Paul Sternberg Houston Press Release
Contact: Amanda Cook
(317) 328-4631
acook@chpaonline.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 28, 2008
CORPORATE HOUSING EXPERIENCES
BOOST WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL NATIONAL CONVENTIONS
Corporate housing providers help cities meet the needs of large scale events, partnering with other lodging
sectors to serve thousands of travelers. Members of the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA)
have experienced increased sales and occupancy thanks to the presidential national conventions hosted in
Denver, Colorado and Saint Paul, Minnesota. With citywide events, there is often a lack of hotels rooms and
thousands of people expected to attend the conventions; corporate housing has answered the call for
accommodations. Organizers expect attendance for the Democratic National Convention August 25 - 28 in
Denver to reach at least 50,000. The number includes politicians, media and delegates from across the United
States.
“This opportunity has allowed the corporate housing industry to connect with other people and organizations that
it would not normally connect with,” said Kimberly Smith, AvenueWest and a member of the CHPA Board of
Directors. “The event brought many new clients to our business that could potentially turn into repeat clients
and bring new corporate accounts.” While large events like this normally bring out inexperienced entrepreneurs
who call themselves corporate housing providers, Smith stresses the importance of using a qualified corporate
housing provider, such as a member of CHPA, to ensure professionalism, ethical standards and a quality
experience.
More than 45,000 people are expected to attend the 4-day Republican National Convention in St. Paul
September 1 - 4. Local corporate housing providers have been booking accommodations for months in
anticipation of the event. Most convention attendees want to stay in a place that is more comfortable and more
like home instead of a hotel. Corporate housing is typically larger than a standard hotel room and is similar to a
furnished apartment. The accommodations have all of the necessities a guest would have at home, including
comfortable furniture and housewares.
“We have definitely seen an increase in demand for corporate apartments due to the Republican National
Convention being in the St. Paul this year. Not only have we taken many calls from travelers that traditionally
choose a hotel option, we have also assisted many of our current corporate clients with short term stays over
that week in September,” comments Jen Claude, Marriott ExecuStay. Claude also mentions the extra people in
town have resulted in early reservations. “We also experienced increased bookings in August as our clients
secured apartments sooner in anticipation of limited availability over this time period.”
After consecutive years of profits and growth, the $2.95 billion industry has proceeded with caution this year as
similar industries have struggled with the country’s economic downturn. Industry experts are tentatively
optimistic, using the conventions to promote their presence in the marketplace.
“These conventions are opportunities for corporate housing providers to increase their sales and brand, while
offering customers a great product. Large events like this always bring a large number of people who need
places to stay and illustrate the flexibility of corporate housing worldwide,” said Ned Scharpf, Corporate
Apartment Specialists and CHPA President. “We’ll be looking forward to similar opportunities in the future,
including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.”
About CHPA
The Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA) is the only trade association dedicated to the corporate
housing industry. The Association offers networking, educational and informational opportunities to providers
Choice Corporate Housing Inc Press Release by Direction Paul M. Sternberg Houston
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