C15 Long Beach Proposal update - you asked, we have answers!
Since the committees have been given the opportunity to clarify portions of our proposals before voting begins, the C15 Long Beach Proposal Triad has added a FAQ to our website, which you can visit here:
http://www.altgothic.com/c15longbeach
Or you can just scroll down, because we're posting the FAQ here as well. :)
We haven't changed a thing about our bid -- we like it the way it is and hope you do too. The FAQ clarifies points that you all brought up, either on alt.gothic or in person at C14, including hotel rooms, where to park, seasickness, the permanence of moorings, how we can get away with boozin' on the beach, and the so-called, much-discussed "cap."
Thank you for your consideration! Happy voting!
Laura, Eilis, Shannon
C15 Long Beach Proposal Triad
THE FAQ - JUST TO CLARIFY
Q: You have a cap of 300. Isn’t that going to mean that some people don’t get to go?
A: It could, but probably not. After C14 and knowing the state of the economy, we’re planning to hit 150 and would be happy to see 200 of you guys. If we exceed expectations, we do have the ability to move into a larger room - provided one is still available. The best thing we can recommend is that if you want to attend C15 in Long Beach, buy your laminate early. The earlier we know what sales will be like, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to upgrade to a larger room.
If sales are closer to what we expect and people wait to buy tickets at the last minute, it is possible that we’ll hit our cap and won’t be able to accommodate everyone. We’ll absolutely still try, but it may happen. This is why we suggest buying your tickets early.
Q: How will we know if you guys are close to or at the cap?
A: oldgoth triggered a discussion on a.g that led to a wonderful suggestion. We are not at all opposed to letting everyone know how sales are doing. Exactly how we’ll do this is up in the air at the moment - we could add a ticker of some sort to be updated daily (or as soon as we have a chance), or we could update everyone when the next increment of 50 is hit. Either way, we’ll make sure to keep you all in the loop so that number of laminates sold will not be a surprise.
Q: The hotel rate for $149 is for single or double occupancy. Does that mean there are no triples or quads? Will I have a window or is $149 for an inside cabin?
A: The rate is $149.00 for single or double occupancy, run of house. Run of house means that you call in your reservation and can reserve any room that is available, whether it be an outside stateroom (meaning you have a porthole to see out) or inside (meaning you have no view). The earlier you book your room, the better choice of rooms you will have.
Rooms have king beds or two twins. When you make your reservation, you will want to specify which arrangement you want.
The ship has a limited number of rooms with two queen beds. These rooms may be booked for an additional $30.00 a night. Again, if you want to secure a two-queen room, you will want to book early.
Q: The hotel website says that rooms are $149 right now. Don’t we get a discount?
A: Yes, current room rates indicate that we are not receiving a discount, but our discount is based on what rack rates will be NEXT SUMMER. Rates *will* rise, and $149 will definitely be a better rate.
It is important to keep in mind that the Queen Mary is not a standard business class hotel. She is an ocean liner, and spending the night on board is a unique experience. While all the staterooms have the amenities that you would expect at a standard hotel (wifi, TV, refrigerator, etc), they are definitely former first class staterooms on a ship and maintain the character and feel of the grandness of a transatlantic voyage. If you book your stay thinking that your experience on the Queen will be like staying at a Hyatt, you will be
disappointed. If you book with the mindset that you are going to have a special weekend on an historic ship, you will be quite pleased.
Q: Can I stay on the Queen without buying a Convergence laminate?
A: Sure. We have plenty of room, and if you mention Convergence 15, they’ll include you in our room block. However, we do hope that you will choose to buy a laminate so you can join in the revelry with us!
Q: With the economy what it is, don’t you think $80 is kind of expensive?
A: This is the *high* point we're considering. We're thinking it's going to come in between $70 and $80... hopefully $70 or even lower, if we can pull it off. As far as comparisons to other Convergences, we know we've paid significantly more than that after add-ons for a C* or two. With our laminates, there are no add ons. One price covers all of Convergence.
Please note, too, that we are charging one flat rate from the get-go. No “early bird specials” or rate hikes as the event gets closer. The laminate price will be the same from the day the lams go on sale to when sales close.
