The George Allen

Florida Media Roundtable

How the WAITING LIST Works

The Waiting List is a Roundtable tradition. 

Seats are limited, though they have increased to 42 since we moved to the Field Club. Demand has also increased.  Most members, as well as our founder, believe the limited "roundtable" atmosphere contributes to our candid conversations on media issues. 

Many people send their reservation sheet with dates checked they "think" they might make, but later cancel. We encourage signing up for ONLY those meetings you are sure you can attend.  But recognizing plans do change the "waiting list" system allows capacity seating and maximum diversity of attendees.

Here's how it works:

When you send in your reservation request, if all the dates are not available we'll automatically put you on the waiting list for those meetings and notify you with a confirmation e-mail - if you don't use e-mail we'll call you with the information.  (The ONLY "snail mail- US Postage" we use is the original annual announcement of dates, and only to those without e-mail addresses.)

If you call or e-mail during the season and seats are not available, you are added to the waiting list. 

A week prior to each meeting we send confirmation e-mail to those with confirmed reservations and a "tentative" l to those on the waiting list.   We ask those "confirmed" to reconfirm.

As cancellations occur we call the waiting list.  We try to call first in, first called.  Occasionally priority is afforded to a new speaker for a vacant seat if the speaker list isn't filled out. 

We fill the empty seats by phone.  It is very important we have the best number to reach you.  If we have your cell phone we'll try it only after we've tried your "land lines."   Your cell phone number in our files does increase you chances of a seat.

We DO NOT leave messages unless we are at the end of the waiting list.  There is simply not the time to wait for a response before offering the seat to the next on the list.

Finally, experience tells us you have a very good chance of getting in the meeting via the waiting list.  There are frequent cancellations.