There have been a lot of exciting changes within the last few years for TETA and TheatreFest! Our members have been working hard for change, and our wonderful Board of Directors has been listening and supporting those changes! My apologies for the length of this note, but it is imperative that you read it and respond.
This is my 6th Convention as a leader for TheatreFest. My first was back in 2006 observing Kris and Betsy host a fabulous Convention in Austin. They were masters as Convention Directors, and taught me a lot. Many aspects of Convention has changed since 2006, but some have not.
I have been given the challenge of finding a host hotel and city for TheatreFest 2017, and have been working with a service organization named Helms-Briscoe. This organization spent years assisting the ever so talented Amy Jordan and Thespians, with great success.
As we looked for a host hotel over the last few months, here are the parameters by which we searched:
· Our members want to all stay in one hotel. Therefore, we need up to 600 rooms per night.
Rational: The thought has prevailed since 2006, that our membership is a family. We like running into each other at the same hotel. We also like to network after hours. If members are located at other hotels other than the one, they would not be motivated to drive to and attend the Convention.
· We do not want to have TheatreFest at a Convention Center separate from the hotel.
Rational: At Conventions past, having TheatreFest at a separate location from the Convention site drove attendance at the workshops down. Participants went to the Galleria Mall or just did not drive to the Convention Center due to rain.
· We need a performance space that can hold up to 1500 to 2000 participants.
Rational: Starting in 2007 or 2008, TETA began a Legends series, and we wanted everyone to have a chance to see artists like Angela Lansbury.
· We want to return to a Wednesday-Saturday schedule and move away from Thursday-Sunday.
Rational: Attendance on Sundays are always light because participants want to return home and relax prior to work on Monday. Ending the Convention on a Saturday allows for more programming. Gene Dickey always said that starting the Convention on Wednesday will drive up room costs.
· TETA spends about $45,000 in food and beverage.
Rational: There really is little rational for this. It is just our budget for all catered events.
· We want to keep the room price as low as possible, but no more than $195 (standard increase from the $185 we paid this year).
Rational: Even with sharing rooms, $195 is really far too expensive on an educator’s budget! However, it is the going rate.
· Our members want to eventually break the Dallas/Houston chain and return to Austin/San Antonio. We DO NOT want to return to the Houston Downtown Hyatt Regency.
Rational: Although, consistently, Houston has the highest attendance for TheatreFest followed by Austin and then Dallas, TETA has not been in a different city other than Houston and Dallas for 9 years. Members want a change.
As we began to get bids, here are the results:
· Most room rates were up to $229 per room (We asked for $195 limit)
· Food and Beverage set up to a minimum of $225,000 (we asked for $45,000)
o If we try and renegotiate a lower food and beverage amount, the cost per room goes up.
Needless to say, I was shocked! I asked Helms-Briscoe to contact the Austin Renaissance Arboretum and find out why they did not place a bid. She did so, and was told that TheatreFest was too large for them. They do not have a space large enough to seat 1500 to 2000, and only had about 450 rooms. I told Helms-Briscoe that they held the Convention for many years when attendance at TheatreFest was greater than what it is today. Come to find out, most hotels did not answer our call for bids for this reason. Only the “mega” hotels have a meeting space that large and over 600 rooms per night responded. That is why we are getting the outrageous bids.
I then remembered in 2006 when we were at the Renaissance, we sold out of rooms, and you had to reserve early, and we did not have the Legends series (no need to seat that many Convention participants).
Recently, however, we have received another bid from a non-mega hotel (rated 4 Star, 4 Diamond – Same as the “mega” hotels). They offered the following:
· $129 room rate
· $12,000 minimum in food and beverage
· Free parking (valet at other hotels charge $20 to $25 per day)
· Free Internet throughout the entire hotel (other hotels charge $10 per room per day, and Exhibitors $185 per day)
· A Convention Center attached to the hotel
· 428 room block per night, with other hotels less than 4 miles away
· Wed-Sat schedule
So, here we are folks. It is time to really find out what is most important in regards to hotels for our membership. Let’s separate the “myths” from the “facts.” The TETA Board needs to know what you think and want.
A. Higher priced rooms and all stay in one hotel
B. Lower priced rooms and most of us stay in the same hotel
Please let your voice be heard! Compete this survey by Jan. 12th.
Click HERE to take the TETA Hotel Survey.
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