Help Ensure the NSBP/NSHP Conference is a Financial Success
Book Your Lodging Early

NSBP has negotiated a block of rooms with the Nashville Renaissance for both student and non-student participants.  But these rooms must be booked by January 18, 2009, our “cut-off date” in hotel industry parlance.  If rooms in our block are not booked by then they will be released back into the general inventory where other conferences and travelers can buy them.  These other conferences may already be running a room shortage, and they would surely standing by to snatch up the released rooms at the very second that the hotel makes them available.  The result may be that when late registrations for our conference come in, there may be no accommodations left. 

Beyond that unpleasant result, there are significant costs to the organization associated with not fulfilling the negotiated room block, that is, if the number of rooms sold is less that the number we guaranteed in the contract.  In the hotel convention business these costs are called “attrition”.  For a convention group like NSBP, attrition is money down the drain, and having to pay it seriously curtails the extent to which we would be able offer support to conference participants as well as do other programs throughout the year.

NSBP handles the hotel bookings for certified student participants directly.  This is the best way for us to control costs and maintain a solid negotiating position. Students seeking travel support from NSBP to attend the conference should not make their own travel reservations.  Because there are several steps that a student has to complete before travel support can be granted, students should not wait until the cut-off date to start the process.  

Through very careful planning, NSBP has been able to avoid attrition.  In fact we have been in the position of overselling our block, thus scrambling to find extra rooms.  Though stressful, especially as the conference opening date comes upon us, this is a much better position to be in compared to underselling and paying attrition. 

What you can do to help
Register for the conference early!
Make your hotel reservation early!  January 18, 2009 is our cut-off date
Make Your Reservation Now!

NSBP has negotiated a great contract with the Nashville Renaissance.  Nashville is a very popular conference destination.  Because of the other conferences that will be in town the same time that we are, people who register and make their hotel reservation late will have very few options. 

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake.  If you are sending students to the NSBP/NSHP conference please get them registered early and make sure that they take all the steps to get into our travel system. 

Thank you for your cooperation and support.  See you soon in Nashville.