We often talk about the myriad skills that a PCO has to master in order to be an effective partner to an association or company holding a conference. One skill that is often under-rated is managing room blocks.

A lot of research, promotion and time needs to be spent to ensure the expectations of delegates, conference hosts, organisers and hotels are all met. Years ago we realised that in order to develop a strong relationship with the hotels, which would in turn benefit our clients, materialisation of the initial room block was paramount. We invested in getting the experts to work with our staff and develop a system. This system and the accommodation department that has resulted are a great enhancement to the Tour Hosts’ suite of services.When talking to clients early on in our relationship, we need to uncover an accurate picture of what accommodation needs will be.

Often it may seem that a conference for 5000 will deliver thousands of room nights, but will it? How many people will actually stay in hotels and what type of accommodation will they require? The answers don’t mysteriously appear and the blocks and bookings don’t fill up just because the conference is coming to town! We’ve discovered that not only does a lot of research need to take place to accurately predict where and how much to book, but a lot of promotion needs to happen to ensure the room take-up. We’ve discovered that with the emerging internet booking trends and other competing factors, the PCO needs to vigorously promote the hotels throughout the conference lead-up.

Our success has not come from a magic formula, but from an investment in time, people and the knowledge gained to produce results. Holding significant numbers of rooms in busy periods that are not taken up is a costly exercise for the hotels. We don’t always get it right, however we are tracking around 90 per cent materialisation, which the hotels tell us is extremely strong. Australia is a popular destination for international conferences. In the past there was support from major commercial entities for conference hosts. The airlines offered support, but that no longer exists. In a tightening commercial market where all businesses have to be driven by results, not the promise of results, the PCO’s relationships, knowledge and hard work is key to ensuring the hosts’ expectations are delivered.

Roslyn McLeod is the founder and managing director of Tour Hosts, a Sydney-based conference and event management company.

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