Registering for group room rate at The Sahara

[Kristie]

We have booked the Sahara....for the 18th - 22nd.

We will have the Phoenix room and Golden room for roundtable sessions, recruiting event, networking event/party on the 20th and 21st. That most likely means that the major event (since it's mostly a mingle/party atmosphere) will be held probably on Tuesday night before everyone leaves.

We have group room rates of $55/night for the 19th - 22nd and $111/night for the 18th. There are a few caveats however.

- Each room has a $1/night add on for phone usage (local & toll free). However, the fee will not be credited if you do not use the phone (hint: don't use the phone!)

- Each room has a $3/night energy usage fee... it pretty much puts the cost of the room closer to $60/night but still....try finding another rate like that on the strip with access to monorail or what not

- If there are more than 2 people to a room, there are additional charges for that as well....$20/person/night.

- rooms are deluxe rooms, if there are more than 10 people who want a suite, let me know and i'll get group room rates for a suite if i can.

- room tax is 9%, make sure you add that onto your bill because it is not added to the price of room rate/night.

- i do have rooms on hold for Saturday as well. The rate is $111/night for saturday night..i figured if people wanted to come to town and didn't want to change hotels, then this gives them the opportunity.

- I have 60 rooms on hold....if we need more, i need to know sooner than later.

- The number to call and book is 888-696-2121, state that you are with the NetworkJC group or meeting.

The cut-off date for obtaining group rates is 5PM on September 29, 2008. I tried to get it extended and they can't extend less than 30 days out. sorry.

I will have a few rooms available for those who absolutely cannot book until after the 1st of October. If you ARE one of those people, you're going to want to talk to me ASAP about putting yourself on my wait list as I only have 5 rooms (that JC has purchased) that will be "available" under my name after October 1. I can get more if needed but it depends on the growth of the wait list.

If we fall below 10 booked rooms on the group room rate, the charges will change to whatever the price is on Sept 29th. I take it they don't like it when people book lots of group room rates and don't use them (i can relate).

1 nights deposit will be charged to a credit card that you supply on the date you reserve the room. keep that in mind when registering....you must also have "the" credit card on you when you check in.

you must be 21+ to book a room. Those who are under 21, talk to me and I'll book your room based on first receiving the required funds or find an over 21 roommate.

Check in is at 3pm, check out is at noon. you can do early check in or late checkout but it's not guaranteed. If you can't check in early, you can leave your bags with the concierge and/or at bell desk.

minimum length of stay is 2 nights...just noticed that in the contract but it's pretty typical for group room rates. if your only staying one night, find a roomie that is staying for 2 nights.

we have to reserve up to 50% of the block (30 rooms) in 90 days (3 months) from now...if we don't, they have the right to reduce the block amount.

if you book a room and have to cancel => you must cancel within 72 hrs prior to arrival. if you don't, you will be charged one nights room rate. ALSO, if you book a room and cancel and we end up having over 21% of our block amount cancel, the room rates will no longer apply, they'll go back to regular retail amount. interesting but i can see why they do that too.

Any questions?

[JDMcFly]

Being that this is the first year I'm really really planning on going, what is the 'usual' thing people do? Standard = Sunday-Tuesday, with people coming Saturday night if they want to chill early?

Anything happening on Wednesday or is it smooth leave at 12:30am. Airfare ATM is $268.50, doesn't sound too bad.

[Kristie]

Sun-Wed....saturday if they plan on just chillin on the strip.

keep in mind that the major event on tuesday night might not start till 7 or 8pm.

[OldTownPilot]

So the big thing is Tuesday this time?

So much for only missing two days of school/work or whatever. Oh well, nothing too major will be going on next semester.

Just clarification, not complaining.

[Kristie]

I heard a lot of comments last year that by the time the networking event comes around, most people already know each other from previous M&Gs or from the night before (typically 9FI M&G)...and that it's more of a party atmosphere and would be best as a "final" event....

considering conferences i go to have their "social gathering" on the final day (after all, the focus should be on the knowledge portions and all), i figured that was a good game plan.

so right now, it's on Tuesday, yes....

[Aero_Engineer]

It looks good, do you know when are the roundtable sessions and the hiring info sessions going to be?
What other social events will we be having besides the main event on Tuesday night? This is going to be my third time at NJC but I just wanted to clarify all this so I can start setting my schedule for that month since I will be taking time off from work and school.
Thank you Kristie, Let me know how I can be helpful to you and Doug in the process.

