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yorktown
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 413
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 Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:12 pm Post subject: WARNING: Convention Expo Travel - Not Recommended! |
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We wish to warn all delegates to iDate Miami that if they receive a call from a company called Convention Expo Travel, DO NOT BOOK A HOTEL WITH THIS FIRM.
Convention Expo Travel (2920 Green Valley parkway, Henderson, NV 89014), is calling delegates and suggesting that they represent the event. The company is not affiliated with the Internet Dating Conference or our company. They are not the travel agent for the conference.
We recommend that you contact the Royal Palm Hotel directly when booking a hotel room at the event. (They can be reached at +1 305 604 5700).
Convention Expo Travel has currently 2 complaints with the Better Business Bureau of Nevada and other conventions have warned their delegates about the company's unscrupulous practices, calling them a scam. (References below).
If you do receive a call from this company, DO NOT BOOK A HOTEL ROOM WITH THEM. Internet Dating Conference does not recommend them in any form.
Regards,
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
IDate2009
Reference #1: International Council of Air Shows
Link: http://www.icashq.org/FastFacts/Fast%20Facts%20080721.doc
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BEWARE OF CONVENTION HOTEL SLEEPING ROOM SCAM
With the National Finals Rodeo in town during the same days as the 2008 ICAS Convention and an increased likelihood that sleeping rooms will be scarce this year, an unscrupulous travel agency is directly soliciting some ICAS members, advising them that the ICAS block is nearly sold out and that they need to make their reservations over the phone.
Although the ICAS block is likely to be tight this year because of the rodeo, it is not sold out yet and we urge you to ignore solicitations from Convention Expo Travel in Henderson, Nevada. This organization is not affiliated with ICAS, the Rio Hotel or Harrah’s Entertainment.
International Council of Air Shows, Inc.
751 Miller Drive, Suite F-4
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Phone: 703-779-8510,
Fax: 703-779-8511
Website: www.icashq.org
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Reference #2: Sweet Adeline Conference (see page 6)
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Hotel Reservation Alert
Convention Attendees & Exhibitors:
We would like to make you aware of a situation that has been brought to our attention. There is a company, Convention Expo Travel based out of Henderson, Nevada, which has been contacting our attendees and exhibitors to assist with hotel reservations. They are disguising themselves as the Sweet Adelines International Housing Bureau. They are claiming they can get better rates or that rooms are limited, or are using other sales pitch methods. They are NOT the official housing bureau and are NOT affiliated with Sweet Adelines International in any way.
If you receive a call from this company claiming to represent Sweet Adelines International, be aware that this is not sanctioned and DO NOT MAKE THE RESERVATION. Convention Expo Travel is
NOT affiliated with Sweet Adelines International in any capacity.
The Sweet Adelines International official Housing Bureau is
Experient. Experient will book rooms at the hotels within the block with previously negotiated rates that Sweet Adelines International has contracted years in advance. The Housing Bureau will never contact you via the phone and solicit your business. They will contact you via phone only if you contact them and ask them to return your call.
If you have already made hotel reservations through Convention
Expo Travel, Sweet Adelines International is unable to guarantee the validity of the reservation. If you would like to cancel your reservations, please contact the hotel directly. Additionally, contact your credit card company and tell them NOT to pay the 20% penalty if it is put through by Convention Expo Travel.
Please contact me with any questions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kathy Hayes
Director of Meetings & Corporate Services
Sweet Adelines International
kathyh@sweetadleineintl.org.
918-622-1444, Ext. 138
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yorktown
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 413
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| Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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I did some more digging. It looks like these guys have been scamming alot more conferences than I thought.
The one that surprises me the most:
The American Correctional Association. This company has the audacity to actually try to scam police officers.
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ALERT - ACA MEMBERS AND EXHIBITORS
American Correctional Association (ACA) has learned a company called Convention Expo Travel is contacting our membership and exhibitors to assist with hotel reservations in New Orleans for the upcoming 138th Congress of Correction. ACA DOES NOT HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THIS COMPANY TO MANAGE HOTEL RESERVATIONS IN NEW ORLEANS.
ACA has contracted the New Orleans Housing Bureau to manage hotel reservations and ACA Housing will open on April 2. At that time, the ACA website (www.aca.org) will post the official ACA hotel reservation form with instructions on how to make your hotel reservation in New Orleans. ACA has seven (7) hotels in New Orleans with sufficient room blocks to accommodate all of our attendees and exhibitors and at the special ACA Convention Rates.
Should you receive an e-mail or phone call from Convention Expo Travel, ACA strongly recommends you DO NOT make your New Orleans hotel reservation with them. If you have already made hotel reservations through Convention Expo Travel, ACA is unable to guarantee the reservation is valid.
