Tucson NAC

[Montoya]

Does anyone else think that it's unusual that 4 months before the NAC (and long before the actual schedule of events has been posted) that all the THS rooms at the venue hotel as well as the next closest hotel are sold out for almost all the nights? I haven't seen this happen so far in advance of the event with Div I NACs. Is this another example of overly hyper fencing parents at work?

[noodle]

or another event in the area

[Montoya]

Originally Posted by noodle

or another event in the area

Another fencing event? There are still rooms available at the hotel for those dates - just none left in the THS block.

[HDG]

Originally Posted by Montoya

Another fencing event? There are still rooms available at the hotel for those dates - just none left in the THS block.

Maybe THS booked too few rooms.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Montoya

Another fencing event? There are still rooms available at the hotel for those dates - just none left in the THS block.

no, another event, not fencing related, in the area at the same date

[DJ Apostrophe]

Originally Posted by noodle

no, another event, not fencing related, in the area at the same date

That doesn't effect the THS block...

what probably happened was THX booked X rooms, and then people reserve rooms for the whole time, only to cancel the nights they don't need once the schedule is posted.

Probably a side effect of people getting shut out of the host hotel at previous events.

-w

[mlr2fence]

...which could all be helped if USFA posted the event days earlier than its current 2-3 month lead time....

[KD5MDK]

Given that event days are somewhat based on registrations, that's sort of a vicious cycle.

[C.I.C.]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Given that event days are somewhat based on registrations, that's sort of a vicious cycle.

That should be "vicioius circle."

"Vicious circle - situation in which a difficulty leads to a further difficulty that leads back to the original one. Not vicious in the sense of 'depraved or spiteful' but in its rather archaic sense of 'flawed, spoiled by some fault'. The expression was originally a technical term in logic for a fallacious mode of reasoning by which a proposition that has been employed to establish a conclusion is then proved by that conclusion - in simple language, a circular argument."

"The expression comes from the French cercle vicieux, which in philosophy means "a circular proof."

OED - "cf. vicious circle in reasoning (c.1792), which was given a general sense of "a situation in which action and reaction intensify one another" by 1839."

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Given that event days are somewhat based on registrations, that's sort of a vicious cycle.

From the meetings held with Christine and Michael Massik at the OTC this summer, my understanding is that the events days are not at all based on registrations.

[rac]

I will hazard a guess as to why this happened: Y10, Y12, and Y14s. There are few really NATIONAL events and for the Y10s and Y12s this is the ONLY NAC. The families will travel for the kids. I have seen this in other sports.

The sell-out is about the kids not the Div1.


rac

[Sciurus-Rex]

If the event organizing committee (whatever the heck we call 'em) could reveal individual competetition dates with more lead time, at least we could hunt for the best nearby deals AND schedule airline flight days. I'm not talking about registration times; just which general 24-hour periods we need to be close to the venue.

[Inquartata]

I suspect that THS is filling all the rooms in its blocks with referees, armourers and other officials these days---a function of the growth in the size of NAC's and the consequently greater number of administrative personnel needed to run them.

Which means that THS ought to be thinking about expanding the size of their blocks, or using different/bigger hotels. Or something.

[KD5MDK]

Given how many people have complained about the THS prices compared to whatever internet special they've managed, do you really care? Especially given the dramatic risks associated with not making your Hotel block, as demonstrated by DitD?

[oso97]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

I suspect that THS is filling all the rooms in its blocks with referees, armourers and other officials these days---a function of the growth in the size of NAC's and the consequently greater number of administrative personnel needed to run them.

Which means that THS ought to be thinking about expanding the size of their blocks, or using different/bigger hotels. Or something.

Its my understanding that there are two different blocks - the ones for the tournament officials and the one's that THS uses to make reservations for people.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by DJ Apostrophe

That doesn't effect the THS block...

what probably happened was THX booked X rooms, and then people reserve rooms for the whole time, only to cancel the nights they don't need once the schedule is posted.

Probably a side effect of people getting shut out of the host hotel at previous events.

-w

a lot of hotels will have a maximum block size if they anticipate the weekend will be busy. i'd venture a guess to say that we're not the only group thats going to be at the hotel.

[DJ Apostrophe]

Originally Posted by noodle

a lot of hotels will have a maximum block size if they anticipate the weekend will be busy. i'd venture a guess to say that we're not the only group thats going to be at the hotel.

Possible... but THS has to have a minimum block size that they'd book at a hotel, otherwise it wouldn't be worth it to them...

Oh wait... I'm using logic and THS...

that can go right out the window...

it is totally possible that the 5 room block is completely full at this point...

-w

[KD5MDK]

It's also entirely plausible that the 400 room block is full as well.

[teacup]

Originally Posted by Sciurus-Rex

If the event organizing committee (whatever the heck we call 'em) could reveal individual competetition dates with more lead time, at least we could hunt for the best nearby deals AND schedule airline flight days. I'm not talking about registration times; just which general 24-hour periods we need to be close to the venue.

Southwest books up five months in advance with most of the cheap flights to Tucson sold out already. Unfortunately since the event days are not known fencers are unable to take advantage of cheap air fares by SWA and other airlines.

As for hotels, many people block out the entire time including extra rooms for coaches, family members and additional teammates at the start of the season. The hotels for the NAC in April are especially booked in advance because the youth events bring more parents, siblings, coaches, etc.

THS has to give up their block a month before the event. When the close of check in times are posted approximately two weeks before the event people finalize their plans and extra days/rooms are let go. Now the number of rooms booked through THS by USFA members is less than anticipated yet some are unable to get rooms.

Since a majority of fencers know which events they are going to travel to at the beginning of the season, it would be good to have close of registration six to eight weeks prior, then close of check in could be posted a month before the event, which is the same time frame that THS needs to release their rooms.

I think that the relatively sudden growth of the sport over the last two or three years has made it difficult to change procedures quickly enough to suit everyone's needs. Hopefully the tournament task force committee will come up with a plan to remedy the situation.

[Sciurus-Rex]

Originally Posted by teacup

(stuff)

What you said.