- services
We approach housing as a collaborative partnership with our clients, their attendees, hotels and CVBs. This balance is critical to our success of building relationships with cities, hotel brands and properties as we execute “win-win” event contracting, housing and onsite management for our customers. We recognize that every client and conference is unique. We have clear and consistent time-proven procedures for managing the housing process and we tailor those processes to meet your event’s objectives and goals.
Proof is in the pick-up. We guarantee the highest hotel pick-up using our industry expertise and cutting edge tools. We are your "Connection” and pick-up where other housing companies leave off.
We have increased the majority of our groups' pick-up numbers within the first year of managing their housing process. Through our management of published rates, communication protocol on “housing pirates” and proactive exhibitor outreach, our clients see results in year one!
With more than 37 years of experience in hotel negotiation, meeting management and full service housing, we have strong relationships in all major US meeting, trade show and convention markets, as well as Canada, Mexico, South America, Asia and Europe. Our experts will negotiate the lowest possible hotel rates for your attendees while protecting your organization with our rock solid hotel contract templates. GroupMAX ME’s advance reporting engine allows us to customize reports and share and save templates with event and sub-block contracts as well analyze housing trends to help with future events.
We own and operate two Operations Offices – the East Coast Office is in Atlanta and the West Coast Office is in Las Vegas. Having offices on both the East and West coast certainly adds to our customer service capabilities and allows for redundancy as it relates to business interruption, crisis or inclement weather issues. Our Call Center is fully owned and operated by Connections Housing. We do not outsource any of our staff or service deliverables. Reservation agents are all Connections Housing employees.
Our job doesn’t end when your event starts. In fact, we’re just getting started. Our job is to oversee arrivals, assist attendees with housing concerns, verify staff/VIP room assignments, provide daily pick-up and no-show hotel reports, conduct post event room audits, meet with exhibitors and attendees to lock in attendance for your next event, assist attendees in sold-out or relocation scenarios, conduct final hotel bill review and open attendee housing for your next event.
Using our industry expertise and cutting edge technology, we will maximize your blocks and minimize attrition risk. Connections has also taken wait list management to the next level with WaitList2™ providing you with more options and a better overall experience.
Auditing can be done pre- and post-event. Our tireless approach to pre-and post audits result in more captured rooms to your block and less risk mitigation to your organization.
The Connections Housing event management strategy goes far beyond the basics. In addition to pre-planning and on-site management, we will also serve as the central communication channel and manager of your suppliers and service offerings while using our tried and true negotiation skills to produce first class events within your budget.
Connections has been using CVENT Passkey™ seamlessly for 19 years, providing one-stop online booking of rooms across one or many hotels, no matter the size of the event. We are a leader in technology, using our own proprietary in-house SmartBlock™ tool to streamline the sub-blocking process. No other Passkey provider has this exclusive tool!
By using SmartBlock™, you eliminate spreadsheet tracking and other database systems that do not integrate with CVENT Passkey™. This allows our clients to manage event requests, approve requests and assign suites and meeting space seamlessly.
It all starts with exhibitors. We get to know them, your attendees and VIPs. They learn to trust and depend on us on a personal level. No need to book directly with a hotel. We will develop a marketing plan suited for you, resulting in an economic impact for all and ultimately help to reduce your overall expenses. For some shows we will restructure the housing website to direct the flow of reservations to lagging hotels or mandate a minimum night stay at popular hotels. We also work with hotels to create incentives including double reward points, lower rates and other proven programs.
We keep our eye on the ball! Our clients include some of the largest youth sports events ranging in size from 100 to 100,000 attendees. We understand the needs for team housing for tournament events and will make sure your athletes have the best experience possible. We provide the most comprehensive sub-block management in the industry and promise to implement a Stay-To-Play policy to increase the economic impact of your tournament.
Connections Express™ offers custom strategic solutions for small to mid-size groups in sourcing, site selection and contracting. We’ve worked with thousands of hotels and destinations and will leverage those relationships to create the perfect solution for you. We can help alleviate some of your event planning stress by making sure you make the right choice with the location and hotel at the best possible price. We promise to:
When our clients have a need, Connections provides solutions. Housing is not the only service we bring to the table; we provide full travel services including:
Once a caller has made hotel reservations, our Call Center Agents are able to offer to make air and car reservations at special discounted rates. Our system allows for verification of the lowest available fares via retail fares, program negotiated fares and selected carrier web fares.
