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Lodging

Many people will will be attending from out of town or even out of state. To make things easier for people we usually reserve a block of rooms at 1 or 2 hotels near the venue. Terms of block reservations vary between hotels, so it's important to know what those terms are.

Information the hotels would like to know#

How many rooms on what days?

For the traditional format of a 4-day conference our bloks looks like the following:

  • Wednesday -
  • Thursday (Training) -
  • Friday (session) -
  • Saturday (session) -
  • Sunday (contrib day) -

Other Information

  • What DrupalCorn is. Mention our 501(c)(3) status and that we've been doing this since 2012.
  • Where the venue is. Perhaps they have a shuttle or ideas how to get people to to and from the event.
  • Let them know our guests will likely want to use internet access in their rooms
  • Any other rooms we may want. Eg. A small conference room to have a game night.

Questions for the hotels#

Is there a cost to us to reserve rooms?

It is important to know if the hotel is going to charge for the block or if certain minimums are not met the hotel may charge. Usually it's best to be able to avoid paying for the block.

Can we add extra perks for our guests?

Some things to consider could be be upgrading to premium Wi-Fi, free breakfast, or a free drink. Sometimes there's a charge, sometimes they are willing to give them at no cost. Make sure they know you are shopping.

How is the Wi-Fi?

Having good Wi-Fi is essential to our attendees. Ask about how other similar events went with Wi-Fi. Do speed tests for the free and premium tiers of Wi-Fi in the lobby and guest rooms that are away from the lobby.

When will the block close?

Usually, for free blocks, there is a cutoff date for room reservations in the block that is few weeks before the first day of the block.

What are the details for their communal space?

Does the lobby close at a certain time? If they have a bar or restaurant, what are those hours? Our guests do enjoy the social activities.

What are the details for conference room rental?

If we're interested in reserving a conference room for an evening activity, we'll need to know details. Hours, cost, outside food, etc.