Abq Celebration 3 FanForce Group Discount Hotel Reservations (Deadline July 1st!)

Jedi_Master_Sal of the Pittsburgh Fanforce, has been given authorization to coordinate CIII hotel room reservations for ALL of Fanforce. The deadline to get a Discount Group Reservation with Fanforce is July 1st. The more people we have signing up for the Fanforce group rate, the cheaper everyone's rate will be.

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Message from Sal
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I am authorized to negotiate a group rate for all of Fanforce. It is my hope to secure a full hotel connected to the convention center (by skywalk) for all of Fanforce before the general public is able to book rooms. I am fairly confident that this is possible.

What I need from you all is a tally of FIRM numbers of interested people from your respective Fanforce chapters. (Also, if you have some "possibles," you may give me a count for those as well.)

Please format your numbers as such:
Pittsburgh FF: 14 Firm, 6 Possibles

I will need your final tally no later than July 1st, so that I may compile the list and start negotiating with GenCon (the promoters of CIII).

The 501st already has a deal through them for 250 rooms, but I am confident that with the combined presence of Fanforce we will be able to have many more rooms requested, and could then present a valid case for special consideration in regards to discount rates and "pre-booking".

The room rates quoted to me so far (this was by one specific hotel so rates may differ slightly)
were as such:

$134 per night for a single (1 person) 1 double bed
$144 per night for a single (2 person) 1 king bed
$154 per night for a single (3 person) 1 king bed, 1 roll out bed
$164 per night for a single (4 person) 2 doubles

These numbers HAVE NOT been guaranteed. The price quotes and room sizes where only an initial quote and that by submitting a request it does NOT guarantee that a chapter will have rooms reserved for them.

A deal first has to be made with GenCon. Once that deal is made and we know GenCon is holding those rooms can we count on it being a guarantee.

The submission of requests is to show to GenCon proof of what FanForce is proposing. BTW, chapters CAN submit requests after the July 1st deadline, but I need to get the proposal into GenCon on that date. If other chapters want to sign up after and the deal can be made, that can only serves to bolster our numbers and position. They are welcome to join. It should be noted though that if a deal is made for the room numbers I submit on July1st that GenCon may only be able to honor THAT amount of rooms, so urgency is needed.

Should the actual rates be different (whether higher or lower) you will be notified immediately after I receive that information.

The bed size may vary by hotel. You will also be notified of that should it differ than what is quoted here.

The information contained in the replies I receive will figure prominently in the negotiating process and, as a result, will need to be as accurate as humanly possible since a contract will most likely need to be drawn up.

Do not "pad" your numbers. Only firm numbers, please. (The "possibles" may be taken into account, but I suspect that unlikely.) We, as Fanforce, can not be responsible for extra rooms not filled, so once again I urge you to be absolutely confident with your figures before you submit them to me.

Since this is just the beginning of the negotiation phase, I do not yet have any answers regarding who, how, and when you will be able to pay for rooms. Rest assured that I will post this information immediately after finding out, so as to give you and your respective members as much time as possible to make whatever decisions you need to make regarding payment.

If there are any questions regarding CIII room booking, please PM me for now and I will ensure that a special thread be made for this, which will include a FAQ.



Let's show our "force,"
jedi_master_sal

 

put me down as a possible-I don't know if I can afford that rate though. I may have to go somewhere else.

 

Permit me chime in a moment. The going rate for the rooms without the discount that GenCon has is at least $200 per room and up. Currently none of the hotels have rooms....that's because GenCon has them all reserved. Outlying rooms at non-connected hotels are going for about the discoutn rate or more.

Trust me that being in a hotel that is connected to the convention center is a HIGE plus! Much less walking for one and if you have to go back to your room, whether that be to change clothes or take back stuff you've bought it's not such a long haul. Also should the weather turn to the darkside...you won't get caught in it becuase you'll be indoors the whole time.

Did I mention that the opportunity for being in line to get in will in all likelyhood be less of a problem.

The lines were incredible for CII. This time around GenCon promises that they will not be anywhere like they were.

By being in a connecting hotel, you have less of a distance to get in line. Also a hope is that those who are staying in the hotels will be allowed to enter the convention center that way, thereby getting in MUCH faster. Don't quote me on the last part, but we hope it's the case.


Let's get excited folks! It's the last big convention for SW, EVER!

MTFBWY!
-Sal

 

yeah but I can't afford 700 dollars for a room for the convention. I understand the rates, I have done group travel before but I can't afford a room alone and most likely I will be rooming alone. (I can't sleep in a room with someone I don't know well. Weird I know but its fact.)

That is why I said a maybe for me. I have 4 vacations next year: Korea, Las Vegas, The Con, and the grand canyon. Every penny saved is good for me.

