OT: DS FEST DATES CHANGE

[Midnite]

I also believe that after so many years of successful Festivals, it's practically inevitable that they would begin to take their fans for granted.

Begin to???

Whoops, was that my out loud voice?

[Raineypark]

Begin to???Whoops, was that my out loud voice?

I was trying to be polite, sweetie!
MsCriseyde doesn't know me and my cranky sense of humor very well and I didn't want her to think I was being rude!

Honestly, I can't fathom how this works out well for ANYONE but the hotel.  

rainey

[Carol]

Begin to???

Whoops, was that my out loud voice?

Are you saying Midnight that no matter how much the fans complain and write letters about changes to the DS Fest, it won't matter a hill of beans? Is it the "put up or shut up" mind frame at work?

[mfmdpt]

I wonder why the dates have been changed -- and to a holiday weekend.

Actually, there is precedent for holding the Fest that weekend. The 1987 NY Fest was held August 28, 29 & 30 and the 1989 NY Fest (the first one I attended) was held September 2 & 3 (with a party at the site of the former DS studio on the September 1 and a bus trip to Newport on Labor Day itself, September 4). However I can understand why many people might have problems with Labor Day Weekend. And those Fests were held at the World Trade Center Marriott (sigh), not in Brooklyn.

[mfmdpt]

A day trip by bus from Brooklyn to Newport and back?  Not for the faint of heart, or kidneys, methinks.

Uh, no. It's a four to five hour trip (depending on traffic) in both directions.

[MsCriseyde]

The Newport Waterfront Irish Festival is also annually held on that weekend. I suspect that probably makes the waterfront fairly crowded and the Black Pearl a little difficult to manage.

And that Monday is the official move in date for new students and freshmen at Salve Regina. If you've never been near a college on move in day, pack the Excedrin and watch carefully for people driving the wrong way down one way streets and blocking the flow of traffic while their beloved children haul out all the finest audio and video equipment for their rooms. ;-)

[mfmdpt]

Are you saying Midnight that no matter how much the fans complain and write letters about changes to the DS Fest, it won't matter a hill of beans?

Most likely a conflict arose with the original dates and Labor Day Weekend was the best compromise they could work out. I'd say it's probably unlikely the date could or would be changed again. Of course that doesn't stop anyone from expressing their opinion that they'd prefer not to have a Fest held that weekend again. But as someone else has said, do it politely. Anyone who works themselves up into a fit of anger won't really accomplish much or do anyone any good, especially themselves.

[Midnite]

Are you saying Midnight that no matter how much the fans complain and write letters about changes to the DS Fest, it won't matter a hill of beans? Is it the "put up or shut up" mind frame at work?

Regarding your first question, I intend to send an email to the Fest committee soon as I leave the forums.  I can't say if anyone will be listening but I believe in trying.

And sorry, Rainey.  I know this would be your first Fest and hope you have a marvelous time, and I wouldn't presume that you'd feel the same as I do about the Festivals, or fandom.

As for "put up or shut up", yes, that does sum up my opinion about the attitude of the decision maker or makers concerning the needs of the fans, though I do like the idea of getting in his/their face(s) in an effort to change it.  At every Fest I've attended, the audience has been polled at least a couple of times to find out how many are attending their first Fest, and the numbers that raise their hands are always pretty amazing.  I bring that up because the impression I get from what I've seen about how fans are treated is that what we feel or need isn't important because new fans, or original fans that discover it anew each year, are sufficient to fill the auditorium at each event.  And as such, I think it's extremely unfair, not to mention dumb, to diss the large number of fans that have supported the Fests over the years.  They make up the majority that staffs the dealers' rooms, that makes up the Festival committee, that parts with their cash in the dealers' rooms, that publishes the books and zines, that writes the fiction, that volunteers to help, that publicizes the events, that continues to inspire each other... I could go on and on.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I can't imagine how I'd be able to make it with my kids starting new schools the weeks before and after.  I won't even get into how I feel about flying to the other coast on a holiday weekend cuz that would undoubtedly trigger one of the forum's censored words.

Well, look at it this way - if you end up not going, then I probably won't go either - and if neither of us goes, then probably Dom won't go - so at least we won't have to wonder who we can find to mind the forum that weekend.

See, there can be a silver lining in almost anything - even IF you have to dig DEEP into the s**t to find it. :-/

[Raineypark]

And if none of the people who keep this forum up and running are going to be there.....who would there be to organize a gathering for the Forum members?.....and if we won't have some way of catching up with one another, how many members will decide not to go?

