It Was Fun To Think About, Though

[kevin_standlee]

One of the things about which I feel personally frustrated about the just-ended 2009 World Fantasy Convention in San Jose was that our signage, while good, could have been better, particularly at a couple of key points, especially the top of the main stairs, which proved to be the most-common entrance for most people first arriving. It was not at all obvious where one should go from that point to register for the convention, and we had not planned in advance for signs directing people toward Registration. (We had nice large signs at Registration, but not leading to it.)

Because the hotel's floor plan is an square, and because the Registration area was on the opposite side of the square, you could walk either left or right and you'd end up going the same distance until you reached the Reg Desk. Although we didn't do it (except long enough to take this photo), we could have quite legitimately posted this sign:

I have a feeling that people would not really have appreciated this sort of instruction, even if it was technically accurate. Instead, we made signs that pointed people one of the two directions toward Registration, and then put up some of these Registration arrows all around the square, always pointing toward Registration. I did hear at least one person say, "It said turn right for Registration back there, but when I come down here, it says to go this way instead." And on Thursday in particular, we in the Press Office spent a lot of time telling people who had reached us -- about a third of the way around the square -- "Just keep going that way and you'll get there eventually."

We've learned some lessons about how the Fairmont site works that I think will prove valuable for Westercon 64.

Comments

[wild-patience.livejournal.com]

As someone who is perpetually lost, I did not find it too confusing. It was tremendously helpful that the map of the hotel was dead center in the pocket program so it was easy to find.

[johno.livejournal.com]

Need to pass lessons learned on to Furcon as well.

There was a lack of signage for finding the ConSuite, both on the ballroom floor and on the 20th floor.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

There was, fortunately, no lack of audibility for finding the con suite once you were on the 20th floor. But it's not the same thing, I know.

[kproche.livejournal.com]

We weren't allowed to post any signs outside the suite, and WFC had no newsletter or message/announcements board.

It was mentioned in the pocket program, along with the suite hours.

[peanut13171.livejournal.com]

There were enough people around to ask, so it wasn't a problem.

Had a great time. Many MANY thanks to all the people who worked so hard on it. And for your helpful parking hintz.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

The registration sign reminds me of a phenomenon occurring to experienced local as passenger in a car, giving directions to the driver. Turn onto a two-lane street, driver wants to know if they should be in the left or right lane. Hard to convince them that it doesn't matter, because the lanes merge into just one before we turn.

[garyomaha.livejournal.com]

Somebody needs to come up with an inexpensive GPS-like device that works indoors. Upon pre-registration, visitors would be sent a receiver that's pre-programmed to do something (beep louder, flash faster, show a little map, whatever) to show a specific location such as registration in the hotel. Perhaps it could then be recycled to be used for other Con purposes, or just returned at registration.

Yeah, I know, signs are cheaper and not prone to technology failure. But what fun is that??