 

I understand.

Should you change your mind and would be willing to pair up with someone or 3 or 4 others in a room let me know. The cost would definitely be alot cheaper.

Hope to see you at CIII regardless!

Don't be a stranger and be sure to stop by the FF table. I imagine I'll be hanging out there when I'm either manning the table or just taking a break from all of the walking around and standing in line I'll be doing.

MTFBWY!
-Sal

 

oh I will definatly be there. And I know a few others that are interested as well.

I will let you know more soon. I have to talk with some people.

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN THE CR FORUM:

SITH__CHICK: Denver is very interested, it would be great to have a HUGE Fanforce group in one hotel. We have 18 rooms reserved right now, 15 are for sure taken.
The biggest question we have is, can we pick if we want two beds or one? The other is, if these rooms are not cheaper then what we got, which I think they will be, can we decline?

Sal's response to SITH__CHICK's question: Yes, I'm asking for your bed preference according to the initial quote I received. However, if GenCon is not able to accomadate specific room/bed sizes I will pass this along for FF chapters to decide how they would liek to pursue this. I have reason to believe that we should be able to be accomadated though. If you have a reservation already, I highly suggest you keep it. If the rates are not as good as the ones you have currently then, I woulc imagine you will be able to decline. This will be one of the things I will be mentioning in my proposal to GenCon.

LordGoldenArrow: Wow. I've not been checking as regularly as I should so this surprised me. I talked to some of our members and most of them want to get into the hyatt. They are going to try and do that first. The general feeling with some of them is they'd rather try that first then sign up for this and then have to bail on the FF group.

Do you know what hotel(s) you are goig to get?


Sal's Response to LordGoldenArrow's question: Well, I've actually answered this particular question fo various FF's specifically, so I suppose it's better to mention it here for everyone to read.
The most requested hotel was the Westin and that's what I will try for, however, due to the large block of rooms, GenCon, may not be able to accomadate us there. Basically we will take what they have, bearing in mind that we want to all be in the same hotel. The Hyatt was the second most requested so I'll try for that next and so on.

Due to the large response (18 confirmed chapters and another 12 I'm waiting on requests from) it is near impossible to accomadate everyones specific request. Please understand this, that while I will make every reasonable attempt to accomadate, we are at the mercy of GenCon.

The main concern is to secure rooms/same hotel, then at the cheaper rate, then the hotel most requested for, then pre-booking before all of the rooms become available to the general public.

I must stress that GenCon has no obligation to us and hopefully our shear numbers (and my business savy...)will convince then to make this deal with us. If they don't go for it we're going to have to do it real quiet like....er sorry, there will be no harm no foul, as all of the rooms for all of the hotels that they've reserved will be up for reservation. It's just that when that day happens there will be so many people trying for rooms, that I can't imagine the hassle it may be. Making this deal would in affect be eliminating that hassle.

Also, again to strongly advise, by turning in your request to me for your chapter in no way guarantees your rooms. Again, the deal has to be made. My request of you and your chapters was to give us hard proof/evidence/numbers whatever you want to call it, of our serious request to GenCon so that they will be more apt to go for it.

Thanks for your questions folks, it helps me prepare a better proposal to GenCon. keep them coming. You only have 2 days to submit your final numbers. At that time I will have posted our final tally. Also, I will make the proposal to GenCon and immediately upon any news good or ill you will be informed through the CR boards to disseminate to your respective chapters.

 

Is anyone else here interested or has the numberof people interested in going gone down?

 

All 4 of us are still planning on going, but I wanted to see if Jess and Yvonne are still trying to cook something up for us. I don't know if we'll be able to go with the rate that jedi_master_sal is cooking up. It may be more inconvenient to be located a bit aways from the con center, but if it's cheaper, than I'm all for that.

 

yeah I was thinking the same thing... for that cost you can get a quite at embassy suites-I just don't know how far it is form the convention center.

 

See if any of the hotels in the area give out discounts for your employer. Same with car rentals. I saved myself $$$ when we went to celebration II. See about getting a hotel away from the city (it's soo much cheaper). The hotel we stayed at was about 5 miles from downtown. As expensive as it will be, I know Im going to be frugal with my expenses.

 

my parents and I were thinking about staying that the Courtyard by Marriot Downtown or at the airport, but we are not making reservations UNTIL tickets go one sale, to ensure we have tickets, I still have the list of people that are planning to go, I can hand that over to you Bob if you would like.

 

Did you add me to that list...My family and I are still going.

 

it looks more and more like I will probably not be able to go to the celebration 3... somethings have come up that may take my vacation time.

 

Whoops! I meant to tell you, LadyNab, that you can go ahead and hold on to all of that stuff for now. You're doing a good job of keeping that stuff organized!