Sakura Con 2008 - Thursday
Apr. 1st, 2008 09:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
uftakiBeware the long, tangential, probably incoherent ramble again. In short, Sakura Con 2008 was absolutely FANTASTIC this year. For about half a year or more prior, I really hadn't been that excited... but once I got there, I remembered again why I love this Con so much. :)
And I am going to ramble (and rant in some cases), and go off on tangents, and explain some stuff... I'm probably going to have to do this report in a number of posts! ^_^;;
Got down to Greyhound about 11am Thursday morning. Met and chatted most of the way down with two very nice people. The bus stopped at every. single. stop! on the way down, though. I am used to it stopping at Bellingham... but we also stopped at Mount Vernon and Everett -- so that was new. Slowed things up a little, definately. I got there later than expected. ^^; We all got through the border with no problems, though. :D
Got up to the Convention Center, and got by badge from Con Ops. Said my 'hellos' to those I knew, there. My roommate wasn't around, though... She'd already checked her and her friend into the room by this point; I just needed to find her to get my room number and key. I didn't have the time to go look, though, because my shift at Registration was starting soon, so I went off, suitcase and all. ^_^;
Registration was in a new area this year! :D The Convention Center actually stretches across the street a little, and we were in there, in a MUCH larger space! We were the only ones THERE, actually... so it was far far less crowded and chaotic than the times we were across from the Dealer's Hall. Arists' Alley was right in the path to Registration, though... smack dab in the middle of the glass-enclosed Skybridge. It was a great place for them -- lots of natural light, and everyone that had to go register had to pass them, first. :3
We had more tables at Reg. this year, which is good. Things went fairly smoothly, for the most part. People are always going to complain about Reg... (long line. Why 2 to a table, why not just 1? Why print out stickers, why not have them pre-printed and listed alphabetically? Why not mail out the badges?) *sighs* People might think some of those ideas would help, but... really? It would only make things harder, and slower. Experience proves this. We tried the alphabetical pre-printed badges thing before... and it just really slowed things up. We had to flip through all the badges manually, trying to find names... kept shuffling all the bages, and the pieces of paper we stuck to the front of the booths saying which name went where... Having the database on computer and printing up stickers is muuuuuch easier. There are still the occassional name typos, that slow things up as we try to figure out if you ARE in the system or not, but we're only human, and this happens. And then there are always those that forget or don't know, or don't think they need ID (gov't issued ID, with a birthdate!)... or that minors without their parents need a parental permission slip to register. (It doesn't help when non-Reg staff TELL them they don't need this stuff! X() It's generally a very quick process. Why 2 to a table? Speed, again. One person to take the ID card and get down all the information, ask questions, etc... the other to prep and sticker the badges, and hand them their bags. Sometimes one person can handle this, especially when it's slow. But when there's a huge, huge line... it's just so much easier for one person to focus on getting all the info/questions in, while someone else works on the physical badges. The 'mail' bit is just a lack of security issue. That's why we don't do it.
(Can you tell I'm making a general statement to some stuff I've read on the 'comments and suggestions' -- former "assault and flattery" section of the forum?)
Oh... and if we aren't smiling cheerily at you, or wishing you 'good day!', 'how are you?', 'enjoy the con!'... please don't get offended. We try to say that when we can... A lot of us might just have been working for a number of hours -- some of them two shifts straight, or it's early early in the morning... or it's the end of a loooong day. It's definately nothing personal. Also, especially if it's a very large line, we're trying to get you all through as fast and efficiently as we can. Thus, we are concentrating on our tasks very intently, as we move quickly, so we don't make a mistake. It's a little hard to smile cheerily when you're intently focussed on your job. It's really nothing personal. Now, I'm not saying it should be excused if some staff snap and yell at you -- that's wrong -- but if we're focussed on getting people through very quickly (often reg. took about a minute, tops, at the desk, this year)... it's a little hard to smile. (sometimes I think some of my co-workers were pushing the registrants through a little too quickly - calling new people up to the desk to get their info while I was still finishing up the previous people's badges, but hey... got 'em through quickly, at least.)
Fastest registrants usually are the single, or 2-people groups of adults. Those minors WITH either their parents or permission forms already filled out and handed to us are really nice and quick, too. Those groups that come up, though, of five or so -- mixed adults and minors... hooo.... Sometimes, they HAVE everything in order, and we LOVE that! It just takes time to get 'em all sorted, and regsitered... and it's quite a knot of people in front of our little booth. ^_^;; We always tend to have a little mental 'whoooa!' moment in our heads when said 4+ throng of people approach our booth, and a 'I reeeaaally hope they're either all adults, and all have IDs, or they all have their parental permission forms!' We dealt with a lot of really friendly, and well-prepared people in these lines, and big groups... so we were very happy to deal with them. :) And a lot that didn't have all their info actually were fairly okay with it -- understandably upset, of course... but we told them what they needed, suggested ways in which they could get said info... and they often went off with no problems. If they were continuing to ask questions, we sent 'em down to the Manager's Booth.
