[bc-gnso] Re: Involuntary Reservation change by Hilton Prague

[Steve Crocker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marilyn,

I think we can all understand and empathize with you and everyone who was 
affected by the hotel's pre-emptory movement of people.  It would definitely 
aggravate me too.

That said, it's a bit unfair to escalate this in to questioning confidence in 
ICANN.  We have all been to many, many conferences and know the difference 
between having the conference organizers negotiate a rate with a hotel and 
having the conference organizers actually handle the booking.  Except for the 
people ICANN is paying for, i.e. the staff and the Board, ICANN does not handle 
the booking for attendees and has never represented that it does so.  If we 
were to do, we would have to expand the meetings staff substantially and go 
into the travel business.

Nick's team does a first rate job of planning and following through.  As you 
have seen, he was on top of this as quickly as he heard about it, and I am sure 
he is doing whatever can be done to resolve the problem.

Steve



On Jun 2, 2012, at 12:26 PM, Marilyn Cade wrote:

> Nick, thanks for the immediate followup to my urgent notification to you that 
> Business participants who used the ICANN link to the Hilton Prague were 
> "walked" beginning Friday, to remote hotels, w/out ICANN notice. We do not 
> expect such actions from venue hotels. 
> 
> As I alerted you and others on staff, at the insistent concerns of affected 
> BC attendees, I  appreciate that the Meetings staff - you and others -  were 
> responsive to our calls for information. 
> 
> 
> I will advise my members of your commitment to advise me, as chair of one of 
> the constituencies of the assurance to return our reservations on Monday. I 
> cannot assure of confidence in ICANN, as we were not notified by ICANN of 
> change, although we all used the ICANN link to Hotel to book. As you can 
> imagine, and implicated by ecperiences in Dakar, confidence in ICANN is low. 
> 
> However, - I  will update daily of ICANN's response and work closely w you, 
> and the most senior staff Rod and Akram.
> 
> In the meantime, we will gather affected parties, and will continue to  
> advance collaboration w the meeting staff as they restore reservations.  
> 
> I am of course reachable  at the usual email and number: marilynscade@
> hotmail.com. 1 202 251 6787
> Marilyn Cade
> BC Chair
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T