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Marriott Bonvoy Events program between Aug 18, 2018 and end of 2019

Old Dec 22, 2018, 4:05 pm
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Last edit by: rustykettel
As of January 1, 2020 the 10 night credit per meeting has ended. Events will only earn points after Jan 1. Room blocks will still earn night credits per T&C.

Rewarding Events offers points and nights for events/meetings booked at 25 brands of Marriott hotels


Marriott Rewarding Events


Participating brands:
Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, EDITION, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Marriott Vacation Club, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Le Meridian, Westin, The Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, Springhill Suites by Marriott, Protea Hotels by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft, Moxy Hotels, Element

Non-participating brands:
TownePlace Suites, Residence Inn, Marriott Executive Appartments, and Design Hotels


How to Book a Rewarding Event

There is an online interface to get quotes for meetings. Or you can call the sales office of each hotel you are interested in directly for a quote.

Rewarding Events Online Booking


Rewards

2 points per $1 USD or 1 mile per $1 USD spent per qualifying event (base members can earn up to 60,000 points; while Platinum Premier Elite members can earn up to 105,000 points per qualifying event).

Get 10 Elite Qualifying Nights for the first meeting and achieve Silver Elite status automatically.

Earn one Elite Qualifying Night for every additional 20 room nights booked up to 20 Elite Qualifying Nights per contract.

Note: Money spent on events reportedly does not count towards the $20,000 spend needed for Ambassador status.


Changes from Old Program

10 elite nights are earned only for the first meeting every year. Previously, it was 10 elite nights per meeting.


FAQ

Do I have to show up? - Maybe. Some people have no-showed at events and still had them post. Others have had no-shows that did not post.

What is a good rate? - Around $100 is considered a good rate for a meeting that lasts an hour or two.

What should I ask for if book a meeting just for the 10 elite nights? - It is recommended to ask for a meeting room for 2 people for 30 minutes or an hour. You can say it is for an interview. No audio/visual or catering is needed, and the meeting time is flexible.

Which hotels have the lowest rates for meetings? - Typically, the lower priced brands like Fairfield, Courtyard, etc., have small meeting rooms that can be less expensive. But it depends on the location.
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Marriott Bonvoy Events program between Aug 18, 2018 and end of 2019

Old Aug 6, 2018, 2:07 pm
  #1  
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Marriott Bonvoy Events program between Aug 18, 2018 and end of 2019

I'm having some substantial troubles with two contracts from the past few months that I believe to be eligible for Rewarding Events credit (both included 10+ rooms for one night or more). The nights/points have not posted and the hotel (both events were at the same property) has been incommunicative on the issue. I did get one email in response to an online claim filed at Marriott Rewards, but that line of communication has also gone silent without any explanation. It seems crazy that a published benefit like this can seemingly be ignored by the hotel, as it is a substantial number of nights and points to the customer arranging the events.

Does anyone here have contact information for someone at MR that can provide some assistance in this matter? If so, please PM me and hopefully I can follow up with them.
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 6:44 pm
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Originally Posted by GBadger
I'm having some substantial troubles with two contracts from the past few months that I believe to be eligible for Rewarding Events credit (both included 10+ rooms for one night or more). The nights/points have not posted and the hotel (both events were at the same property) has been incommunicative on the issue. I did get one email in response to an online claim filed at Marriott Rewards, but that line of communication has also gone silent without any explanation. It seems crazy that a published benefit like this can seemingly be ignored by the hotel, as it is a substantial number of nights and points to the customer arranging the events.

Does anyone here have contact information for someone at MR that can provide some assistance in this matter? If so, please PM me and hopefully I can follow up with them.
Due undoubtedly to a barrage of questions about the merger, all emails to Marriott customer service about anything are getting the silent treatment (or months waiting for a response) lately.

The only thing that seems to get near-instant response is live phone calls. So I suggest you try that. I don't know the right number, but start with your Marriott Rewards number, and then just ask if you're speaking to the right person about the issue, and if not can they refer you to the right person. I suggest you do that during Marriott "business hours' for best success.

I've had a couple issues lately (unrelated to meetings) where I first sent emails which acted like they went into a black hole, and then I called and got my problem addressed within minutes.

