{UAH} Questions for PRESIDENT: San Diego 2014 Hotel Search Update: Q&A

Mr Kwesiga,
1. sometime back, Ms Nairuba told us that the check from the government of Uganda had been used to subsidize our food in Dallas. I was very surprised and asked our leaders to tell us what our money had been spent on (average of $270 per person).  Of course I did not get a response.
Mr Kabukuru has asked the same question today but you did not answer it.
2. Ms Ogwang sent an email to you where she mentioned the prices that you wanted San Diego to use.  The total for food was nowhere close to $270 ("$25 per person for Friday's Trade and Investment Forum lunch, $35-$40 per person for Saturday's lunch, and $60 per person for Sunday's traditional dinner").
With those numbers, do you agree with Ms Nairuba that the gov't of Uganda subsidized our food?
3. In the email below, you mention that you are still searching for a hotel for San Diego. But in an earlier email, Mr Wakou asked the Council to vote for La Jolla and announced the results this past Saturday. Does that mean Mr Wakou was mistaken in calling for a vote?  If Mr Wakou was mistaken, is the vote still valid? i.e you are NOT signing any contracts based on that vote?
thanks

 

For a faster response please contact me at 415.789.6427

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From: "donosen@yahoo.com" <donosen@yahoo.com>
To: joseph.musoke@ymail.com
Sent: Monday, October 7, 2013 7:16 AM
Subject: UNAALIST San Diego 2014 Hotel Search Update: Q&A

Thanks Mr. President.

NNK

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 7, 2013, at 12:07 AM, Brian Kwesiga <brian.kwesiga@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Fellow UNAA Members,

UNAA's National Executive Committee continues to vigilantly search for the best hotel to host the 26^th Annual UNAA Convention in San Diego. The room rate is certainly a major consideration and all members deserve to know that your leadership team is very conscious about that.

 

The hotel search process started over 3 months ago under the outgoing Executive Committee and the Sheraton San Diego Marina with a room rate of $139 was selected and we began negotiations with them to the extent of the UNAA Council voting to approve the contract, though it was never signed. Unfortunately they got another piece of business and UNAA was displaced. The other alternative, the Manchester Hyatt with a room rate of $139 -- was a good room rate but their event space arrangement was so far spread out, with the ballrooms, meeting rooms and the vendor area on different levels. This hotel is also quite large and the UNAA experience was questionable. We nevertheless did our due diligence with them but they have since turned UNAA's business down too.

 

Fortunately UNAA had kept another hotel the Hyatt La Jolla in contention as well but the room rate was on the high side at $169. Apart from the room rate this hotel satisfies all other UNAA requirements and they have advanced  attractive concessions like a lower F&B Minimum, beer and wine capped at $5, 50% discount on parking and our events running up to 4:00am among other things.  There is another hotel we are holding on to, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront but at a $189 room rate they are a nonstarter.

 

Q&A

 

1.       Question: Why doesn't UNAA use a cheaper select service hotel like a Holiday Inn?

Answer: The UNAA convention requires a hotel, which has around 500 rooms. UNAA also requires a ballroom, which can sit about 800 people on round tables with a 30' x 30' dance floor and a stage. We also require about 5 concurrent meeting rooms and a registration area. There are no selective service hotels of that size and with those amenities.

2.       Question: How come other smaller associations can negotiate room rates like $89 and UNAA cannot?

Answer: Due to the size of the hotel UNAA requires, our conventions will typically be held in major cities like Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, etc. These major cities attract higher rooms rates. Smaller associations can have all their event needs met by the much smaller select service hotels and these hotels are typically located in what are called tertiary markets or small towns. They tend to have much lower room rates.

