Chuck; I don't know what the current formula is with respect to credits the club receives for hotel rooms booked by club members at the host hotel ... but for the benefit of the newer club members I can safely say that in the past, the club received one complimentary hotel room for the duration of the convention for every 50 hotel rooms booked by the membership. If the membership didn't fill the necessary number of rooms, the club would have to pick up more of the hotel tab for the out of town club officers and key full-time convention committee chair volunteers. This, I believe is just one item meant by "supporting the club".

When the club first began holding conventions in Las Vegas, we had no previous track record that we could show positive proof to a potential host hotel what to expect as far as rooms booked by our organization goes and as a result we had to guarantee a minimum number of rooms booked.

Now after a dozen years holding our annual conventions in Las Vegas, we have a solid track record that can be offered when shopping for a future convention hotel site. We no longer have to guarantee a minimum number of rooms as our past track record proves our occupancy rate is adequate and we're now out of the room renting business. What we did have to guarantee in the past (and still do today) was/is the dollar amount spent with catering in order to qualify for the free ballroom bourse space and meeting rooms. I believe that magic number was in the neighborhood of $10,000. Between the coffee and donuts and soft drinks including coffee and tea at the various meetings, auction, and morning setups ... and the expensive early bird banquet ... we have met our obligation with catering.

As far as club members booking rooms at other properties ... that's to be expected. Some do it for economical reasons ... others do it because they receive comped rooms at other properties in town. Nothing wrong with that. However, those who think they are saving a few bucks by paying less staying somewhere else, have not considered the convenience of hopping on an elevator at the host hotel and going up to their room to shower and change clothes, or take a nap or trade chips with others, or to retrieve something they left behind when they came downstairs to the show ... or to bring something back upstairs to put in their room to store while at the show.

How about the non-collector spouse? Isn't it much more convenient to get together with other non-collectors a few floors above the convention floor ... or simply to take a break once in awhile in their hotel room upstairs? Convenience and comfort has to count for something... and sometimes it's well worth the little bit extra.

Convenience is why most club members stay at the host hotel ... in addition to supporting the club and boosting the occupancy rate for the club to bargain with for future convention considerations. Travelling back and forth to another hotel in the Nevada heat (don't forget ... Las Vegas is in the desert folks) via walking or sitting in stopped traffic ain't no fun.