Site Selection Survey in today's USA Fencing newsletter

[ladyofshalott99]

For all of us who like to complain about the venue at every opportunity:

Today's USA Fencing newsletter contains a link to a Site Selection Survey. It's buried pretty far down in a Web Part that's mingled with a bunch of other ad callouts, and easily missed. People here seem to care the most about the locations that are chosen, so it makes sense for as many of us as possible to tell them what we really want.

It's geared towards getting feedback about National tournament venues, hotel selection feedback, travel feedback, etc. The survey is fairly short, and took me less than two minutes to complete.

[teacup]

I think food and entertainment should have been two different categories. To us, good, healthy, fairly priced food and access to grocery stores is important but entertainment is not as important. Of course, others may feel differently.

[K O'N]

I think food and entertainment should have been two different categories. To us, good, healthy, fairly priced food and access to grocery stores is important but entertainment is not as important. Of course, others may feel differently.

So... The survey is flawed?

[epeemike81]

So... The survey is flawed?

I mean, that's hardly the only place it's flawed... it's a terribly designed survey which is unlikely to tell them anything.

-m

[dcrocket]

I mean, that's hardly the only place it's flawed... it's a terribly designed survey which is unlikely to tell them anything.

-m

Actually, you can only assume that it is flawed. We do not know what they are looking for.

[KD5MDK]

I think the key question was about paying a surcharge for Tier 1 cities. Everything else is unimportant.

[hello?]

That question would have been better asked with a 'range' of what you would or would not pay to fence at Tier 1 cities.

[fencerX]

I think the key question was about paying a surcharge for Tier 1 cities. Everything else is unimportant.

Since that's likely going nowhere, the follow the (kickback) money to find the real key question of interest to PSA and USA Fencing ... "Do you currently use the official USA Fencing hotels? If not, please tell us why."

[Peach]

Over the years, because of fencing, I've spent so much time in cities I would never deliberately visit. I'm sure they are nice places. South Bend. Cincinnati. Dallas. Lovely places. I wouldn't know. I spend the entire time in a hotel room or a convention center.

Every other conference I attend, I get to go to neat cities, eat well, and sightsee.

I'd pay extra to fence in a Tier 1 city, but on the other hand my employer wouldn't pay for it.

[KD5MDK]

To be fair, my appreciation for Kansas City, Virginia Beach and Portland is greatly expanded by having gone there for tournaments. But I skipped Des Moines and many others.

[Inquartata]

Since that's likely going nowhere...

Doesn't that assume that the NO actually cares about any negative opinions they're likely to get on that question?

If it happens that the results support what they want, great. If not..."Er, the results were favorable, and no, you can't see the actual numbers, just take our word for it".

Call me a cynic...

[AllezCat]

"Cynic" is what an idealist calls a realist.

[Inquartata]

Thank you, Sir Humphrey.

[jjefferies]

Over the years, because of fencing, I've spent so much time in cities I would never deliberately visit. I'm sure they are nice places. South Bend. Cincinnati. Dallas. Lovely places. I wouldn't know. I spend the entire time in a hotel room or a convention center.

You need some friends. Maybe try switching weapons. VET epeeists are all into finding the best local cuisine, sights, etc.

Every other conference I attend, I get to go to neat cities, eat well, and sightsee.

Why the difference.

I'd pay extra to fence in a Tier 1 city, but on the other hand my employer wouldn't pay for it.

Self Employed? The poll was a bit weird about what is a 1st tier city. New York I can understand. It's pricey any time. But I've attended NAC's in the suburbs of Chicago. No problem there. San Francisco may be 1st tier but you can still find hotels/motels on the BART etc. Seattle, I don't consider it a 1st tier in terms of expense. Portland as well. And even in New York there are localities. Manhattan, way off the chart but out in the sticks or Long Island?

[KD5MDK]

I don't know what convention space in Seattle costs. It might be incredibly expensive. I can't imagine what the Moscone Center costs.
It's entirely possible we looked at various cities and couldn't get them to work. I know Boston is getting a deeper look, and DC got a big boost from the Capitol Clash. I think we will see some newer and bigger cities coming up.

[brtech]

The typical problem for a Tier 1 city is hotel cost. Will you pay $200/nt for a room in a downtown hotel convenient to the venue? That also drives up the cost for staff.

The venue costs in SOME cities (downtown NY and Chicago) for example tend to be higher mostly because the labor rates are astronomical. The space itself is somewhat more expensive, but not usually the determining factor when all the costs are totalled.

[indypacers]

another survey, and will USFA really pay any attention to it?

[fencerchica]

I wonder if the DC Armory could accommodate a NAC. Great big open space roughly comparable to the normal convention center halls, nice sprung floor, public transportation on the Metro, and surely orders of magnitude cheaper than the actual convention center(s).

[Peach]

You need some friends. Maybe try switching weapons. VET epeeists are all into finding the best local cuisine, sights, etc.

You suggest friends and offer me vet epeeists? Heh. As for dining and seeing sights, the places I've gone for professional conferences are generally located in the center of popular areas, so that I was able to be comfortably accommodated, make all my sessions, and still find it convenient to sightsee. I have fond memories of Boston and New York, and San Antonio was delightful when I was there for a conference. As for my employer paying, my employer pays for a lot, including a trip to New Zealand a couple of years back. Not that fencing hasn't taken me many wonderful places, including Limoges, Bath, Moscow, Tampa and Porec, Croatia, but I had to pay my own way to those. And I have to say my hotel in Limoges should have been called the Discomfort Inn.

At least I haven't had to go to South Bend in January the last few years. Though I miss Palm Springs, just for the scenery.

[KD5MDK]

I wonder if the DC Armory could accommodate a NAC. Great big open space roughly comparable to the normal convention center halls, nice sprung floor, public transportation on the Metro, and surely orders of magnitude cheaper than the actual convention center(s).

It looks reasonable. Someone might suggest it.