Last edited by sdsearch; Aug 6, 2018 at 6:52 pm
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 9:29 am
  #3  
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Thanks for that info. I did call after the first contract was not awarded, and was told that this was something that the hotel needed to do. After that, I called back and was told that "it was taken care of", but it wasn't. So I was hoping to get the contact information for someone specifically in the Rewarding Events area, so that I can share my details and hopefully get things resolved.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 3:26 pm
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"Rewarding Events" program changes after August 18, 2018

Lots of changes coming to meetings after August 17, 2018


Last edited by Safti; Aug 8, 2018 at 3:39 pm Reason: misprint
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 3:49 pm
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*Four of our 29 brands do not participate in Rewarding Events: Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Marriott Executive Apartments and Design Hotels.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 4:11 pm
  #6  
 
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Isn't this the same information released weeks ago? Still no specifics, including what, if any, nights are earned after the first meeting.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 8:58 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by Safti
Lots of changes coming to meetings after August 17, 2018
This is part 1 of RE, and does not apply to conference rooms but rather events that include guest rooms. Nothing has been said about strictly conference rooms. And the statement about 10 nights credit and making Silver has always been the case. Lots more to learn.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 10:04 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by CJKatl
Isn't this the same information released weeks ago? Still no specifics, including what, if any, nights are earned after the first meeting.
I read it differently than you.

https://members.marriott.com/rewarding-events/

  • Get 10 Elite Qualifying Nights when you book your first meeting — and achieve Silver Elite status automatically.
  • Plus, you’ll earn one Elite Qualifying Night for every additional 20 room nights you book — up to 20 Elite Qualifying Nights per contract.
It seems meetings will only earn 10 elite nights for the FIRST meeting...and no meetings without rooms beyond the first will earn elite nights.

It seems that every 20 room nights will earn 1 additional elite night--which is precisely what SPG Pro did in the past two years. (Before that, it was 1 additional elite night for every 10 room nights.)

It seems that Marriott is incorporating its old 10 elite nights for a meeting ONLY for the first meeting (without rooms). That eliminates the ridiculous accumulation of elite nights that was permissible and quite common under the old Marriott Rewards rules. It also seems Marriott is incorporating the SPG Pro approach beyond that, requiring 20 room nights to earn additional elite nights. Events without rooms won't earn elite nights beyond the first meeting.

Sounds pretty straightforward and reasonable to me, actually.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 10:32 am
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
I read it differently than you.

https://members.marriott.com/rewarding-events/



It seems meetings will only earn 10 elite nights for the FIRST meeting...and no meetings without rooms beyond the first will earn elite nights.

It seems that every 20 room nights will earn 1 additional elite night--which is precisely what SPG Pro did in the past two years. (Before that, it was 1 additional elite night for every 10 room nights.)

It seems that Marriott is incorporating its old 10 elite nights for a meeting ONLY for the first meeting (without rooms). That eliminates the ridiculous accumulation of elite nights that was permissible and quite common under the old Marriott Rewards rules. It also seems Marriott is incorporating the SPG Pro approach beyond that, requiring 20 room nights to earn additional elite nights. Events without rooms won't earn elite nights beyond the first meeting.

Sounds pretty straightforward and reasonable to me, actually.
Except it does not say "only" anywhere. You are adding it. Marriott has used a version of the "get Silver with your first meeting" in its marketing materials since at least 2012 but has always awarded ten stays for each meeting per the T&Cs. Until the new T&Cs are released nobody will know what they state, which will hopefully be by the 18th. You are entitled to your guess, and your guess may prove correct, but we should wait for facts before proclaiming there is a change. There is a difference between thinking there will be a change and there actually being a change.

I have long advocated conducting any meetings needed for the nights credit before the new program starts to be on the safe side should the rules change, but again, that is a far cry from knowing there is a change. The rumor started because a blogger said he knew someone at Marriott who said there will be a change, and suddenly many started pointing to that statement about nights getting Silver status with one meeting as being new and a clue, but nobody remembers who the blogger was, the post can no longer be found and bloggers have been notoriously wrong through the past three months.

But to the immediate point, what is linked by the OP has been out there for months. It is not new.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 10:41 am
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Originally Posted by CJKatl
Except it does not say "only" anywhere. You are adding it. Marriott has used a version of the "get Silver with your first meeting" in its marketing materials since at least 2012 but has always awarded ten stays for each meeting per the T&Cs. Until the new T&Cs are released nobody will know what they state, which will hopefully be by the 18th. You are entitled to your guess, and your guess may prove correct, but we should wait for facts before proclaiming there is a change. There is a difference between thinking there will be a change and there actually being a change.

I have long advocated conducting any meetings needed for the nights credit before the new program starts to be on the safe side should the rules change, but again, that is a far cry from knowing there is a change. The rumor started because a blogger said he knew someone at Marriott who said there will be a change, and suddenly many started pointing to that statement about nights getting Silver status with one meeting as being new and a clue, but nobody remembers who the blogger was, the post can no longer be found and bloggers have been notoriously wrong through the past three months.

