James Goldberg, Goldberg & Associations PLLC, Washington, D.C., advises planners to add two provisions to their contracts to prevent being faced with future surcharges and fees for any reason:

1. A provision stating that no fees will be incurred unless they are disclosed to and agreed upon by the planner.

2. A provision that says that the hotels will not apply any policies to the meeting that haven't been disclosed to and agreed upon by the planner.

The first should cover the full range of fees a hotel might apply. The second, he says, will help you avoid “policy statements that contain those little gems that end up costing you money.”