Unauthorized Solicitation

Please be aware of, and report any fraudulent, unauthorized solicitation to IPW/U.S. Travel. If you receive a call or email from any company that is not our official housing provider (MCI USA) or that is offering to sell you an IPW Attendee List, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

Don't Fall Prey to Unauthorized Housing Providers

The U.S. Travel Association works diligently with the hotels in each of our host cities to establish room blocks for our attendees. Improper solicitation of hotel reservations from any company or housing provider other than the official IPW Housing Bureau (MCI USA) is not approved by IPW/U.S. Travel.

For your own protection, please do not make reservations through any unknown housing or travel company. If you receive a call or email from any company other than the official IPW housing bureau, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

There are many reported situations of false or deceptive activities by some of these third-party room block marketers. Here are some things to be aware of:

  • Many of these agencies cannot actually guarantee a reservation because they do not have contracts for room blocks with the IPW host hotels. They will contact a housing wholesaler to see if anything is available that can be resold to you.
  • Even legitimate wholesalers cannot knowingly book convention attendees in the convention room block. Only an IPW Housing representative can book within our block of rooms. If the hotel determines a convention attendee has been solicited or contacted by a wholesaler, the room rate may be increased to match or exceed the group rate or the room reservation may be canceled. A rate quote from a room broker is not a guaranteed rate.
  • Rooms booked through unauthorized housing companies must sometimes be fully prepaid. Rather than a one-night deposit, an unauthorized company may require payment of the full cost for the entire stay for each room booked at the time of booking.
  • Reservation confirmations and numbers are often not available from these companies until less than a week before the arrival date. Even then, this may not guarantee that a room will be available when you arrive.
  • Generally, these companies cannot secure a large block of rooms; only one or two at a time. Exhibitors should be particularly wary, since they often need to book a group of rooms for their staff who will be exhibiting during the trade show.
  • Name changes on room reservations with unofficial wholesalers/room brokers may be difficult to make.

IPW/U.S. Travel may not be able to assist attendees who have reserved rooms outside the block if problems result from booking through an unauthorized company. IPW/U.S. Travel contracts with the hotels in our block and includes clauses to protect our attendees should the hotel oversell the rooms or should any issues arise with reservations.

Some of these unauthorized companies may claim to be a partner of IPW/U.S. Travel or even outright falsely claim to be IPW's housing company, however, a legitimate company would not call or contact you unless you had initiated contact with them first. If you are contacted by a company that is not our official housing provider, or if you are ever unsure whether or not a company is legitimate, please immediately email IPW at [email protected].

IPW Contact Lists

IPW/U.S. Travel Association has not authorized any company to sell attendee contact lists. Further, we will never email or call you to ask if you want to purchase a list, and we no longer offer official exhibitor, buyer, and press lists for purchase.

Unauthorized Shipping Services

Freeman is the official show contractor for IPW. Freeman will control access to the loading docks in order to provide for a safe and orderly move-in/out. Unloading or reloading at the dock of any and all contracted carriers will be handled by Freeman. See the Exhibitor Service Kit for authorized shipping labels.

These Companies Do Not Represent IPW or U.S. Travel

 

The following individuals/companies have reportedly contacted IPW attendees to offer hotel rooms or other services for IPW or to sell an attendee list. These companies are not authorized to represent IPW/U.S. Travel, nor do they have access to attendee lists or officially contracted hotel room blocks or rates on behalf of IPW/U.S. Travel and should be avoided. Freeman is the official show contractor and handles all inbound shipments to the show warehouse. (Note: This list is updated as additional companies are reported.)