LASCYPAA Hotel RFP

LASCYPAA Request For Proposal

This document is meant as a guide to assist Committees in securing a hotel contract agreement with a prospective hotel. The items included below are to be thought of as what would ideally be included in a contract. Each Host Committee should contact the Advisory Council Hotel Liaison for further guidance. Bidding cities should use this RFP as a guideline to acquire proposal(s) for

completion of their Bid Book. Further information is contained on the LASCYPAA website concerning Host Committee & Bidding requirements.

Contact Info

Group Profile

LASCYPAA, the Louisiana State Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous, is a conference owned and operated by a rotating committee of sober alcoholics within the state of Louisiana. Every year various cities within the state bid at the conference to host the next year’s conference in their prospective city. The weekend consists of panels, workshops, and speaker meetings where recovering alcoholics can share their experience about getting and staying sober. The peak nights also feature dances and entertainment. The

Conference is funded solely by the registration fees of the attendees, typically between $15‐‐‐$25 per person.

Timetable

2 Phased Decision Process

1. Involves multiple cities presenting bids to the LASCYPAA Advisory Council who will then make a decision as to who the next host committee will be.
2. A narrowing down to the local property that will be awarded the contract. Contract signed no later than January 5th of the year of the conference.

Meeting Dates 

Possible Dates: 

Peak night is Saturday night. Committee should select 4 date options.

Room Block

Room Types

20% Singles; 50% Doubles; 5% Triples; 25% Quads

Method of                    

Individual

Insurance

Host Committee will purchase liability insurance for conference dates in the coverage amount of no less than $500,000 per day.

Food & Beverage

No required functions

No food & beverage minimums

Cash sales work best for our group. Heavy impact on internal coffee houses Red Bull or other energy drinks should be stocked in house for cash sales.

Requested Concessions

Highlighted concessions are essential in order to secure the conference success.

• Complimentary meeting space based on attached Tentative Schedule of Events
•  No surcharges for triple or quad rooms
• Complimentary Coffee through the Hotel’s banquet services for attendees up to and not to exceed 100 gallons; free unlimited cold water and hot water for tea will also be provided at coffee stations.
• No F&B minimums (see Food and Beverage section).
• Reasonable room rate – historical average is $99 including luxury properties like Hotel Preston ($115), Peabody ($110).
• No resort fees or mandatory surcharges to cover the cost of amenities
• Establishment of direct billing or NET 30 terms.

Additional Concessions Requested

Even if concessions seem minute (for instance, notifying guests of smoking policy), including them in the contract will increase our chances of getting the conference.

• At a guest’s request, any mini‐‐‐bar liquor will be removed for a reasonable charge, not to exceed $25.
• One Complimentary Guest Room for every twenty five (25) utilized by attendees (of the event dates. Unused complimentary rooms will be credited towards (LASCYPAA).
• Eight (8) Complimentary Staff Rooms for Council.
• Group rate available three days prior to arrival and three days post departure.
• Free parking with in and out privileges, guests responsible for valet charges.
• At least one dedicated van to provide free airport shuttles on the primary arrival and departure date of the conference.
• Hotel agrees to hold a minimum of two (2) handicap accessible sleeping rooms for LASCYPAA attendees.
• Hotel agrees to allow Group, Group’s attendees, and Vendors to plug into and use all wall electrical outlets on a complimentary basis, without penalty or fee over the event dates.
• Hotel agrees to allow Group to use a third‐‐‐party, outside A/V Company without penalty or fee.
• Hotel agrees to allow Group, and Group’s contracted third‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐party outside A/V Company to plug into and use all wall power, and electrical panels and sub‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ panels supplying three‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ phase power via camlock connections  on a complimentary  basis, without penalty or fee over the event dates.
  
• Hotel will provide and setup Tables, Linens, Chairs, Easels, and Dance Floors from the hotel’s inventory on a complimentary basis, without penalty or fee.
• Complimentary Wireless Internet Access for up to 15 users in Group’s Registration/Merchandise Areas and in the Advisory Council’s boardroom over the event dates.
• Pool hours will be extended to 2am on peak nights.
• The Hotel will notify guests that smoking is not permitted in the Hotel and a charge will be levied against any individuals violating this policy.

