Hotels more than accommodating
Military reunions generally have a couple of special requirements in terms of accommodations.
“They want a hospitality room that can be locked because of their memorabilia, and they like to be able to bring in their own food and beverage and alcohol,” said Greg Snell, convention sales manager for the Syracuse CVB.
In his city, nearly every hotel is happy to comply with the veterans’ needs. In fact, they go further than those elsewhere to assist the groups, he believes.
For example, in other cities, hotels might provide a hospitality room, but they won’t service it. In Syracuse, “they’ll replenish the ice in the hospitality room, supply glasses,” he said.
At Snell’s suggestion, most hotels in the city make a complimentary breakfast part of the package for military groups; several have developed early-bird dinner packages realizing that some veterans, particularly those who served in World War II or Korea, may not be up to going out for dinner.
A free activity that Snell can help set up are tours of the Carrier Dome, the 49,000-seat stadium that is home to major sporting events. Dome staff are happy to make presentations and sometimes have receptions.
800-234-4797
www.visitsyracuse.org
Being flexible pays off
The minute the Newport, R.I., CVB hears from a military reunion planner, Tim Walsh goes into action. His focus? Saving them money.
The segment is more flexible about dates, given that most attendees are retirees.
“If a group is looking at laste September, I can tell them, ‘Geez, if you bump it into the first or second week of October and arrive on a Sunday night, the hotel’s are going to love you,” he said. “We try to get them to drop back their dates in the spring or jump ahead in the fall.”
Walsh also recommends that military reunions look beyond hotels in downtown Newport. “I’ll ask them, ‘Were you aware that a mile from Newport, in Middletown, we have a number of select-service hotels?’” All have a meeting room of some sort; making that shift will result in a good drop in rates.
Walsh also has free activities to suggest: walks along the city’s Cliff Walk, star-gazing at the Norman Bird Sanctuary or a self-guided tour of famous churches, including the church where John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married and the church where Washington worshipped before he was a military general.
401-845-9132
www.gonewport.com
