Arisia 2006 Intial Report

[bobquasit]

All in all, it was a mildly disappointing con for me. Looking back, my primary emotion is one of regret.

I simply didn't do much. Didn't get to see the people I wanted to see, or spend enough time with them. Didn't do, well, much of anything: didn't see the Masquerade (much less participate in it), didn't do the film room or the art show or the dealer's room or dealer's row (much) or the Green Room (much) or game at all or dance...you know, if I keep this up, I'm going to get pretty fucking depressed.

Which will, of course, just make this journal all the less interesting for newcomers, a point which was made abundantly clear to me this weekend.

Sigh.

On the plus side, a lot of things went far more smoothly than ever before this time. We got there with no problem, parked, got our room, registered...people who aren't familiar with Arisia from a decade ago or more may not appreciate how incredibly well everything is handled now. Registration used to be a nightmare, and now it's a pleasure to go through (and not just because zarhooie was there).

Prices at the hotel have gone way up. Food and parking are simply amazing; $36 per day for parking, without tip! And I remember when the breakfast buffet at the Cafe Rouge (the old hotel restaurant) was under ten dollars. Now it's $18.50.

Speaking of parking, the con has a wonderful convenience that isn't well explained, although there was a flyer to explain it. Here's the story:

1. Park at the Boston Commons parking garage, three blocks from the hotel. You'll get a parking ticket when you go in.

2. Pay $5 at the Arisia Information desk for a green sticker. Peel and stick the sticker on the back of your parking ticket.

3. Take your car out between 6 and 10 AM the next morning. Make sure the person in the parking lot booth sees the sticker when you hand the ticket to them.

They will not charge you ANYTHING.

4. Drive around the block. If you turn to the right it's a long block, with extra lights in the middle. If you turn to the left, it's a lot shorter and simpler.

5. Go to step 1, and repeat.

Each $5 sticker is good for one full day or portion thereof, AS LONG AS your car goes out each morning between 6-10 AM.

Sigh. Still coping with a feeling of let-down. I'll write more about panels and other stuff later.

Comments

[archangelbeth]

Hm. Lot of low energy in the con, it seemed. I'd thought it was just a combination of me, trying to keep up with panels plus running after the minx, and that most of our vendor friends were agreeing that 2005 was a miserable year for them.

On the other hand, I did get to at least wave to several people I wanted to see, and that was a definite positive for me.


I wonder if anyone's tried to game the system of walking up and getting a new ticket, and finally just getting that one stamped. (Or, for a slightly more honest way of gaming the system, buying a stamp for each ticket, and just showing the last one in question.) All you have to do is push the button, right?

I wonder what they'd do if you presented a single ticket with three stickers on the back.

[tonysalieri.livejournal.com]

Hey, I know how you feel about the letdown. My wife and I were fighting off nasty colds. They didn't full blow into anything, but the amount of time spent napping and everything REALLY cut into the time I would have liked to being doing the various wild and crazy Arisia things. Which was a major shame, since this was sort of our "Five Year Anniversary".

Such is life. :(

I hadn't realized that parking had gotten so expensive, or that you had to go through a bit of a rigamarol to not get charged. Fortunately, I'm in a situation where taking the T is now practical, and not have to park in the garage.

I do regret not getting to meet more people and make new friends. I was really hoping the LiveJournal Social would be a kick off for that, but you know my feelings on how that went :)

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

I haven't much to say about Arisia this year, since 95% of what I can say is what I've heard from others that were there. A lot of folks were disappointed on a lot of levels, others felt the convention had no real life to it, and a few had a fantastic time for reasons that had nothing to do with the convention and mearly because of who they got to spend time with at it.

From what I've heard from the regulars involved in gaming, the gaming area for most people, well, sucked. Lots of folks who were there to run games and who barely had enough players, lack of proper signage and info in the handouts, rooms where furniture handicapped usage, and in general a lousey turnout for gaming.

I guessed right what would happen after last years trashing of the panels for gaming, that the gamers would get segregated this year. We're on our way back toward back rooms in resteraunts the way things are going.

(There are other options that were not explored in where to put gaming because the Conchair appears to have been listening to a few non-gamers who made the usual claim that the reason gaming had to be moved from Stanboro was that the 'Room Smelled'. Such a ridiculous 80s kind of opinion of anti-gamer propaganda that was allowed to force gaming out of having decent space.)

Don't expect better for next year. These things go in 4-5 year cycles. So far I see no reason to attend next year either.

The consuite was better this year, but that's because they finally got a decent budget. No idea if this will last. Running the consuite and Green Room at a convention is some of the hardest organizational parts of the convention (something I really appreciate considering I'm doing basically that for Vericon, and on about a tenth of the budget that Arisia has for the consuite alone).

Boston Hotels are way too expensive in all ways. Same is true of resteraunts associated with them. Same is true of parking etc.

If you can get time to come to Vericon this weekend (even if it's just dropping by on Friday after work) I'd love to get together. Same is true about getting a chance to visit in the months to come.