O & S Scale Midwest Show Ending It's Run

Inflation is temporary. But I don't see how hotel room or banquet hall rates are affected by it. Restaurants sure, but can a hotel cheeseburger get any higher?

Hotels now clean rooms less often on long stays and they are paying the same mortgage payments before inflation; so, neither is affected by it.

I think that given the Losses due to the pandemic they are trying to cover those with every room rented!

Alan, we have to remember:

When the cost of fuel goes up, the cost of everything that a hotel needs to buy goes up. 

When the cost of fuel goes up, the cost of most manufactured goods go up.

The cost of meat and food in general has sky rocketed in the last year.

And, in many cities, minimum wage is being increased to $15 per hour.

So, I would tend to believe that the hotels are getting hit hard.

Mannyrock

@Allegheny posted:

Well if the mega hotels don't want the business then so be it.

Other alternative venue sites would be large Masonic, church or school halls.  Overnight stays can be arranged with a local hotel for lower room rates.

No one says it needs to be at a mega hotel - a small local one will do just a well and probably much more appreciative of the business.

Business is business and eventually these large hotels will need need additional revenue streams to keep their doors open.   

They have seasonal issues like most business, so when things are slow is when they will be much more cooperative.

Just give it sometime.

The problem is space.  Most other alternatives do not have 10,000-20,000 sq ft.  The alternatives that do, present other problems.

@J Musser posted:

Funny - lots of people going to these shows and dropping $$$ on a chunk of brass, but with all the cheapskates commenting re the hotel costs, no wonder they are throwing in the towel.    You can negotiate with larger hotels and get the meeting space/rooms free, if you can get whatever number of room nights filled you negotiated.  But if people are finding cheaper hotels nearby, that sort of blows the whole thing, which is why the organizers encourage you to stay at the event hotel.  I doubt profit, if there was any, is any motivation for organizers here, but speaking from experience, the stress over a bunch of people you are spending countless hours, planning an event for, finding “cheaper” lodgings elsewhere will make you pull your hair out. (Sometimes calling you up and wasting more of your time asking if you can recommend a cheaper hotel)   If you are traveling to an O Scale 2 rails show to do more than shoot the sh_t, you can afford a decent hotel room.  

Free space is a thing from the past.   What you have today is Event Space Rental plus Room Commitment.  In the case of the March Meet, we face another financial threat.  if we do not consume 85% of the room block, not only do we have to compensate the hotel to make up difference for the rooms, but we also face an increased daily rental fee for the event space.  So far things are looking pretty good for the March Meet, but it wouldn't take too much to loose a lot of money, which is ultimately why nobody else was willing to grab this thing and move forward.

I can see Brad's point.

Other facilities many not have large enough parking lots, with room for the trailers being hauled.  Or large enough double doors to let everything get in or out.   Many churches have their largest gathering areas in the basement, with a single set of steps going up and down, so that dealers wouldn't be able to haul their stuff in and out.  Or restrictive occupancy limits or only one or two sets of bathrooms.  Or not enough outlets, amps or lighting in a room to handle the needs. 

I see that some large churches only have two ways in and out of the parking lot, right out onto a public suburban street.

Interesting suggestion about public schools, because they may have the size and facilities.  Yet, their insurance restrictions and school board regulations may prohibit commercial activity that is unrelated to public education.  State laws may even prohibit it.

I have seen Masonic buildings and Halls in some large and small cities in the South, but I typically see only a small side parking lot adjacent to them.  Maybe things are different in the mid- West?

I can understand why these types of details would be a nightmare to try to deal with.

Mannyrock