Your first event will only earn you the 10 elite nights—whether it’s a meeting only or a 50 hotel room affair. So pick wisely so you don’t waste the opportunity.

If the above event is your first meeting for which you earn 10 elite nights, that’s all you will earn insofar as elite nights go. You will earn points as per Rewarding Events policies—which are not nearly as generous as with individually booked rooms—not as per individual rooms you book (up to 3) in your own name.

To avoid these issues, challenges, and less generous Rewarding Events earning, I make sure my first event is a small affair—so the 10 elite nights are earned based on little effort or cost. Every subsequent event then earns more relatively speaking; remember that you earn 1 elite night for every 20 room nights consumed after that first event. I also always book my individual room outside the group event room block so I earn the 1 elite night and concomitant points for that stay...and I transfer all incidental spend otherwise for me or for the group overall to my room so I earn the higher elite bonuses than what are given with Rewarding Events. Rewarding Events points do not earn the same elite bonuses as individual stays, unfortunately—and those can be a lot of points to sacrifice!

Live and learn.

I highly recommend booking a cheap meeting first...and then make sure it posts for the 10 elite nights before you have the second meeting as described with 18 room nights. I’d also recommend booking your own room individually outside the room block so you get the 2 elite nights and concomitant points and elite bonus points and then get the other 16 room nights towards future elite nights.