Should you have any questions, please contact Litsa Deck, Director, Conventions and Corporate Relations at 703-224-0011 or e-mail her at litsad@aca.org
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American Public Transportation Association
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American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has learned that Convention Expo Travel and HDMC are contacting our membership and exhibitors to assist with hotel reservations in San Diego for the upcoming APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO 2008. APTA does not have a contract with either company to manage hotel reservations in San Diego.
APTA has contracted Experient to manage hotel reservations for the Annual Meeting and EXPO 2008 and all room reservations should be made through www.apta.com/expo2008.
APTA has (10) hotels in San Diego with sufficient room blocks to accommodate all of our attendees and exhibitors and at the special APTA Convention Rates.
Should you receive an e-mail or phone call from Convention Expo Travel or HDMC, APTA strongly recommends you DO NOT make your San Diego hotel reservation with them. If you have already made hotel reservations through Convention Expo Travel or HDMC, APTA is unable to guarantee the reservation is valid and recommends that you cancel them immediately before you incur charges.
Should you have any questions, please contact EXPO Housing Customer Service at +1.847.282.2529.
Please be assured that APTA is committed to providing you quality services to make your EXPO show experiences positive, and we will vigorously pursue these organizations to prevent unauthorized contact.
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American Trucking Association
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ALERT - ATA Attendees and Exhibitors
Convention Expo Travel is contacting ATA members and exhibitors implying that ATA has asked for their assistance with hotel reservations in New Orleans for the upcoming 2008 ATA MC&E. ATA DOES NOT HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS COMPANY, and has expressly instructed that they not contact our members. Additionally, on ATA’s behalf, the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau has sent Convention Expo Travel a letter asking them to cease and desist.
American Trucking Associations (ATA) is working directly with the three headquarters hotels, The Hilton Riverside, The Embassy Suites and the Doubletree to provide accommodations for our attendees. ATA’s online registration will open Monday, June 23, 2008. After successfully registering for the Conference, you will receive the hotel links and instructions to book your room. The three (3) hotels that ATA has selected as the headquarters hotels in New Orleans will have sufficient room availability for Exhibitors and Attendees.
If you receive an email or phone call from Convention Expo Travel, ATA strongly recommends you DO NOT make your New Orleans hotel reservation with them. If you have already made hotel reservations through Convention Expo Travel, ATA is unable to guarantee the reservation is valid. Please contact the specified hotel immediately for reservation confirmation.
If you have any questions, please contact Kayte Shriver, Manager Exhibits & Sponsorships at 703-838-1756 or email her at kshriver@trucking.org.
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HR Tech conference
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HOUSING SCAM
It has come to our attention that Convention Expo Travel is contacting exhibitors and soliciting hotel reservations for the October 2008 Conference in Chicago. Please be aware that this company is making calls under false pretenses claiming they represent housing for LRP Conferences. They will state that the conference has run out of rooms. Please be aware that this is not true and that Convention Expo Travel is not affiliated with LRP Conferences in any way.
The Hyatt Regency Chicago and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place are the official conference hotels with guaranteed rates.
If you have booked rooms through Convention Expo Travel we recommend that you cancel them immediately before you incur charges.
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Workers Compensation & Disability Conference
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HOUSING SCAM
It has come to our attention that Convention Expo Travel is contacting exhibitors and soliciting hotel reservations for the November 2008 Conference in Las Vegas.
Please be aware that this company is making calls under false pretenses
claiming they represent housing for LRP Conferences. They will state that the conference has run out of rooms. Please be aware that this is not true and that Convention Expo Travel is not affiliated with LRP Conferences in any way.
The Las Vegas Hilton is the official conference hotel with guaranteed rates.
If you have booked rooms through Convention Expo Travel we recommend that you cancel them immediately before you incur charges.
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Materials Science & Technology
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Housing Alert: July 15, 2008
MS&T has learned a company called Convention Expo Travel is contacting exhibitors claiming to assist with hotel reservations in Pittsburgh for MS&T'08. MS&T DOES NOT have a contract with this company to manage hotel reservations in Pittsburgh.
Should you be contacted by Convention Expo Travel, MS&T strongly recommends you DO NOT make your Pittsburgh hotel reservation through that company. If you have already made hotel reservations through Convention Expo Travel, MS&T is unable to guarantee the reservation is valid.
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Assn of School Business Officials Intl
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URGENT INFORMATION FOR EXHIBITORS
It has come to ASBO's attention that Convention Expo Travel is contacting exhibitors and soliciting hotel reservations for the November 2008 Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Please be aware that this company is making calls under false pretenses, claiming they represent housing for ASBO International's Annual Meeting & Exhibits. They will state that the conference has run out of rooms. Please be aware that this is not true and that Convention Expo Travel is not affiliated with ASBO International in any way.
