7.0 Hotel Arrangements

7.1 Guest Rooms

7.1.1 Number of Rooms Required

The size of TexITE meeting is such that all out-of-town attendees can normally be accommodated in the same hotel where the meeting functions are held. The LAC should arrange for the hotel to set aside a sufficient number of rooms (i.e. "block of rooms") to accommodate the TexITE's expected needs. The Appendix provides information on the number of guest rooms set aside for and actually used at past TexITE meetings.

7.1.2 Rate Guarantees

In some markets, hotels will guarantee room rates 18 months or more in advance, and the LAC can secure such guarantees at the time the meeting bid is made. In other markets, it may not be possible to get an absolute guarantee until later (such as 12 months in advance). Even so, the LAC should attempt to obtain at the outset of discussions an assurance as to the maximum rates for guest rooms.

7.2 Complimentary Guest Rooms or Suites

Hotels will almost always provide some number of complimentary guest rooms or suites (comped rooms) for the organization's use provided that some agreed upon number of guest rooms are used by the meeting's attendees. The LAC should obtain written assurance as to the number of comped rooms that will be provided.

Comped rooms will be provided for (1) the TexITE President, (2) the LAC chair, and (3) the two candidates for International ITE Vice President for two nights of the meeting (typically Thursday and Friday nights). This is a total of eight room-nights. If this many roomnights are not comped, the additional cost for these rooms will be covered by the meeting budget.

7.3 Meeting Rooms

7.3.1 Number and Size of Rooms Required

Meeting room needs are typically as follows:

    1. Technical Sessions. Specific needs should be coordinated with the TexITE Vice President, who is responsible for the Technical Program. Typically, there will be two concurrent sessions on the afternoon of the second day (usually Friday) and the morning of the third day (usually Saturday). Each of the concurrent sessions will need a room set up as follows:
      • Theatre-style seating for an audience of the greater of 60% of the registrants or 150. A single, nonconcurrent technical session should be held in a room large enough to accommodate all registrants.
      • Lectern (with microphone) on a raised head table that will accommodate up to six speakers (in case of a panel discussion)
      • Large screen, preferably above and behind the head table. Both the audience and the speakers should have an unobstructed view of the screen.
      • Carousel-type slide projector with remote control at the lectern. The projector should be located such that neither it nor its cart obstructs the view of the screen or the speakers and such that the image can be projected over the heads of the audience.
      • Overhead projector on a separate cart.

The Vice President will advise the LAC chair of additional audio/visual needs, such as a computer projector or VCR/TV. At the present time, rental of presentation equipment (other than overhead and slide projectors) is quite expensive. The LAC should ask if local members are willing to lend equipment or ask the speaker to provide his/her own equipment.

The rooms for concurrent technical sessions should preferably be adjacent to each other. Technical session rooms should also be reasonably close to the rooms where other meeting functions are being held.

    1. Committee Meetings. During the time set aside for committees meetings, four to six committees will typically meet concurrently. The largest, usually the Technical Committee, will typically have 15 to 20 participants.

The usual procedure is to arrange for:

      • Two or three small meeting rooms, each set up to accommodate a single meeting involving up to 20 participants; and
      • At least one larger room set up to accommodate several different groups of 5 to 8 persons meeting concurrently. (Typically, this room will be arranged with round tables with eight chairs per table.)

The usual practice is to arrange for water pitchers and glasses to be placed on each table in the meeting rooms.

The LAC should confer with the Vice President regarding any special requirements for the committee meeting accommodations.

  1. Chapter Officers Meeting. The Chapter Officers Meeting typically has 15 to 20 participants. A single large table is usually arranged for the meeting.
  2. Executive Board Meeting. The Executive Board meeting typically has 15 to 20 participants. The LAC should confer with the President as to the specific requirements. Preferably, the Executive Board is in the same room as the Chapter Officers Meeting.
  3. Exhibit Space. See section 4.1.4.

7.3.2 Requirements for Complimentary Use

Hotels will almost always provide meeting rooms on a complimentary basis (i.e., no direct charge to TexITE) provided that some agreed-upon minimum number of guest rooms are reserved and used by the meeting's attendees. The catering cost may also impact the complimentary use of the meeting rooms. Accordingly, it is very important:

  • That all conditions for the complimentary use of meeting rooms be spelled out explicitly during the initial negotiations with the hotel; and
  • To stress, in the pre-meeting mail-outs, that registrants should identify that they are with the TexITE meeting when they make their room reservations.

7.4 Meal Functions

7.4.1 Room and Menu Requirements

    1. Kick-Off Luncheon

The head table should be elevated and have a lectern with microphone at the center. The following persons are typically seated at the head table:

      • TexITE President,
      • TexITE Vice President,
      • TexITE Secretary-Treasurer,
      • TexITE Immediate Past President,
      • Five TexITE Section Representatives (two of whom will also be Chair and Vice Chair of District 9),
      • District 9 International Director,
      • ITE President and/or Executive Director (if attending),
      • Keynote Speaker,
      • Mayor, City Manager, etc. (if attending), and
      • LAC Chair.

The LAC should confer with the TexITE President regarding the desired seating order at the head table. Place cards are typically made for each position at the head table.

The other attendees are typically seated at round tables with eight chairs per table. One place card for a student can be placed at each table to encourage student/professional interaction. The room must be large enough to accommodate comfortably the expected number of attendees. It is also very desirable for the room to be large enough to accommodate extra tables in the event last-minute registration exceeds expectations.

