A note to all staff, Volunteers and attendees

[BigGuy]

To everyone who was at Kumoricon this year.
This year was a learning experience and I know some things went well and some things...not so well. We all know that the hotel layout wasn't the best fit for us, but we now have a whole year to plan how to do things better.

I know there have been many questions and concerns, and I’d like to address those that affected the most people.

The reason we and the hotel staff were so tough on head counts going down to the main ballroom level is because that level is underground, and really only has one exit in case of an emergency. I hate turning people away from main events, but to ensure the safety of everyone, and to keep the fire marshal happy so we don’t get shut down entirely, I will if I have to.


We are working on a better ticketing system to get people into main events.

We do have a contract with the Hilton for 2010. People have been calling for us to break our contract and go somewhere else. I need everyone to know that we will not break our contract. If we did that we could get blacklisted from the Hilton and all the hotel chains that Hilton owns, such as the Doubletree, Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites. We wouldn't be able to get a contract with any other hotel of any size and Kumoricon would quite literally die.

We have one more year in this contract and we are going to do everything we can to make things run smoothly. I don't know where we will be in 2011, but after the elections in October we will appoint a new Facilities Liaison and he or she will scout locations for us.

If you ever have a problem with a Kumoricon staffer or attendee, bring it to someone's attention. Our Yojimbo should all be carrying radios and the Info Booth is a great place to find a staff member who can point you in the right direction to someone who can hear out your complaint.

If you have a problem with a hotel employee, bring it to the hotel front desk and let them know, and then bring it to either the Con Chair, Vice Chair or Facilities Liaison and we will deal with it ASAP.


Rant and Rave at the end of Closing Ceremonies is a good place to tell the executive board and the attending staff what you liked and what you didn't about the con that year. If people feel the need we can set aside some time at our general meetings for a rant/rave session each month.

I apologize for the delay in posting this. The board has been tracking the many concerns and issues people have, and these were found to be the most prevailing.


Thank you to everyone who came and made this year great despite the obstacles we had to deal with. It has been said that our people are some of the nicest and most welcoming con people around, and that is what brings me back year after year.

[RemSaverem]

Thanks for being a calm voice of reason.
I think that many had no clue about the possibility of extensive blacklisting as many are unaware of the major buyouts by large chains. When they maintain separate chain names folks don't recognize they share common owners. Also most have no clue what is included in a contract, nor how severe the penalties are (rumors have it at a large 5-figure sum) if we were to break it.

[Rathany]

Thanks for being a calm voice of reason.
I think that many had no clue about the possibility of extensive blacklisting as many are unaware of the major buyouts by large chains. When they maintain separate chain names folks don't recognize they share common owners. Also most have no clue what is included in a contract, nor how severe the penalties are (rumors have it at a large 5-figure sum) if we were to break it.

I keep trying to point out that every hotel that we have been using since 2005 has been a Hilton.  Also, the various Hiltons swap staff around.  No one seems to be at the same hotel for more than two years.  Last year, during my brief stint as Facilities, I worked with Doubletree staff who had worked worked at Vancouver when we were there and also staff who, do to having been at other Hiltons, had lots of experience but had never worked with us before. 

[RemSaverem]

 

I keep trying to point out that every hotel that we have been using since 2005 has been a Hilton.  Also, the various Hiltons swap staff around.  No one seems to be at the same hotel for more than two years.  Last year, during my brief stint as Facilities, I worked with Doubletree staff who had worked worked at Vancouver when we were there and also staff who, do to having been at other Hiltons, had lots of experience but had never worked with us before. 

I appreciate you pointing all that out (repeatedly). I would venture a guess that many of those most adamant that we consider leaving the Hilton are not reading the forums, or if they are, are not reading the posts by administrators, some of which are in staff-only sections.

[@random]

I keep trying to point out that every hotel that we have been using since 2005 has been a Hilton.  Also, the various Hiltons swap staff around.  No one seems to be at the same hotel for more than two years.  Last year, during my brief stint as Facilities, I worked with Doubletree staff who had worked worked at Vancouver when we were there and also staff who, do to having been at other Hiltons, had lots of experience but had never worked with us before. 

I appreciate you pointing all that out (repeatedly). I would venture a guess that many of those most adamant that we consider leaving the Hilton are not reading the forums, or if they are, are not reading the posts by administrators, some of which are in staff-only sections.

Excellent point - I would be startled if even one of the people most adamant about leaving the Hilton is able to read posts in staff-only sections.

[Rathany]

I keep trying to point out that every hotel that we have been using since 2005 has been a Hilton.  Also, the various Hiltons swap staff around.  No one seems to be at the same hotel for more than two years.  Last year, during my brief stint as Facilities, I worked with Doubletree staff who had worked worked at Vancouver when we were there and also staff who, do to having been at other Hiltons, had lots of experience but had never worked with us before. 

I appreciate you pointing all that out (repeatedly). I would venture a guess that many of those most adamant that we consider leaving the Hilton are not reading the forums, or if they are, are not reading the posts by administrators, some of which are in staff-only sections.

Excellent point - I would be startled if even one of the people most adamant about leaving the Hilton is able to read posts in staff-only sections.

I am pretty sure I posted lots outside the staff-only section son this, too.  But, so many threads ... explaining the same things over and over again ... I may have lost track of some details.  If I did, my apologies.

[Blue Leader]

Well, you've made a good post here and I think this might put out some of the fires (hopefully). Though I too have to agree with some of the others that this hotel wasn't the best choice of location, but there's really not much that can be done about it at this point so we just have to make the best of it.
And besides, it's not like the layout ruins the con... It just makes it slightly more annoying and inconvenient to get from one place to another.
But hey, we're there so we might as well enjoy it!

And by the way BigGuy, I have to give you kudos for the icon... The sand bear. Kyo Kara Maoh, wohoo!

[xxxchihiroxxx]

good post :3

Ive known for a while we wouldn't be able to change hotels however there was no doubt in my mind that 2010 would be better than 2009. Frankly this Hilton didn't know how to handle us. Its not all their fault but there's not much we can do to get out of it now. The only thing to do now is learn what can be fixed with this location for next year

My one beef that I would love to be taken care of was the security. Never before had I seen the hotel staffs presence so much in the con. Usually hotels let us be pretty much but this time every where I looked hotel security and staff were herding us places. I know much of this couldn't be helped be cause so many people are a fire hazard however cant something be done to keep them out of our faces so much? I know their concerned for the safety of  our hotel but I felt as though they were treating us like if they didn't watch our every move one of us would suddenly pull out a gun and proclaim this was a hold up. And it felt pretty degrading the way a lot of the hotel security would address you.

and also why was that one little section of the hotel, between the lobby and the escalators banned for most of the attendees? I understand stopping a flow downstairs and perhaps blocking off the escalators. but to be honest I didn't see anything in there of danger, and it had a bathroom which I'm sure many attendees would have liked to have better access to. It would have given more space for attendees to hang out in than perhaps the lobby which posed so many fire hazards with that being the main exit. I know I don't work at said hotel and know all the ins and outs, but it seems like opening up that area would have been more beneficial for preventing fires that everyone out in the lobby. It was almost like the hotel was just holding on to one last stand like "this is our bit of hotel, not yours we wont let you here"

[camname21]

It was almost like the hotel was just holding on to one last stand like "this is our bit of hotel, not yours we wont let you here"

But they had their reception desks!