ghodges Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 (edited) Okay..... I waited more than a week to see if the Madison crew would post this.... THERE ARE 3 NEW HOTELS THAT HAVE BEEN BOOKED AND ARE CURRENTLY TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR THE 2024 NATS! HERE'S THE LINK TO THE INFO: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ac24d88a-08a8-47fe-961a-a53559fd3d36/IPMS-2024-Madison_Mission-Brief-number-3ver1.pdf You'll have to SCROLL DOWN a little more than halfway on that page to find the info... and there's even an update on the Embassy Suites too... Is this info listed anywhere on the IPMSUSA main web page? No..... Did IPMSUSA send out a "Wild Sau" email to all members with this new info? No.... Is this info listed on the Madison's NATS main page? No...... Is this info listed if you click onto "hotels" on their main page? No.... In fact, the ONLY reason I was aware of it was because of a reply on the "looking for a room mate" topic by IPMS President Phil Peterson! I then dug into the Madison 2/2 update (which you have to click onto the "download" under the mention of it) and found it buried there. I posted this link for anyone to read and use LAST WEEK in my reply on that topic and then waited until now for IPMS, Madison, or someone else to get the word out. But it hasn't happened.... I'd think that after the initial 3 hotels being sold out so quickly that the Madison crew would have been shouting their addition of THREE MORE hotels from the rooftops! But evidently not. In any case, I hope this helps some people who want to book now. But in the meantime I'm really scratching my head as to why this info hasn't be made much more public up to now.... Gil Edited February 13 by ghodges 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmpireOfGhosts Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 It's right in the newest mission brief. Which is, quite literally, the very first thing listed on the Nats 2024 website in big, bold letters. That's pretty "official". Since you seem very well versed in how a con should be run, I'm looking forward to you volunteering most of your free time to help us out. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bucholtz Posted February 15 Report Share Posted February 15 Not to criticize anyone, but how many websites make you download a .pdf to get the latest and, for some folks, most important news? And how many people recognize that "Mission Brief" contains hotel information? It's a layer between the reader and the information. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 15 Author Report Share Posted February 15 (edited) I've done my turn of 2-3yrs in the barrel Jeremy, having been the Contest Chairman for the 1997 Nats in Columbus OH, and learned from one of the best, Ron Bell. I've also been the Jaxcon Chairman for the last 20+years, and though not a Nats, it requires plenty of planning and has become one of the larger shows in the southeast each year. I'm also a past R-11 RC... so I'm no shrinking violet as to volunteering in IPMS, nor am I ignorant of the work and planning to run a Nats. IF I was within working distance of you and the Madison group, I would have readily volunteered to help from the get-go. Sadly, Florida is too far away. IF you go read my responses to your club's initial messages here, you guys were IMPRESSIVE with your communications in the beginning, and I praised that. THAT is why I'm so bewildered now. In spite of that, ever since the initial hotel reservation day went badly, the exact opposite has been true. There's been no further messages here after the replies as to what went wrong with the hotel reservation system. Your "hotel" page on your own website was not updated with the new hotel info even after you went to all of the trouble to get them and publish the "update". And, I even allowed for a whole week to go by after I found out about the new hotels before posting it here above (go look at the date on my reply to "looking for a room mate"). True enough..... you announced an "update" (but on your page, NOT here)...... BUT YOU DIDN'T SAY WHAT IT CONTAINED, NOR EVEN HINTED THAT THERE WAS NEW HOTEL INFO IN THAT UPDATE. And, what's worse, even after you clicked onto the update the hotel info wasn't front and center, you had to SCROLL DOWN to find it. Please do not try to imply that your group did its job when people literally have to HUNT for the new information! And as I stated above if Phil Peterson had not casually mentioned it, I wouldn't even have known to go looking for it. That's how obscure the hotel update was! If you guys are miffed at complaints about the hotel reservations getting messed up through no fault of your own, I can sympathize. I experienced some of the same failures in '97 and know the personal sting of being "mortified" when something YOU planned backfires at the Nats. It hurts, but trust me, there's STILL important work to be