Prise de Fer SYC Venue Change

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Just posted on the Prise de Fer website, the SYC will no longer be held at Dana Hall, but rather at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA.

From the website:

Due to a double booking at Dana Hall, we have found a new and larger venue for the SYC this weekend. It will be held at Brandeis University
Gosman Athletic Center 415 South St, Waltham MA. This is about 8 miles from the hotel posted on the SYC site. If you would like to try
and re-book your hotel accomodations we are using the Hyatt Summerfield Suites, 54 fourth ave Waltham, MA (781) 290-0026.

The event schedule will remain the same, but we will be able to offer more fencing strips. We apologize for any inconvenience.

http://www.prisedefer.com/syc2010/index.htm

[mcap]

Thanks for the advanced notice on this. Incompetence is not only at the National level.

[The Dude]

Thanks for the advanced notice on this. Incompetence is not only at the National level.

Does a venue change of <8 mi really adversely impact your life that significantly?

Yeah, it isn't ideal, but the event has moved to a bigger venue that is easier to get to. I guess I'm not seeing the problem to the same magnitude.

[mcap]

Have the organizers made contact with all registered competitors concerning this change. Making an announcement on FN or Askfred is not enough. What happens when fencers show up to the original venue?

[kapunga]

Thanks for the advanced notice on this. Incompetence is not only at the National level.

Seriously dude. I can't speak for them personally, but I'm guessing the double booking issue was not the fault of the organizers. Have you ever been to an event run by these organizers? They are pretty much the most efficient and well run I've ever encountered in fencing. For the events in their club, if you show up right at close of registration, good luck warming up because the pools are out and starting within 5 minutes. They run huge round robins unbelievably efficiently, and the large tournaments they run (of which they do several each year) have no appreciable delays.

Unfortunately they don't own the venue. Yeah, it's annoying, but a) It most likely wasn't their fault, and b) the new venue is much bigger and will likely lead to a much smoother tournament overall, especially with the size of some of these events I am seeing. (97 Y14 Men's Foil? 73 Y14 Men's Sabre?)

[mcap]

The organizers have a responsibility to make contact with all fencers registered to announce this change of venue.

Did the organizers not have a signed contract with the original venue? When were they informed that the site was not available? What happens to those fencers who show up to the original venue? Can a registered fencer get a full refund due to this venue change as it was announced so late?

I have not been to one of their events so can't comment on how their events are run.

[DJ Apostrophe]

First: I agree, this is a crappy situation, but we're doing what we can to make the best of it.


Second: I wasn't ever involved in venue negotiations or anything of that ilk, so I'm not going to get involved in that.

I'm part of the day-of staff and every tournament I'm involved in, I do the best I can to make the experience the best I can for the fencers.

Here's what I've done (and what I know others have done) to ameliorate this situation as best as possible:

I've sent out an email blast via FRED to all registered competitors.

I've individually emailed everyone who has emailed me with SYC questions under separate cover, and asked them to forward it along to anyone else who they know might be coming.

Everyone who mailed / faxed in an entry had an email address on the form that was entered into FRED.

I've asked Peet to put a note on the front page of askFRED. (Thank you Peet).

Ariana has emailed her list of coaches to get the word out.

I believe Dave is planning on having someone at Dana Hall in the morning to catch anyone who goes to the wrong venue (not 100% sure on this as I only talked to him briefly yesterday).

The New England Division sent out an e-blast to their list about the venue change.

I've requested a membership extract with phone numbers from the National Office in case we have to call anyone over the weekend. (Note: I do not know if they will give this to me or not).

If anyone has any other suggestions on any other methods of communicating the change, I'd be happy to hear them.

Thanks,

-w
p.s. here's the text of the email I've been sending if you have anyone that you think should get it:

Hello all,

Due to a double booking at Dana Hall, we have found a new and larger
venue for the SYC this weekend. It will be held at Brandeis University
Gosman Athletic Center 415 South St, Waltham MA. This is about 8
miles from the hotel posted on the SYC site. If you would like to try
and re-book your hotel accomodations we are using the Hyatt
Summerfield Suites, 54 fourth ave Waltham, MA (781) 290-0026.

The event schedule will remain the same, but we will be able to offer
more fencing strips. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Please feel free to call,

Ariana Klinkov
978-857-0966

David Blake
978-857-0967

[peet]

Wow, I'm thinking mcap owes DJ-A and everyone else running this SYC an apology for assuming incompetence before knowing the facts.


