoff date and you'll get a lower registration rate.

Q: Does the Registration Rate include the price of the hotel room?
A: No. Registration rates and hotel rates are separate.

Q: Will this pricing plan apply at future conferences?
A: Yes. At every future conference destination, we have contracts with official conference hotels. For convenience and as a show of support, we ask you to stay in official COMMON hotels. For individuals who elect to stay at non-conference hotels, a higher registration rate will apply. This pricing structure has been a significant factor in protecting our general financial well-being while successfully minimizing increases to membership dues and conference fees. top of page

Q: Can I get a cheaper room somewhere in the area?
A: There are always going to be "cheaper hotels" available in some of our conference destinations. COMMON has made great efforts to book its conferences in convenient locations that can provide the extensive meeting and exhibit space we need. Over the dates of our meeting, COMMON has negotiated the best rate possible for the convenience, quality and size of facilities COMMON requires. Along with a number of other factors, our negotiated hotel rates are based on the amount of the meeting and exhibit space we require, the food and beverage revenues we generate, the time of year in that destination, and the overall size of our conference. 

Q: Why are the hotel room rates so high?
A: Hotel rates, like airfares, vary greatly. There are many influencing factors that determine group rates. For example: the type of hotel property, i.e. a resort, convention hotel, economy property; the amount of meeting space/services required by the group. Does the group bring significant amounts of other revenues to the hotel, i.e. catered food and beverage, or through the use of hotel restaurants, bars, shops, etc? Are the conference dates over a very busy time period for the hotel? Is the meeting during prime travel/tourist season? Group rates are additionally based on typical economic laws of supply and demand. Given the above variables, COMMON negotiates the best rates possible for the convenience, quality and size of facilities COMMON requires. 

Q: How does COMMON decide how many hotels—and hotel rooms—to book?
A: COMMON reviews hotel usage and registration figures from recent COMMON conferences (past 2-3 years) as well as attendance figures from meetings previously held in a particular city – if COMMON has met there before. We estimate the number of sleeping rooms needed for the future based on the number of rooms used in the past, the popularity of the site and our best projections for the increase or decrease of attendance for that site. It is not an exact science by any means! We try to build in as much flexibility as possible in our contracts so adjustments can be made closer to the actual dates of the meeting. COMMON then tries to book a convenient grouping of hotels immediately adjacent to the convention center or HQ hotel, securing the best possible rates and terms.top of page

Q: Can’t COMMON cancel hotel rooms if too many have been contracted?
A: Sometimes it is not possible to drastically reduce or cancel a contract without incurring a large cancellation fee. Hotels sell their sleeping rooms and meeting space as far in advance as possible. If the hotel had their inventory reserved and "off the market" for COMMON, they may have turned away other business. A cancellation may leave them unable to replace the business in the amount of time left before the dates of the meeting. If there is low demand by other groups or tourist business in the city, unused rooms could result in serious revenue losses to the hotel. Or, the hotel may have to sell rooms at extremely low rates -- also resulting in significant lost revenues. As a matter of course in the industry, COMMON could, consequently, be liable for a large portion of these losses incurred by the hotel as a result of default on our agreements.top of page