STAFDA has received e-mails from its members concerning a company called Convention Expo Travel Office claiming they are in charge of booking attendees’ hotel rooms for the Atlanta convention this November. STAFDA does not subcontract out its housing and this is a scam. Members are provided with phone numbers and hotel Web links to make their room reservations directly with one of the five Atlanta STAFDA hotels. The association negotiates its own hotel rates.

The association originally ran into problems with Convention Expo Travel in 2003 when in Atlanta. The company scans association Web sites for exhibitor listings and then contacts exhibitors saying they are the official housing group. Their room rates are higher than conference rates and come without a confirmation or guarantee. Plus, STAFDA does not receive credit for rooms booked outside the block. This can cause an attrition issue where STAFDA has to pay the hotel for the shortfall in our housing block.

Please disregard any solicitation calls from Convention Expo Travel or any other company posing as STAFDA’s official housing bureau.

For more questions, contact the STAFDA office at (800) 352-2981 or e-mailinfo@stafda.