Do any of you guys speak Sicilian, or can I get away with cursing a blue streak over this?

raineypark

[Carol]

Regarding your first question, I intend to send an email to the Fest committee soon as I leave the forums.  I can't say if anyone will be listening but I believe in trying.
As for "put up or shut up", yes, that does sum up my opinion about the attitude of the decision maker or makers concerning the needs of the fans, though I do like the idea of getting in his/their face(s) in an effort to change it.  At every Fest I've attended, the audience has been polled at least a couple of times to find out how many are attending their first Fest, and the numbers that raise their hands are always pretty amazing.  I bring that up because the impression I get from what I've seen about how fans are treated is that what we feel or need isn't important because new fans, or original fans that discover it anew each year, are sufficient to fill the auditorium at each event.  And as such, I think it's extremely unfair, not to mention dumb, to diss the large number of fans that have supported the Fests over the years.  They make up the majority that staffs the dealers' rooms, that makes up the Festival committee, that parts with their cash in the dealers' rooms, that publishes the books and zines, that writes the fiction, that volunteers to help, that publicizes the events, that continues to inspire each other... I could go on and on.

Thank you Midnight for your response. It's just as I suspected from reading DS Fest reports at other sites during past years. Even some friends that have attended do so to see their fave star one more time, get an autograph, buy some things in the dealer's room and then hit the streets.  Each year the same type of program is held without fail.
I will write just for the hell of it but I'm not hopeful that any of our ideas will get past the mailroom and to the person that counts.

[Midnite]

Each year the same type of program is held without fail.

That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about.  Exciting new suggestions have been given to spice up the event, yet every year we're presented with the same tired schedule.

And how many people have complained about the procedure for getting a banquet ticket, yet it never changes?  Oh I'd better quit now.

I will write just for the hell of it but I'm not hopeful that any of our ideas will get past the mailroom and to the person that counts.

Good luck, Carol.  I really mean that.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And if none of the people who keep this forum up and running are going to be there.....who would there be to organize a gathering for the Forum members?.....and if we won't have some way of catching up with one another, how many members will decide not to go?

Well, we could always appoint you as the official forum ambassador.

[Connie]

...and if we won't have some way of catching up with one another, how many members will decide not to go?

Exactly.  After the last fest I attended, I was trying to come up with a good reason to go to another one.  (Maybe fests just aren't my thing - lol).  Anyway, over the last few months I thought...well, it might be nice to meet some of y'all from this board, you know?
But if Midnite, MB, Dom, and a bunch of others on here aren't going, I can't see much point in going either.

Do any of you guys speak Sicilian, or can I get away with cursing a blue streak over this?

I don't speak Sicilian but I wouldn't mind learning a few choice phrases!

-CLC  

[Nancy]

I wonder why the dates have been changed -- and to a holiday weekend.  Oy...I can just see the traffic now - people heading in droves out to the Island for the "last weekend of summer".

I can only think of two possibilities.  Either a problem with the hotel arose and this was the only alternative availability, OR one of the "major" Fest draws (not naming names, LOL) has announced to Jim Pierson that they've developed a conflict re: the previous date.

Anybody know?

-CLC

Most likely a conflict arose with the hotel.   Remember, it was extremely difficult to find a brand new hotel after 9/11 destroyed the Vista and in New York City rising hotel prices make it more and more difficult to find affordable and suitable accomodations for festival attendees and the functions.  This means having various rooms available for the panel discussions, the dealer's rooms and a variety of other logistics and just hope that the hotel that has all these things available also will give a good discount for the intended attendees.  Conventions are usually booked a year in advance and the festival has had to find new, affordable accomodations along with the necessary logistics in a relatively short amount of time.  

It could well be there was some last minute conflict involving the availability of the rooms for the convention.  I don't think any organizer sat down and wondered what the most inconvenient dates could be picked for the festival.  Most of these things are dictated by economics and the best possible scenario in terms of logistics rather than by choice.

You know, there were other conventions booked for 2002 at the since destroyed VISTA hotel at the World Trade Center and the surrounding hotels were damaged in the collapse of the WTC.  Organizers of those conventions had to scramble and find other accomodations for their events since they had no idea at that time when the surviving hotels would be repaired and they certainly did not know if attendees would be crazy about staying in lower Manhattan because of the reports of asbestos and other chemicals floating around in the air even after the fire at the WTC went out.  So there were plenty of other organizers looking to re-book their conventions/events elsewhere in the city.

I suspect it was the DS festival organizers that had less of a choice in how things ultimately have been scheduled.

Nancy    

I believe the fest was held over a Labor Day weekend at least once before.