Wednesday, January 27, 1999
Drawbridge policy 'shortsighted,' convention group says
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT MITCHELL — What most upsets the president of the Kentucky Association for Early Childhood Education about not being able to book a convention at the Drawbridge Estate is that it all comes down to money.
“It's shortsighted. And it depicts what the emphasis is,” said Jeanette C. Nunnelley.
The association, which has met every four years at the Drawbridge Estate for two decades, sees 800 to 1,200 people at its annual conference.
When Ms. Nunnelley called to make reservations for October 2000, Drawbridge management said the group did not use enough sleeping space and did not spend enough money on food and drinks to justify use of every meeting room.
The convention will now be at The Galt House in Louisville.
Jim Willman, Drawbridge vice president for operations, said it was not good business sense to book the group this far in advance.
The group wanted to come in September or October, Ms. Nunnelley said. The Drawbridge offered times during the week, Thanksgiving weekend and dates in December.
The association needs weekend dates so people do not have to take time off work. And it has the convention in October because it generates money for the group's general budget, Ms. Nunnelley said.
“We can optimize our business potential with one big conference or several small ones,” Mr. Willman said. “We can't use all the meeting rooms and have so many sleeping rooms sit empty.”
Ms. Nunnelley said she
knows her association does not spend a lot of money.
“The problem, we think, is that we don't spend the big bucks,” said Pat Workman, the group's recording secretary and a public school teacher from Independence. “We were very disappointed that (the Drawbridge) felt that way.
“We wanted to let people know that this is happening to people who can't afford to spend a lot but need to attend these conferences for professional development.”
The group usually alternates its convention among Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky and Owensboro.
After its dealings with the Drawbridge, the group contacted the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau for help. It found that the new convention center is more expensive than the Drawbridge.
With that knowledge, the group decided to take Northern Kentucky out of its rotation.
“I guess we just don't understand how Louisville and the Hyatt in Lexington can accommodate us and Northern Kentucky can't,” Ms. Nunnelley said.
The Drawbridge's Mr. Willman said he is writing a letter of explanation to the group. “It gets to the point where we have to look at where can we stop giving,” he said.
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