I remember congregations that were 200+ miles away being assigned to the Cow Palace for their District Convention. The worst part was that the hotel list was posted after the Service Meeting on a Tuesday night, which sucked for me, because my congregation met on Thursdays. So, pretty much every room being offered with the "Convention discount rate" was booked a full 48 hours before we were "officially" told we were all going to the craptacular Cow Palace.
How big a fee does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society get for booking Jehovah's Witnesses into Convention Hotels?
by Balaamsass 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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JW GoneBad
DesirousOfChange: "I suspect their "bonus" is in free rooms for the big-wigs. GB, COs, DOs, Bethel speakers, international delegates (missionaries) all stay for free. I'm sure they get x number of free rooms for x number of rooms booked. Probably 1 for 10."
I am aware of a number of individuals who render their professional services to various WT conventions and in return they're givin rooms to stay in. I'm sure that is one of many perks in the form of kickbacks (all at the R & F and their familys'expense) that the Society recieves from hotels.
The WTBTS knows how to work the system for its' own benefits. After shelling out for the hotel, to further extract hard earned money from JW families, the WTBTS sets up ATM debit/credit card stations installed at the convention sites so they (JWs) can yet again fork over their hard earned money.
The Society truly has a money making racket. How else is it able to have the pink slip on so many properties in the tune of hundreds of millions of $$$?
And the Bible says that "Jesus had no place to lay his head". HUH!
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St George of England
We recently had the letter read re Malta convention 2012.
The only way to attend this convention is through Moseley Travel which is the parent company of JWTours.co.uk
This past year a trip to the Malta convention with them was £685 for 7 days, I did not check what the 2012 fee will be; however a similar 'commercial' holiday for 7 days next September averages about £500 - £600.
Great discount for brothers!
George
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stuckinamovement
Balaamsass you have a pm
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bnybyt
For the CA and District Conventions, the WTS doesn't get a kickback in cash for the amount of rooms publishers rent.
They do get a number of rooms free. So they need to meet a quota of booked rooms, once that's done they can have the DO, CO's and invited Bethel speakers, visiting Missionaries etc. stay for free.
The discounts on rooms aren't that great compared with what some traveling salespeople and public sector workers can get through their employer's deals with big hotel/motel chains.
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Open mind
There is one way the WT makes money off the comped rooms. I've known a few JW elders who decide to catch a day or two of a convention that they're not assigned to. They'll contact the guys in the Rooming Dept and ask if they have any spare comped rooms. If they do, it is expected that they contribute the going rate to the "Worldwide Work" in exchange for a comped room.
I have personal knowledge of this, but I don't think it amounts to a whole lot of dough for the WT.
om
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ex360shipper
Yeah I don't think they make money, I think they turn it all into free rooms. I got free rooms when I was in Bethel several times easily. Nothing special, no suites or anything, but hey it was clean and free.
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bobld
It's not so much that jw don't get a deal.It's about honesty.
I can book a hotel for a wedding and will get 10-20 % off the room rate for the guests.
If I do it every year at the same hotel, they will give me good deals.
What the wbts makes the jw believe,that they worked so hard to get those deals(bs).
The wbts will get a % of room from the hotel.The bro will pick sheep to take these free room,however,they are to make a paymemt to the wbts for those rooms.So the wtbs will make $ on D.C..
They could be loving and provide those free rooms to single mothers and those poor sheep that have little cash.
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Paralipomenon
I noticed that many conventions were held away from the where the bulk of witnesses lived in the district. I wonder if they try to arrange this to get free travel and accomodations for their bethel speakers.
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Balaamsass
When a hotel chain PUBLICLY states upfront they will pay a 10% commision there is no way WTB$ will turn it down. With a couple of thousand rooms booked per per Convention Hotel Mgrs would Gladly toss in a few dozen comped rooms. I get "comped" rooms after just a few nights stay.. just one guy.