Eurofurence Information > Feedback
EF20 feedback
Ralesk:
--- Quote from: Schorse on 31.08.2014, 09:32:03 ---
--- Quote from: timoran on 31.08.2014, 06:32:50 ---Panel room finding - Signs could have been better. For panel rooms on wing 3 floor 2 or 3, refer to them by the actual room number (e.g. 30241), don't call them Panel Room 4, etc.
--- End quote ---
When you did register, they handed you that paper thing, called Con book.
It contains a map and list of the artists in the dealers den and the panels and artists at the art show.
And the hotel map shows the panel rooms with their name AND room number (except the first 3 which only have names).
--- End quote ---
That's the point though: Maybe you read the con book, but mostly you just have the schedule leaflet with you during the day — there it makes no sense to refer to “Panel Room N”, because that's not an easy thing to search for; however if it said “Room 30241”, you'd know immediately, without having to consult your hash table friendly directions poster that was placed where you'd already know where you're going (the Wing 3 Floor 0 lift lobby), nor look back and forth between the Legend in the pocket schedule and the event you want to head to. You'll notice that it fits the size constraints of the pocket schedule too. On the other hand, I do understand that the numbers are quite a mouthful.
Elfasi:
So here's my feedback for EF20, divided into hotel stuff first, convention stuff second.
The hotel
The Estrel is a very impressive place, visually and functionally, yet it did prove to be a bit of a mixed bag. But first, the positive aspects:
* The rooms were great, great views, really clean and spacious.
* The available space inside the hotel was impressive, Eurofurence is on a whole new scale now.
* The breakfast was a remarkable feat on a remarkable scale and they totally nailed it, every day. I think people lost sight of just what an achievement that was.
* The staff were friendly, courteous, sometimes even pretty enthusiastic (fursuiting waiters??).
* That art piece by the riverside <3
* Whichever restaurant food I tried, I was always satisfied by it.
* Loads of great seating in the lobby, in particular the couches. The Maritim never had enough couches.
Alas, there were negatives too, some that EF and Estrel could work on together, some down to Estrel, and some outside anyone's control (but worth mentioning):
* We have to fix the stairs problem. Open the stairwells or people will prop them anyway, at greater risk. Some stairwells even locked you behind alarmed doors at nearly every level, nearly requiring an alarm activation to escape.
* The walkways between blocks should have been opened. This would have eased some pressure on the lifts.
* The hotel is in a pretty rough area. Okay we can't fix that, but maybe some advice on where NOT to go would reduce risk.
* The lobby desperately needs de-cluttering. Nice couches, but lose the seating by the bar.
* Most staff were really professional, friendly, happy, some seemed scared or annoyed, understandable in a first year. But some were really inconsistent with their service. Disagreements over where one could get ice, where one could order food, where one could sit. Taking 40 minutes to charge a drink to my room tab after being forced to, when I told them I had no cash because their cash machine broke, and their initial refusal to accept I had registered a credit card to my room. Telling people straight up that there's no such thing as a large coke, when the person behind them just ordered one, and what they actually meant is 'we ran out of large glasses.' That last part was really odd, and kept happening, despite other restaurants in the lobby having no problem finding a large glass. Did we overload the bar? Is it that hard to order more glasses?
* Closing the main bar at 2am on the busiest night of the whole convention? Yeah the dance floor bar kept open, but really, they must have lost a huge number of potential sales.
* The hotel should get a decent plushie shop #justsayin
* The checkout procedure needs work :)
* Can we get more insect killers down by the riverside? The sheer number of wasps meant I never went there after the first time.
* The convention centre space was oddly inaccessible. Like the huge outdoor area by the Berlin Wall segment, very hard to reach but a great solution to give more outside space to compensate for the hotel area being rough. Can we improve access to that next year?
* No swimming pool? :)
karpour:
--- Quote from: Ralesk on 31.08.2014, 23:23:22 ---
--- Quote from: Schorse on 31.08.2014, 09:32:03 ---
--- Quote from: timoran on 31.08.2014, 06:32:50 ---Panel room finding - Signs could have been better. For panel rooms on wing 3 floor 2 or 3, refer to them by the actual room number (e.g. 30241), don't call them Panel Room 4, etc.
--- End quote ---
When you did register, they handed you that paper thing, called Con book.
It contains a map and list of the artists in the dealers den and the panels and artists at the art show.
And the hotel map shows the panel rooms with their name AND room number (except the first 3 which only have names).
--- End quote ---
That's the point though: Maybe you read the con book, but mostly you just have the schedule leaflet with you during the day — there it makes no sense to refer to “Panel Room N”, because that's not an easy thing to search for; however if it said “Room 30241”, you'd know immediately, without having to consult your hash table friendly directions poster that was placed where you'd already know where you're going (the Wing 3 Floor 0 lift lobby), nor look back and forth between the Legend in the pocket schedule and the event you want to head to. You'll notice that it fits the size constraints of the pocket schedule too. On the other hand, I do understand that the numbers are quite a mouthful.
--- End quote ---
The pocket schedule had a list of panel room names and their corresponding room numbers printed on it.
Elfasi:
Eurofurence has grown by a really huge amount since I last went there in 2011. Change is necessary but it's not always good. As I felt nostalgia for the Ringberg in Suhl, I now find myself having nostalgia for the Maritim in Magdeburg. But when a convention grows, you either keep up or get left behind. A lot has changed, but I had a great deal of fun this year. The efforts of the Eurofurence staff and volunteers cannot be overstated. They put in crazy amounts of work, for no pay, just so we can have fun. It's something I could never do, would never do, so I am always thankful for staff efforts in every convention I attend. I think this year however, some of the Eurofurence staff reached breaking point, working too hard for too long, and some things have to change. I'm sure when that change comes, every support will be given.
