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Canceling an event is never pleasant. However, considering the current state of things, itโ€™s necessary. And while a lot of plannersโ€™ attention is focused on virtual events, a part is also concerned with cancellation. So, what do you have to do? Can you simply send out a mass email? And is that even advisable? Is there any way you can repurpose the costs of your in-person event? These are only some of the questions that have been floating around in the events industry.

But we are here to help! This weekโ€™s incredible episode of #EventIcons will walk you through the ins and outs of canceling an event. And in order to do so, our amazing host Will Curran is joined by Josh Grimes. Josh is an attorney whoโ€™s specialized in the area for events. With 23 years of experience in the business behind him, thereโ€™s a lot we can learn from Josh. So press play and letโ€™s dive right into todayโ€™s edition of our iconic show!

Canceling An Event: Force Majeure

We begin by learning about the term force majeure. โ€œForce majeure is a legal term thatโ€™s been around for a long time and itโ€™s in your contracts, but itโ€™s separate from your contractsโ€, Josh explains. โ€œItโ€™s a legal principle that says, if it becomes impossible to perform, or illegal to perform, then both sides can go their separate ways and thereโ€™s no liability for either side. And almost every statute and almost every country in the world has, and every state has a force majeure or provision. Wither built into their law or in their legal tradition. And most countries have it outside of the US too. So thereโ€™s a strict force majeure principle out thereโ€.

โ€œNow, what weโ€™ve done in the meetings industry is broaden that. There shouldnโ€™t just be a cancellation if itโ€™s impossible or illegal to have a meeting. But weโ€™ve talked about, is it impractical to have a meeting? Is it commercially impracticable? Thatโ€™s the word you use, is it inadvisable? And weโ€™ve built in a whole number of contractual provisions that frankly are much broader than a strict force majeure clause would be. But they let planners and groups get out of meeting contracts or frankly, any kind of supplier contracts too if they meet certain criteria. And if you have a contractual provision in your meeting contract thatโ€™s broader than a force majeure law, that meeting contract provision will almost always be upheld. Thatโ€™s really the differenceโ€.

Does Force Majeure Have Priority?

โ€œA force majeure or only applies where someone canโ€™t perform because of a reason outside of its control. So for instance, if I say, โ€œWell, we have a new CEO in our company and he wants to tighten the belt so weโ€™re canceling,โ€ thatโ€™s not a force majeure because thatโ€™s within the control of the group thatโ€™s cancelingโ€, says Josh. โ€œAnd itโ€™s hard to have an exhaustive list because we donโ€™t know whatโ€™s going to happen. And itโ€™s never a bright line usually. Is it terrorism just in the city where your meeting is going to be? Or is it terrorism for some groups? If thereโ€™s terrorism in Europe, people might not want to get on an airplane and travel. So maybe thatโ€™s a force majeure for that groupโ€.

โ€œBad weather might be a force majeure. But is really bad heat going to be a force majeure if your meetings in Scottsdale in July or August? Probably not. So, the key is to define things as narrowly as possible or as broadly as possible for force majeureโ€, he adds. โ€œBecause we donโ€™t like things to go to court. But if it ever did, a judge is going to take a hard look at your clause and see if whatโ€™s there actually is a force majeureโ€.

What If Thereโ€™s No Force Majeure Clause?

It might happen that you donโ€™t have such a clause in your contract when canceling an event. What can you do in this case? โ€œYouโ€™re not out of luck totallyโ€, says Josh. โ€œAgain, as I said before, it depends on the law that governs your contract, which is usually where your meeting is going to be held. But, for instance, if youโ€™re meeting in Texas, Texas has a force majeure, what we call a common-law provision I believe thereโ€.

โ€œCalifornia has a provision and I happen to know whatโ€™s the California Civil Code Section 1511 that has circumstances where you can cancel without liability because of unforeseen occurrences outside the control of the parties. So that gives you rights if you have absolutely no force majeure clause. I canโ€™t tell you, it depends on the circumstances, I canโ€™t tell you itโ€™s a slam dunk. But it will probably be helpful for you in a dire circumstance like what we have right nowโ€.

The Timing

Youโ€™re probably wondering how far prior to an event a force majeure can be triggered. According to Josh, it depends. โ€œSome contracts say that if you have a force majeure occurrence, you need to notify the other side that you want to cancel. Letโ€™s also remember, force majeure can also be a postponement of a meeting, not just a cancellation. But you have to tell the other side within 10 days of when the force majeure occurrence arose. And if thatโ€™s in there, thatโ€™s what it isโ€.

โ€œOtherwise, I would say as soon as you know, but letโ€™s look at the other side. So Iโ€™m dealing today with meetings that are going to be at the end of June. And groups are asking me, can we cancel today if a meeting is at the end of June? Well, I would wait and see what happens, particularly if thereโ€™s no penalty for you to wait. Why? Because right now most of these government orders against group gatherings and travel and closing convention centers are only in effect until April. And, in fact, Las Vegas casinos are closed, but only until towards the end of Aprilโ€, he adds.

