Par Avion Remedies Attrition
with Ground-Breaking Solution
A Q&A with Toby Brenner, CEO, Par Avion Meetings & Conventions
For USAE News, January, 2006
Question:
Thanks for taking some time to chat with us. First off, tell us a little about your company, Par Avion Meetings & Conventions.
Answer:
We specialize in providing integrated convention housing, registration and travel packages for both corporate and association clients. For the last 20 years, we’ve presented a complete menu of services including site selection, hotel contracting, call center support, reservations, attrition management, on-site assistance, airline and car rental, transportation and tour packaging. We’ve helped clients significantly increase meeting room count, reduce or eliminate attrition fees and greatly improved customer satisfaction. We also have a dynamic management team focused on customer service at our headquarters in Los Angeles.
Question:
You mentioned attrition management. It’s widely known that for event organizers and hotels, attrition and attrition fees are one of the most significant problems in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. Can you elaborate?
Answer:
Yes, attrition happens when an event organizer contracts with a hotel to fill a certain amount of hotel rooms during an event and then is unable to fill the rooms because not enough event attendees book their hotel rooms through the event organizer. Attrition can create financial and logistical problems for event planners and hotels. It can create undue stress and direct financial hardships for both parties. Research shows that attrition fees and damages are an escalating problem.
Question:
Par Avion recently launched a new program to help companies deal with attrition. Tell us about the program.
Answer:
The new program is called Attrition Solutions and essentially it’s an answer to a high-profile problem within the conference and travel industry. Attrition Solutions can reduce or eliminate financial risk and alleviate the strain between event organizers and their hotel partners, after attrition has become a problem. Through the program, we can provide a potential solution for up to 100 percent of the liability for the attrition costs of hotel room blocks.
Question:
How did you come up with the idea for Attrition Solutions?
Answer:
Following the events of 9/11, we had a number of clients that needed to postpone or cancel events. Par Avion was able to step in and facilitate the brokering of some of its client’s room liabilities. In the end, we recognized that there was a market for the distribution of these attrition liabilities, and the idea for Attrition Solutions was born.
Question:
What are the benefits for an event organizer, association or hotel when utilizing Par Avion’s Attrition Solutions program?
Answer:
The program offers many benefits to the hotel and the event organizer. The hotel benefits by potentially collecting 100 percent of the liability and avoiding steep litigation expenses. The event organizer or association benefits by significantly reducing or eliminating attrition fees and satisfying contractual obligations with the hotel. Both parties maintain goodwill and a strong relationship.
Question:
Is there any risk for an event organizer when using the Attrition Solutions?
Answer:
No. There are only benefits to Par Avion’s Attrition Solutions program. An association, hotel or event organizer can call us when attrition becomes and problem and we’ll work with them to find the best solution.
Toby Brenner is president and CEO of Par Avion Meetings and Conventions. E-mail her at tobyb@paravion-inc.com. To inquire about the Attrition Solutions program, call Par Avion at 800-826-5977 or e-mail attrition@paravion-inc.com. Par Avion can be found online at www.paravion-inc.com.
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