I really rambled on a lot about Reg. there, didn't I....? ^__^;;; Going off of some comments I read on the Sakura Con forums last night. Didn't reply there, because I think others covered it. Just making some general comments and voicing some of my own thoughts on the process. Registration is chaotic, and a very fast-paced work environment. People in line might think the line's not moving, at times... but trust me. Behind the booths? It's generally a flurry of tapping keys and sticker-placing activity. The only time it slows down is when we have problem moments -- registrant's name not showing up (either name typo, or hadn't been entered in the database for some reason -- more likely former than latter), lack of ID/forms, huge group to work through, or a technical breakdown (frozen comp, or the sticker printer needs refilling/decided to go haywire). While we have a line in front of us, we really don't stop working. We're constantly dealing with people.
We DID get through the various lines, though... and actually had no one in the pre-reg line, at times. Or at least, very few people, in a slow trickle of bodies. Then we'd get another large mass of people all at once. ^^; On the Saturday (and Sunday too, probably -- I didn't have a shift that day), those in the pre-reg booths worked on data entry when there was no one in line. I mostly worked pre-reg the whole time -- either info or stickers... Worked the reg. side one point on Saturday. New addition to the reg. program -- we could just enter their info, then hit 'print badge'... it automatically gave them their badge number! We had to manually do that, last year, with all these pre-printed badges with numbers on them. I'm probably not being very clear on this. ^_^;; It just took me a few seconds to figure out the new process, and it was MUCH easier! :D
Okay, okay, okay... I know. ENOUGH with the bleeding Registration already! ^_^;; *cough* Jaime, my roommate, found me at one point in Reg., and I'd told her I'd meet her at the staff meeting after my shift ended. The general Staff meeting's held in Main Events, at 10pm on Thursday... and it's generally just a big, glorified pep rally. ^^;; But it's amusing, at least, to go there... hear the Con heads and other staffs speak a little about what to do, expectations, etc. Then there's the traditional "banzai!!" shout, and we all go off. I meet Jaime, and Dessa there, too, and lug my luggage up to our hotel as we all head back. Get into the hotel room (hotel under major renovations!! The breakfast/dining area completely blocked off. Still had tickets for a free breakfast, but it was pre-packaged bagged stuff that I wasn't interested in. Luckily, I'd brought some cereal for 2 of my breakfasts (since I had 2 early shifts), and I went up to Staff Hospitality for the most part. It was great. ^_^), got my room key... got all settled, then went off to bed. Waking up early, for a 6:40am shift on Friday.
And I'm going to cut this report off HERE for the time-being... because it is WAY too long. ^_^;; More coming later... Right now, though, need to get back to my real work. xD *lol*
And I am going to ramble (and rant in some cases), and go off on tangents, and explain some stuff... I'm probably going to have to do this report in a number of posts! ^_^;;
Got down to Greyhound about 11am Thursday morning. Met and chatted most of the way down with two very nice people. The bus stopped at every. single. stop! on the way down, though. I am used to it stopping at Bellingham... but we also stopped at Mount Vernon and Everett -- so that was new. Slowed things up a little, definately. I got there later than expected. ^^; We all got through the border with no problems, though. :D
Got up to the Convention Center, and got by badge from Con Ops. Said my 'hellos' to those I knew, there. My roommate wasn't around, though... She'd already checked her and her friend into the room by this point; I just needed to find her to get my room number and key. I didn't have the time to go look, though, because my shift at Registration was starting soon, so I went off, suitcase and all. ^_^;
Registration was in a new area this year! :D The Convention Center actually stretches across the street a little, and we were in there, in a MUCH larger space! We were the only ones THERE, actually... so it was far far less crowded and chaotic than the times we were across from the Dealer's Hall. Arists' Alley was right in the path to Registration, though... smack dab in the middle of the glass-enclosed Skybridge. It was a great place for them -- lots of natural light, and everyone that had to go register had to pass them, first. :3
We had more tables at Reg. this year, which is good. Things went fairly smoothly, for the most part. People are always going to complain about Reg... (long line. Why 2 to a table, why not just 1? Why print out stickers, why not have them pre-printed and listed alphabetically? Why not mail out the badges?) *sighs* People might think some of those ideas would help, but... really? It would only make things harder, and slower. Experience proves this. We tried the alphabetical pre-printed badges thing before... and it just really slowed things up. We had to flip through all the badges manually, trying to find names... kept shuffling all the bages, and the pieces of paper we stuck to the front of the booths saying which name went where... Having the database on computer and printing up stickers is muuuuuch easier. There are still the occassional name typos, that slow things up as we try to figure out if you ARE in the system or not, but we're only human, and this happens. And then there are always those that forget or don't know, or don't think they need ID (gov't issued ID, with a birthdate!)... or that minors without their parents need a parental permission slip to register. (It doesn't help when non-Reg staff TELL them they don't need this stuff! X() It's generally a very quick process. Why 2 to a table? Speed, again. One person to take the ID card and get down all the information, ask questions, etc... the other to prep and sticker the badges, and hand them their bags. Sometimes one person can handle this, especially when it's slow. But when there's a huge, huge line... it's just so much easier for one person to focus on getting all the info/questions in, while someone else works on the physical badges. The 'mail' bit is just a lack of security issue. That's why we don't do it.
