Eurofurence Information > Feedback
Honest Opinion of EF 16
Skie:
--- Quote from: Cheetah on 11.09.2010, 01:39:53 ---
--- Quote from: Skie on 10.09.2010, 23:51:51 ---Yes, Germany is weird like that :)
--- End quote ---
Just a little background on the "no free water" thing: From 1933 till 2001 there was a law in effect in Germany that made it illegal to add free givaways to any kind of purchase or give personal discounts. So giving you a free glass of water would have been illegal. I guess it made sense in 1933, but the world has change a lot since then :) But this law has been in effect for so long, it became a part of the culture. So even today for many store owners it still feels wrong to give you free refills, free water, or even negotiate an individual rebate. They grew up in a corporate environment where this used to be a taboo. Things like these need many years to get out of the system.
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That's ok, cultures are different, I'm not really complaining :)
It's very interesting to know though.
K.P.:
I was unfortunately unable to attend Eurofurence this year due to personal reasons. I'm really sad that I could not make it (and hope to be back next year), but I have been watching and listening to the feedback with a great deal of interest. If folks would permit me, I'd like to add a perspective that many people may not be able to see.
I staff multiple conventions in the US. Of those, only one is in the same city/state in which I reside. It's very difficult for convention staffers to anticipate every conceivable problem that can happen at a new venue when they are not able to be at the hotel/venue at a moment's notice for planning. Moving to a new venue is never easy. Every convention that I staff has gone through the moving process for one reason or another. Whether it be growth, or loss of the facility, moving is painful for the staff because they need to build new relationships with new hotels and buildings. At the same time, they can feel like they are losing close friends with the former hotel. The very first time a furry convention moves to a new hotel, there is almost always a little "culture shock". People need time to get to know us, and we need to get to know them. So please, as much as folks may love the staff and layout of the Ringberg, give the Maritim and its staff a chance. Let them get to know us and see what new kind of environment the Maritim can give us that will be different, but just as much fun. (There were concerns about moving from the castle to the Ringberg, but it worked out just fine...give this new place a chance.)
The other thing that I believe the EF staff think you understand, so they don't say it outright, is that they know for many, this may be your ONLY real vacation of the year. They truly want to make EF the very best convention experience that it can be. They are setting up an event for you to be happy. Of course they are looking for input, but also understand that there may be limitations that the convention and hotel staff is working under. Many times, they have had to work behind the scenes to correct other issues so that really big problems are already solved when you arrive. When providing feedback, I always think of it as offering suggestions that the staff can't see. Once something has been brought to their attention, let them work on any possible solutions for the next year.
I know that the choice to relocate to the Maritim was not an easy decision. But in the end, I know in my heart that the staff of Eurofurence made that decision for the true benefit of not only the convention, but for the attendees. By all means, let them know what can be done to improve the experience. But if it's been said a number of times, it really doesn't need to be repeated again. I know all too well that hotel issues can be particularly troublesome, because there may be many things that cannot be changed because of hotel rules or limitations. If there is something you think that could be implemented that would help all hotel guests while EF is there, by all means suggest it. But be realistic with suggestions, and be receptive to any answers that the staff provides. That's really the very best way to get a good dialogue going and make the convention really spectacular.
Just my 2 cents as someone who really loves EF and can't wait to come back. :)
KP
Jaeger_Fuchs:
Thanks to the staff of EF-16 for all their hard work with the new venue. Its never easy making changes and I am sure with all the feedback that they have received, next year will be even better for those attending. Some of the highlights of the new location for me were sightseeing in Magdeburg and Berlin (easy train access), and of course the BBF fursuit dance. I got to meet some great new people and spend time with friends I only get to see once a year. There was a host of great places to eat in Magdeburg and I already miss many of the traditional German dishes and tall dark beers. Thanks to everyone who made my trip enjoyable!
Blacktail:
Well for my first German furry con I had a blast.
I meet awesome people I could help out in the artshow with registration and had all in all a good time.
I found the hotelstaff friendly and when I had a question they answered it without a problem.
One morning I decided to get breakfast in the hotel and yes it wasn´t cheap but the girl behind the bar apologized a thousand times to me for the prices.
The conbadges as keycards where priceless. ;)
The artshow was great (sorry for the delays at the end but we had softwareproblems and Cairyn suffered a mild shock when all happened at once so I can only apologize for it and hoping that next year it will be better)
The dealers den was quite crowded and a bit to small.
I enjoyed the Pawpet show (was my first, someone mentioned that the artshow staff was there and didn´t open the doors to sell the art and to my knowlegde I was the only one there, the others tryed to get some warm food after some days without proper feeding)
A little lokal map for us where some things are (needed a hour in the morning to find the Sparkasse)
All in all it was a good con and I will be back next year.
Suran:
--- Quote from: Balu Blackcat on 12.09.2010, 14:30:15 ---The dealers den was quite crowded and a bit to small.
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Well, it was the largest one we ever had.
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