Convention planning
Jan. 10th, 2014 11:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kjorteoAll right, everyone who was with me at last FurFright, everyone who would have been were it not for schedule conflicts or things not suddenly come up, or basically anyone who either has or totally would hang out with me at a con at some point, this concerns all of you. :D
What are we doing this year, exactly? I really think we need to get that worked out.
FurFright was our home base for the last two years, but now FurFright has officially ended. Bios has launched a con in its stead, at the exact same time and place, same dates and same hotel and everything, just with a new name and new management. However, his communication (or more precisely, his lack thereof) is starting to bother me. He posted this rosy message about how everything's going forward at least a month ago, and then ... nothing. He didn't even answer my question about the opening date when I directly asked him. The more time passes, the more I have to wonder: is I Can't Believe It's Not Furfright going to happen? He said it was at one point, but he's not really following through on that. I'm worried.
Also, I think Budgie said she was moving to Georgia, so that would put her out of FurFright range anyway, even if this new con does happen and everyone else can make it.
I know that ZoeyHoshi and I will be traveling to whatever our big gathering is going to be this year--it was supposed to be FurFright, but, well. I did reserve a room for Zoey and me at the Quality Inn around the time Not-Furfright is allegedly going to happen, just in case. And, as a fallback plan, I also reserved a room for Zoey and I for RMFC. It's in Denver, CO on August 8-10. It doesn't have a population cap like FurFright's 1500 hard limit, but it doesn't need it; attendance at last year's RMFC hovered around 1100 or so anyway. Thus, I have never been to RMFC before but the size tells me that it should have that sort of small intimate family feel that FurFright did, rather than the high school "hang out with your cliques while the rest of the massive ocean of people ignores you" feel of larger cons.
There's no way Budgie could make this one, sadly. On the other hand, if she's moving, she probably wouldn't have been able to make the other one, either! Actually, she wouldn't be able to do anything except FWA, which I can't do, because it's way too early in the year. That's still tax season, which means busy time at work, which means there's no way my bosses will let me have it off. I'm really not free until at least mid-April/early May (because, again, tax season,) but the closer to the end of the year, the better.
Everyone else, please weigh in! My perspective is that I originally reserved the RMFC hotel as a "we're probably going to Not-Furfright once it launches and I'll probably end up canceling this, but no reason not to get a fallback plan-B reservation just in case" afterthought, but the longer it goes without word from Bios, the more it looks like we might actually use that one. However, if anyone else wants to factor their schedules and their proposals for where they can/would want to go, please do! Just know, if you have another con in mind and want to know whether I can make it, here are my criteria:
* I'm not geographically limited; I can always fly!
* I am limited on time-of-year; there is a gradient wherein August or later is fine, April or earlier just is not going to happen, ever, and anything in between is a gray area where I might be able to swing it but I'd really prefer not to.
* I would prefer a smaller, not-AC-sized con if at all possible.
* Please don't introduce any weird rooming situations as part of the plan (at least not for me, you can do whatever you want for you I guess); I'm pretty comfortable at this point in saying that wherever we go, I'll be getting a room for two (Zoey and me) and that's it.
That being said, where are we going this year?
What are we doing this year, exactly? I really think we need to get that worked out.
FurFright was our home base for the last two years, but now FurFright has officially ended. Bios has launched a con in its stead, at the exact same time and place, same dates and same hotel and everything, just with a new name and new management. However, his communication (or more precisely, his lack thereof) is starting to bother me. He posted this rosy message about how everything's going forward at least a month ago, and then ... nothing. He didn't even answer my question about the opening date when I directly asked him. The more time passes, the more I have to wonder: is I Can't Believe It's Not Furfright going to happen? He said it was at one point, but he's not really following through on that. I'm worried.
Also, I think Budgie said she was moving to Georgia, so that would put her out of FurFright range anyway, even if this new con does happen and everyone else can make it.
