I had a good
time. Took pictures. Met some new people from faraway places. Ate too much and
too well. There were some things that were not perfect. The last minute
adjustments came off very well. Keeping in mind that the $150 charge was
associated with the anniversary dinner, but really covered the whole weekend, I
felt I got more than my money’s worth. The events were at different sites. The
Olympic Coven, old and new members, and some well costumed attendees provided
some good entertaining ‘scenes’. Overall rating A-.
The one
problem that needs some creative thinking on is how to get last minute changes
out to people. Not being in one location and people not attending all events
and cell reception being questionable presents a problem. Twitter last year seemed
to have left out too many people, or maybe it was just me. Facebook seemed to
work better this year. Not everyone has a smart phone to check FB or Twitter on
the go.
Another thing
that needs some ideas about – ride and room sharing. There might be places
where parking might be more limited than others, so carpooling might be a good
idea. Someone may get to Forks via public transportation and need ride to the
different locations. Some may need rides to / from SeaTac or train station or
bus station or Seattle hotel – especially if last minute changes happen.
I’ve read
through some of the comments and have to say I laughed out loud at some of the
unreal expectations of some people. I’ve been attending and working on and
managing science fiction conventions longer than a lot of the SMD attendees
have been alive. Things go wrong. Sometimes you have a chance to fix before it
is noticed. Sometimes you don’t. Vendors change things or prices or cancel.
People crash special ticketed events so chairs and food run out. Blame those
party crashers for enjoying food and space that you paid for and they did not. Blame
those party crashers for the need of better security in the future for ticketed
events.
Some comments
sound like they are from a plant by the competition for Staci’s event. That
should be a complement to Staci – they are afraid enough of her events’ success
through hard work and effort that they have to plant someone in the messages to
stir up things with nasty comments. Shame on them. They should work with Staci
to present a multifaceted event, for visitors wanting an immersive experience
with the Olympic Coven and those wanting more community orientated events and
maybe some quiet gathering time for those wanting to sit and discuss the books
and fan fiction and the movies.
Staci and the
Olympic Coven had a variety of events at different prices or for free. As
mentioned at the top the $150 dinner price was not just for the dinner, but for
all the various events. Getting the use of a hall or space costs money. Food
costs money. Getting the Olympic Coven to Forks, putting them in motel for the
week and food all costs money. Buy items on the Redbubble account – Team T-shirts,
cards, phone covers, etc. They will likely have to look for sponsors to help
pay for the events in the future. Do not be upset if the T-Shirts start having
sponsors’ names on them or if notices of sponsorships start appearing on web
site or Facebook page. Get real people, it is not a sell-out, but a practical
way to keep costs down for the fans.
Thank you, Staci
Chastain and all the Olympic Coven members and fans that attended for a great
event and a great weekend. Your work showed and is greatly appreciated. These
words are barely sufficient to express my feelings of gratitude for your work.
