EXHIBITOR HOUSING POLICIES

Exhibitor Group Housing Expectations

  • Companies exhibiting at the AES Annual Meeting are expected to house their staff and vendor teams in the AES hotel block for at least 80% of the room nights needed by their staff and vendor teams.
  • To guarantee rooms, companies reserving a room block of nine or more rooms must provide occupant names for the room nights they are using by Tuesday, October 8, 2024. Rooms previously reserved that are not guaranteed with a name will be released for sale to AES attendees.
  • Companies must use and pay for at least 80% of the rooms they have guaranteed. If less than 80% of the guaranteed room nights are used, the company may be billed for unsold rooms up to the 80% guarantee threshold.

 

Group Housing

AES, a nonprofit organization, contracts with hotels near the convention center to ensure adequate sleeping rooms to support the AES Annual Meeting and to keep costs manageable for meeting attendees. This helps attract the target audience that is central to a successful exhibit hall and education program. 

Rooms in the AES block must be sold or AES will face attrition fees and meeting room charges that will increase costs for exhibitors and registrants the following year.  AES supports exhibitors needing large sleeping room blocks through:

  • Inventory availability: The American Epilepsy Society contracts with hotels years in advance on behalf of our exhibitors and attendees so sufficient housing is available. The mix of available hotel properties in our meeting markets often change between the time of signing and the time of our meeting. We ask companies needing large blocks to recognize that commitments made at the time the convention space was secured represented the best options available. AES is contractually obligated to honor them.
  • First-Pick System: Exhibitors are invited to select their 2024 hotel block based on their recognition level at the 2023 AES Annual Meeting. Companies in the top four recognition tiers (Benefactor, Leader, Partner, and Supporter) have first-pick opportunity, staged so each tier has a designated time window for selecting rooms before companies in the next lower tier are invited to request their blocks.
  • Housing Points: Exhibiting companies select their booth position on the exhibit floor in order of the number of priority points they have accumulated. Exhibitors may earn three priority points for using at least two rooms for two nights per room in the AES block for each one hundred square feet of booth space reserved. For example, to earn the three priority points, a 400 square foot exhibitor must use a minimum of 8 rooms for two or more nights per room for a minimum of 16 nights in the AES block. These rooms must be booked by Tuesday, October 8, 2024 to qualify for these points.
  • Blocks available where AES KOLs are staying: AES leaders and key opinion leaders are housed in the same locations where large exhibitor blocks are available. The buzz of the lobby, dining, bar, and elevator traffic in these locations encourages meaningful connection and adds immeasurable value for exhibitors.

 

Exhibitor Housing Requirements

Built into AES hotel contracts are minimum numbers of prime, competitively-priced sleeping rooms that help keep costs down for attendees, which helps attract the target audience for a successful exhibit hall. Rooms in the AES block must be sold or AES will face attrition fees and meeting room charges that will increase costs next year. AES requests that exhibitors with large blocks support the AES contracted hotels to limit exposure to unbudgeted and unnecessary costs. 

Exhibitors are expected to comply with these housing policies:  

  • 80% + in the AES block. AES expects exhibitors to use AES rooms for at least 80% of the room nights needed by their staff and vendor teams.  
  • Unsold rooms may lead to attrition charges for your company. Room block requests begin in June and continue throughout the summer. Exhibitors will be required to utilize at least 80% of the total room block (total nights, not rooms) they guarantee. Cancellations or room night reductions received after Tuesday, October 8, 2024 will be placed back in the AES room inventory for sale. If the room(s) do not sell and your company falls below the requirement to use at least 80% of the rooms you guarantee, your company may be charged the cost of each room night below the 80% threshold.
  • Changes after October 10. Exhibiting companies may change the names on their rooming list up to Friday, November 1, 2024.  
  • Hotel cancellation policies. In addition to the potential for attrition fees charged by AES if cancellations are received after Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the hotels themselves charge a cancellation penalty equal to one night’s room and tax for any rooms that are cancelled less than 72 hours in advance of arrival. 
  • Honor AES deadlines 
    • Monday, September 30 - Deadline for submitting room block request 
    • Tuesday, October 8 - Final rooming lists are due to guarantee your housing block. Any unused room nights (meaning no name has been provided) in your block will be released back into inventory. If you release (cancel or reduced your block size) any room nights after 10/8/2024, the released room nights will be considered room nights not picked up when calculating the 80% room pick-up threshold.   
    • Friday, November 1 - Deadline to complete any occupant name changes in your rooming block 
    • Tuesday, November 26 - Your company will be charged a non-refundable deposit, equal to one night’s room and tax, for each room in your block. 

 

Housing Logistics

Maritz is the official housing and registration partner for the 2024 AES Annual Meeting. Any housing and registration information for exhibitors will be sent by Maritz to the contact of record (COR) provided by your company or organization when you selected your booth. Some general housing and registration information is included in the monthly exhibitor newsletter, but only the contact of record will receive instructions on how to register and secure housing. If you need the name of your company’s contact of record, please email  jsearle@aesnet.org.  

Avoid Housing Scams!

Beware of housing scams. All housing in the AES room block is reserved through our housing partner, Maritz Global Events. AES works with Maritz to provide hotel reservation services for individuals, groups, and additional services for international attendees. Maritz is the only approved registration and hotel partner. Hotel offers from unaffiliated companies may appear to offer lower rates. However, they may be fraudulent, have unreasonable cancellation or change penalties, or be completely non-refundable. AES is unable to honor or assist with registrations or hotel reservations made through any other party or organization. If you are unsure if you are on the official AES housing website contact info@aesnet.org.