01/04/2022

New Meetings Contracts for a New Era

Many are looking at their meeting contracts differently

Among the many things the pandemic has taught associations is the importance of contract negotiation. In the midst of 2020’s in-person event cancellations—and the often steep penalties that came along with them—associations have been forced to be savvier about what’s in their contracts with hotels and venues and to more thoughtfully revisit agreements that they may have made before COVID-19.

Jeffrey Tenenbaum, managing partner of Tenenbaum Law Group, said an association’s leverage will depend on its size and potential to deliver event audiences in the future. But no association should accept a cancellation charge without a discussion, said Eileen Morgan Johnson, CAE, partner at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston.

“We’ve had a few clients that say, ‘We’ll just pay the penalties and be done with it,’ but we don’t advise that,” she said. “You can say, ‘We would much rather book with you for another year out, whenever the next availability is.’ Some venues are willing to do that.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.