F2F for Summer 2008

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:35 am

It's become apparant that there are a few managers living in the Northeastern/Mid Atlantic states. Many of us would like to participate in the F2Fs, but cannot afford the airfare, hotels, etc.

I would like to propose a Summer 2008 F2F somewhere around the Virginia Beach/Norfolk or Philly areas (I live about 6 hours to Norfolk and 45 minutes to Philly).

I would welcome any other area cities (Baltimore/Wilmington, DE/Atlantic or Ocean City.....etc.).

So, if anyone would like to join me in proposing this to RSI, how about some input? I think, as players, we might be able to convince RSI to allow us the choice of where a tourney will be held...or...at least listen to our input.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:47 am

Last summer was the northeast face, held in Baltimore (that was the 3rd or 4th Baltimore face--I've been 3 there).

This summer is the southeast, and next summer will be in the midwest (Indianapolis would be perfect--I know I could make that one, since the in-laws live an hour from the airport).

The year after that will be the northeast again. I believe it was in Philadelphia 4 or so years ago.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:06 am

Andarus wrote:

Last summer was the northeast face, held in Baltimore (that was the 3rd or 4th Baltimore face--I've been 3 there).

This summer is the southeast, and next summer will be in the midwest (Indianapolis would be perfect--I know I could make that one, since the in-laws live an hour from the airport).

The year after that will be the northeast again. I believe it was in Philadelphia 4 or so years ago.

Again, I've started hearing rumbles this year is in New Orleans. If so, then I'm out. If it is in Atlanta (PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE) then I'll be able to attend. And if they do the midwest in Indy, I should be able to pull that one off too. Smile

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:42 am

The idea I had in mind is virtually to influence RSI into making centralized F2Fs in areas where a number of managers are....not a "pick of the hat" location. I'm not sure how they determine where the Facers are held, but I'd like to see as many managers attend as possible...and...if there is a place where a number of managers are centrally located, then I would presume to guess that would be the best place to have one.

i.e., aren't there a number of managers living in the Florida area? Have one down there....

Atlanta is only an hour flight for me from Philly...thus, if finances were to improve drastically, I would bring my armour-clad self there and kick the stuffing out of the mega-managers (laughing hysterically at my own nonsense). Albeit...I was merely attempting to gain support for influencing where the Facers are held. If the majority of the managers could join together, this might actually be accomplished. I'm sure RSI would have little problem with this if approached in a diplomatic fashion. They are, in the business of serving a customer base and I'm sure open to suggestions.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:58 am

There are many factors when RSI chooses a location. It is a way for them to escape the heat as well.

Back during the 1st Baltimore and Cherry Hill Face to Face tournament, Ken Bachman and I did a lot of the front end work, looking for a site, planning etc. I did a lot of work for the 1st Atlanta FTF.

In fact I did a lot of work for the Tempe FTFs as well.

So, you could put it on your wish list, or you can send a message on the forum, or you can write to Santa if it makes you feel better. But if you really want to influence the FTF locations, start by contacting hotels in your area:

Function Space costs
Room costs
How many rooms need to be booked before staff rooms are comped
How many more rooms need to be booked before function space is comped

Nearby airports
Sample airfares from various regions to said airport
Cost to get from airport to hotel
Food costs at hotel

One economic fact, D2 players have a fixed budget, the more money spend on airfare, hotel, food, beer, etc - the less spent on rollups.

=====

Off hand, as a business traveller that goes to New Orleans, I do not think that the city has recovered enough to be a good FTF choice this year. Hotels with function space on Canal or Poydras are still recovering, Hotels in the French Quarter are too expensive.

Once the April Mailin is over I will contact Lee to see if she wants me to do front end work for an Atlanta FTF.

But remember this is a vacation for the RSI folks, a way for them to escape the summer heat as well.

