For the newbie parents absolutely losing their minds over the Room Block requirement. -- Western U.S. Region Irish Dance 250192

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Date Posted: 14:34:22 09/07/24 Sat
Author: An Open Mum
Subject: For the newbie parents absolutely losing their minds over the Room Block requirement.

The only reason we’re in Phoenix again this year is because the pacific nw who was supposed to host couldn’t find a venue that wasn’t booked out already. Venues are increasingly booked and becoming even more unaffordable with terms not beneficial to our org. You all know costs everywhere have been going up.

The grand is good because the region doesn’t have to quadruple our entry fees to cover the venue. The bargaining power that gives us stages and ballrooms for cheaper or free is the room block- because we support the hotel, they give us the venue for a price we as a region can afford.

Now, with the grand, it makes sense that we would want to stay at the venue.
In other years, it will be at convention centers or even hotel ballrooms where there are other hotels around.

What happens if the room block is not filled?

The Hotel goes to the contract agreement, which then makes us as a region pay the $200,000 or likely more for the hotel ballrooms, stages, extra rooms for costumes/practice rooms, required catering, etc.

Regions financial security and solvency has been destroyed in years past when a room block does not fill. We’re not talking kickbacks and drinking nights for the board… we’re talking the ability to host Oireachtas at all.

Think about it. At a regular ballet/contemporary etc competition dancers are paying $100-$120 per solo and $60 each per team dance plus a $50-100 registration fe. We aren’t doing too bad in Irish keeping costs down. It’s not price gouging on the region’s part.

Do we need to worry about not fulfilling our contractual obligations this year? No, the grand will fill no problem. But in coming years we have to face the fact that we all have a responsibility to support the competition by staying in the room block. This and last year were practice years before it becomes absolutely necessary. And the room block comes with the benefit of a discounted rate over the regular rate.

I know you’re new to this, but I hope this helps you understand what is happening. It’s not a money grab by the region. It has to happen to give us bargaining power to actually pull and event of this size off every year.

Reminder that you only need to stay in the block on the night before your dancer dances to get the necessary wristbands. If you really can’t afford it, stay somewhere else on the other nights of your trip. A Feistv subscription is cheaper than buying tickets to go in and watch, and would relieve crowding.

The Grand will be hiring door monitors, so please play fairly.

Thanks and best wishes for your school’s and dancers preparations for the Oireachtas!

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Replies:

For the newbie parents absolutely losing their minds over the Room Block requirement. -- No name, 19:59:41 09/07/24 Sat
Oh please, get a grip. Your threat of paying for wristbands is a joke. Get a decent competent venue if you want to be taken seriously. (NT) -- No name, 20:05:42 09/07/24 Sat
Spare me - still no room - no answers - not our first Oireachtas -- An Open Mom, 20:26:11 09/07/24 Sat
Clearly OP does not have a dancer. Can you imagine staying in one hotel to switch for only the night before dancing then moving back again? (NT) -- Delusional, 22:12:37 09/07/24 Sat
Not a newbie, don't make excuses. There is no need for this stress and chaos -- No name, 23:30:59 09/07/24 Sat
The region needs to hire an Executive Director to handle all financial and business operations for the dozens of schools the region supports. It also needs an independent board of directors for oversight, not one composed solely of TCs. (NT) -- No name, 02:48:09 09/08/24 Sun
- I think you mean for the dues the studios pay to the region (NT) -- No name, 05:33:43 09/08/24 Sun
If it was a large venue with more rooms than we needed, you would have a point. But it’s small! Sells out every year. The wristband policy threat is completely unnecessary (NT) -- That’s why we are bothered, 08:37:02 09/08/24 Sun
- It’s to get the furor out of y’all’s systems for next year in PNW when we have to do wristbands. (NT) -- Get used to it., 20:21:47 09/10/24 Tue
  - Why? Same region. Would easily fill a hotel block without mandating it (NT) -- No name, 21:26:25 09/11/24 Wed
Ridiculous -- No name, 08:49:13 09/08/24 Sun
- You want to pay your lawyer for something they can legally do? -- ., 12:39:01 09/08/24 Sun
  - The problem is they are threatening a wristband fee but there aren't any rooms available. You can't book a room if you try right now. How can it be legal to impose a penalty if you aren't even given the opportunity to comply? (NT) -- No rooms, no fee., 17:26:45 09/08/24 Sun
- Well that will be embarrassing for you on dance day . Holding up the line and embarrassing your kid, TC and school (NT) -- Deal with it, 17:04:47 09/08/24 Sun
  - The committee should be the one embarrassed by this mess - not enough rooms to accommodate so how can you charge a fee to those who have tried to get a room but can’t. This is undue stress and chaos (NT) -- No name, 17:50:56 09/08/24 Sun
    - FB post said they are working on another block -- ., 18:28:26 09/08/24 Sun
      - With how badly the first overflow and original block when there is not much faith it will be enough for the right nights. No attempt has been made to inquire how many still need a room and for what nights - how can you work on another block and not be sure this time you have enough. It’s piss poor management on this the whole time - not much confidence at this point (NT) -- No name, 18:53:54 09/08/24 Sun
How much money did this cost? -- No name, 18:53:27 09/08/24 Sun
- Remember the family last year that arrived with a reservation and was told no rooms available? (NT) -- Be prepared is all I’m saying, 19:38:46 09/08/24 Sun
I've had to take time off of work to try and get a room... and still have zero luck. No room for Thursday night. (NT) -- No name, 20:57:23 09/08/24 Sun
It is US who are ultimately responsible for this. We pay tuition and entrance fees and are too scared of our TCs to demand reasonable changes. (More) -- No name, 04:48:29 09/09/24 Mon
- Withholding your tuition only hurts your teacher and their business. They do advocate for dancers. It is the BOARD that you should be asking (NT) -- seriously, 06:37:55 09/09/24 Mon
  - Ha! No email addresses for them, and we aren’t even allowed to ask questions on their Facebook posts. Good luck “demanding” anything of them. They are elected by the TCs. (NT) -- No name, 10:22:30 09/09/24 Mon
- There are a number of dancers from my school not going because of finances and the BS with the room block (NT) -- No name, 08:43:50 09/09/24 Mon
The lack of transparency is astonishing. Grand waterpark closed, Marriot under construction, still stuck staying there. -- No name, 07:06:13 09/09/24 Mon
In the scheme of everything happening in the U.S. today, how important is this really? More Inside -- No name, 17:32:57 09/09/24 Mon
This sounds like it was written by a board member who’s tired of hearing people complain. Not a newbie here, either. Your wristband policies are extortion and unreasonable. End of story. (NT) -- Give me a break, 17:47:52 09/09/24 Mon
- Nope. Not a board member. Have you ever gone to nationals? Wristbands and hotel blocks are the norm (NT) -- Why is this different?, 20:19:03 09/10/24 Tue
  - Because it wasn't a thing in the west region until last year -- No name, 07:21:51 09/11/24 Wed
  - And there are plenty of rooms to choose from. Not a small resort who can’t accommodate the large crowd (NT) -- Not the same situation, 08:08:38 09/11/24 Wed
    - Many times the NAIDC block fills and they have to open new blocks -- ., 15:15:37 09/11/24 Wed
      - Yes so why keep doing this year after year? The organizers just seem dumb (NT) -- No name, 21:27:59 09/11/24 Wed
  - Yes. I went to nationals. And it’s extortion there, too, to require participants to pay $100 a person per day for a wristband. You gonna turn away DANCERS who have already paid to be there? What if their families can’t afford it? (NT) -- Gimme a break, 17:40:39 09/11/24 Wed
so funny to see comments disabled on all WUSR social media (NT) -- cowards, 13:10:48 09/11/24 Wed
There is an easy solution, seeing that the block sells out in 5 seconds every year: full cost nonrefundable at the point of reservation. The hotel gets theirs, and the contract is satisffied. There will always be a supply and demand of people to transfer rooms after the initial release. -- no need for wristbands, 13:01:45 09/12/24 Thu
- Nah. They make more money with wristbands. (NT) -- That’s all it’s ever about, 14:53:40 09/12/24 Thu
KIck Backs -- No name, 13:55:16 09/15/24 Sun
- Seems there’s always a financial perk with everything these days! (NT) -- No name, 16:24:23 09/15/24 Sun

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