If you have booked rooms through Convention Expo Travel we recommend that you cancel them immediately before you incur charges.
The Sheraton Denver Hotel was selected as the official conference hotel with guaranteed rates. As of July 30, 2008, the ASBO room block at the Sheraton has been filled, however the hotel is maintaining a waiting list, and will make reservations as rooms become available. You can call the Sheraton Denver Hotel toll-free at 888/ 627-8405 and ask to be placed on their wait list for the ASBO International conference.
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yorktown
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 413
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| Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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Here's some advice for other conference organizers who stumble upon this on how to handle Convention Expo Travel if they are preying upon your delegates:
1) Fax a Cease and Desist letter from your lawyers. According to my conversations with other event organizers, usually that does the trick.
2) File a complaint with the Southern Nevada Better Business Bureau
3) IF your event is in Las Vegas, I can not more highly stress that you contact the executive offices of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The reason why it is best you contact them is that this is an extremely powerful organization, with many local, state and federal government ties. The last thing they want is some form of scam operation regarding business conventions taking place within their city. As Convention Travel Expo is in Henderson, NV (a suburb of Las Vegas), your complaint to the executive offices of the LVCVA will certainly be heard. Enough calls to the LVCVA will certainly initiate inquiries on the matter with the proper authorities. Telephone of the LVCVA is 702-892-0711 and their list of senior executives can be found here.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Online Dating Conference |
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Ronda
Joined: 27 Jan 2009
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:30 pm Post subject: Expo Convention Travel Scam |
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I also was scammed by this company and cannot believe they are still allowed to operate their business. Beware, they use quick talking agents that state they are "handling" a certain upcoming conference or event. They did this for the Bio Investor Conference08 that was held in Oct in SFO. They tape their calls and are well versed in what they can and cannot say. The reason they get away with this is because they immediately send you a credit card authorization form, again with the presumption THEY are officially handling the event. I fought this through AM EX and lost because I signed the authorization that in fine print states they are entitled to 20% cancelation fee. They purchase these rooms illegally through a company called Hotel Beds. I reported them to the owner of that company. He was unaware of their scam until I explained what they were doing. He now no longer sells to them. I plan to continue the fight until they are no longer able to operate their business. Do not feel stupid, fight back!! They way to STOP these companies is to write The Better Business Bureau of Nevada.
Convention Expo Travel already have several complaints against them
[southernnevada.bbb.org]
It only takes minutes to fill out the complaint form!
PUT THESE SOB'S OUT OF OPERATION!!! |
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yorktown
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 413
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| Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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I was asked to clarify the word "scam" with regard to this thread and the Social Networking Conference thread:
A) Lets look at the definition of the word According to dictionary.com:
| Quote: | DEFINITION of the word "SCAM"
–noun
1. a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, esp. for making a quick profit; swindle
–verb (used with object)
2. to cheat or defraud with a scam.
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Upon further research today....there are many sites, still active, that specifically claim Convention Expo Travel is or is involved with some type of scam:
Structural Building Components refers to Convention Expo Travel as a Scam:
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TO: BCMC Attendees and Exhibitors
FROM: WTCA Executive Committee, BCMC Committee and Staff
DATE: June 26, 2008
SUBJECT: Watch for Scams on BCMC Hotel Reservations -- Convention Expo Travel is a Scam
It has come to our attention that Convention Expo Travel is calling BCMC exhibitors informing them that they need to make their hotel reservations now as there is a limited supply available. This is inaccurate information.
Convention Expo Travel is not identifying themselves when calling exhibitors and they are giving the impression that they are working with BCMC and the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Please note that Convention Expo Travel is NOT affiliated with BCMC or any of the convention hotels, especially the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Crowne Plaza Hotel has confirmed they do not have rooms set aside for this company......
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VHA Leadership Conference refers to them as a "hotel scam":
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Warning - Convention Expo Travel - Hotel Scam
We would like to warn our attendees and exhibitors to NOT BOOK A HOTEL with a company called Convention Expo Travel. The company is in NO WAY AFFILIATED with the VHA Leadership Conference. Please do not give them your credit card information under any circumstances. Unfortunately, this kind of scam is not uncommon in the conference business.
If you are booking a hotel room, we highly recommend that you book directly with the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio at (800) 648-4462. The Marriott Rivercenter is sold out on several of the conference nights.
