Bingo! Mark, you hit it right on the head. If our group..... or any group.... spent large sums of money with the catering department..... our hotel room rate would drop dramatically.... and hotel properties would be competing for our business. Ditto on our club member's drop on the casino floor. We (collectively as a group) do not enjoy a reputation of being "big spenders" once we get into a casino. That's part of the problem in not getting some of the perks that some of us think we as a group deserve. If we don't even stay at the hotel our convention is held in..... why should the hotel kick back to us? They would much rather cater to a wedding reception or a 50th anniversary party held in their ballroom than to a buch of collectors who don't spend any money (in the big picture) while on the property. Now I know we have a few "heavy hitters" among us. But by and large we are mostly pretty small potatoes. That is why it is very important to put your slot card in the machine before playing or giving your card to the pit boss at table gaems. Our action is being tracked against our hotel reservation cards. If convention 2000 is held at Trop, do you think we'll be invited back in 2001 if most of our members stay across the street or don't give any action to the casino? I think not. It's a catch 22. Thanks for your post Mark... you were right on the money.