Q: I don’t want to pay extra for the food that’s included in your bid. Why are you making us pay for meals we don’t want?
A: We're not going to force you to show up and eat at the banquet, or drink the beer at the beach party... but on the Queen, we *have* to buy food. That's how they charge for the use of their space.
How does this compare to rates for other venues?
Let's pick an obscene number out of the air (that's not even close to real). Conference Center A charges $50,000 to rent their ballroom for the night. This is the standard rate, and you get nothing for it other than a physical area to host your event.
The Queen Mary charges a fee for the food and beverage based on room capacity. Let's say we're in a room that holds 500 people and they're charging $100 per person to use the space on a food/bev guarantee basis. This equals $50,000 - the same amount of money as Conference Center A, but the Queen’s rate *includes* food and drink for the attendees. What you're being locked into is paying for the use of the space with the added bonus of food being provided.
We're not paying any more for the room rental fees with the guarantee than we would for a plain rental. Hell, the rental fees are cheaper on Friday and Sunday than what we had in Vegas for C9, which was basically a modified warehouse.
Saturday is a different story. Saturday nights on the Queen are prohibitively expensive for our budget which is why we opted for the beach party. We'd venture to say that most C* attendees don't live by a beach and would kinda like the ability to party on the beach for a night, maybe take a dip if they want to.
The drawback to a beach party is that there's no bar, so we're taking a small percentage of what we would have paid for a facility rental and putting that toward alcohol for everyone to enjoy. For now, we're talking kegs of beer. Depending on how the budget shakes out, we may be able to provide a few bottles of booze to contribute to the BYOB aspect of anything other than beer. (And bringing your own booze, whether just some because you plan to partake in the beer or all of it because you hate beer, it's still going to be a LOT cheaper than buying $6 mixed drinks from a bar all night.)
Bottom line: We're not charging extra for the food and beer involved with the event. In fact, providing the beer is a lot cheaper than renting a facility for Saturday night.
Q: A keg party? For Convergence? Really?
A: Did you really expect anything different from a subset of the group of people calling themselves the “Kegger Contingent?"
Seriously though, as explained above, doing the beach party is much less expensive than renting space on the Queen Mary for the night. Since a beach doesn’t come with a bar, we decided that we needed to do *something* for all of you. Have you seen a gaggle of goths at a “dry” event? Neither have we… and we don’t want to!
Q: Alcohol on the beach??!? Can you do that???!?!?!
A: We sure can, and if we win, we will secure permits from the city that will allow us to A) make loud noises and B) be boozy. The beach site we’re hoping for hosts Long Beach Pride each year (which consists of concerts, dance parties, and alcohol booths), so as long as we have the right permits, we're good to go.
Q: What kind of beer are you going to give us?
A: Good Shit™. We’ll be working with some people more knowledgeable than us to come up with a list of good stuff. From there, we’ll be putting it out for a vote among attendees to see what you guys want. We hereby make this promise to you: We will not waste our precious resources on crap like Budweiser.
Q: I’m vegetarian/vegan/kosher! Will I starve at your BBQ and banquet?
A: Certainly not! Vegetarian options will be available at both the BBQ and the banquet (and by “vegetarian options,” we don’t mean just a veggie tray - we’ve got your back, vegetarians!), and should Long Beach win hosting privileges for C15, you will be able to specify special dietary needs when you register for the weekend.
(this one blatantly stolen from a.g)
Q: "I am all for this bid, and it looks like it doesn't need my help with winning, but the increasing casualness of Convergence does make me a bit wistful for a time when we'd strut our stuff..."
A: "It's a luxury liner. Dressing for dinner is what people DO." (Thanks, Peter!)
Q: I'm a vendor. Will the vendors' room be open to the public or just C15 attendees?
A: We love our vendors and want their time at C15 to be well worth their effort and expense! The vendors' room WILL be open to the public, and we will publicize the bazaar in Long Beach so that the locals know you're coming.
NOTE: We will advertise publicly ONLY for our vendors' room. We are committed to keeping all other C15 events a party for alt.gothic family and friends, so if you go looking through the OC Weekly for a C15 ad, you'll be looking a long time, indeed.
Q: I’m driving in. Where can I put my car?