The Good
* It is great to be a part of the biggest furry convention in Europe, with an ever higher profile, to the point major media are starting to notice us. I feel proud for being a part of it.
* Despite being in a new hotel, a lot of things did run smoothly and I was impressed many times.
* For instance registration was fast, the fursuit dance contest ran like clockwork..
* The new space for the dealer's den is just fantastic. I hope we keep it next year.
* The art show, soooooo much space. Love it. Although it should probably have a separate door to get in.
* Sponsor and supersponsor gifts were really nice, something to treasure for a long time.
* The new dance floor was just perfect. The available space in and around the dance area, the low ceiling, the lighting, the sound, the dancing poles, the stage area, the bar on the side. Never has a dance floor been this good since the Ringberg. If we don't keep it I'll cry.
* Another great charity, glad we did so well for them <3 .
* All the panels and panel rooms were great that I saw.
* Really great Motorfurs meet, huge attendance, perfect space, perfect weather.
* Fursuit parade was lovely, who's idea was the brass band at the front?? Loved it!
* EF staff by and large very friendly and professional.
* Theme was fun, lots of props scattered around and a nice game with all the taped outlines.
* Fire pit, OMFG YES
* International snack exchange, fantastic. I'd love to see Eurofurence promote this one a bit more, it really speaks to the heart of the international nature of the convention I think.
* Guests of honour - All wonderful, and some of them were real troopers indeed. In particular Sardyuon, along with being an immensely talented performer, was seen out on the dance floor pretty much all night, most nights
* The Daily Eurofurence, awesome as always. I wish Confuzzled would do one!
* EF Prime, great as always, and the twitter link was great fun.
* A shame about the Barbecue, but well handled on the aftermath, I enjoyed my plate of meat very much!
* I was going to write something else here, which I shall probably remember later! But it was good.
The Bad
* The Pawpet show. Year after year I see people break themselves physically and mentally, for what seems nearly the whole year, for what turns out to be an extremely mixed blessing for the convention as a whole. It's got this gravity that seems to just suck the whole convention in, for good or bad. I can take or leave the show itself, it's been good, it's been bad, tastes vary, I don't judge that. But if the start of the show is delayed 2-4 hours, every single year, year after year, can't we just schedule it 4 hours earlier? It's such a time sink as it is, and with the delays it wipes out the whole Saturday night for nearly everyone. You're either queuing for it, or waiting to queue, or missing friends who are queuing, or missing friends who are in it. Let's schedule it earlier, let's not have any other events dependent on the same room after, and let's look at reducing the pain.
* The fursuit dance contest, while very efficiently held, seemed to end up more quantity over quality. Packing as many dancers in as possible just made the whole thing feel rushed, even with 3 cancellations, and no room for any dance-offs or encores of winners at the end. I'd rather see fewer dancers of greater dance length with time for the danceoffs and encores.
* No restaurant guide or restaurant offers in the con book this year? There were nice eateries to be found, it'd be great to engage local businesses like before.
* Back to the fursuit dance contest, the layout needs to be revisited. Judges on the stage means to 90% of the audience all we get are the fursuiters backs. The judges need to be opposite to where they were, embedded into the audience.
* The super/sponsor events were rather.. lacklustre. The dealers den and art show early access is nice, but unfair to those who can't afford it. Kyell put on a nice panel but only 3 people including myself attended it, we had too much space. Convention horror stories, fun but nothing that special. And the room was much too small. How about a sponsor buffet? A meet the guests of honour with drinks in more intimate surroundings? Something really exclusive, without being too unfair to those who can't afford it.
* The lack of capacity on the stage due to the unanticipated high attendance meant there was no way seats would be reserved for super/sponsors, all you got was a queue that went in first, but there are so many sponsors, joining the back of that queue once it started moving meant that you'd be seated nowhere near the front. The main reason I got supersponsor was to not have to worry about all that, so that was a shame, but hard to fix. Maybe next year.
* Can we replace the piano bar guy with Fox Amoore?
* The VIP party was a little disappointing to the rest of us, having a pretty kick-arse impromptu DJ set happening by the fursuit lounge, Sardyuon taking part until he was whisked away to be at the VIP party instead.
* Queuing in general seemed a real clusterfuck this year. With a cluttered as hell lobby, queues run through there hit massive problems, queues going out the front door meant people were cold. Queues into the convention centre perhaps? Also the time where an entire queue was forcibly disbanded, told to come back later, meaning there was no way you could guarantee your spot near the front, was very poorly handled.
* No closing ceremony?
In closing, Eurofurence was quite difference for me than it ever was, but I love being out in Europe, in Germany, and I loved the journey there (driving all the way from England). The international crowd at Eurofurence can't be beaten, but Confuzzled is a strong contender now for the kind of memorable experience I crave. The deciders are ultimately going to be who among my friends goes to which convention, and how convenient each one is to reach. I will be back!
Elfasi:
Oh yes, one last point. The Eurofurence wall of memories, showing all the places in Germany (and beyond) it has been, with photographs pinned to it, will we see this again? I wanted to photograph it, but being in the art show space meant this was a complete no-no. Will photographs of it be made available? I really liked it!
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