If you want a FTF in your area, do the work and e-mail Lee.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:36 am

Thanx for the info Deke....that's exactly what I'll start doing. This way, I've got alot of information to provide AND...perhaps be able to influence where the Summer F2F is being held.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:42 pm

holy crapola! They occaisionally hold FtF's in Indy? That would be just smashing for me. I could easily justify the time/money for that trip as it's about an hour, maybe 2 away from the semi backwater of Dayton, Ohio *grin* Last(only) time I went to one was at Cherry Hill and that was kind of a stretch, only doable cause I went with 3 other managers and shared room costs..... AND got lost on those never to be suffieciently damned traffic circles in Cherry Hill Mad

Advanced Expert Poster Joined: Nov 24, 2003 Posts: 181

Here is my problem.... and I am sure I speak for the majority. No one really cares WHERE the Summer one is at(we all know that the Summer Faces rotate by region by year and THAT makes sense for the majority of players). The problem is not the WHERE but the "When and Where". For crying out loud we are in April and the start of summer will be in 2 months when June rolls around and we do not have a time or place. Give me a damn break!!!!! I will grant you this... there are SOME people who will be at 90% of the faces no matter where they are. Well that is the minority of the DM populace... albeit maybe not the minority financially. In other words they can and more importantly WILL alter there plans on when and where RSI decides to have the Face. Well not everyone is so fortunate in either time and/or money and/or family obligations and/or career. Its a VACATION for RSI... well guess what the SUMMER is a Vacation for a helluva lot of family member playing DM'ers. This shit should have been planned before 2007 even began.... hell its narrowed down to a region every Summer as it is. So if yopu kow what region it is gonna be in, in a particular year than do the legwork and already have a time/date/and place of the location so players can PLAN in advance. You'll have a better attendance AND better revenue. But I guess that makes too much sense. I mean some people do have to plan vacations around the wife, the kids, the job, the boss, the family, WHATEVER. The 3 Summer Faces I have been able to attend in my almost 20 year(albeit off and on) career are cause it just so happened to work out. I will be super dooper pissed off if this face is in my freaking backyard of Atlanta and I am unable to attend caue I got the wife an kids at our condo on the beach(dont get me wrong I'll be enjoying myself irregardless). Its crap like this that is why we have a declining game community. Sorry for the rant its just this thread touched a nerve with people wanting to rally support for a particular location but we're talking a 2007 Summer Face and summer is a mere 2 months away and we still dont kow when and/or where.... and for that matter we just got a damn tourney annoncement for the Spring mailer giving us less than 2 weeks to fill out our rosters and get them to RSI. Rant over

Grandmaster Poster Joined: Jul 18, 2005 Posts: 939

JEKYLL1 wrote:

Here is my problem.... and I am sure I speak for the majority. No one really cares WHERE the Summer one is at(we all know that the Summer Faces rotate by region by year and THAT makes sense for the majority of players). The problem is not the WHERE but the "When and Where". For crying out loud we are in April and the start of summer will be in 2 months when June rolls around and we do not have a time or place. Give me a damn break!!!!! I will grant you this... there are SOME people who will be at 90% of the faces no matter where they are. Well that is the minority of the DM populace... albeit maybe not the minority financially. In other words they can and more importantly WILL alter there plans on when and where RSI decides to have the Face. Well not everyone is so fortunate in either time and/or money and/or family obligations and/or career. Its a VACATION for RSI... well guess what the SUMMER is a Vacation for a helluva lot of family member playing DM'ers. This shit should have been planned before 2007 even began.... hell its narrowed down to a region every Summer as it is. So if yopu kow what region it is gonna be in, in a particular year than do the legwork and already have a time/date/and place of the location so players can PLAN in advance. You'll have a better attendance AND better revenue. But I guess that makes too much sense. I mean some people do have to plan vacations around the wife, the kids, the job, the boss, the family, WHATEVER. The 3 Summer Faces I have been able to attend in my almost 20 year(albeit off and on) career are cause it just so happened to work out. I will be super dooper pissed off if this face is in my freaking backyard of Atlanta and I am unable to attend caue I got the wife an kids at our condo on the beach(dont get me wrong I'll be enjoying myself irregardless). Its crap like this that is why we have a declining game community. Sorry for the rant its just this thread touched a nerve with people wanting to rally support for a particular location but we're talking a 2007 Summer Face and summer is a mere 2 months away and we still dont kow when and/or where.... and for that matter we just got a damn tourney annoncement for the Spring mailer giving us less than 2 weeks to fill out our rosters and get them to RSI. Rant over

I can't agree with this more. I have to have my vacation picks into my work and submitted by Jan 1. Summertime is the time when EVERYONE takes off, so I have to guess and hope for the best. As Jekyll said, I don't care about the place in the summer, I care about the dates. Thats it! I will go to every single summer f2f if I could just get the dates in time. For instance if this one is anything other than the weekend of the 15th, I can't go. And I will really be upset. I look forward to the summer f2f's.