A: There is a parking lot directly in front of where the ship is docked, so your car will always be close at hand. For hotel guests, parking costs $15 per day with in and out privileges.
Q: It's on a ship. Am I going to get seasick?
A: If you can ride a merry-go-round, you'll be absolutely fine. The Queen Mary is permanently moored in Long Beach's Queensway Bay. There is no discernable movement on the ship, although it does rise and fall with the tides. Most of the sense of movement will be “optical illusion” as you walk through the ship. The hallways are narrow and are higher at the ends of the ship than they are in the middle.
Q: “How permanent can those moorings possibly be?”
A: Very. Mac, don’t even think about it.
Q: So…about this afterparty space…
A: We have a hospitality room secured for the weekend. We’re calling it Steerage, but we promise that these accommodations will be much nicer than Third Class. This room will be available to Convergence 15 guests 24 hours a day and will be a lively place to schmooze, chill, leave messages for friends on our bulletin board, and booze it up.
Q: I’m under 21. Can I come to your party?
A: Yes. Convergence 15 in Long Beach will be a friendly event to the under-21 set, but you won’t be able to drink alcoholic beverages. The bars on the Queen do check I.D.s, and we’ll be wristbanding people of legal drinking age at the beach party.
Q: You've mentioned that C15 Long Beach will be "family friendly.” What does that mean?
A: Don't get us wrong, this is still a grown up party . However, we understand that some members of our Convergence family have gothlets, and not everyone can drop them off at Grandma's for the weekend. Both the Friday night event and the Saturday night beach party will be open to the whole family. Parents must be responsible for their own children, but we don't want anyone to miss out on the fun. Sunday night's dinner is a more formal affair, and not appropriate for young children, but baby bats age 13 and up are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Remember though...this IS Convergence. There will be drinking, salty language, possible nudity, and behaviors you may not want your child to emulate.
Q: Does this mean that my preschooler needs a laminate?
A: No. There will, however, be a small charge for children ages 5-12 who will be eating at the Saturday night BBQ. Teens who plan to attend the Sunday night event will need to be ticketed attendees and accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Q: Is it true that Fross is going to dress as Annette Funicello?
A: You'll have to ask him, but anything is possible.
Q: I'd pay good money to see that!
A: So would we.
http://www.altgothic.com/c15longbeach
Or you can just scroll down, because we're posting the FAQ here as well. :)
We haven't changed a thing about our bid -- we like it the way it is and hope you do too. The FAQ clarifies points that you all brought up, either on alt.gothic or in person at C14, including hotel rooms, where to park, seasickness, the permanence of moorings, how we can get away with boozin' on the beach, and the so-called, much-discussed "cap."
Thank you for your consideration! Happy voting!
Laura, Eilis, Shannon
C15 Long Beach Proposal Triad
THE FAQ - JUST TO CLARIFY
Q: You have a cap of 300. Isn’t that going to mean that some people don’t get to go?
A: It could, but probably not. After C14 and knowing the state of the economy, we’re planning to hit 150 and would be happy to see 200 of you guys. If we exceed expectations, we do have the ability to move into a larger room - provided one is still available. The best thing we can recommend is that if you want to attend C15 in Long Beach, buy your laminate early. The earlier we know what sales will be like, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to upgrade to a larger room.
If sales are closer to what we expect and people wait to buy tickets at the last minute, it is possible that we’ll hit our cap and won’t be able to accommodate everyone. We’ll absolutely still try, but it may happen. This is why we suggest buying your tickets early.
Q: How will we know if you guys are close to or at the cap?
A: oldgoth triggered a discussion on a.g that led to a wonderful suggestion. We are not at all opposed to letting everyone know how sales are doing. Exactly how we’ll do this is up in the air at the moment - we could add a ticker of some sort to be updated daily (or as soon as we have a chance), or we could update everyone when the next increment of 50 is hit. Either way, we’ll make sure to keep you all in the loop so that number of laminates sold will not be a surprise.
Q: The hotel rate for $149 is for single or double occupancy. Does that mean there are no triples or quads? Will I have a window or is $149 for an inside cabin?
A: The rate is $149.00 for single or double occupancy, run of house. Run of house means that you call in your reservation and can reserve any room that is available, whether it be an outside stateroom (meaning you have a porthole to see out) or inside (meaning you have no view). The earlier you book your room, the better choice of rooms you will have.
