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Adams Mark, OAH, etc.
I guess I'm a little slow and confused today.
On one hand it appears that the OAH has struck a "blow" for righteousness
against the Adams Mark. But on closer examination of their statement this is
what appears;
"After careful consideration of several sites, the Organization of American
Historians announced today that it will move its Annual Meeting registration,
book exhibits, and nearly all its sessions to the campus of Saint Louis
University. "
"Its goal is to ensure that all OAH members and participants feel welcome
during the conference and to protest the hotel's record of racial
discrimination toward guests and employees. "
Well what about the rooms that are reserved for the conference attendees?
Further down one finds the following:
"OAH is not canceling the contract it signed in 1995 with the Adam's Mark.
Rooms for OAH members at hotels in downtown St. Louis, including the Adam's
Mark, are still available."
Okaaay. Then we go to their FAQ page from which the following two items are
taken to find out even more. (bolding applied by me)
"4. What are the immediate financial implications of breaking the contract
with the Adam's Mark?
Cancelling the meeting at the St. Louis Adam's Mark and thereby breaking the
current contract would cost the organization $420,000 to $600,000.
According to the contract, OAH has reserved a block of 2,183 room-nights
(i.e., 650 on Thurs, 750 on Fri, 650 on Sat., etc.). In return, the hotel
provides free meeting space for the sessions, luncheons, and receptions.
Should OAH fail to fill 90% of the guest rooms, the hotel then charges the
organization $23,000 in rental fees for the meeting space. Should OAH fail to
fill 75% of the guest rooms, the hotel charges $46,000 for the meeting rooms.
And if we fail to fill 65% of the guest rooms, OAH has to pay the full
$92,000 for meeting space. We are also obligated to cover the $312,675 for
the 2,183 guest rooms if we cancel outright. Projected revenue for the hotel
for scheduled breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, and receptions is $20,110.
Should the actual revenue drop below 85% of the projected, the OAH is
responsible for the 85%, or $17,000. Breaking the contract outright could
result in $421,675 in fees to the hotel.
In addition, the OAH would not earn the projected income of $84,000 from book
exhibitors and $100,000 from conference registrations. $5,165 is due to the
decorator for services contracted for the 2000 annual meeting. This $189,165
loss, plus the penalties for breaking the contract, could cost the
organization $610,840.
5. What impact would cancelation have on the OAH budget?
The loss of $420,000 to $600,000 would be a devastating blow to the
organization. This would amount to one-third to one-half of the current
annual budget. In contrast, the $1.2 million penalty that the Episcopal
Church of America has agreed to pay for breaking its contract with the Denver
Adam's Mark Hotel amounts to 3% of that organization's annual budget. (See
article in 9 February 2000 issue of the New York Times.)
You are encouraged to read OAH Treasurer Gale Peterson's annual report (p.
18) in the February issue of the OAH Newsletter, which is on its way to
members.
To put it in perspective, consider the following expenses in the OAH budget
next year:
$496,000 Journal of American History (printing and editorial)
$192,000 Annual Meeting
$101,000 Magazine of History (printing and editorial)
$72,000 Newsletter (printing and editorial)
$25,000 History Cooperative (online Journal of American History)
$67,000 Committees/Governance (OAH has 18 service committees and boards)
$20,000 OAH-Indiana University Minority Fellowship Program
$37,000 Liaison and Advocacy Work
(This includes support for the National Coordinating Committee for the
Promotion of History and the work of Page P. Miller in Washington, D.C., on
behalf of historians; the National Humanities Alliance in Washington, D.C.;
the National History Education Network; and National History Day for high
school students.)"
<snip>
So move the exhibition, registration, etc. but make sure the attendees book
their rooms at the hotel or the organization suffers financial consequences.
Read on for further information
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2/15/00 reported the following:
<snip>
"Lee W. Formwalt, executive director of the historians' group, said it was
seeking meeting space at the University of Missouri at St. Louis or St. Louis
University. Formwalt said the group will not hold any meetings in the hotel,
but members can stay in the reserved hotel rooms if they wish.
The group made that distinction because the contract with Adam's Mark will
require it to pay as much as $109,000 if members don't use an agreed-upon
number of sleeping rooms and purchase minimum amounts of food and beverages.
Formwalt said the group will not pay those fees.
"How do we get away with that? Well, we just won't pay the bill," Formwalt
said Monday. "They'll have to sue us, because we're not volunteering to pay a
penny."
<snip>
Ah but make sure the membership stays there and pays, eh?
I will say this though for the OAH they do have a tremendous amount of
information on their website including links to numerous newspaper sites, not
to mention their FAQ page and a response page. But as said earlier I'm a
little slow today and a tad confused.
Peter Kurilecz
pakurilecz@aol.com
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