Beware of Hotel Room Block Poachers

Posted by Cat Virca in Planning, Tips, Trends

Hotel room block poaching is best defined as paying for hotel rooms that do not really exist. Companies advertise fraudulent hotel rooms with the purpose of scamming unsuspecting trade show attendees.

Hotel room block poaching is a major problem in Las Vegas and has steadily increased throughout the United States over the past 5 years. Poaching negatively effects trade shows because it deters guests from registering and attending events. According to the article, “Has Your Show Been Targeted by Hotel Room Block Poachers?” by Rachel Wimberly, workgroups such as the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) have been formed to create awareness and protect people from hotel room block poaching. The APEX Room Block Poaching Workgroup has developed best practices tools and resources  to limit poaching.

How to spot hotel room poachers

• The lowest price available is probably too good to be true
• Companies soliciting hotel rooms for your upcoming event are probably fraudulent
• Only book hotel rooms with the official partners of the event or trade show
• Additional and/or suspicious fees are usually a sign of fraud
• Trust your instincts

Keep in mind that some hotel room block poachers may look official, but really aren’t. Consult your management company, venue, and additional resources available to ensure the booking company is legitimate. Additional information about poachers can be found at SEMICON West and AudiologyNOW.

Read more in an excerpt from the article.

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Meeting planners are being asked to take an APEX survey on how their events have been impacted by hotel block ‘poaching’. The survey is open until April 29.

In order to combat the poachers, Schur said they have several strategies in place, including listing all of the companies who have previously approached attendees to warn people beforehand; working with their housing company Wyndham Jade and sending out an eblast once a quarter reminding people only to book with the show’s official housing company; and sending out a slew of cease-and-desist letters.

“I told our lawyer he should just give me a letter with his letterhead,” Schur joked.

He added the only way he and his team can figure out that the poachers are getting contact info is through the show’s online floorplan that list exhibitors’ information. One tactic they are considering is to have a passcode for people to view the floorplan.

“We are doing everything we can to warn people about this,” Schur said.
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Read the full article.