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penfold_xMediaWest sent out a major announcement today: the con is moving to the Ramada down the street, which is smaller, both in overall number of rooms and, importantly, function space. Those who don't get into the host hotel will be offered a place at the Hampton Inn.
For more than ten years, I've done this con with the same group. For most of that time we were able to block rooms together at the host hotel. Then the con got involved (ostensibly to help), and our room blocks have been split up all over the hotel. I thought that was really the worst it could get, but now our group is half in one hotel and half in the other. Fortunately I don't have a zine to sell at this con, or I'd really be behind the eight ball.
Alas, the Ramada cannot guarantee MWC the full hotel. They have pre-existing reservations as well as standing commitments to the airlines to host flight crew. I certainly understand why the hotel is not going to risk that arrangement for a single convention, but those who attended Eclecticon in New Jersey will probably remember how problematic it was to share the hotel with mundanes. Not scaring pilots with all the slash stuff is just the beginning; I expect that it will take just a few non-fans to end the practice of propping doors open for all-hours visiting. Advertizing will probably be more restricted, meaning room dealing /parties will be more challenging. People stuck in the Hampton Inn are probably going to feel like second-class congoers. And my days of walking around the hotel in bare feet and pyjamas certainly are over.
The website update notes that the Ramada has less function space, so programming will be "scaled accordingly". I'm apprehensive as to what that means for panel discussions.
For more than ten years, I've done this con with the same group. For most of that time we were able to block rooms together at the host hotel. Then the con got involved (ostensibly to help), and our room blocks have been split up all over the hotel. I thought that was really the worst it could get, but now our group is half in one hotel and half in the other. Fortunately I don't have a zine to sell at this con, or I'd really be behind the eight ball.
Alas, the Ramada cannot guarantee MWC the full hotel. They have pre-existing reservations as well as standing commitments to the airlines to host flight crew. I certainly understand why the hotel is not going to risk that arrangement for a single convention, but those who attended Eclecticon in New Jersey will probably remember how problematic it was to share the hotel with mundanes. Not scaring pilots with all the slash stuff is just the beginning; I expect that it will take just a few non-fans to end the practice of propping doors open for all-hours visiting. Advertizing will probably be more restricted, meaning room dealing /parties will be more challenging. People stuck in the Hampton Inn are probably going to feel like second-class congoers. And my days of walking around the hotel in bare feet and pyjamas certainly are over.
The website update notes that the Ramada has less function space, so programming will be "scaled accordingly". I'm apprehensive as to what that means for panel discussions.
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Date: 2012-12-14 02:15 am (UTC)I'm not entirely ruling it out - I've got zines to go through and drop off for the fan fund - but this announcement makes it a lot less attractive. I wonder what the deal is with the hotel? We've been there for *decades*!