Rooms have king beds or two twins. When you make your reservation, you will want to specify which arrangement you want.
The ship has a limited number of rooms with two queen beds. These rooms may be booked for an additional $30.00 a night. Again, if you want to secure a two-queen room, you will want to book early.
Q: The hotel website says that rooms are $149 right now. Don’t we get a discount?
A: Yes, current room rates indicate that we are not receiving a discount, but our discount is based on what rack rates will be NEXT SUMMER. Rates *will* rise, and $149 will definitely be a better rate.
It is important to keep in mind that the Queen Mary is not a standard business class hotel. She is an ocean liner, and spending the night on board is a unique experience. While all the staterooms have the amenities that you would expect at a standard hotel (wifi, TV, refrigerator, etc), they are definitely former first class staterooms on a ship and maintain the character and feel of the grandness of a transatlantic voyage. If you book your stay thinking that your experience on the Queen will be like staying at a Hyatt, you will be
disappointed. If you book with the mindset that you are going to have a special weekend on an historic ship, you will be quite pleased.
Q: Can I stay on the Queen without buying a Convergence laminate?
A: Sure. We have plenty of room, and if you mention Convergence 15, they’ll include you in our room block. However, we do hope that you will choose to buy a laminate so you can join in the revelry with us!
Q: With the economy what it is, don’t you think $80 is kind of expensive?
A: This is the *high* point we're considering. We're thinking it's going to come in between $70 and $80... hopefully $70 or even lower, if we can pull it off. As far as comparisons to other Convergences, we know we've paid significantly more than that after add-ons for a C* or two. With our laminates, there are no add ons. One price covers all of Convergence.
Please note, too, that we are charging one flat rate from the get-go. No “early bird specials” or rate hikes as the event gets closer. The laminate price will be the same from the day the lams go on sale to when sales close.
Q: I don’t want to pay extra for the food that’s included in your bid. Why are you making us pay for meals we don’t want?
A: We're not going to force you to show up and eat at the banquet, or drink the beer at the beach party... but on the Queen, we *have* to buy food. That's how they charge for the use of their space.
How does this compare to rates for other venues?
Let's pick an obscene number out of the air (that's not even close to real). Conference Center A charges $50,000 to rent their ballroom for the night. This is the standard rate, and you get nothing for it other than a physical area to host your event.
The Queen Mary charges a fee for the food and beverage based on room capacity. Let's say we're in a room that holds 500 people and they're charging $100 per person to use the space on a food/bev guarantee basis. This equals $50,000 - the same amount of money as Conference Center A, but the Queen’s rate *includes* food and drink for the attendees. What you're being locked into is paying for the use of the space with the added bonus of food being provided.
We're not paying any more for the room rental fees with the guarantee than we would for a plain rental. Hell, the rental fees are cheaper on Friday and Sunday than what we had in Vegas for C9, which was basically a modified warehouse.
Saturday is a different story. Saturday nights on the Queen are prohibitively expensive for our budget which is why we opted for the beach party. We'd venture to say that most C* attendees don't live by a beach and would kinda like the ability to party on the beach for a night, maybe take a dip if they want to.
The drawback to a beach party is that there's no bar, so we're taking a small percentage of what we would have paid for a facility rental and putting that toward alcohol for everyone to enjoy. For now, we're talking kegs of beer. Depending on how the budget shakes out, we may be able to provide a few bottles of booze to contribute to the BYOB aspect of anything other than beer. (And bringing your own booze, whether just some because you plan to partake in the beer or all of it because you hate beer, it's still going to be a LOT cheaper than buying $6 mixed drinks from a bar all night.)
Bottom line: We're not charging extra for the food and beer involved with the event. In fact, providing the beer is a lot cheaper than renting a facility for Saturday night.
Q: A keg party? For Convergence? Really?
A: Did you really expect anything different from a subset of the group of people calling themselves the “Kegger Contingent?"
Seriously though, as explained above, doing the beach party is much less expensive than renting space on the Queen Mary for the night. Since a beach doesn’t come with a bar, we decided that we needed to do *something* for all of you. Have you seen a gaggle of goths at a “dry” event? Neither have we… and we don’t want to!