But to the immediate point, what is linked by the OP has been out there for months. It is not new.
You're right that we won't know officially until the new Terms and Conditions are released. But it looks pretty clear to me already. Also, FWIW, people I know with SPG Pro also indicated that this is what they've been told by their superiors.

Cheers (as Sharon says!)!
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 2:16 pm
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This verbiage has been there since May, when I started doing meetings and all my meetings have received 10 nights. I interpreted it, and as i received 10 nights for each meeting, that your first meeting gets you silver.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 4:09 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
You're right that we won't know officially until the new Terms and Conditions are released. But it looks pretty clear to me already. Also, FWIW, people I know with SPG Pro also indicated that this is what they've been told by their superiors.

Cheers (as Sharon says!)!
Originally Posted by cruisr
This verbiage has been there since May, when I started doing meetings and all my meetings have received 10 nights. I interpreted it, and as i received 10 nights for each meeting, that your first meeting gets you silver.
So what has been out there for years and what has happened for years has no bearing? Why expect a change at all? Sorry to say even the CSRs are prone to make up rules to fit their belief, so be sure to add a fair amount of salt to what they say. I've had an agent absolutely swear what I was saying I was entitled to from a new promotion was something the program would never do. Only by forcing her to do the research did she come back and do what I had asked in the first place with no apology for being wrong. Oh, and she WAS a supervisor (according to her)!!! Wait for the T&Cs and let's see how it shakes out (not that they can't change later).
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 11:00 am
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
So what has been out there for years and what has happened for years has no bearing? Why expect a change at all?
I have a a few good ones.

New appeal of cheap nights for status
1. For current status, it reduces the level of immediately bought status that can be attained cheaply to Gold. With the personal/business Marriott cards, you get 15 nights. The first meeting getting 10 nights pushes you to new gold (25 night qualification level). Limiting this to 10 elite nights only for the first eligible meeting per year would make it harder to earn status beyond gold (more appealing).

2. For current status, it's still possible to use rewarding events to "buy up" to the 50 night level or 75 night level if your credit card + actual stay activity remains just short of the 50/75 night threshold (and the SNAs/choice benefit granted hitting those levels in a year), but if you're 11 or more nights short - meeting only gets you somewhat closer, not a cheap way to mass accrue all the nights. Changing it in the merged program would reduce the buyup.

3. For lifetime status, meeting nights become a lot more appealing (if Rewarding Events is not modified) in a couple regards.
a. For many of us on corporate discount rates, especially on the non-coastal parts of the US, our average stay before taxes can be quite low, and thus we're fine on nights but short on points. Meeting nights add the nights cheaply, but offer few points (3 in old rewarding events/$, reduced to 2pts/$ August 18th) which means that you have to have a higher average room cost (and at higher end properties, other incidentals that qualify as "eligible spend", but not taxes/fees). Under the post-Aug 18th merged program, points no longer count, only lifetime nights and years at the given status you're seeking lifetime at or higher. So at that point, it doesn't matter if a night is acquired for $7/night in a bogus meeting or $300/night at a hotel. For lifetime qualification under new rules, any night is a night.

b. For those of us who are more upscale, maybe less on discounted rates, or just staying in more expensive areas like the Bay Area or Cali where a CY can run $300+/night (much less higher end properties), you can hit the points target (old LT criteria in MR) before the 500/750 nights. Not a big sweat for lifetime if you're still traveling. Now with August 18th looming, lifetime status will become harder compared to existing tiers (Old was 500 nights/1.6M points for lifetime @ 50 night annual qualification level, new program is 600 nights plus 10 years at the 50 night or more level) and another level is becoming impossible to earn (75 night level used to be 750 nights/2M points for lifetime, qualification for that won't be gone before the end of 2018). A bunch of people on FT in this group are buying up cheap nights for this express purpose (discussed in this other thread). Marriott doesn't want to tick people off too badly by just pulling off the rule changes in advance, and since the elite tiers are changing Aug 18th + single loyalty program, making any change to rewarding events earn structure just makes sense to do together on the 18th (personal opinion).

c. With the new requirement to get lifetime 50 night status (old Gold/new plat) also incorporating the ten years at 50 night clause, meeting bookings become a lot more appealing as a way to tick the box of another year at the 50 night status. I earned LTP this year, and most of my stay activity (200+ nights/yr thanks to rollover nights counting twice) was 2013-2015 (I only joined MR in mid-2012). I would not have renewed Gold (50 nights) without rollover in 2016 or 2017. Under the old program that didn't matter, because years at status didn't matter for lifetime status, thus busier years offset less busy years. If I had to earn lifetime status under the new rules, I would only have five years. That would make use of meetings to supplement actual stay activity (If any) a lot more appealing.

d. The elimination of stay based elite qualification for SPG elites in the merged program makes meetings more attractive to make up the difference.