โ€œAnd these bans may be extended, but we donโ€™t know right now. So can you cancel for June? We may get to June. I donโ€™t particularly think this is going to peak that soon and be great by April. But yesterday or two days ago, the President was talking about opening things up by Easter. What if this goes away and it does open up by Easter? If you then have a meeting canceled in June, the force majeure reasons may no longer exist. So I recommend that you wait as long as possible until itโ€™s clear. Now if you have a ban or a government order that says we are not reopening our convention center or our hotels until July, then you know now so itโ€™s something differentโ€.

Services Already Rendered

Many companies provide meeting plan services to clients in exchange for hotel commissions. What happens when a client cancels a meeting for force majeure? Do the meeting planners have any recourse for services already rendered for both parties?  โ€œIf itโ€™s just a commission contract, the answer would be noโ€, says Josh. โ€œBecause the commissions come in when the meeting happens, and in fact, most hotel contracts will say that they donโ€™t pay commissions on cancellation damagesโ€.

โ€œTwo ways to address that. One is to work the commissions based on revenue that the hotel gets, whether itโ€™s cancellation damages or not. And I would argue, if there are cancellation damages at play, if the hotel is getting 100% of the room rate for each room that is canceled, then they should pay commission. Otherwise, the hotel is getting more money in their pockets than if the group had actually performedโ€.

โ€œPlanners ought to have an arrangement with the company that hires them. This is obviously for third party planners that recognize that you do a lot of work before the meeting. And of course, you do site visits, you do planning visits, all sorts of planning, registration, you do real work before the meeting. And you deserve to be compensated for that work whether the meeting happens or not. Many of your clients donโ€™t really appreciate that because you might be compensated strictly by the commission. So I recommend you have a contract in place that says, if the meeting happens, we get a commission. But if it doesnโ€™t happen, we get our costs and expenses and maybe an hourly rate for employees equal to the amount they did up until the time of cancellationโ€, he concludes.

canceling an event

Canceling An Event: Vague Language?

The possibility of canceling an event should always be on your mind when putting together a contract. โ€œI think that planners have to sit down and think about when theyโ€™re doing their contract. Hereโ€™s my meeting, is my meeting a corporate meeting where everybody has to show up basically, or they get fired? Itโ€™s part of the job. Is it a voluntary association, where itโ€™s optional for people to come? And then you figure out what kind of meeting you haveโ€.

โ€œAnd you decide what kind of force majeure would be relevant to your members or your prospective attendees. So if itโ€™s senior citizens, maybe they donโ€™t want to go out in horrible weather. You may need a broader force majeure clause. Or if itโ€™s people who arenโ€™t used to traveling, so they get skittish if something happens. You may need a broader force majeure clause than you do if itโ€™s experienced travelers or people who are really extremely motivated to show up for the eventโ€.

โ€œThe courts donโ€™t like vague language and courts tend to construe force majeure clauses pretty narrowly if theyโ€™re able to. But I would put in exactly what you need. The challenge with force majeure is that we donโ€™t know what the next force majeure is going to be. They are unforeseen events. So you need to define it as much as possible with examples. And then add something like any other unforeseen occurrence beyond the control of the parties that makes it illegal, impossible or commercially impracticable to move forward with the event. Something to that effect, some broad language that gives you some leewayโ€.

Can A Venue Force You To Rebook Versus Cancel And Receive A Refund?

โ€œA force majeure, a pure force majeure means that both parties walk away. So they have to refund. A venue could take a position, that they donโ€™t have to do that. And in fact, what weโ€™re seeing right now are situations where, frankly, given the starkness of the situation in a lot of places, you are to get your money back. If youโ€™re meeting in Las Vegas at one of the casino hotels at the beginning of April when the casino hotel is going to be closed by order the government, you ought to get your money backโ€.

โ€œBut why isnโ€™t that happening so automatically? Because the hotels, the venues, they want to keep your money. They are in a desperate situation. They would rather rebook you so they can keep your money and apply it to a later meeting.  The airlines, frankly, are doing the same thing theyโ€™re canceling, but theyโ€™re trying to get you to take credit rather than give you a refund, even though theyโ€™ve canceled your flightโ€.

โ€œWhat you need to insist on if youโ€™re a planner, insist on it. And if itโ€™s a real force majeure event, you should get it. Donโ€™t expect the hotel to volunteer it and in fact, some properties are taking the position even if itโ€™s a clear force majeure in my opinion, what happens, theyโ€™re still taking the position that itโ€™s not a forced mature. Why? Because theyโ€™re trying to negotiate a better deal that lets them keep the deposits at least for a while until your rescheduled meeting comes around. But with a true force majeure, you should always have an option to get a refund, not only for you but also for your members or attendees who may have already made a hotel reservation or paid some sort of depositโ€.

General Cancelation Tips

Josh also gives us some general advice on the topic of canceling an event. โ€œWell, the first thing that weโ€™ve learned is to read your contracts. Know what youโ€™re getting yourself into before you sign the contract, and think about what could happen. Think about what could happen to your meeting. Think about in your experience whatโ€™s happened in the past. Make sure your contracts address all those things. Make sure if youโ€™re a third-party planner or a vendor, your clients have reasonable expectations about what you can deliverโ€.