(Can you tell I'm making a general statement to some stuff I've read on the 'comments and suggestions' -- former "assault and flattery" section of the forum?)
Oh... and if we aren't smiling cheerily at you, or wishing you 'good day!', 'how are you?', 'enjoy the con!'... please don't get offended. We try to say that when we can... A lot of us might just have been working for a number of hours -- some of them two shifts straight, or it's early early in the morning... or it's the end of a loooong day. It's definately nothing personal. Also, especially if it's a very large line, we're trying to get you all through as fast and efficiently as we can. Thus, we are concentrating on our tasks very intently, as we move quickly, so we don't make a mistake. It's a little hard to smile cheerily when you're intently focussed on your job. It's really nothing personal. Now, I'm not saying it should be excused if some staff snap and yell at you -- that's wrong -- but if we're focussed on getting people through very quickly (often reg. took about a minute, tops, at the desk, this year)... it's a little hard to smile. (sometimes I think some of my co-workers were pushing the registrants through a little too quickly - calling new people up to the desk to get their info while I was still finishing up the previous people's badges, but hey... got 'em through quickly, at least.)
Fastest registrants usually are the single, or 2-people groups of adults. Those minors WITH either their parents or permission forms already filled out and handed to us are really nice and quick, too. Those groups that come up, though, of five or so -- mixed adults and minors... hooo.... Sometimes, they HAVE everything in order, and we LOVE that! It just takes time to get 'em all sorted, and regsitered... and it's quite a knot of people in front of our little booth. ^_^;; We always tend to have a little mental 'whoooa!' moment in our heads when said 4+ throng of people approach our booth, and a 'I reeeaaally hope they're either all adults, and all have IDs, or they all have their parental permission forms!' We dealt with a lot of really friendly, and well-prepared people in these lines, and big groups... so we were very happy to deal with them. :) And a lot that didn't have all their info actually were fairly okay with it -- understandably upset, of course... but we told them what they needed, suggested ways in which they could get said info... and they often went off with no problems. If they were continuing to ask questions, we sent 'em down to the Manager's Booth.
I really rambled on a lot about Reg. there, didn't I....? ^__^;;; Going off of some comments I read on the Sakura Con forums last night. Didn't reply there, because I think others covered it. Just making some general comments and voicing some of my own thoughts on the process. Registration is chaotic, and a very fast-paced work environment. People in line might think the line's not moving, at times... but trust me. Behind the booths? It's generally a flurry of tapping keys and sticker-placing activity. The only time it slows down is when we have problem moments -- registrant's name not showing up (either name typo, or hadn't been entered in the database for some reason -- more likely former than latter), lack of ID/forms, huge group to work through, or a technical breakdown (frozen comp, or the sticker printer needs refilling/decided to go haywire). While we have a line in front of us, we really don't stop working. We're constantly dealing with people.
We DID get through the various lines, though... and actually had no one in the pre-reg line, at times. Or at least, very few people, in a slow trickle of bodies. Then we'd get another large mass of people all at once. ^^; On the Saturday (and Sunday too, probably -- I didn't have a shift that day), those in the pre-reg booths worked on data entry when there was no one in line. I mostly worked pre-reg the whole time -- either info or stickers... Worked the reg. side one point on Saturday. New addition to the reg. program -- we could just enter their info, then hit 'print badge'... it automatically gave them their badge number! We had to manually do that, last year, with all these pre-printed badges with numbers on them. I'm probably not being very clear on this. ^_^;; It just took me a few seconds to figure out the new process, and it was MUCH easier! :D
Okay, okay, okay... I know. ENOUGH with the bleeding Registration already! ^_^;; *cough* Jaime, my roommate, found me at one point in Reg., and I'd told her I'd meet her at the staff meeting after my shift ended. The general Staff meeting's held in Main Events, at 10pm on Thursday... and it's generally just a big, glorified pep rally. ^^;; But it's amusing, at least, to go there... hear the Con heads and other staffs speak a little about what to do, expectations, etc. Then there's the traditional "banzai!!" shout, and we all go off. I meet Jaime, and Dessa there, too, and lug my luggage up to our hotel as we all head back. Get into the hotel room (hotel under major renovations!! The breakfast/dining area completely blocked off. Still had tickets for a free breakfast, but it was pre-packaged bagged stuff that I wasn't interested in. Luckily, I'd brought some cereal for 2 of my breakfasts (since I had 2 early shifts), and I went up to Staff Hospitality for the most part. It was great. ^_^), got my room key... got all settled, then went off to bed. Waking up early, for a 6:40am shift on Friday.
And I'm going to cut this report off HERE for the time-being... because it is WAY too long. ^_^;; More coming later... Right now, though, need to get back to my real work. xD *lol*