[Doug Taylor]

Details soon. It took poor Kristie about three months just to secure a venue, now the planning can really take place. Right now I'm working on the "You said you'd have been there this year if you had ample notice, Mr. Recruiter, NOW YOU GOTS AMPLE NOTICE, may I uhhh pencil you in, sir? " angle of the recruiting stuff.

I'm telling you guys, without her slogging away at this stuff on her days off and often on company time, it'd probably still be a "HAY! Let's meet in Vegas and drink a beer, hoo hoo!" Like the very first get together!

I suppose I'd better start paying her or something. Slave labor laws and all!

[mpenguin1]

Originally Posted by Aero_Engineer

It looks good, do you know when are the roundtable sessions and the hiring info sessions going to be?
What other social events will we be having besides the main event on Tuesday night? This is going to be my third time at NJC but I just wanted to clarify all this so I can start setting my schedule for that month since I will be taking time off from work and school.
Thank you Kristie, Let me know how I can be helpful to you and Doug in the process.

Whatever room Aero Engineer gets, please make sure that it has a really good alarm clock

[Kristie]

no worries...we can recruit some human alarm clocks for him this year

[Doug Taylor]

Originally Posted by Kristie

no worries...we can recruit some human alarm clocks for him this year

Bring towels... And soap! hoo hoo!

[Kristie]

i understand the towels...but soap?

[Doug Taylor]

Wrap the soap in the towel, twist and then I'll scream "WAKE UP YOUR SUBJECT, TAYLOR!"

[mpenguin1]

Originally Posted by Kristie

no worries...we can recruit some human alarm clocks for him this year

Oh yeah!!!! If I get another phone call saying that he is tooooo tired to go on one of the tours that I arranged, human alarm clocks & a video recorder will unleash the gates of hell on him

[Aero_Engineer]

Now that is just mean my friends. (jk)

After all that drinking and gambeling it was kinda hard to get up especially when NJC was my only vacation last year.

This year's NJC will be my third and I promise you Mike that I will come to the events planned in the morning no matter how impossible they might be for me.

Side Note: You guys know how much I LOVE JC!!!!

[SpiraMirabilis]

I'll be here this year. Vegas!

[ILSstud]

Sounds like a great deal Kristie. Thanks for searching around for a good rate :-) I can't wait to get to LAS!

[TheShortOne]

We're in.

I just put down the credit card info! w00t!

[Kristie]

anyone have a problem booking their room? i tried to book 5 for those late comers and the reservationist would only let me book one.

So, just wondering if anyone tried or needed to book 2 under the group rate and couldn't...

if so, let me know so i can get it squared away with the hotel folks.

[N826AW]

I'm going to register tonight when I get home. Next month is the halfway point from NJC07 to NJC08. And I'm staying for the whole thing this time. No more NJC-daytrips.

[Kristie]

ok, here's the scoop for registering for more than one room....

essentially, you can't... you have to put a different name on the 2nd room but can pay for both with the same card.

Since the cut-off is not until Sep 29th, you can wait to book the rooms with the correct names or you can book then now with incorrect names and name change them before the cut-off date. The reason we do not take more than 1 reservation with the same name is because it will be deleted as a duplicate reservation. The same credit card can pay for more than one room, but each room must have the name of the person who will check into the room. If you have a guest that wants to pay for more than 1 room, please let the reservations agent know because they will have to fill out a credit card authorization form.

[BobDDuck]

Wahoo! Booked.

[JEP]

Ditto....Sun-Wed (arriving Saturday 2230)

[Qgar]

Booked as well...Arriving Sunday, departing Wednesday. With no vacation time YET, I'll have to do some creative bidding and trip trading!

[Kristie]

Thanks to those that reserved their rooms!!

I only have 7 rooms booked out of 60 currently reserved for our group. At the end of the month, 50 of those rooms will go back to the Sahara and only 3 will be left. Sahara has the right to take back any and all unbooked rooms if half of the rooms are not booked. since we're not even close to being half booked, there's nothing i can do.

Fair warning, you have till the end of the month to book a room at the group rate. please remember that if you can't make it, you can always *cancel* the room 3 days before checkin.

[Kristie]

i also just received notice that if they have to cancel 21% of the hotel rooms or more, the group room rate will no longer apply to those who have registered a room. since there's only 7 rooms rented, the group rate wouldn't apply anymore and would be charged the standard rate because 7 rooms isn't "a group".

Sorry guys....we'd have to have at least 15 rooms rented in order to qualify to keep the "group rate".