Hotel Contracts

โ€œWith your hotel contracts, if theyโ€™re way off in the future, think about unpredictability, not just a force majeure. What if weโ€™re heading to a buyers market? So rates are going to go down. Do you have some way to protect your groups and yourself so that if rates go down in the area generally where youโ€™re having your meeting, your rates for your meeting arenโ€™t going to be stuck at some high rate because you signed a contract a year earlier before rates went down? And now youโ€™re stuckโ€.

โ€œIโ€™ve always recommended there be a hotel quality clause in the contract that says, essentially, the hotel shows us a website, or weโ€™ve gone on a site visit, we see what condition the hotel is in. And we expect the hotel to be in the same condition or better at the time of our meeting if itโ€™s a year or two away or even a few years awayโ€.

โ€œWhy is that important? Because right now, weโ€™re in an uncertain period. Hotels may not have the capital that theyโ€™ve had in the past few years to renovate and do upkeep. And you want to have some remedy if the property is not where it ought to be and where your reasonable expectations are, at the time when youโ€™re meeting rolls around. So again, a lot of proactive thinking about what could happen using your experienceโ€.

canceling an event
Consider Everything That Could Go Wrong

โ€œMake sure you understand whatโ€™s in your contracts. If you donโ€™t understand them, if thereโ€™s a lot of legalese, a lot of references, the statutory provisions and you donโ€™t understand them, ask the properties. Even if theyโ€™re non-hotel contracts ask your vendorsโ€.

โ€œRemember when we were discussing privacy GDPR Californiaโ€™s privacy laws. All sorts of things that were important before Coronavirus came up, theyโ€™re still going to be important. Cybersecurity, anti-hacking, the security of the internet and your networks in the property. All sorts of things to think about to make sure your contracts address them particularly if youโ€™re paying the hotel or a third-party vendor to have secure web access during your meetings. They ought to warrant and take responsibility if things happen, so nothing to do with Coronavirus. Refreshing for a minute to talk about something else, but all sorts of things to think about putting in your contractsโ€.

Collecting Fees

There are a lot of vendors out there, a lot of them had people pay deposits. Now theyโ€™re having trouble collecting fees. So how would Josh suggest changing the deposit clause so they get paid? โ€œUnfortunately, itโ€™s a little late to think about this. I think the lesson for whatโ€™s already there for your deposits, itโ€™s what it is. If someone owes you a deposit and they havenโ€™t paid you, you have to think about how to cut your losses. So you say to the client, โ€œLook, weโ€™re going forward with the meeting. At this point, youโ€™re late with your deposit.โ€ And most contracts say this anyway, โ€œIf you donโ€™t pay us within five days of when itโ€™s due, we have the right to cancel the meeting and keep your deposits.โ€ If you donโ€™t have something like that in your contract you shouldโ€.

The Routes You Can Take

โ€œBut if you do have something in your contract like that, think about enforcing it more than maybe you otherwise would. Because right now things are very uncertain. Again, itโ€™s tough to deal with this after the fact because a lot of us work on relationships, and you may extend credit to your clients or pushback deposits. Because itโ€™s never been an issue. Thereโ€™s not much you can do about that either if they donโ€™t owe you if they donโ€™t know you yet. Now, if they do owe you and havenโ€™t paid besides cancellation, really the only remedy you have is to take them to court, which isnโ€™t going to get you anywhere quickly. Number one, most courts, at least in the US arenโ€™t operating right now except on an emergency basis. And two, it takes time. So you donโ€™t want to go thereโ€.

โ€œBesides court, I would talk to them and say, โ€œLook, maybe you want to settle it for 70 cents on the dollar,โ€ whatever it is if you donโ€™t think that theyโ€™re going to otherwise pay you. Itโ€™s really on a case by case basis. And learn the lesson for your future clients, insist on more payments upfront so youโ€™re not losing outโ€.

โ€œAnd so if you know you have expenses, in particular even including your employee expenses, or you have to pay others for equipment things that you need, if the client doesnโ€™t make a deposit payment, youโ€™re not losing money, you get the deposits in such a schedule. So itโ€™s before you have to make major expenditures. Hopefully, some of that is helpful. But again, itโ€™s a lesson learned. I hope itโ€™s not a lesson learned for a lot of us, but I think it will be just because of this unanticipated nature of what weโ€™re going through right nowโ€.

Conclusions

And thatโ€™s a wrap on this weekโ€™s episode of #EventIcons! As youโ€™ve learned, canceling an event isnโ€™t easy. But there are steps you can take to make sure you come out of this without losing everything. Get educated and get in touch with the right people. And remember to tune in again next week for some iconic conversations!

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Will Curran

Author Will Curran

Information junkie, energetic, and work-a-holic are just some of the words we can use to describe Will Curran. Aside from spending 20 out of 24 hours a day working as the Chief Event Einstein of Endless Events, you can catch Will ordering a chai latte or watching The Flash with his cats. He is also well known for his love of all things pretzels.

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