Fall Fest [Oct 8, 2016] Fall Fest 2016! (Iowa City, IA)

We don't have anything arranged at this point. What I've found in trying to book a block of rooms for the last few fests is that the hotels actually tend to give out a higher per-room rate for a block of rooms compared to what you can get just by booking a room online. So setting up a block of rooms usually ends up not being worth the effort when you throw in all the hoops they make you jump through. But give us a week and we'll see what can be done.

For FF15 I just called the cheapo hotel and they told me to just have people call and ask for the "corporate rate" and mention the event, they didn't actually set aside a block of rooms. The mid-range and higher-end hotels offered no appreciable "deal".

A block usually has to be set up a few month in advance and then gets released a few weeks out if they haven't been booked. With no game in IA City that weekend I don't know that room availability will be an issue.

 

Here's a couple that were mentioned in the planning group:

Hampton Inn Iowa city which is like 1/2 mile away

Sheraton Downtown Iowa City which is always fun

@LiLNicky @MadManMadrid any others you would recommend?

 

Nope, no set up the night before. We're trying to focus this one more on the club and it's members. Simplify things and treat it more like a frag swap from the early days of the club. No commercial vendors, no speakers. Just get together, swap frags, talk tanks and enjoy some good food. If it doesn't work as expected then we'll make some changes and try again next time.

 

I haven't seen where the setup time has been finalized. But I would guess there would be at least a few hours available for people to get set-up and ready. Part of it will depend on what Bronson is willing to do as well. It's his building that he is offering for the event.
Again this is more of an event to get a group of hobbyists together and have fun. Low key, small scale, focus on the club and it's members and having a fun day BSing with fellow hobbyists.

 

@LiLNicky @MadManMadrid did you see this to add them to the list?

 

I said "at least a few hours", and you took it as only a couple. We will obviously take set up time into account and do our best to give adequate time for people to get ready. If you want to come in the night before and get a hotel close by you could probably get everything set up pretty good so the cold water wouldn't be an issue. Granted that doesn't give you the extra time for the corals to settle into the tank and open up, but it solves your temperature concerns.

 

I just posted in the committee thread asking the guys to get that hammered out.