3.       Question: Why can't UNAA negotiate to have breakfast, Internet and courtesy shuttles thrown in?

Answer: UNAA does negotiate free Internet in our guest rooms and we had this in Dallas and will have it at the Hyatt La Jolla. Where possible UNAA negotiates courtesy shuttles but with over 900 delegates it is not always practical. In Dallas UNAA also negotiated for a discounted breakfast. By comparison select service hotels like Holiday Inn, Courtyard, and Residence Inn and Aloft hotels will typically always include breakfast in their room rate for every guest.

4.       Question: Why are UNAA Conventions getting more expensive?

Answer: Adjusted for inflation the registration fees for the UNAA Convention have increased slightly to meet the costs. For example for UNAA 2007 San Francisco the registration fee toped at $240, which would be $270 in today's dollars after inflation. The room rate for UNAA 2007 San Francisco was $139, which translates to $157 in today's dollars. It must be noted that half of our conventions since 2006 have lost money and are still in debt. UNAA NY, SF, Chicago and Philly lost money. Orlando, Denver and Dallas just broke even while only DC made money and partly paid off Chicago.

5.       Question: Why doesn't UNAA get more sponsors, especially big companies from the US?

Answer: UNAA needs to compete for sponsorship from large companies like Heineken against several other associations like the Boy Scouts, Junior Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF), Vietnam Veterans and the Asian American Association among others. These associations have very robust programs in which companies like Heineken find value. UNAA is still struggling to join these leagues and needs additional help from its membership by way of volunteering if we are ever going to do so.

6.       Question: Why do UNAA Conventions lose money?

Answer: There are several different reasons but at the core is the fact that UNAA conventions operate under very thin financial margins. Any error in planning or execution will almost certainly lead to a loss. UNAA has access to experienced and successful convention financial planners and budget estimates which we need to learn to follow strictly.

7.       Question: Does UNAA need to get the $20,000 from the Uganda Government?

Answer: Yes, given UNAA's thin margins and the struggle to attract steady sponsors, the Uganda Government has become a steady UNAA partner. The Uganda governments (through the Uganda Embassy's) contribution is about 8% of UNAA's budget so while very important it is not a controlling share. Let me make this very clear, the Uganda Government contribution is and will always be no-strings attached contribution and no strings or conditions have ever been attached.

8.       Question: Why don't we have menu pricing, e.g $120 for the dinner dance only, and $50 for the evening entertainment?

Answer: First it is very hard to manage. UNAA depends on volunteers and UNAA's registration process is already complicated enough and the source of several complaints. Secondly this menu pricing, which will typically be paid on site, will make it impossible for UNAA to meet the financial obligations due much earlier in the year. Third, once again, it is hard to manage, though it is an option the new Executive Committee is looking into.

9.       Question: Why do convention registration prices increase every 2 to 3 months? Why not have single flat prices throughout the year?

Answer: The registration statistics for the last 4 conventions show that almost 50% of UNAA convention attendees register and pay for the convention in the last 30 days before the start of the convention. The statistics also show spikes in payment whenever the registration price is about to change. In order to secure some of the goods and services UNAA reserves for a convention, suppliers require UNAA to make some down payments early in the year. UNAA therefore needs to encourage some members to pay earlier and hence the teaser early bird rates.

10.   Question: What does UNAA use the registration money for? What are the convention expenses?

Answer: Over 50% of the registration money goes to pay for the Saturday Lunch and the Sunday dinner. About 15% of what is left goes to pay for entertainment. And the remaining 35% is shared between security, marketing, registration, forums, AV and other expenses.

11.   Question: Are UNAA officials paid, do they get free rooms and other benefits for the work they do?

Answer: No. UNAA Officials and the local organizing committee are all volunteers. They receive no compensation for their services in any form. Please consider joining in to spread the load.

 

Brian M. Kwesiga

President, 

Ugandan North American Association - UNAA

(972) 415-6372 | www.unaa.org | "United We stand"

Ugandan North America Association

6257 N Mccormick Rd #118 Chicago, Il 60659

Email: info@unaa.org

Ugandan North America Association

6257 N Mccormick Rd #118 Chicago, Il 60659

Email: info@unaa.org