[modkittn]

So at the beginning of March I will be going to a conference for work. The last time I went to this specific conference, I stayed at a hotel a few minutes away that had a mini-kitchen in each room and went and bought vegetables for the week. The problem?

*The last time, I was so busy at the conference (which, on some nights, has meetings that go until 8pm) that I ended up having to get dinner at the hotel the conference was at anyway.

*No fridge at the conference to store my lunch in. I had to nitpick at the supermarket to get things I knew would last from morning until lunch (I normally bring soups, salads, etc). Also, no microwave or silverware (but I can bring plastic silverware with me).

*The conference provides some food anyway, and usually it isn't all that bad (as long as I don't eat the bread all the sandwiches are in).

*Most importantly to me, someone else from my office is also going to the conference and wants to stay at the hotel the conference will be held at. We're good friends, and if I stay at a different hotel I wouldn't be able to hang out with him after all the conference stuff is done for the day for too long because I wouldn't necessarily be wanting to drive back to the hotel at 10:30 at night after a full day of conference stuff.

So what do I do? Do I just stay at the same hotel the conference is in with my colleague (who I am also very good friends with) or do I stay at the not as close hotel but not have a buddy to hang out with after all the conference stuff is done each night?

I suppose if I stayed where the conference was at, I could get a refrigerator sent to my room (might cost a small fee) and still go shopping for some fruit, yogurt, etc to have some healthy options available for snacks (and lunches, as long as it doesn't need stove or microwave preparation. I also wouldn't have dishes).

[Tharmony]

It sounds like staying at the conference hotel is your best option, and there might not even be any extra fee for that mini fridge. Also, I would consider bringing your snacks from home. I've found that it's easier for me to bring a larger suitcase than to take the time and effort to go grocery shopping in an area I'm unfamiliar with where they may not have the kinds of foods I want anyway. If you're traveling internationally you may not be allowed to bring fresh produce, but domestically it's not a problem.

Bon voyage!

[iwmonn]

I'll be watching this thread lol... I'm off to a conference in March. A food show none the less!!!

You have started me thinking already. I would stay in the hotel the conference is is in. Especially if you can possibly get a small refrig. brought in. You would have somewhere to go on break or lunch in order to stay on plan. Check with the kitchen also. Maybe there are microwaves available there Or at least scout out where you may be able to find one in a coffeeshop or something. Make nice with the staff and they may have no problem with you using it lol.

So much to think about. And I know my bosses will be buying meals there for us too....

Good Luck!!!!

Dee~

[jiffypop]

as a fellow business traveler, i feel your pain. a LOT depends on the neighborhood the conference hotel is in, as well as the facilities/vendors that the hotel has. having said that, my BEST FRIENDS are a package of Laughing Cow Light wedges and some whole-grain crackers. and some protein powder. i can survive ANYTHING with that combination! i can always pick up some fruit, and water. if i can't find suitable protein [relatively low in fat, with no mayo], i have the protein powder to fall back on.

I'm sure others will have some wonderful ideas as well!!!

oh. and a couple of individual packages of peanuts.

[fatburner77]

As a rule of thumb, I always stay where the conference is being held, unless I'm paying for it out of my own pocket and the cost difference to do so is exorbitant. To me, what you'd save in room fees are made up in the time it takes to commute to the conference site, etc. Plus, I appreciate being able to run up to my room during those 15-minute coffee breaks and freshen up, plus it gives me a chance to grab a snack from my room. The no-fridge issue isn't that hopeless: you can use the ice bucket provided in the hotel room as a mini-cooler to store a day or two's worth of mini-yogurts, string cheese, etc. Simply switch out the ice once during the day. I assume you're flying to the conference, so taking a cooler isn't feasible, but you can pack one of those soft-sided insulated lunchbags and again, use it in place of a fridge. It's amazing how creative you become when faced with these types of scenarios!