We have been notified that some nefarious actors have started reaching out to exhibitors to offer assistance with booking hotel accommodations. Please note that official hotel room block information and booking codes are solely communicated through our website or registration confirmation emails. If you are ever uncertain about the legitimacy of someone contacting you, please do not provide them with any personal information and reach out to us directly by phone or email for verification.

The CAO Congress DOES NOT work with any 3rd party housing companies. Anyone contacting you directly with special deals or offers, other than communication coming from our website, is not associated with the Congress and should be treated as spam. We will NEVER ask you for credit card information within such communication. Unfortunately, these types of scams have become a common occurrence surrounding major events, conducted by “housing pirates”.

What is a "housing pirate"?

Commonly referred to as “housing pirates” or “housing bandits,” these are companies that phone, fax or email attendees and exhibitors, claiming to offer good deals on hotel rooms. They may falsely claim to be affiliated with the conference or event, and will ask for your credit card information to assist with booking a hotel room. If you provide your credit card information to one of these companies, your card may be charged and there is no guarantee you will have a room upon your arrival.

What should I do if contacted?

If contacted by someone asking if you need a room at the CAO Congress or representing themselves as an affiliated “Housing Bureau” please:

1. Do not provide them with any personal information.
2. Get as much information as you can, such as the name of the company, the name of the person calling, company address, email address and their telephone number. The more information you are able to collect, the better we can warn others about them.
3. Contact congress@opto.ca with all the details you are able to provide.