done. So.... does this obscure update mean you guys are now saying "screw it"! Fend for yourselves! We'll set up hotels but don't expect us to help you get in them anymore? No problem on my end if that's the way y'all want to go.... but how about at least an announcement that the game has now changed? And yes.... this FAILURE to expressly and very publicly announce the 3 new hotels now calls into question whether we can rely on you, OR IPMSUSA for that matter, to keep us informed and up to date on the opening of rooms for the Embassy Suites whenever that happens. AND YES... IPMSUSA IS EQUALLY AT FAULT! President Phil Peterson KNEW about the hotels. Yet there was NO update on the IPMSUSA main page and no message was sent through Wild Sau (that they so highly tout now) to notify the membership of them. It would be interesting to hear from Phil as to why neither happened. I sincerely hope you guys pull yourselves back together and once more communicate like you did at the start. For all I hear, despite the problems of the changing Eboard, the rules changes, and the unsure Head Judges situation that you've been unfairly saddled with; many, many people are planning on and looking forward to attending the Nats in Madison. I'm still one of them! Gil Edited February 15 by ghodges 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmpireOfGhosts Posted February 16 Report Share Posted February 16 *sigh* You simply overlooked an update that was posted to the IPMS Facebook groups (which I believe you are a part of), as well as the website. I apologize that no one on the team took the time from organizing the con itself to call you up and say "Hey Gil, we really want to make YOUR experience in particular as seamless as possible, so here's a list of new hotel blocks. Can I make that reservation for you? Maybe fluff your pillow and leave a chocolate before your arrival?" Clearly an oversight on our part for someone who's soooo important. Would you like to let us know your flight, so we can have someone greet you personally at the airport? Jokes aside, in what way are we supposed to "help you get [hotel rooms]" beyond organizing the blocks? How is you having to call the hotel and arrange your reservation tantamount to us saying "screw it! Fend for yourselves!"? The organizers make the block commitment, let the attendees know, and the attendees make the reservation - that is literally the process at every single convention ever. Hell, we're going above and beyond and getting attendees shuttle buses to outlying hotels. SInce I'm new and am the low guy on the team totem pole, watching all the rest of my new friends put in hours and hours of their free time busting their collective ass to make sure everyone has a good time, let me just say that, out of all the conventions I've ever volunteered at and organized (and it's a lot), I am appalled at the childish and entitled behavior among some self-proclaimed "IPMS veterans" who should know that casting aspersions on the volunteers and the organization itself at this point in the game is not helpful. Your criticism is not constructive, it is not positive, it is not welcome. I have seen teenage gamers and comic book nerds who are far more mature and less entitled than some grown, middle-aged men who have done nothing but complain the past few months about a freaking plastic model convention. It's not a good look. It's EXTREMELY off-putting to new members and it is behavior that will ensure that the pool of chapters willing to organize and host the Nats moving forward continues to dwindle. If missing one hotel update is enough to turn your life upside down to the point where you're having a temper tantrum online, you live a charmed life and should re-evaluate just how blessed you are, especially in this day and age. As the kids say - "touch grass". But again, I apologize. You are free to contact me or anyone else on the team and let us know what shifts you'd like to volunteer for at your leisure. I am sure that us lowly staff will be thrilled to be graced with the presence of someone so knowledgeable and experienced. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted February 16 Author Report Share Posted February 16 Glad to hear you posted an update or announcement on Facebook.......... But nothing here, on the OFFICIAL DF for IPMSUSA.... where up until a few weeks ago you guys were making regular and informative announcements... And nothing on YOUR main page, except the cryptic "2/2/24 UPDATE" ...... which says absolutely nothing about any new hotel info.... And even if someone clicks onto your touted Update, UNLESS they scroll down half the page, they won't find the new hotel info or even a hint that it's below... And IPMSUSA (as I said ) ALSO dropped the ball... as there is still nothing on the IPMSUSA main page announcing the addition of new hotels and no link to click on to take anyone to your Update.... Nor have they sent out a