When OSBA secures sleeping rooms at hotels for its conference, commonly referred to as room blocks, we research the properties to ensure attendees will be accommodated adequately. The room block is established to ensure that rooms meet OSBA’s standards and are offered at a discounted price.

OSBA has been informed that registrants often are contacted with offers for cut rate housing. The intent is to convince you that the offer is made on our behalf, or that the soliciting company is associated with OSBA. This is not true. The exclusive service provider for OSBA Capital Conference housing is Passkey.

How it works

Room poaching is a practice carried out by third-party companies that act as travel agencies, wholesalers or destination management companies to solicit registrants for room reservations.

The poacher might inform registrants that the hotel room block is “sold out,” and that if you do not book with them immediately, you may not get a room. Additional deceptive tactics include distributing forms or promotional materials that appear to be issued by us.

• Room poachers make it more difficult for us to meet our room block commitments and expose us to penalties and increased room rates for our events.
• Room poachers often don’t deliver on promises to customers. When customers arrive, reservations are non-existent or the hotels are not conveniently located. Sometimes the rooms have been cancelled and hefty cancellation fees have been placed on the customer’s credit card.
• Poachers often represent themselves as being affiliated with us by illegally using our logo.

How you can help

Don’t be misled! If you are contacted by anyone asking if you would like to purchase Capital Conference housing, please get as much information as you can and pass it on to OSBA. School districts should contact Jeff Chambers at (614) 540-4000, (800) 589-OSBA or jchambers@ohioschoolboards.org. Exhibitors should contact Wanda Bloch at (614) 540-4000 or wbloch@ohioschoolboards.org.