Those planning on attending MACNA this coming September, be heedful when selecting your hotel accommodations as there’s apparently some less than savory folks involved in a hotel booking scam, and they’re alarmingly persistent. The organization, “Exhibitors Housing Service”, has been misrepresenting themselves as serving some sort of role in the conference to those who may be attending, specifically targeting exhibitors with some rather unscrupulous and aggressive tactics in the form of phone calls and emails.
Get this shiny “official” email in your inbox? Kindly DON’T book!
MACNA 2015 representatives released words of caution to exhibitors and attendees alike.
Hotel Booking Scam It has been brought to our attention that an organization is falsely representing itself as part of the Marine Aquarium of North America (MACNA) event. Our organization has only one housing source for our 2015 Annual Conference being held in September of 2015 and we instruct anyone who is participating in this scam to immediately cease and desist any further communication to our members, exhibitors, or guests associated with our program. Your practice undermines our efforts and causes confusion to our attendees. The practice is not ethical and undermines our meetings industry professionalism. You are hereby notified that if you do not comply with this request, MACNA will immediately file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against all violator and additional legal action will be taken to protect MACNA’s interests.
The only Official hotel booking source is through the MACNA website located here: http://macnaconference.org/2015/travel/hotel-discounts/ And the conference rate is $124 per night. Sincerely, MACNA 2015 Co-Chairs
Greetings MACNA Exhibitors! It has been brought to our attention that some of you are being contacted by a Hotel Housing Service, stating that they can book your reservation at $119 per night and that you need to pay for rooms immediately to get the price. They also have been sending “booking forms” with signatures to sign and return. These folks are not associated with MACNA. They are extremely forceful in their high pressure sales tactics. Rooms are still at the $124 standard “attendee” room rate. Suites are available at a higher price when choosing “exhibitor”. (IE, if you want the $124 rate, choose attendee in the pull-down menu) The Marriott, our conference hotel, has plenty of rooms at the moment.
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