Wild Sau announcement to the membership with that info..... ALL OF THE ABOVE could have been avoided by a simple announcement and link here in the days after 2/2/24... in addition to Facebook, but for some reason we members who do our IPMS communicating HERE weren't thought of.... or maybe expecting an IPMS Nats host to communicate here on the official IPMSUSA DF is seen as asking for "special treatment" now. You can try to make this personal and insult myself and others who want to attend your show but haven't been able to get a room yet, if that's what makes you happy. I'm asking why you guys suddenly have made it more difficult for those looking for rooms? If you don't like the questions or seeming criticism, sorry, that comes with the territory of working and organizing a show. Especially when complications or difficulties arise (like being unable to book a room the first time around). None of us, including me, are looking for any special treatment. We're just looking for an opportunity to know what's going on in an open and easy way. Many are still trying to decide whether to take the time and spend their hard earned money on a trip to Madison. Having to hunt information to help make that decision isn't a smart play by your committee, as hard working as they may be. As I said before, I merely hope that FUTUTRE communications are much more open and easier to find, especially as you have yet to let people know when the Embassy Suites will open. If that's asking for special treatment, so be it. Gil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmpireOfGhosts Posted February 16 Report Share Posted February 16 1 hour ago, ghodges said: And nothing on YOUR main page, except the cryptic "2/2/24 UPDATE" ...... which says absolutely nothing about any new hotel info.... And even if someone clicks onto your touted Update, UNLESS they scroll down half the page, they won't find the new hotel info or even a hint that it's below... So the main page says "nothing"....except where it does in the "cryptic "2/2/24 UPDATE" and then said update also says "nothing" about new hotels.....except where you scroll down and it has a big infographic about new hotels. It's Schrodinger's Hotel Update - simultaneously nonexistent while existing 1 hour ago, ghodges said: And IPMSUSA (as I said ) ALSO dropped the ball... as there is still nothing on the IPMSUSA main page announcing the addition of new hotels and no link to click on to take anyone to your Update.... Nor have they sent out a Wild Sau announcement to the membership with that info..... ALL OF THE ABOVE could have been avoided by a simple announcement and link here in the days after 2/2/24... in addition to Facebook, but for some reason we members who do our IPMS communicating HERE weren't thought of.... or maybe expecting an IPMS Nats host to communicate here on the official IPMSUSA DF is seen as asking for "special treatment" now. You having the common courtesy and decency to reach out to either the Eboard or our team, in private, before putting us all on blast for a simple oversight would've also been helpful to the membership. But no, that would've denied you the chance to publicly crucify us and increase your own self importance by ranting here. Because, lets be honest, that's what this is really about. 1 hour ago, ghodges said: You can try to make this personal I don't have to try, it's obvious this is all about you, given the complete lack of response to this post from the membership 1 hour ago, ghodges said: and insult myself and others who want to attend your show but haven't been able to get a room yet, if that's what makes you happy. I'm asking why you guys suddenly have made it more difficult for those looking for rooms? Except, that's not what we did. We opened up more blocks, we posted it in multiple places, you just happened to miss it, which is why my initial reply was showing you on the official Nats website itself where that info was posted. Your response to that was to say On 2/14/2024 at 10:56 PM, ghodges said: "screw it"! Fend for yourselves! We'll set up hotels but don't expect us to help you get in them anymore? Read that again - "Get in them anymore" implies that we won't make the reservation for you. Which, I'm sorry, no, we won't. We WILL "set up the hotels" by arranging blocks because, again, that is SOP for every convention ever. An "IPMS Veteran" like yourself should know that. "The membership" seems very content with the hotel, convention, and communication over the past few weeks. YOU are objectively the one and only person who is still having an issue with the hotels, even though you've been afforded several options. Again, your behavior is very unhelpful, entitled, and demoralizing. I'm done wasting my time helping you to take the L, re-evaluate how you've handled this situation, and do better. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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