Past experience has been that the Kick-Off Luncheon meal should be served at the tables as opposed to buffet style. With the former format, the meeting agenda (head table introductions, etc.) can begin almost immediately. With buffet style format, it has been found impractical to begin the meeting agenda before everyone has been through the serving line.

Visual aids (slide projector and screen, for example) are usually not required at the Kick-Off Luncheon, but the speaker should be consulted with in advance to be sure.

    1. Business Luncheon

The head table should be elevated and have a lectern with microphone at the center. The persons seated at the head table are typically:

      • TexITE President,
      • TexITE Vice President,
      • TexITE Secretary-Treasurer,
      • TexITE Immediate Past President,
      • Five TexITE Section Representatives,
      • District 9 International Director,
      • ITE President and/or Executive Director (if attending), and
      • LAC Chair.

The LAC should confer with the TexITE President regarding the desired seating arrangements at the head table. Place cards are typically made for each position at the head table.

The other attendees are typically seated at round tables with eight chairs per table. One place card for a student can be placed at each table to encourage student/professional interaction. The room must be large enough to accommodate comfortably the expected number of attendees. It is also very desirable for the room to be large enough to accommodate several extra tables in the event last-minute registration exceeds expectations.

Past experience has also been that it is preferable for the Business Luncheon meal to be served at the tables as opposed to buffet style. (The Business Luncheon is sufficiently less formal than the Kick-Off Luncheon that buffet style can be considered in the event of a substantial difference in meal price. Any such options should be discussed with the Executive Board at the time the preliminary budget is considered.)

7.4.2 Menus and Meal Prices

The LAC has complete discretion as to menus. Provisions should be made with the hotel for individuals with special diets (vegetarian, etc.).

Effort should be made to keep the ticket prices for the Kick-Off and Business luncheons in line with the prices for those events at other recent TexITE meetings.

7.4.3 Attendance Guarantee Requirements

Hotels almost always impose the requirement that the minimum number of meals to be paid for be guaranteed in advance, often as much as one week prior to the event. The hotel will charge TexITE for this number of meals even if actual attendance is less; usually, however, the hotel will also agree to be prepared for and serve up to some number of additional meals (typically 10%) without additional charge.

All hotel policies concerning meal guarantees should be discussed and clearly understood at the time of initial negotiations.

The LAC may wish to note on the registration form that meals can not be guaranteed if a registration is received after a specific date, such as one week before the meeting.

7.4.4 Other Considerations

Other important considerations to be agreed upon relative to meals include:

  • Room size and set-up
  • Exact menus and prices
  • Whether or not all taxes and gratuities are included in the stated prices
  • Whether or not the stated prices include such items as table decorations
  • Number of waiters to be provided per table or per meal to be served

7.4.5 Group Breakfasts

Although less common in recent years, one or more groups of members may desire to have a group breakfast. The hotel will usually be willing to set aside a couple of small meeting rooms for possible use by such groups on short notice (i.e., the hotel will usually not impose any guarantee requirements since they would most likely have no other demand for the rooms during the 7 to 8:30 A.M. time period.)

7.5 Registration Area

The registration area should be:

  • Conspicuously located;
  • Conveniently located with respect to the technical sessions, HPG exhibit area, and other in-hotel activities of the meeting; and
  • Physically separate from the registration area of any other meeting taking place in the hotel.

The most important consideration, however, is that the area be large enough and be adequately furnished for TexITE’s purposes. A typical arrangement is to have several "stations" such as: (1) Pick up and fill out forms; (2) pay cashier; (3) pick up event tickets; (4) pick up name tags; and (5) pick up other information, such as location information, tour brochures, etc.

A phone should be available at the registration desk. A meeting bulletin board should also be provided in the registration area.

It is very important to obtain assurance that the registration area will be available to TexITE for all three days of the meeting.

7.6 Miscellaneous Matters

7.6.1 Parking

Even in the larger cities, most hotels in Texas provide free parking for hotel guests. Parking fees, if any, should be clearly understood in advance, however. Also, HPG members sometimes desire to display vehicular equipment (e.g., bucket trucks, trailermounted signs, etc.). Efforts should be made to secure advance permission for such equipment to park in an area convenient to the technical session area.

7.6.2 Marquee Identification

Most hotels will post on the marquee the name of the organization (such as "Welcome, Texas Section Inst. of Transp. Engineers"). The wording and the abbreviations to be used should be agreed upon in advance.

7.7 Importance of Written Agreement

Either a formal contract should be entered into with the hotel or a letter of agreement should be obtained. This document should put into writing all verbal understandings with respect to: exact meeting dates; menus, meal prices, taxes, gratuities, meal guarantee requirements, and procedures to be used to count the number of meals served; number, size, and set-up of meeting and function rooms and conditions for their complimentary use; registration area location, furnishings, and times of use; complimentary guest rooms or suites; the availability of hospitality suites; the number of guest rooms to be held for TexITE's use, the guaranteed group rates for those guest rooms, the time period during which these rooms will be held, and the time period during which the guaranteed rates will be honored; parking; marquee identification; etc.

When estimating the number of attendees, particularly for the meals, it is often easier to give the hotel representative a low estimate, then increase it later as necessary. Reducing the number of meals after the initial contract is signed may significantly increase costs.

NOTE: It is extremely important that this document be in writing. Hotel personnel (or even the ownership) may change one or more times before the meeting, and verbal agreements made by others may not be honored.

All contracts and agreements shall be reviewed by the Contract Review Committee and approved by the TexITE President or Vice-President. The TexITE President or Vice-President shall sign the contract for the section. The Contract Review Committee consists of the LAC chairs of the last three TexITE meetings, an HPG representative, and the TexITE president.