-p

[mcap]

An apology is not owed to the organizers, an apology is owed to the fencers and families attending this event. To make an announcement less than 48 prior to the event starting is inexcusable. How could the organizers not know about a double booking?

[oso97]

An apology is not owed to the organizers, an apology is owed to the fencers and families attending this event. To make an announcement less than 48 prior to the event starting is inexcusable. How could the organizers not know about a double booking?

Obviously, you've never been involved as an event organizer...

It happens, and not just with fencing events. Mixups happen, especially when dealing with schools and such, but they also happen in other contexts.

Anyone remember the Tuscon NAC a couple of years ago, where the >convention center< double booked an NAC and a home and garden show (or more specifically, the setup phase of the home and garden show)? Christine and company didn't find out about this until they arrived on site!

[dcrocket]

Obviously, you've never been involved as an event organizer...

It happens, and not just with fencing events. Mixups happen, especially when dealing with schools and such, but they also happen in other contexts.

Anyone remember the Tuscon NAC a couple of years ago, where the >convention center< double booked an NAC and a home and garden show (or more specifically, the setup phase of the home and garden show)? Christine and company didn't find out about this until they arrived on site!

Yes...exhaust in the venue, IIRC.

[kathe23]

Kudos to DJ Apostrophe. We received (2) e-mail notifications from AskFred yesterday (presumably because we're registered for 2 events), and I got a heads up when I stopped in at the club to pick up a weapon last night.

Looking forward to a great event. I haven't been to Brandeis but I have to say that Dana Hall was really nice (I'm a big fan of natural light :-)

[bbower]

Seriously dude. I can't speak for them personally, but I'm guessing the double booking issue was not the fault of the organizers.

This was 100% the fault of the organizers. I think it showed a lack of class to throw Dana Hall under the bus by calling it a "double booking", which strongly implies fault on the part of the venue.

But given that the new venue is 6.4 miles from the old one, and is as good as, if not better than the old venue, this change shouldn't negatively impact anyone's experience at this tournament. It's inconvenient for anyone who booked a hotel closer to Dana, and sucks for people who drive to Dana and then have to drive to Brandeis, and the close of registration times will need to be pushed back to account for this ... but this really isn't the end of the world.

The rational and intelligent parents will realize that sometimes **** happens, and will recognize the minimal impact of the change.

However, this won't stop some asshole parent from blaming his/her son's poor performance at the tournament on this change.

[fdad]

Kudos to DJ Apostrophe. We received (2) e-mail notifications from AskFred yesterday (presumably because we're registered for 2 events), and I got a heads up when I stopped in at the club to pick up a weapon last night.

Looking forward to a great event. I haven't been to Brandeis but I have to say that Dana Hall was really nice (I'm a big fan of natural light :-)

The Brandeis venue is pretty good, with the exception of the strips laid over the turns in the track, plenty of space, seating, etc.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

An apology is not owed to the organizers, an apology is owed to the fencers and families attending this event. To make an announcement less than 48 prior to the event starting is inexcusable. How could the organizers not know about a double booking?

The situation, admittedly, sucks. An apology HAS been given to the fencers and families attending the event here, and I assume many more will be forthcoming.

That said, Dana Hall is not going to magically generate another gym overnight, so everyone is left with this scenario. Given that, do you have any other suggestions?

Mine is this--- Did enough people book in the host hotel that they would consider putting up a notice at the check in desk? Obviously that doesn't get anyone local (but presumably their coaches have let them know), anyone driving in, and anyone who booked elsewhere, but it might get some people?

[hello?]

However, this won't stop some asshole parent from blaming his/her son's poor performance at the tournament on this change.

Shoot, I fully intend to use this as my excuse if I do poorly in the Open, even though I got three separate emails yesterday telling me about the change in venue -- which is 9.3 miles away from the original.

[kapunga]

Shoot, I fully intend to use this as my excuse if I do poorly in the Open, even though I got three separate emails yesterday telling me about the change in venue -- which is 9.3 miles away from the original.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it closer to where you live? ;-)

Edit: Google maps says 6.5 miles.

[hello?]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it closer to where you live? ;-)

Edit: Google maps says 6.5 miles.

Hush!

[hello?]

Shoot, I fully intend to use this as my excuse if I do poorly in the Open, even though I got three separate emails yesterday telling me about the change in venue -- which is 9.3 miles away from the original.

There should have been one of these attached:

[oldguy]

I heard about the change in venue from:
-askfred
-3 other parents from our club
-some guy named Wayne who insists on letting people know what's going on.
All of this before we left for the tournament.
Typical PdF.