Dear Members:
As of today at 1 p.m., here is the latest on the NABJ-NAHJ room reservations.
Per yesterday’s note, The Omni Shoreham overflow hotel, adjacent to the Marriott is open. We expect rooms to go fast there as well. Call 800-843-6664 (800-THE-OMNI). The rates are $189 per night.
Except for a few scattered rooms on a few days, the Marriott Wardman is now sold out of our expanded room block. **(See below)
We are considering the feasibility of one more overflow hotel and will notify you “if,“ we add it to our convention portfolio.
Why the sellout?
Our organizations are rapidly growing, and our media partners are coming in STRONG!
After adding additional rooms, we have now increased our room block to more than 48% higher than what NABJ had in Miami and 71% more than at the joint NABJ-NAHJ convention in 2016 at the Wardman. These are signs of growing interest in our organizations. Record hotel reservations and the unprecedented engagement of our partners are very positive signs.
Examples of partner/sponsor engagement:
- One company is booking 75 (seventy-five) rooms for members and management staff.
- Other companies are booking between 5 (five) and 50 (fifty) rooms for members and management staff.
- Some companies have purchased 18 (eighteen) exhibit booths and are building recruitment compounds. Others are doubling the size of their exhibit hall recruitment footprint.
- Quite a few companies have already signed partnership agreements designed to provide all levels of training to our members.
The momentum is very real! Good luck with reservations today, if you have yet to secure a room!
** Please note that you may get a “not available message” when you book online at the Marriott. Per yesterday’s message, if you book online and you, for example, request July 7-12 and EVEN ONE of those dates are not available, the online system will not process your request. You will need to contact the Wardman Hotel to find out which nights are open and decide your options.
You can find the Wardman’s contact information here:
Thanks,
Drew Berry
NABJ Executive Director