Review Detail
A once great convention in the midst of its swan song
The hotel is extremely dry, and the convention's spaces are stuck back in what seem to be second-rate meeting rooms for the most part. The Hotel staff was pleasant, but more could have been done all around to accommodate the event.
The gaming department is mismanaged, my attempts to get information on where I might find several games being completely blown off by Dean Dryer, who is listed as the head of the very department. Apparently he was too concerned with some kids lighting stink bombs to do his job when I found him (by gaming registration) on Saturday.
Is it a gaming convention or a book show? Walking down the main hall is downright creepy. All the way down, tables line the main hallway on both sides with second-rate authors trying to get your attention with their plaintive stares, and insincere greetings so that maybe, maybe you will buy their book. This went on into the vendor room, with half of the spaces taken up by still more aspiring writers instead of anything involved with gaming.
The guest star was brought out so everyone could see in one cramped room, and then everyone who didn't pay the poorly advertised additional fee was thrown out of the room before any meaningful questions could be answered.
I haven't been in a few years, and was hoping things had gotten better since the debacle at the last hotel, but all in all I am disappointed. Someone fresh needs to takes the reigns of this once-great convention before it finally folds.
Comments
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| 11 results - showing 11 - 11 | 1 2 |
What more would you like the hotel staff to do? (I know that asking questions of you isn't going to get answers. Trolls rarely respond.)
Someone was always at gaming reg during daytime hours. The signup sheets were always out several hours before the games. Dean and Heather are great at their jobs.
No, we are not a gaming con. We are a sf/fantasy/horror con that features gaming, literary panels, games, masquerade, dealers, dances, etc.
As far as the guest of honor (not guest star) dinner, which was advertised on the website - your statement that people were kicked out is total bullshit. I was there moving chairs. Mr. Bova was also very accessible during the entire convention.
If you feel we need more help, you are welcome to come to a Stone Hill meeting and volunteer. No one starts out as department head but you can work up to it. All the departments are run by volunteers. The whole convention is not-for-profit, no one gets paid, or their rooms free; we pay for our meals and our t-shirts.
Gaming has more space at the Hilton than at any other hotel. What would you have us do to restore our former glory?
Before you come to a meeting though, please learn the difference between reigns, which is what a king does, and reins, which is the part of a bridle used to guide a horse.