I know that ZoeyHoshi and I will be traveling to whatever our big gathering is going to be this year--it was supposed to be FurFright, but, well. I did reserve a room for Zoey and me at the Quality Inn around the time Not-Furfright is allegedly going to happen, just in case. And, as a fallback plan, I also reserved a room for Zoey and I for RMFC. It's in Denver, CO on August 8-10. It doesn't have a population cap like FurFright's 1500 hard limit, but it doesn't need it; attendance at last year's RMFC hovered around 1100 or so anyway. Thus, I have never been to RMFC before but the size tells me that it should have that sort of small intimate family feel that FurFright did, rather than the high school "hang out with your cliques while the rest of the massive ocean of people ignores you" feel of larger cons.
There's no way Budgie could make this one, sadly. On the other hand, if she's moving, she probably wouldn't have been able to make the other one, either! Actually, she wouldn't be able to do anything except FWA, which I can't do, because it's way too early in the year. That's still tax season, which means busy time at work, which means there's no way my bosses will let me have it off. I'm really not free until at least mid-April/early May (because, again, tax season,) but the closer to the end of the year, the better.
Everyone else, please weigh in! My perspective is that I originally reserved the RMFC hotel as a "we're probably going to Not-Furfright once it launches and I'll probably end up canceling this, but no reason not to get a fallback plan-B reservation just in case" afterthought, but the longer it goes without word from Bios, the more it looks like we might actually use that one. However, if anyone else wants to factor their schedules and their proposals for where they can/would want to go, please do! Just know, if you have another con in mind and want to know whether I can make it, here are my criteria:
* I'm not geographically limited; I can always fly!
* I am limited on time-of-year; there is a gradient wherein August or later is fine, April or earlier just is not going to happen, ever, and anything in between is a gray area where I might be able to swing it but I'd really prefer not to.
* I would prefer a smaller, not-AC-sized con if at all possible.
* Please don't introduce any weird rooming situations as part of the plan (at least not for me, you can do whatever you want for you I guess); I'm pretty comfortable at this point in saying that wherever we go, I'll be getting a room for two (Zoey and me) and that's it.
That being said, where are we going this year?
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no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 08:54 am (UTC)you guys should go to Rainfurrestno subject
Date: 2014-01-11 04:58 pm (UTC)I'd like to start going to more of these, and this might have been the kick that I needed to really start researching them - I'd be glad to go to RMFC whether or not Furfright happens, if you'd also be going. I'm also planning to go to Furnal Equinox in March.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-12 08:48 pm (UTC)Between you and DF's responses, it seems like the rest of the group is leaning toward Not-Furfright, and that's fine :) though it'd be even better if Bios made the announcements, answered my question, and settled this....
no subject
Date: 2014-01-12 10:08 pm (UTC)RMFC starts at a major penalty from me because their “keep track of what's going on” consists entirely of Twitter and Facebook, but it occurs to me that unlike FurFright Classic, ICBINFF may prove to have the same characteristic, at which point it becomes a wash.
Are they any good?
I'm likely to be (a) flexible enough that I can move things around semi-arbitrarily regardless of most time-of-year and location-in-the-US constraints (I am unconvinced of the international case) and (b) unpredictable enough that other things may move me around semi-arbitrarily and squash my plans regardless of what I try for.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-12 10:11 pm (UTC)I have no idea how good RMFC is or how good Not-FurFright will be. My only experience is with the now-defunct FurFright classic, which I loved.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-13 08:08 am (UTC)Well… bleh.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 05:01 pm (UTC)Supposing I'm able to FINALLY get actual employment after moving, it means I'll be able to afford a plane/train if I must, thereby increasing my attendance possibilities. I wouldn't mind RMFC, but I'll have to check around to see what my other friends are doing so I have other people to hang out with, not just the Team and friends.
But basically, I think maybe go without me this year. I think I will have a better answer in summer.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 07:49 pm (UTC)D.F.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 08:44 pm (UTC)I'm planning to head to ‹other thing I mentioned to you privately› despite having no specific persons I'm particularly seeking there, purely because otherwise my Lonely Beaks meter will get jammed into the deep red and cause me to keel over horribly, so that's eating a great deal of my travel funds, maybe.
I'll tentatively try to shoot for the October thing I guess? Gyaaah.