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By Maureen Wallenfang • Gannett Wisconsin Media • September 18, 2008
APPLETON — If you intend to hang out in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel this weekend hoping for a Tony Romo or Terrell Owens autograph, you’ll be wasting your time.
The Dallas Cowboys are not staying at the hotel, which for decades has been the usual stomping ground for NFL opponents preparing to play the Green Bay Packers.
The Chicago Bears also will not be staying here for their game at Lambeau Field on Nov. 16.
Instead, both teams will be staying at the Holiday Inn in Manitowoc.
The switch occurred because the Paper Valley was booked up years in advance.
Just like brides trying to predict the whims of the NFL schedules, which come out every year around April for the fall season, the hotel took a gamble.
“We’ve got two major conventions that we booked three years ago for both those weekends,” said Jay Schumerth, the hotel’s senior general manager. “If someone, three years, out says, ‘I have 900 room nights for you,’ it’s a business decision you make.”
The term “room nights” refers to the number of rooms booked times the number of nights.
“We had space every weekend of the 17-week season except for those two. It’s unfortunate,” he said. “They both ended up being Milwaukee (Gold ticket package) games. That’s just a coincidence.”
The Gold ticket package includes fans who previously held season tickets for Packers’ home games in Milwaukee when the Packers used to play home games in both Wisconsin cities. The Gold ticket package includes one preseason game and two regular-season games each season.
Schumerth told league executives in advance and responded to an NFL survey about hotel availability, but the NFL booked home games those weekends anyway.
It’s not without precedence.
“We’ve had a number of NFL teams stay with us,” said Pat Reilly, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Manitowoc. “The Lions have stayed here three separate times. The Bears have stayed here before. We also have a couple of fan clubs from Dallas that will be staying here, too.”
Reilly has been with the hotel for 17 years and before that was an employee at the Paper Valley, so she knows how to handle teams, fans and security.
“I know the drill well,” she said.
Maureen Wallenfang writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/PKR01/80918177/1058
APPLETON — If you intend to hang out in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel this weekend hoping for a Tony Romo or Terrell Owens autograph, you’ll be wasting your time.
The Dallas Cowboys are not staying at the hotel, which for decades has been the usual stomping ground for NFL opponents preparing to play the Green Bay Packers.
The Chicago Bears also will not be staying here for their game at Lambeau Field on Nov. 16.
Instead, both teams will be staying at the Holiday Inn in Manitowoc.
The switch occurred because the Paper Valley was booked up years in advance.
Just like brides trying to predict the whims of the NFL schedules, which come out every year around April for the fall season, the hotel took a gamble.
“We’ve got two major conventions that we booked three years ago for both those weekends,” said Jay Schumerth, the hotel’s senior general manager. “If someone, three years, out says, ‘I have 900 room nights for you,’ it’s a business decision you make.”
The term “room nights” refers to the number of rooms booked times the number of nights.
“We had space every weekend of the 17-week season except for those two. It’s unfortunate,” he said. “They both ended up being Milwaukee (Gold ticket package) games. That’s just a coincidence.”
The Gold ticket package includes fans who previously held season tickets for Packers’ home games in Milwaukee when the Packers used to play home games in both Wisconsin cities. The Gold ticket package includes one preseason game and two regular-season games each season.
Schumerth told league executives in advance and responded to an NFL survey about hotel availability, but the NFL booked home games those weekends anyway.
It’s not without precedence.
“We’ve had a number of NFL teams stay with us,” said Pat Reilly, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Manitowoc. “The Lions have stayed here three separate times. The Bears have stayed here before. We also have a couple of fan clubs from Dallas that will be staying here, too.”
Reilly has been with the hotel for 17 years and before that was an employee at the Paper Valley, so she knows how to handle teams, fans and security.
“I know the drill well,” she said.
Maureen Wallenfang writes for The Post-Crescent of Appleton
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/PKR01/80918177/1058
