International Association Chiefs of Police
Christine Hart, CMP
Manager Conferences & Exhibits
hartc@theiacp.org
703-836-6767

The IACP has been able to book citywide conventions without signing attrition clauses in their contracts due to being able to provide good solid history on housing requirements, as well as developing good relationships with hotels’ national sales representatives, which gives IACP additional leverage. Further, IACP uses a lottery system for hotel booking. To participate in the lottery system, you have to be a member of the association and require 10 or more rooms on peak night. State associations and exhibitors are notified in advance of the housing policies and procedures. About 100 groups participate in the lottery system. The groups are invited to the host city to look at the sleeping rooms, meeting space, suites, etc. The association has about 40 that actually participate in the city tour. Then each group submits a spec. sheet listing their top 10 choices. They are then put into a lottery system. It is a six-month process that starts in November with soliciting, emails, mailings tour, and ends in March. IACP uses the lottery system because it enables the housing company to track each group’s pick up for history.

IACP also uses a third party, Travel Planners, to handle housing. The housing company monitors each group’s pick up closely. IACP negotiated being able to make name changes within the room block. Room deposits are not required, and cut off dates vary from hotel to hotel, usually 30 days or less. The housing company submits the rooming lists to each hotel according to the cut off date. The association leaves 3-5% of the hotel block open for individual call ins. The groups are told to reduce their blocks or release the rooms at least 3 months prior to the convention, so rooms can be resold.