Society News Archive

The Raleigh Marriott Hotel City Center is sold out for the Health Physics Society (HPS) room block for the 2017 HPS Annual Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina. Attendees should contact the Raleigh Sheraton for rooms.

Why should I book at the conference hotels?

The hotel rates that the HPS has negotiated include many benefits for you and for the HPS. Based on the number of rooms in HPS block of hotel rooms, the hotels provide complimentary meeting room space and reduced food and beverage charges. These savings are passed on to attendees through HPS inexpensive registration rates. If the HPS is unable to meet its room-block commitment because attendees are making reservations at other hotels, the hotels charge HPS an attrition fee to make up the hotel's lost revenue. If this were to become a trend, HPS would be forced to increase the registration fee and cut services.

Is it important for me to let the reservations agent know that I'm associated with the HPS meeting?

Yes. HPS receives credit only when registrants tell hotel staff that they are attending the HPS meeting. Please make sure the reservations agent knows you are attending the HPS meeting—whether you or someone else makes your reservation—or make your reservation through the link on the HPS site and it will be handled automatically.

Why does HPS reserve a block of rooms?

The HPS reserves a block of rooms to assure availability of rooms for meeting attendees, especially during the tourist season, when it can be very difficult to find an affordable hotel room. In addition, if HPS didn't reserve a block of rooms, it would be subject to room-rental fees and full food and beverage costs, which would greatly increase the cost of holding the meeting.

What is HPS doing to reduce these attrition fees and still keep the meeting affordable?

HPS tracks sleeping-room reservations and cancellations at the meeting so that it can more accurately block a number of rooms that will be filled by attendees in the future. However, every discount we receive at a hotel is based on the number of room nights we block, so as we reduce our block, we are consequently paying more for other services at the hotel. Reducing the block means that attendees will either have to pay a higher registration fee or that services will have to be cut.

Please stay at the HPS conference hotels!