Other ways earning nights in the current/merging program has become harder:
My personal opinion is that anyone thinking that anything beyond the first meeting earning 10 nights is being extremely optimistic. though The general direction of both companies has been to reward spend/stay activity more and tighten many of the "loopholes" for elite qualification in the program merger.
  1. Marriott awarded points for multiple hotel rooms booked, but only 1 EQN per night for the elite member who booked the room, regardless of how many rooms they booked simultaneously. SPG gave the elite booking the room elite qualifying nights for up to three rooms at the same time. The less generous policy (MR) prevails in the merger.
  2. Marriott offers an acquisition deal to SPG and the shareholders approve it in April 2016. Then both sides start working on figuring out what a merged program will look like. By 2017 they realize how generous the rollover nights are for the busiest elites, because rollover nights counted twice for lifetime qualification: once in the year they were earned, and once in the year they were rolled over to. MR kills rollover nights in 2017 (excess nights from 2017 will roll over to 2018, but no nights from 2018 or other future years will roll over to the next year).
  3. Marriott gave 10 meeting nights flat for rewarding events regardless of the duration of the meeting (5 days of the same meeting was the same as 30 minute meetings, the posting of the 10 nights was by the contract for the room - same contract, no more nights) and regardless of whether or not one person showed up without booking a room at the hotel in a small room or if the meeting brought in 150+ people into a very large and expensive meeting room who each stayed three nights (450 room nights booked driven by the meeting). SPG Pro only gave elite nights to the qualifying planner if they drove at least 20 nights of related room bookings, and then it gave 1 elite night to the planner for every 20 nights of related room bookings, up to 20 elite qualifying nights (400 room nights / 20 room nights to get an elite qualifying night for the planner = 20 elite nights for the planner.
  4. Marriott kept the 15 night bonus but limited it to one per member per year regardless of whether or not they had cards, and effectively kneecapped the Chase personal visa by making a product conversion/upgrade to continue getting the category 5 (now 35,000 point) cert, and having to drop the old card that gave one elite night/$3,000 moved across the card to get that (also, the new card earning more pts/$, generally higher redemption rates, etc.)
The old Rewarding Events program page said that you'd earn silver after your first meeting (true, as silver was 10 nights) and that each meeting earned 10 nights.
The new Rewarding Events program page on members.marriott.com says you'll earn ten elite nights after your first meeting, and then 1 elite night per 20 hotel room nights on the contract (basically copying SPG Pro).

It is technically true that the T&C could permit ten nights for the second and subsequent meetings once released, but given how much more appealing nights from Rewarding Events in the current structure becomes under the merged program for current/lifetime qualification AND the reduction of the other ways to get nights cheaply/as a byproduct of non-room spend (per above).. doubtful.

Also, the related room bookings 1 elite night/20 related room nights on the contract would become pretty pointless if you continued to earn 10 elite nights on every meeting booked anyways. Just book a bunch of smaller meetings and you'll earn the status faster/easier/cheaper than trying to drive a larger number of actual events with people staying in rooms...
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 11:08 am
  #14  
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Wow, thanks @phltraveler. You really laid it all out there!

I couldn't agree more. I think many people are kidding themselves with lots of wishful thinking and "looking for loophole" reading that the post Aug 18 meeting/group rewards will be as generous under the new Loyalty Program as it was under the old Marriott Rewards.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 11:35 am
  #15  
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
I have a a few good ones.
...
The old Rewarding Events program page said that you'd earn silver after your first meeting (true, as silver was 10 nights) and that each meeting earned 10 nights.
The new Rewarding Events program page on members.marriott.com says you'll earn ten elite nights after your first meeting, and then 1 elite night per 20 hotel room nights on the contract (basically copying SPG Pro).
...
My point was, there are/were two different programs under the Rewarding Events name, one dealt with events that included guest rooms so a meeting planner would get some credit for arranging the event and there was a second one that addressed people that needed just meeting space. It seems all material for the second program had disappeared some time ago, yet the program continued. It appears to me the original program is all that is what's being thrown out there as the total solution. Also, I'm not seeing where it says you will get the 10 nights only on the first meeting...

I don't know if they will ever clear this up, but hope they do make some clarifications. We all will have our own opinion but the only thing that counts is what they do. Fortunately, I don't expect to make use of this benefit, so no skin in this game.
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