Requested Language in Contract

Request that the following language be added to hotel contract.

Force Majeure

“The parties’ performance under this Agreement is subject to acts of God (including fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane or other natural disaster), war, invasion, rebellion, government regulation, threats or acts of terrorism or similar acts of hostility, disaster, epidemic, chemical or biological hazard, governmental travel advisories, strikes or other labor disputes (except those involving the Hotel’s employees or agents), civil disorder, curtailment of transportation facilities, interruption or failure of electricity or telecommunication service, or any other cause beyond the parties’ control, making it inadvisable, illegal or impossible to perform their obligations under the Agreement. Either party may cancel the Agreement for any one or more

of such reasons upon written notice to the other. In the event Group decides to hold its Meeting despite such circumstances,  the Hotel shall waive any fees related to a reduced‐‐‐sized Meeting (including any room attrition fees, function space rental, food and beverage attrition fees) and shall offer the Group’s guests any lower room rate offered to guests during the contracted dates.”

Joint Severability

Each party acknowledges that if either cancels or otherwise essentially abandons the planned use of the Room Night Commitment (a “Cancellation”), this action would constitute a breach of each party’s obligation to each other and both parties would be harmed. Because each party’s harm (and each party’s obligation to compensate the canceled party for that harm) is likely to increase if there is a delay in notifying each other of any Cancellation, both party’s agree to notify the other party, in writing, within five (5) business days of any decision to cancel. In addition, if a Cancellation occurs, the parties agree that:

1. it would be difficult to determine either party’s actual harm;
2. the sooner the party receives notice of the Cancellation; the lower its actual harm is likely to be, because the probability of mitigating the harm by reselling space and functions is higher; and
3. the highest amount in the chart (the “Chart”) set forth below reasonably  estimates each other’s harm for a last‐‐‐minute cancellation  and, through its use of a sliding scale that reduces damages for earlier cancellations, the chart also reasonably estimates each other’s ability to lessen its harm.

The canceling party agrees to pay the other, within thirty (30) days after any Cancellation, as

liquidated damages and not as a penalty, the amount listed in the Chart below:

Date of Cancellation Amount of Liquidated Damages Due

From date of signature to December 31st: $XXX,XXX (TBD)

From January 1st to Arrival Date $XXX,XXX (TBD)

If applicable, state and local taxes will be added to the amounts listed above.

Construction

Hotel warrants that there are no tentative or definite plans for hard renovation or other construction in the Hotel during Group’s dates. If Hotel’s renovation plans change, Hotel agrees to notify Group in writing within a reasonable time. Hotel agrees that such renovation or construction would be disruptive to Group, with such disruptions including, but not limited to: construction noise; change in hotel aesthetics; unavailability of food & beverage or retail outlets in Hotel; unavailability of motor vehicle parking; unavailability of valet ramp or bus loading and unloading zone; or unavailability  of Hotel swimming pool or athletic facilities. In the event Group suffers such disruptions,  the Hotel shall waive any fees related to a reduced‐‐‐sized Meeting (including any room attrition fees, function space rental, food and beverage attrition fees). If all such fees are already waived under the terms of this Agreement,  Hotel shall credit Group’s master account [an amount equal to the first chargeable tier in the meeting room sliding scale]. Additionally, Hotel shall offer the Group’s guests any lower room rate offered to guests during the contracted dates.

Room Block Accounting

“To ensure that all room nights are counted towards the Group, the LASCYPAA  Host Committee registration  chair will be permitted to compare the Hotel Guest List to the Conference Registration List prior to the settlement of the Master Account. Room nights will be credited towards the room block commitment  on a dollar for dollar basis. For instance, if the Group Rate is $129 and a guest booked at the non‐‐‐Group rate of $199, the full $199 will be credited towards the room block commitment, in the same fashion that liquidated damages are calculated by the hotel.”