Re: [AGA-sc] A/V needs... (fwd)

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

My reply to Michael.  Note that the only reason I even bother with long 
replies is that he's a good guy and he's going to bat for us even though 
he's not really involved with SFBAAPS much anymore.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2006 14:59:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>
To: nycsfo@aol.com
Subject: Re: A/V needs...

> Considering we are using one of their conference rooms, are bringing folks in 
> to stay in their hotel, etc., can't they just provide us with a screen at no 
> additional cost?

Ah, well, it's not exactly like we're doing the hotel a favor here...  we have 
a specific contract that says exactly how many hotel nights have to be booked 
before we don't pay the $5000 meeting room rental charge, and how much food we 
have to buy from the hotel as well.  Point being, all this is worked out 
beforehand.  Once the contract is signed, many hotels count every service as an 
extra charge, and some of those charges are incredibly overpriced, like 
extension cord rental for $10 per day that show up on the bill at the end. 
This is where they make a lot of their money.  Sheraton as a chain is notorious 
for this (though it seems like this particular Sheraton is being very good to 
us).

This is why I'm so adamant about things like having enough extension cords 
handy, or doing all the A/V except for the audio patch and screen by ourselves. 
The screen is one of those necessary evils.  Maybe the hotel will be happy to 
lend us a ladder to put stuff up, but you can bet that if people regularly used 
their ladder, they'd have a rental charge for it. Screens are very specific 
rental items and have very specific costs tied to them.  I have never seen a 
hotel throw in a decent screen (10x10 foot or so), whether that be a little 
convention like ours, or a bigger national convention like American Cichlid 
Association (which brings in 500 people).


> If you can secure the projectors...great. If not, and you are still short of 
> a back up, I'll definately get one from my wife's office.

I will post a request on conheads as time approaches.


> P.S. Seems like you brought some SFBAAPS folks out of the woodwork with that 
> flap over trying to sign onto our list. Too bad it takes a threat to their 
> "manhood" to get them involved. I haven't seen any more posts since, so I 
> don't know if they are still around or have crawled back under the covers.

I don't think much has changed.  Bill is still behaving like a child (rather 
than the professional/parent Skids defended him as), refusing to answer my 
e-mails directly, only responding if Jim asks, and then only to Jim, so Jim has 
to forward his answers to me via the phone.

Gomberg is still being his usual self on the list.  I am hoping he will hold it 
together long enough to get the items for the auction to the hotel, before 
lapsing into his "What's in it for me?" mode.  There is evidence of this 
beginning to crack, though, as he has asked if the AGA will sell his books for 
him in the vendor room.

I am doing my best not to do a spit take when another request comes through via 
Jim. "Can the AGA get a corporate sponsorship for the Iron Aquascaper plants 
and materials?" (No, the AGA...actually my wife... did all the corporate 
soliciting a month ago.  We cannot go back and bug them again and ask for more) 
"Can the AGA waive the $20 membership fee requirement for SFBAAPS members who 
just joined and want to attend?" (Um, no, that would be unfair to those who 
already paid) "Can the AGA pay for Eric Do's room?" (Um, we had assumed he was 
local and would not need a room, one of the reasons we got him as a speaker).

There are a few people who have volunteered, but even there, Cheryl just 
reported that about half the SFBAAPS volunteers on Jim's list haven't actually 
registered for the convention.  One of them is supposed to help with the field 
trip...but he won't even be able to go on it!

I am immensely relieved that we seem to have hit some of the major milestones. 
The major work is done.  Now we transition to execution.

   - Erik

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com
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