Q: Alcohol on the beach??!? Can you do that???!?!?!
A: We sure can, and if we win, we will secure permits from the city that will allow us to A) make loud noises and B) be boozy. The beach site we’re hoping for hosts Long Beach Pride each year (which consists of concerts, dance parties, and alcohol booths), so as long as we have the right permits, we're good to go.
Q: What kind of beer are you going to give us?
A: Good Shit™. We’ll be working with some people more knowledgeable than us to come up with a list of good stuff. From there, we’ll be putting it out for a vote among attendees to see what you guys want. We hereby make this promise to you: We will not waste our precious resources on crap like Budweiser.
Q: I’m vegetarian/vegan/kosher! Will I starve at your BBQ and banquet?
A: Certainly not! Vegetarian options will be available at both the BBQ and the banquet (and by “vegetarian options,” we don’t mean just a veggie tray - we’ve got your back, vegetarians!), and should Long Beach win hosting privileges for C15, you will be able to specify special dietary needs when you register for the weekend.
(this one blatantly stolen from a.g)
Q: "I am all for this bid, and it looks like it doesn't need my help with winning, but the increasing casualness of Convergence does make me a bit wistful for a time when we'd strut our stuff..."
A: "It's a luxury liner. Dressing for dinner is what people DO." (Thanks, Peter!)
Q: I'm a vendor. Will the vendors' room be open to the public or just C15 attendees?
A: We love our vendors and want their time at C15 to be well worth their effort and expense! The vendors' room WILL be open to the public, and we will publicize the bazaar in Long Beach so that the locals know you're coming.
NOTE: We will advertise publicly ONLY for our vendors' room. We are committed to keeping all other C15 events a party for alt.gothic family and friends, so if you go looking through the OC Weekly for a C15 ad, you'll be looking a long time, indeed.
Q: I’m driving in. Where can I put my car?
A: There is a parking lot directly in front of where the ship is docked, so your car will always be close at hand. For hotel guests, parking costs $15 per day with in and out privileges.
Q: It's on a ship. Am I going to get seasick?
A: If you can ride a merry-go-round, you'll be absolutely fine. The Queen Mary is permanently moored in Long Beach's Queensway Bay. There is no discernable movement on the ship, although it does rise and fall with the tides. Most of the sense of movement will be “optical illusion” as you walk through the ship. The hallways are narrow and are higher at the ends of the ship than they are in the middle.
Q: “How permanent can those moorings possibly be?”
A: Very. Mac, don’t even think about it.
Q: So…about this afterparty space…
A: We have a hospitality room secured for the weekend. We’re calling it Steerage, but we promise that these accommodations will be much nicer than Third Class. This room will be available to Convergence 15 guests 24 hours a day and will be a lively place to schmooze, chill, leave messages for friends on our bulletin board, and booze it up.
Q: I’m under 21. Can I come to your party?
A: Yes. Convergence 15 in Long Beach will be a friendly event to the under-21 set, but you won’t be able to drink alcoholic beverages. The bars on the Queen do check I.D.s, and we’ll be wristbanding people of legal drinking age at the beach party.
Q: You've mentioned that C15 Long Beach will be "family friendly.” What does that mean?
A: Don't get us wrong, this is still a grown up party . However, we understand that some members of our Convergence family have gothlets, and not everyone can drop them off at Grandma's for the weekend. Both the Friday night event and the Saturday night beach party will be open to the whole family. Parents must be responsible for their own children, but we don't want anyone to miss out on the fun. Sunday night's dinner is a more formal affair, and not appropriate for young children, but baby bats age 13 and up are welcome if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Remember though...this IS Convergence. There will be drinking, salty language, possible nudity, and behaviors you may not want your child to emulate.
Q: Does this mean that my preschooler needs a laminate?
A: No. There will, however, be a small charge for children ages 5-12 who will be eating at the Saturday night BBQ. Teens who plan to attend the Sunday night event will need to be ticketed attendees and accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Q: Is it true that Fross is going to dress as Annette Funicello?
A: You'll have to ask him, but anything is possible.
Q: I'd pay good money to see that!
A: So would we.