Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche

Another year, another frantic scramble to get everything required for Registration set up. It stuns me to realize that this is the seventh year I’ve been doing this, but I’m also realizing that it’s really a good thing that I’ll be handing off the reins for this next year. A certain sense of “just do it the same way we did last year” sets in, and that’s not good when we’re pushing for innovation and excitement about the convention. I’m sure neowolf2 will bring some great new perspective to the position and go great places with it.

So, what has consumed all my time over the last few weeks?

  • Choose sponsor goodie
  • Registration Bags
    • Get artwork for registration bags from Guest of Honor
    • Place order for registration bags with 4Imprint
    • Approve proofs of logos for registration bags
  • Sponsor Goodie
    • Get artwork for sponsor goodie from Guest of Honor
    • Place order for sponsor goodie with vendor
    • Approve proofs of artwork for sponsor goodie
  • Sponsor Pins
    • Get artwork from Guest of Honor for pins
    • Place order for pins
    • Approve proofs for artwork for pins
    • Choose method of pin presentation
  • Sponsor Prints
    • Get artwork from Guest of Honor for sponsor prints
    • Give art for sponsor prints to printer
    • Approve proofs of sponsor prints
  • Attendee Badges
    • Get artwork from GoH for attendee badges
    • Design attendee badges
    • Give attendee badges to printer
    • Approve proofs of attendee badges
  • Staff Badges
    • Get artwork for staff badges from GoH
    • Identify vendor for staff badges
    • Choose staff badges design and substrate
    • Place order for staff badges with vendor
    • Approve proofs of staff badge design
  • Badge Ribbons
    • Identify vendor for badge ribbons
    • Specify which badge ribbons to order and how many of each
    • Place order for badge ribbons
  • Choose menu for sponsor luncheon
  • Sponsor Packets
    • Purchase envelopes for sponsor packets (if necessary)
    • Make coupons for sponsor luncheon
    • Make coupons for sponsor T-shirts
    • Cut down coupons
  • Design at-the-door registration forms
  • Send at-the-door registration forms to printer
  • Reserve chains and stanchions and other equipment with rental company
  • Specify signs needed for Registration
  • Make Dealer Packets and print dealer badges
  • E-mail minors reminding them about the permission form
  • Purchase office supplies
  • Print signs
  • Design and print Temporary Badges and instructions for Operations
  • Stuff sponsor packets
  • Give estimate of how many will attend sponsor luncheon to hotel
  • Stuff registration bags

I should stress that I’m not the only one responsible for this list; takaza and dexcat are handling several of the printed items on it. But it helps me keep track of what’s been done and what hasn’t. And all that ordering? Ow. My credit card is sagging :-O Fortunately, mirkowuff is quick on the reimbursements, so that helps.

In addition to all of that, I’ve been helping Dan with the Con Book and Pocket Program, working on a few small pieces of it while he assembles the whole. He was up until almost 12:30 AM last night working on the Pocket Program; I do hope that he can get that completed and off to the printer in the next day or so. He needs the sleep!

7 thoughts on “Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche”

    1. woofwoofarf Post author

      I screened your comment because we are sort of trying to keep a lid on the fact that we are moving. As I posted on the MFF Message Boards (http://forum.furfest.org – register there and I’ll upgrade you to staff so you can see the Staff area):

      This was mentioned a couple of staff meetings ago, but I wanted to reiterate it here:
      Yes, we are moving to the Westin North Shore next year. This is something of an open secret. Our Security Director, Uncle Vlad, (who has experience in similar situations) has requested that this information not be broadcast lest people take the attitude of, “This is our last year at the Hyatt, so what does it matter if we wreck the place.” I would ask the all staff members please keep this in mind.

      The “party line” when people ask you if we are moving next year is, “Come to Closing Ceremonies and find out.” We will be giving a short presentation there to give people an idea of what to look forward to. You may wonder, why not go ahead and tell them we’re moving now? If we tell people on Sunday night, that’s only one night that they might wreck the hotel, not four nights. So why tell them at all? We have to balance out the chance of stupidity with our attendees concerns about the future well-being of the convention, and assure them that things are well in hand.

      Finally, in the off chance that you do hear someone take the approach of “let’s wreck the place since we’re not coming back”, remember that although we have an extended contract with the Westin, we can opt out after each year. The Hyatt Woodfield is about to launch a series of expansion projects that will include, among other things, a new 9,000 square foot ballroom where the tent is currently located. That may very well be enough space for us to return at a future date, so we don’t want to burn any bridges (and yes, the Hyatt is aware that we will not be there in 2008).

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