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Experimental Biology 2009 event in New Orleans says
| Quote: | BE ADVISED - HOUSING SCAM
It has come to our attention that a 3rd party company named Tradeshow Housing (also known as Convention Expo Travel Office), is targeting our exhibitors advertising lower hotel rates. Be advised, this company is not affiliated with EB2009 and does not appear to be legitimate...... |
The Alberta Gift Show refers to Convention Expo Travel as a "travel scam":
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BEWARE OF TRAVEL SCAM
If you're planning on attending the Alberta Gift Show this February, be aware of a travel company falsely claiming to be associated with the event. A number of the show's exhibitors have been approached by a company named Convention Expo Travel.com to book travel and hotels for the Alberta Gift Show. The company claims they represent hotel bookings for the Alberta Gift Show and that the conference has run out of rooms. In fact, rooms are still available for the event and the company is in no way affiliated with the Alberta Gift Show.
Investigations revealed that the Better Business Bureau of Nevada, where the company is headquartered, has two registered complaints against Convention Expo Travel. Furthermore, other conferences are warning their attendees about this company's unscrupulous practices.
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The Pri-Med refers to them as a "housing scam" as well:
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Housing Scam
It has come to our attention that Convention Expo Travel is contacting exhibitors and soliciting hotel reservations for the November 2008 Pri-Med East Conference and Exhibition. Please be aware that this company is making calls under false pretenses claiming they represent housing for Pri-Med. They will state that the conference has run out of rooms. Please be aware that this is not true and that Convention Expo Travel is not affiliated with Pri-Med in any way.
If you have booked rooms through Convention Expo Travel we recommend that you cancel them immediately before you incur charges.
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New England Fuel Institute says they are a "scam":
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PHONE CALLS ABOUT NEFI HOTEL ROOMS ARE A SCAM
In the past few days, you may have received a phone call from someone claiming to be with “Convention Travel Office” or “Convention Expo Travel”. The call originates from a toll-free number, and the caller may have even identified himself as “Shane”. He then may have proceeded to warn you that hotel rooms for the upcoming NEFI Show in June are going fast and that you need to book now, through him. The caller is not Tracy Goodwin, NEFI Vice President and Director of Events, Shane Sweet, NEFI President and CEO or any other member of NEFI staff. After investigation, we have discovered this is a common scam. NEFI has informed the authorities of the scam. We have not sent out exhibitor kits or hotel information yet, although it will be coming soon and will come by email and/or regular mail. Phone calls will not be made. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BOOK HOTEL SPACE FOR THE NEFI SHOW over the phone with anyone. If you are unsure of have additional questions, contact Tracy Goodwin, tracy@nefi.com or 617-923-5015
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Cedia Expo refers to them as a "housing scam":
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CEDIA EXPO Housing Scam
It has been brought to our attention that Convention Expo Travel has been contacting CEDIA Exhibitors regarding housing for EXPO 2008 in Denver, CO. If you receive a call from a company claiming to represent CEDIA housing and they state that you must pay a deposit be aware that this may be a scam and DO NOT MAKE THE ROOM RESERVATION. CEDIA EXPO Housing does NOT require a deposit and Convention Expo Travel is not affiliated with CEDIA EXPO in any capacity.
If you have any housing questions please contact CEDIA EXPO Housing at 877-307-0325.
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The JCK fashion Show refers to them as a "booking scam":
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Updated 7/28 [/2008] : HOTEL ROOM BOOKING SCAM
It has come to our attention that Convention Expo Travel is contacting exhibitors and soliciting hotel reservations for the JCK Toronto. Please be aware that this company is making calls under false pretenses claiming they represent housing for JCK Toronto. They will state that the event has run out of rooms. Please be aware that this is not true and that Convention Expo Travel is not affiliated with JCK Toronto in any way.
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My search gave alot of results. I stopped at a certain point. A search for the word "Scam" + "Convention Expo Travel" results 194 specific results in Google.
It appears that the company may be concerned with the word "scam". The International Cemetary, Cremation and Funeral Association wrote the following on Febrary 13, 2009:
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Some organization has decided to glom onto our Convention and has acquired a copy of an industry supplier list, and is now making pestering phone calls to potential exhibitors at our 2009 Convention.
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The company that is calling our suppliers has nothing to do with ICCFA
......
The ICCFA has learned that a company by the name of "Convention Expo Travel" is soliciting ICCFA members claiming to offer reduced room rates at the &^%$#$^ Resort & Casino for the ICCFA Convention dates, April 20-23. This company is NOT affiliated with the ICCFA or &^%$#$^.
.....
The Better Business Bureau has given Convention Expo Travel an “F” rating, based on a range on A+ to F. Therefore, the ICCFA urges extreme caution in doing business with this company. For more information on this company, go to http://southernnevada.bbb.org and click on “Check out a Business.”
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With the exception of the ICCFA post, this was the basis of our use of the word "Scam" in association with the company called Convention Expo Travel in the Social Networking Conferenc thread, including other mentions in the previous posts.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
Internet Dating Conference |
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