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 1316

Okay, it's one thing to be irritated by the fact the summer F2F for 2007 still isn't official. Maybe it is time to take some of this upon ourselves to get the information to Lee so it can be announced earlier. It's too late to be upset about this summer, but now is the time to work on next summer.

Being in Phoenix it would be hard for me to participate in helping find things for the summer unless I just fixate on one city in particular. If anyone needs assistance with placing calls or doing some legwork (albeit by phone and computer), please let me know what city you are representing and I will do what I can. More than likely I will help my good friends and respected managers over the one or two that may ask. Don't feel slighted if I don't help you, but understand it's simple logistics.

I will keep my fingers crossed for those who want to attend the 2007 summer F2F so it can work out for you.

Lets get the ball rolling for 2008.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:32 pm

Nope, you're absolutely right. I can't remember a time when the FtF info has come this late. Normally I have my plane tickets by now.

If this continues, this could be the lowest attended FtF ever.

Advanced Expert Poster Joined: Nov 24, 2003 Posts: 181

Managerr wrote:

Nope, you're absolutely right. I can't remember a time when the FtF info this late. Normally I have my plane tickets by now.

If this continues, this could be the lowest attended FtF ever.

Agreed. IMHO it already is. And Dwayne, the sad thing is.... this is a never ending spiral the past few years. I honestly don't understand if RSI has a set cycle of rotating regions why they can't have plans in place a year in advance, if not by January of the calendar year at the latest on when and where the Face is. Hell as a semi-traveller on an individual rate I know you save money on booking well enough in advance.... I can only imagine what its like if you secure a group rate/package well enough in advance. Like said before a grand total of the 3 Summer Faces I have attended is because it actually worked out in my favor. Most of the times it was like last year when I was on vacation with the family and my friends in the Council were proxying my warriors(and I sent minimal only because some of them were attending and I could trust in the results, etc)... therein is the issue.... prepping and planning. Hell imagine if the majority of the DM populace knew in advance when and where the Face was going to be. They could plan travel wise.... AND (ding, ding)... Financially and game wise by prepping, holding out, etc warriors. The # of warriors entered by manager would increase, thus the $ amount RSI pocketed would increase not to mention the $avings RSI would gain by having a well enough in time advanced pre-booked date at a particular location.(And further more I honestly feel the $ amount for the Spring mailer would increase because managers could plan for 2 tournaments if not 3 tourneys in a row because we all know when and where the Winter Face is). The thing is RSI already has a preset $ amount and player attendance amount that they "think" will be there irregardless. Apparently that is enough to break even/bank a few bucks. BUT if they think in the best interest of ALL the players than there increased revenue is perhaps ten-fold. I agree 100% with you that it has gotten worse over the years(if that is what you were implying and if it wasn't than that is the way my perception over the past few years has led me to believe), but even at the best of times the "advanced notice" of the place/date wasnt enough time IMHO. This company/game we all enjoy CAN be saved but it will take planning on RSI's part to insure this. IMHO their customer service is EXCELLENT as everytime I contact Sandy and/or Lee I have results/closure(cant speak for all in this regard) in a very expediant fashion. A little more foresight on their part and this company can get back to what it once was. Hell if they can address/fix this MINOR thing than maybe there is hope for correcting the openhand AB bug.

Jekyll

P.S. No offense to the "regulars" who attend the majority of the faces no matter what. Yeah folks bitch about you, etc... but it is you guys who help keep afloat this game that we all love and are addicted to. It irritates me to no end stuff like this but what really bothers me is when you high rollers have had enough and that guaranteed revenue is no longer there. Than we are all screwed.

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:29 pm

Easy Solution! Every summer face is in Milwaukee!

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 1316

_Carnage_ wrote:

Easy Solution! Every summer face is in Milwaukee!

Easier solution. Make it Chicago. It has more to offer than Milwaukee (except the beer) Wink

.

<joke disclaimer here>

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 1316

Along the lines of helping plan, does everyone care to have the winter 2008 F2F in the same hotel?

If someone is already working on this let me know so I don't double efforts. Since the Super Bowl is coming we might need to plan now to avoid the crap associated with it.