20 September 2014

Review and comments about Stephenie Meyer Day 2014


I had a good time. Took pictures. Met some new people from faraway places. Ate too much and too well. There were some things that were not perfect. The last minute adjustments came off very well. Keeping in mind that the $150 charge was associated with the anniversary dinner, but really covered the whole weekend, I felt I got more than my money’s worth. The events were at different sites. The Olympic Coven, old and new members, and some well costumed attendees provided some good entertaining ‘scenes’. Overall rating A-.

The one problem that needs some creative thinking on is how to get last minute changes out to people. Not being in one location and people not attending all events and cell reception being questionable presents a problem. Twitter last year seemed to have left out too many people, or maybe it was just me. Facebook seemed to work better this year. Not everyone has a smart phone to check FB or Twitter on the go.

Another thing that needs some ideas about – ride and room sharing. There might be places where parking might be more limited than others, so carpooling might be a good idea. Someone may get to Forks via public transportation and need ride to the different locations. Some may need rides to / from SeaTac or train station or bus station or Seattle hotel – especially if last minute changes happen.

I’ve read through some of the comments and have to say I laughed out loud at some of the unreal expectations of some people. I’ve been attending and working on and managing science fiction conventions longer than a lot of the SMD attendees have been alive. Things go wrong. Sometimes you have a chance to fix before it is noticed. Sometimes you don’t. Vendors change things or prices or cancel. People crash special ticketed events so chairs and food run out. Blame those party crashers for enjoying food and space that you paid for and they did not. Blame those party crashers for the need of better security in the future for ticketed events.

Some comments sound like they are from a plant by the competition for Staci’s event. That should be a complement to Staci – they are afraid enough of her events’ success through hard work and effort that they have to plant someone in the messages to stir up things with nasty comments. Shame on them. They should work with Staci to present a multifaceted event, for visitors wanting an immersive experience with the Olympic Coven and those wanting more community orientated events and maybe some quiet gathering time for those wanting to sit and discuss the books and fan fiction and the movies.

Staci and the Olympic Coven had a variety of events at different prices or for free. As mentioned at the top the $150 dinner price was not just for the dinner, but for all the various events. Getting the use of a hall or space costs money. Food costs money. Getting the Olympic Coven to Forks, putting them in motel for the week and food all costs money. Buy items on the Redbubble account – Team T-shirts, cards, phone covers, etc. They will likely have to look for sponsors to help pay for the events in the future. Do not be upset if the T-Shirts start having sponsors’ names on them or if notices of sponsorships start appearing on web site or Facebook page. Get real people, it is not a sell-out, but a practical way to keep costs down for the fans.

Thank you, Staci Chastain and all the Olympic Coven members and fans that attended for a great event and a great weekend. Your work showed and is greatly appreciated. These words are barely sufficient to express my feelings of gratitude for your work.



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