1. GROUP RESERVATION ISSUE
TOPIC 5
GROUP RESERVATION ISSUE

2. Although group reservation procedures are usually relatively simple, a number of problems may develop.
Conventions and Conferences
A close working relationship between the hotel's sales staff and the group's meeting planner is one of the critical elements of hosting a successful convention or conference. If good communication and a spirit of cooperation are established early on, many problems can be avoided.

3. Convention
Large conventions sometimes require the use of rooms at more than one hotel to accommodate all the convention attendees. Often, room requirements at several hotels may be coordinated by a separate housing or convention bureau. Each hotel must determine the number and type of available rooms it is willing to commit for convention use. The objective of the bureau is to accommodate all attendees by coordinating hotel availabilities with reservation requests. On a daily basis, the housing/convention bureau will communicate reservation requests to the hotels involved. In return, each hotel informs the bureau of any requests or cancellations communicated directly to the property. Through such exchange of information, the bureau should be able to help each hotel manage its convention block.

4. Tour Groups
Tour groups typically are groups of people who have had their accommodations, transportation, and related travel activities ar- ranged for them. Hotels should be especially careful to research the reliability and past performance of tour operators and travel agents. Once acquainted with a tour operator's history, reservations agents can feel more secure when blocking and booking reservations for a tour group.

5. Potential Reservation Problems
Some steps of the reservations process are more inclined to error than others. If reservations agents are aware of these trouble spots and know how to avoid them, mistakes will be less likely. Some common problems are listed here.

6. Errors in the Reservation Record
·     A reservations agent records the wrong arrival or departure date, misspells the guest's name, or mistakenly reverses first and last names (e.g., Mohit Ray might be recorded as Ray Mohit).
·          A caller making a reservation for another person is mistaken for the guest and the caller's name is entered on the reservation record, or the caller inadvertently gives his or her own name.
To avoid such problems, after recording information obtained during a telephone call, the reservations agent should read it back to the caller for confirmation. Taking this basic care can be especially important to hotels catering to international travelers. Not being able to access a reservation record can prove disastrous to a hotel-guest relationship.

7. To avoid such problems, reservations agents should make every I effort to understand what the guest needs and to explain what various terms mean at their particular property. After accepting a reservation, agents should repeat and confirm the exact nature of reserved accommodations, in addition to stating the hotel's general reservation policies and procedures.
Miscommunications with External Reservation Systems

8. A central reservation system serving several hotels in the same city books the guest into the wrong hotel; for instance, an airport rather than a mid-city property.
 A system that handles hotels in similarly-named cities books the guest into a hotel in the wrong city.
To avoid such problems, the reservations agent should furnish the guest with the name and address of the property at which a reservation has been made. When a reservation center books rooms in more than one 'I hotel in the same city, a thorough description of the hotel's location can be helpful.

9. Central Reservation System Failures
The hotel fails to update the system on room availability and rate changes in a timely fashion.
The reservation system is slow in informing the property of reservations accepted.
Communications equipment, at either the reservation system or the hotel, suffers mechanical problems.
The hotel closes communications with the system too early or too late. .

10. To avoid such problems, reservations agents must be aware of the need for accurate and timely communication between the hotel and the central reservation system.
When notifying the central system to close reservations for a certain date, the hotel must try to identify any reservations accepted by the central system but not yet delivered. Faulty equipment at either end of the communication channel may cripple the entire reservations process.
Attention must be given to ensuring a sound working relationship with the central reservation system

11. Group Reservations
Conducting a reservation request for a group shall be treated differently than accommodating a reservation of individual guests (i.e. Frequent Independent Traveler). The main reason is that individual reservation requests are treated by the reservation department, while group reservations are initiated by the Sales & Marketing Division, and finalized through a careful coordination of the reservation from one hand and the marketing on the other. Below is a detailed procedure of how group reservation, in a typical hotel, is conducted

12. .      A group representative, a member of the travel agency or the tour operator, not individuals, shall communicate group reservations' request to the hotel's marketing department
2.      Upon availability, the hotel's reservation department shall block the requested number of rooms for this very group
3.      The Hotel shall give a deadline for the group, in order to receive their final list. That deadline is called Cut-off Date.
4.      After receiving the final list, the reservation department shall change the desired number of rooms' status from blocked to booked (or reserved) rooms, and release the remaining rooms (if any left) as vacant for sale.

13. 5.      If the hotel did not receive the final list by the cut-off date, then the reservation department has all the right to cancel the group reservation and release all the initially booked rooms into vacant rooms. However, management shall use this right with precautions especially when it comes to groups reserving from travel agencies and tour operators of which the hotel is frequently servicing.
Although group reservation procedures are usually relatively simple, a number of problems may develop.

14. Conferences have speakers, not always discussions
Conferences have speakers, not always discussions. Be prepared to take notes on your laptop, tablet, phone, or if you’re still in practice, pen and paper. Throughout the conference you will hear from keynote speakers, guest speakers, and other industry leaders. Conferences provide an opportunity to learn from thought leaders of your trade, but aren’t always a good place for conversation. While many conferences provide breakout sessions, they usually focus on having the attendees learn from speakers or through activities. With conferences, take good notes and share what you learned with your colleagues upon your return.

15. Why attend: At conferences, you will hear from leaders in your field who have navigated many of the same challenges you do in your daily job. They have successfully overcome some of the obstacles you face and share how they did it. Conferences spark new insights into lingering questions and renew excitement about the work you do. Often, they help you solve problems that you couldn’t figure out on your own, and you can network with other like-minded individuals. Make sure to use this helpful checklist below by Salesforce Pardot to effective plan ahead for your next conference

16. Why organize: If you have an underlying problem that exists in your field, a conference is a practical way to get like-minded professionals together to help solve the issue. Smart minds in your industry can get together, meet with you, and network with each other to learn and grow. Your reputation as a thought-leader will grow, and you will have a greater influence in your industry. While many conferences last multiple days, it is not a requirement. If you only have enough content for one day, or a couple hours, a conference can still be very beneficial to attendees. Make sure you can line up quality speakers, a meal or snack, and a productive activity to make your conference more effective.

17. Example of Conference & its Facilities