An Important Alert from WBENC About Housing

"Pirates" and "Poachers"

When we secure sleeping rooms at hotels for our conferences (commonly referred to as room blocks), we research the properties to make certain that our attendees are adequately accommodated. These room blocks are established to ensure that rooms meet our standards and are offered at a discounted price.

We have been informed that some of the National Conference and Business Fair sponsors, exhibitors, and prospective attendees are being contacted by fax, e-mail or most often by phone with offers for cut rate housing. The intent is to convince you that the offer is made on our behalf, or that the soliciting company is a viable alternative to making hotel reservations at our contracted hotels through the official 2012 National Conference and Business Fair website (www.wbenc.org/wbencconf/hotel.php). This is not true.

If you provide your credit card information to one of these companies (commonly referred to as "housing pirates" or "housing poachers"), your card may be charged and you might not have a hotel room when you arrive in Orlando.

How it works

Room poaching is a practice carried out by third-party companies that act as travel agencies, wholesalers or destination management companies to solicit registrants for room reservations. The company obtains the contacts solicited from public information. The poacher might inform registrants that the hotel room block is “sold out,” and that if you do not book with them immediately, you may not get a room. Additional deceptive tactics include distributing forms or promotional materials that appear to be “official” (authorized by WBENC).

• Room poachers make it more difficult for us to meet our room block commitments, and expose us to penalties and increased room rates for our events.
• Room poachers often don’t deliver on promises to customers. When customers arrive, reservations are non-existent or the hotels are not conveniently located. Sometimes the rooms have been cancelled and hefty cancellation fees have been placed on the customer’s credit card.
• Poachers often represent themselves as being affiliated with us by illegally using our logo.

Remember: Unless you have initiated the communication, please do not provide anyone with your personal information, especially your credit card number.

How you can help

Don’t be misled! If you are contacted by anyone asking if you need a room for the National Conference and Business Fair, please get as much information as you can such as the name of the company, the person calling and their telephone number and pass it on to our event management team. Contact Stovell Marketing and Public Relations at 202-588-9875 or connie@stovellmarketingpr.com.