Notes to send, as I missed the feedback session due to early train:
Furries flock. Having two DJs running dances at the same time in rooms connected by glass doors isn’t fair. One will get an initial group and everyone will follow them, wanting to avoid the “unpopular” dance. Perhaps getting the DJs together to discuss a good order in which to run so the styles flow nicely into each other and everyone gets a fair turn? Or operate one as a chill-out room, so you can sit for a bit but without missing tunes.
While the auction already over-ran by 2 hours, it’s still unfair that only some of pieces in the art-show seem to get picked for it. Apparently at random, and using apparently winning written bids as the start bid. It should be set in stone if a piece will or won’t go to the auction.
The rules for the Dealers Den about no snacks or drinks allowed in to protect dealers works and art-show works alike is a good one. However only if it’s enforced. Likewise the promise that only con attendees would be allowed in, badges on display. It doesn’t give much motivation to follow the rules when I asked if I’d be able to give out complimentary sweets or mints and be told no, then to find people wandering around with pints of beer, wine, drinks, biscuits and other foods. Fortunately the only drinks spilt on my table were my own.
Sharing a hotel with normal folk isn’t a problem. The football fans were a problem for a lot of people though, because they were another large distinct group sharing the same space as the convention. Let’s try and avoid sharing the venue with other large groups if possible.
One way to achieve that of course is to try and fill the entire hotel next time. :)
Den layout was generally pretty good, though from my position I felt there were bottlenecks. I noticed the crowding around Tani and Nightfox Studios, but anyone walking away from them first saw the bare wall and had barely looked around again before they were past my table. There seemed to be a couple of seconds when moving away from the popular tables before people start looking around themselves again. (would be interested to see if it was similar around Jencen and Muzz’s tables, which also seemed to have permanent crowds)
I’d suggest adding another row of tables, so the furthest-back row is facing toward the front of the Den, so there’s a backdrop of interest at the rear of the room. Three rows of faces rather than two, giving the den a fuller appearance. I know this would reduce walking space between rows, but if the rows were turned 90degrees it might work. I would also be easier to work into the (apparently abandoned) idea to have divided IN and OUT lines of the den room, by giving a snaking direction of traffic around the tables. It works in supermarkets, after all.
Additionally, some tables seemed to sit empty for long periods. Perhaps next time dedicating a few tables to an “artists alley”, for those who only want to pop in and do sketchbooks for a while?
Also, I know opening a door is a much simpler solution than getting a fan, but while it may cool the opposite side of the room a bit, it makes the tables by the door really frigging freezing.
While if the only layout change it could have caused a massive corner jam, perhaps Jencen’s laser engraver would have been better suited near the door due to the chance of it putting out odours/smoke?
And additionally, since the conbook’s backdrop would suggest there were accurate dimensioned drawings of the rooms layout, it would have been handy to supply this to the dealers so they could plan from more than the small rendered image on the Dealers page.
Perhaps a large map of the den with who’s where marked and what they’re principally selling too. I know the layout’s in the con-book, but not everyone carries it around with them. Plus it would allow last-minute changes to be made.
Aside from that, can’t think of anything else right now. The registration delays were due to circumstances out of the cons control as far as I understand, as was the behaviour of the few hyper/drunk teenage football fans. Can’t recall if it was mentioned before the con that some of the hotel was slowly being renovated or not. Most rooms seemed perfectly fine (not that I saw many), but some areas were a bit sub-par. Well done on the discount carvery meals though! They were very good value for money I thought. Security also seemed very on top of things as issues arose.
[20/06/2010: Amalgamating old posts from “Dreamwidth Creative Blog” into sci-fi-fox.com to re-purpose DW blog account.]