Guys,
This is the sort of thing that has the potential to create problems for us with the hotel. The Doubletree was not happy about early con last year. However, we were not in a situation with them where we needed to worry about working with them again and/or making future contracts. We are in that positon with the Downtown Hilton.
The Downtown Hilton usualy books lots of really formal events like weddings. You guys are talking about crashing space that is rented by someone else, in a highly visible group of about 30 people. We are working with the hotel to try to have walkthroughs on meeting days. If you guys really want to tour the hotel, please do it when we have made arrangements to do so.
Obviously, we can't stop you. But, if you do anything to sour our relationship with the hotel, the whole convention can be affected. The more they like working with us, the more concessions and other things we get from them. If they have reasons to not like working with us ... then they will only do so in the future for more money.
When the hotel is ours, because it's during the times when WE have rented it, we can do all sorts of stuff. We can have our fun then. When OTHER people have paid good money for the space, it's thiers. Touring the general area of the hotel is fine. But please, think carefully about entering private property.
This is likely the last you are going to hear from the Kcon Board about it. It's your choice. I just wanted to make sure you guys understood the possible implications.
Thanks for reading:) In general, how well behaved our attendees are and the lack of complaints actually surprises the hotels and other venues we work with. Also, those of us who work on the con all year long really, really appriciate what a good group of attendees we have. If you guys weren't so awesome, running the show would not be nearly as rewarding.
