Club Cobra - Austin Spring Meet

I want to thank everyone for filling out the survey as it is designed to help the hotel determine what they could have done differently to make the event more accomodating. I know that several attendees had issues valid issues with the hotel and believe me they are being addressed. There are a few things that I did want to point out that may help in determining next year's event.

First, the room block for the event started on Thursday night. Had the hotel know that a few people were planning on coming on Wednesday night the hotel would have reserved a few parking spots specifically for the early arrivals.

Second, check in time to the hotel is at 3 PM on the day that you are scheduled to arrive. There is no excuse for you to not be able to get into your room at 3PM and the hotel front desk should have apologized for that and offered you some type of compensation such as a free appatizer in the restaurant or a free drink while the hotel expedited your guest room.

Third, parking- The problem we had this year was that the hotel had an extremely large event on Wednesday and Thursday and that interrupted the flow of trailer parking. The hotel has offered to set up a designed parking diagram and email it out to everyone next year so that you will know exactly where to park as long as you are a registered guest.

Several people had commented on the extreme amount of space that the tractor trailers took up this year. The hotel has agreed to get with the members to determine a proper layout for next year in order to maximize the amount of space required to park all the guest trailers.

I did speak with the night manager of the hotel and he explained to me that the club had an open bar in the parking lot on Saturday night. If the TABC or Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commision had come by and seen this not only would the person serving the alcohol been arrested but the hotel would have lost their liquor license and been fined over $10,000.00. I am sure that no one wanted to see anyone go to jail or lose the liquor license.

The hotel may have acted a little abrasive but please keep in mind that there were a few things that were not commincated to them and it caused a little tension.

Normally any type of food and beverage event on hotel premisis is run through the hotel to not only make sure it is a quality event but to maintaine a safe and enjoyable event. No one likes to deal with an overserved individual ( we had a few on Friday night in the parking lot )

This year was by far the biggest we have seen over the last four years. In order to keep it fun we have to be able to communicate with one another to make sure everything goes as smooth as possible. Having a Hooter's truck in the parking lot is not something that every family attending wanted to see. It was not well received from the hotel guest perspective and certainly not from the hotel manager. Please keep in mind that the hotel manager likes hot wings just like anyone else but there is a time and a place for a Hooter's Truck and that was not the place nor the time.

Had the hotel hosted the event in the Ballroom of the hotel all of this would have been avoided. It is not about the money but the impression you leave on your attendees. The more organized you are the better your event. Why not let the hotel help you coordinate it.....It is what they do everyday....they live here...they know the best placed to go.....they have all the contacts......it just makes sense.

I know several attendees that I spoke to said they would not be back next year for a few reasons....one of them was that they did not like the preception that the Cobra folks gave in the parking lot with the open bar and the Hooter's Truck......

Since I have know the Cobra Club they have always been first class.....they still are today as far as I am concerned. We just need to come together and make this a win win situation for both parties. If we have the banquet in the Ballroom you don't have to worry about a large event taking your parking.....If you have a reception in the ballroom you don't have to worry about anyone calling the police.....

Finally, The hotel is doing everything it can to address their mistakes. I just hope the Cobra Club will continue to host their annual event at the Austin Marriott North.

The hotel has agreed to offer the same rate for next year and is willing to waive any room rental for the ballroom next year based on a small food and beverage minimum. I know it's not as good as sitting next to your car with a cool one in your hand but it is supposed to be a social event right?

It's a great place to visit and they appreciate the entire Cobra Club. It is always a pleasure to see everyone year after year. That's my two cents......drive safe out there...

Jim Coppedge