I am certainly far from the expert on this, but I recall asking Dan
about what criteria the EC considered at the business meeting in 2005.
The list of factors was long and specific. It made me think of the EC's
job of selecting the location in a whole new respectful light. Finding
a locale that is suitable must consider:
- location near a major airport
- hotel of a certain quality and central location that has rooms and
equipment for our needs
- hotel willing to negotiate with our size, which is too big to fly
under the proverbial radar but too small to be a real major player like
AOM or AMA
- hotel willing to consider our very narrow band of time in August which
we hold ALSB conferences
- family-friendly activities nearby for those who bring the kids and
make this a vacation
- adult activities nearby for those who don't bring kids and make this a
vacation
- amenities and luxuries that only upper hotels provide
- the north/south/east/west rotation which may or may not still be
observed
- currency fluctuations (if negotiating with a foreign hotel)
- multiple attractions nearby that can support a major social event like
the Denver Art Museum trip
- a location that hasn't been selected in the past 10-15 years
... and I'm sure there are more.
Some of these directly conflict. The vacationers want a nice place with
services and location. Get a place that's too cheap and you have
unhappy members who won't show. The budget-travelers cannot afford high
hotel prices. Get a place that's too expensive and you'll have unhappy
members who won't show.
Not so easy.
Robert
Robert C. Bird
Assistant Professor & Ackerman Scholar
Department of Marketing and Law
University of Connecticut
email: [log in to unmask]
View my research on my SSRN Author page:
http://ssrn.com/author=56987
-----Original Message-----
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ginger, Laura
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 8:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Thanks to EC
Though I did grumble about the room rate and the charge for internet, I
do think the EC did its best to balance affordability with quality in
our hotel choice. I suspect that if we want appreciably lower room
rates, we will have to go to a city where it is hot in August, as we
have many times in the past. Richmond and New Orleans may be more
affordable because they fall into that category.
Thanks to Lucien and Dan and their colleagues for all of the work which
must have gone into the Denver meeting. The best part of the meetings
for me is seeing everyone, and that was terrific, all grumbling aside.
Laura
________________________________________
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
[[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Virginia G Maurer
[[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2009 11:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Suggesstion
Well, IMHO (never reluctant to put forth such), Lucien did a great job!
Besides delivering a great meeting, he more than filled our room
requirement at the Marriott, and to the extent that there may have been
rooms to be had cheaper in Denver, I suspect they could not have met our
meeting requirements. And yet, members who were discouraged by the
Marriott rate were able to accommodate themselves well at a lower rate
at no detriment to ALSB. This is absolutely optimal!
I have no formula for how the EC and program chairs can best accommodate
the tradeoffs involved in hotel selection, but I do know that, year
after year, getting the best value for our membership has been a
paramount concern of the EC. Everyone wants a successful meeting. There
is nothing wrong about chiming in on value concerns, but I have been
impressed with the commitment of the EC to get the most for our
collective bucks. And sometimes that involved making commitments under
conditions of uncertainty. Even now as Carol Miller begins the process
of selection and negotiation of site and contract, she has to work with
the information she has now and can reasonably project. No one knows
what the unexpected will bring.
Let's support her in this effort because I am confident it is expended
without self-interest.
Ginny
________________________________
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk on behalf of
Sally Gunz
Sent: Sun 8/9/2009 2:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Suggesstion
I suspect poor Lucien and the rest of the Exec. must be feeling a little
under siege by now. The meeting was fine and clearly the result of a ton
of work over several years. I have no doubt this is much appreciated by
all of us and certainly me.
Cost is a concern and while we can discuss hotel charges, in truth the
most significant variable is the number of days we have to be in a
hotel. I just checked the American Accounting Association web site and
if we ignore their CLE days (2 days of seminars ahead), the entire
conference -- which is, by the way, huge -- is completed in 3 days. I
believe the other major conferences are the same. I think we should be
trying to make this our target too since not only does our way become
very costly but it also means many people are not attending the entire
conference at present. Now, I am as guilty as any other program chair
for not addressing this issue. But I think it is bite the bullet time --
and if it means we have to do things a little differently, then we
should. One major difference would be increasing the number of papers
in each session. In both 3 paper sessions I was in or moderated, we had
lots of spare time. Minimum of 4 works just fine.
So thanks Lucien. You did a great job. To future program chairs, see if
you can do some pruning -- even if a whole bunch of us weren't able to
do it in the past!
Sally
Elliot Axelrod wrote:
> Congratulations Carol on you election as new national officer.
>
> After seeing Bill's note, a suggestion comes to mind, not about hotel
> rates, but about the physical facility. For 2012, please consider a
> hotel that is 'brighter and cheerier" than the Denver Marriott. My
> issue with the Denver Marriott was that everything - registration,
> breakfast, publishers' displays, cocktail party, luncheon, banquet,
> breakout rooms, etc. was underground. This, as opposed to the hotels
> in Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco and others, where the
> activities were based on the main or second floor balconies, which
> were bright with windows and in some cases, like Long Beach, with
> outdoor patios for breakfast and the cocktail party. Another
> suggestion, but to me not as important as the first, is that an
> outdoor pool would be nice.
>
> Best wishes to all,
> Elliot
>
> Professor Elliot Axelrod
> Chairman, Department of Law
> Zicklin School of Business
> Baruch College/City University of New York
> One Bernard Baruch Way
> New York, NY 10010
> Box 9-225
> (646) 312-3570 fax (646) 312-3571
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