The first situation is that of "special events" such as holiday periods, sporting/political events, etc. These events give you more power in your relationship with industry players due to high customer demand and limited supply. For example, hotels are experiencing huge demand around the World Cup sporting event and as a result hotel prices have seen an average increase of between 100 and 300% compared to normal levels and for the latest World Cup World prices in one city have gone even further north by about 583% (Mallén, 2013). On the other hand, periods of economic recession have the opposite effect, negatively impacting demand and thus forcing hotels to significantly lower prices to stimulate demand or compete with other operators in the sector. During the last recession in the United States, the average hotel occupancy rate fell to an all-time low of 45%, one point below the normal average of 63%. As a result of sharp revenue declines, such as Marriott International's 48% decline, industry operators have laid off more than 400,000 employees and significantly reduced costs and new developments. Also important for customers who now saw more power in the relationship shift to their side during this time period, the average daily room rate dropped to $98.18 (2009) from the record high of $107.42 pre -recession (2008). Both effects on opposite hubs show how the importance of customer demand can influence the industry and the actions of the actors