Why did we still need $17,000, and where did it go?
With events like ours, its not entirely uncommon for there to be an outstanding balance at the time of the event. Most of our funds should have come in throughout the weekend, though our at the door sales absolutely deflated after the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon debaclesand with good reason. As youll see below, we had already paid in $21,000 prior to arrival. Only about $7,000 was money still due on the venue itself, as $10,000+ was for at event services, such as electricity, which wasnt even quoted to us until a day or two prior to Thursday nights early registration.
Should we have been more prepared? Absolutely. Weve looked into the contract, and its come to light that the net 30 terms that were described by a member of DashCons upper management werent correct. Whether that misinformation was deliberate or accidental, we cant say for sure. We can only say that weve taken measures to remove the person who handled that situation from our company.
Additionally, it was suggested that the Renaissance Schaumburg had denigrated our attendees, saying that they didnt like the type of clientele our event brought in. That has since been proven 100% untrue. When two of the Con Heads were told by the third that such a thing had been said or otherwise insinuated, it wasnt wholly unbelievableas its happened to so many other events in the pastand, in our state of panic, we believed what we were told, therein passing it along to our attendees. DashCons sincerest apologies go out to everyone who was hurt by this statement, including our attendees, vendors, staff members, and everyone at both the Renaissance Schaumburg and their parent company, Marriott International.
We have contacted the Renaissance Schaumburg since the close of our event, apologized for this misinformation, and taken the appropriate measures to repair our business relationship. DashCon is eternally grateful to hotels staff and management, who worked closely and endlessly with us over the course of the weekendsometimes into the wee hours of the morningfor their overwhelming kindness prior to, during, and after the convention.
As for what we did with the $17,000 raised in under an hourwhich, we would like to go on record as saying, absolutely touches and astounds usa picture is worth a thousand words. While the hotel was not at liberty to release our accounting records, we have every right to do so. Please note both the $21,000 paid prior to arrival, as well as the money posted on the night of July 11 and morning of July 12.
