Thanks everyone for being a fan and supporter of the show!
We are grateful for all of your support over the years, and appreciate your feedback on the event. Since we had no other choice but to find a new venue for this year, I was expecting there to be lots of criticism regardless of what we did.
I will try and address some issues, as well as engage in any discussions about ideas for the upcoming year(s). There have been too many things pointed out in this thread for me to try and cut-and-paste or quote them all, so instead I will just discuss some things.
Before I go any further, I want to remind people that the VFCC (Valley Forge Convention Center - our previous venue) has closed down and been renovated into a casino. We were told after the 2011 Expo, and have no option of returning there. Many people have said we should move back, and I just want people to know that we can't.
Unfortunately, the new venue does not have the attached restaurants and hotels that we previously enjoyed. Finding a place that does is not as easy as it may seem. There are some, but there are a variety of other factors that make them less than ideal, such as (but not limited to): easy access to required amount of uninterrupted floorspace, proximity to major metropolitan areas, and associated costs for vendors possibly incurred during set-up.
Yes, we know the concrete floors are not ideal. Although the VFCC basically had concrete floors covered with a thin layer of tile, aesthetically this makes a big difference. Again, finding a venue this big with anything different is not easy.
The vaulted ceilings and industrial warehouse look are also fairly common in large tradeshow type environments. We were lucky to have a place like the VFCC that provided otherwise.
We wanted to keep the show close to its previous home, as people have gotten used to traveling to this region over the years, and it is a great location for ease of access to thousands of avid players in a 3 hr drive radius. Furthermore, with the closing of the VFCC, it seems as though the new venue (The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center - GPEC) is poised to gain lots of new trade show business, and will hopefully take steps to improve, accomodate, and cater to these various events. Afterall, we are merely one weekend of the year to them - they need to cater to events all year.
Yes, there is another room to expand into - Hall C. This room is the same size (or close to) Hall B - from what I've been told. I have only stepped foot in that room once, so I'm going off a brief memory and what I've been told here.
The various entrances was an issue, and one we thought we had prepared for. It become glaringly obvious that our plan would not work, and we took steps throughout the weekend to adjust. We already have some different and better plans for next year.
Lighting was an issue. When we had visited the room, the lighting seemed adequate. Once tables were installed and actually being used, it was revealed to be inadequate. We've been told the GPEC already has plans to install more lighting and we will stay on top of this issue.
The bathroom situation was a mess too. Our event is atypical from most trade show events. Whereas most events have attendees that come in, walk around for a while, and leave - we have quite the opposite. Many of our visitors may come in at noon and stay until well past midnite. We've been discussing this and have some things to look into. I've been out to Vegas for the WSOP events and have seen what they do to accomodate, and will look into the same option. If you've never been - they have some sort of mobile bathroom facility on site. It's not just "port-a-pottys", but rather some type of mobile home type unit that is set up just outside. Temperature controlled, well-lit, and clean. Hopefully this is something we can get.
The TAP League is a great part of the event, having the Rally in the Valley at the Super Billiards Expo is something we look forward to. They do not "take" away tables from anyone. Finding space for all the tables required for their event as well as our events, plus practice tables and mini-tourney tables is challenging. And even once we have the space, the mere act of getting the tables is a challenge. Diamond's crew does an amazing job and we are lucky to have them. However, the supply logistics of getting 200+ tables for a week pose a problem - they just weren't available. We had every possible table that Diamond could supply us with for the week. Next year, we have been promised that we can get more.
The vendor parking area was something we had planned, but it fell through last minute. We were not trying to mislead or lie to anyone. We had made the passes and designated that the area to the left of the main entrance (when facing Hall A) would be for vendors only. We had someone scheduled to watch the lot from 7am-8pm each day, but this person fell ill at the last minute, and unfortunately we did not have time to find a replacement. Moving to the new venue posed more issues than we had anticipated, and we ended up being slightly short staffed for the event.
This goes for the overnight/lock-up concern as well. Our original intent was to lock down Hall A, as promised. However, it became very obvious that we could not make people walk around the building after leaving the Pro Arena to get back to Hall B. Furthermore, making all the players gathered in the practice areas leave would not have went over very well either. So, we came up with a new plan and did our best to implement it. Each aisle leaving the practice table area was blocked, and a guard was stationed at each area. The other side/access to this area was watched as well. As far as I know, not a single item was stolen, missing, or damaged overnight under our watch. And I'm sure if it was I would have heard - rightfully so. Indeed, this was not what we advertised would happen - but we did our best to find the fine line that would keep everyone happy, or close to it. Our goal is to provide a lucrative environment for vendors to showcase their products as well as a fun and exciting environment for players. Keeping players happy and on-site is key to keeping vendors happy and busy.
All that said, we are working on some better plans for traffic flow and overnight security for next year.
OK, I'll write some more later - I'm getting kinda tired. Feel free to ask questions and/or comment about the show. Please rest assured that we will do our best to identify our weak spots and work hard to improve to keep the SBX a fun and successful weekend for all. Moving to a new venue was a challenge, as many issues do not become apparent until you actually set-up and run the show. You don't get a practice run or a dress rehearsal. You look at some space, map out some details, try to speculate what people will do, and devise a plan. Once you actually set-up and set things in motion, certain issues become obvious and need to be handled as you go, while the show is underway - improving conditions day by day or hour by hour.
We are lucky to have a great staff composed of family and friends - many of which have been returning every year for over 15 years - some every year since year one. I am thankful knowing that everyone worked very hard to make sure things went as smoothly as possible. All in all, I think things went very well for this pivotal year, and I think that the future can bring about some great things for the show. Yes, there were some speed bumps along the road this year, as we had expected - but they were quickly dealt with when possible. And if not - then they've been discovered now for future plans.
Thanks again everyone, glad you enjoyed the show!
