The future of the fursuit floor

As long as there's room going up (i.e., people have gotten off between the lobby and whatever floor you're on), I don't see a big problem with going up to go down (though it'd probably be quicker to take the stairs, which is what I do at work (I'm on the 7th floor), unless you're on 20 and want to go to 5 or some such thing).

I agree with "don't go down to go up" and the "out at the lobby" rule though...

If you edit your post to flip "up" and "down", feel free to delete this reply

Ron

So, in other words... goodbye fursuit floor, hello fursuit hotel?

-- 
iSKUNK!

If you google search, theres a number of websites where you can buy lockers from, although I have yet to find any where you can rent them. It might save money in the long run though. And theres several ways you can pay for it. You could impose a fee for renting a locker with two options; by the day, or throughout the whole con. You can also increase the registration fees as well. And theres fundraisers, raffles, denotations, etc. I think this is a great idea that could be imposed if you think carefully. Those other things wouldn't seem like a problem. What about asking volunteers to help move them? And what about those big storage units you can rent? And there is a thing called "locks" you can put on them... oh yeah, what about that disclaimer "AC cannot be held responsible for theft or damages"? The last bit might be a problem. But I don't think every fursuiter is gonna want a locker. Why not just put a limited number of them and make it a first come first served basis?

I think that this goes as an obvious suggestion, but consider what you are doing when you head toward and are leaving from your hotel. Plan out what you want to do so that you don't have to make repeated trips to the elevator. You shouldn't be thinking to yourself, "oh, I forgot something," or "maybe I should get this."

Just saying.

Stairs help you get in shape! Just think of all the calories you burn going up 26 flights of stairs! It's the Anthrocon Workout!

Plus, going downstairs is easy. Gravity is working with you there. ;3

I wasn't gonna suggest anything, because there were still problems I was wrestling around with in my head, but what if you guys used a system similar to the art auction/show? A partitioned and gaurded area with open bins that could be traded for tags. It may alleviate some of the cost as well as the moving trouble.

You would have to have someone watching it for the duration of lounge hours of course. If the bins were stackable, they probably could be easily stored and transported after the convention ended.

It could also prevent damage to suits by others in the room, as well as let the suits air out a little more.

It probably would be a good idea for the hotel to recalibrate its "full sensors", or install Espros or other detection equipment, as much of the elevator's slowness HAS to be related to the continuous stopping on the way up or down while full. When calling an elevator from one of the mid to upper floors, I noticed that 75% of the time they were full, and that has got to have a serious effect on the wait times.

It would be nice if the hotel could do upgrades on the elevators, but would probably take several conventions asking for it to make it happen as they aren't cheap upgrades.

The connection to the convention center is a bit odd too, as you would think there would be ramps or something to handle the traffic that such a huge center would generate. The 2 slow elevators and one set of stairs that only go to the ballroom ??? is a bit odd, you gotta admit.

Jeefers --- just ramblin

(*) Priority on the elevators is always given to fursuiters in costume.

Well yes i did the elevators most of the time but some people going down in the elevators, had room on there for at least one suiter just denied me and went down...i was like wtf...im a suiter and they were all non suiters and obviously don't care at all. Just because they don't have their own suits doesn't mean they need to disrespect me the fursuiter and deny me my right to the elevator..grrrr X3

R.I.P Fursuit Floor.

I considered myself lucky, I was able to get a room on the 9th floor and found it was much easier to walk (at times) then face full elevators. Because of this I lost 5 lbs of weight at this years con.

This was a good thing, according to my wife!

Speedy Hamshark

Reading all the above postings has me pondering about something...

We've lost the Omni for next year, and this will almost certainly lead to us filling the Westin, unless the Westin has set aside rooms for some other user/event.

We can no longer, as a practical matter, designate a floor as the "Fursuit Floor".

Because of the distance to travel, time to travel, and time waiting to get onto and off a floor due to the elevator overcrowding, Fursuiting as an activity will pretty much consist of from your bedroom to the 3rd floor/2nd floor/Lobby and back for those with short endurance tolerances, and from bedroom to 3rd floor to skybridge to convention center to Headless Lounge (Pant*pant*pant) across long walkway to escalator to exhibit floor to Hall B...and back the same route, with e chance at a breather at the Headless Lounge.

I remember some mention in another thread that the hotel has a 4th floor, with a pool/spa/workout facility, and perhaps some other user amenities there, as well. Admittedly, I've not been there to actually SEE it, so I don't know how big a space this is - but such facilities often have lockers in them. And if we make up 95% of the hotel population during our event, that space is not going to get a whole lot of use, except by those of us who swim or work out.

Assuming that the space is big enough (a large assumption I'll admit), wouldn't this make a good location for fursuit changing and storage? Mind you, that is ALL it could serve as, you go in, change, and leave - since it isn't a temporary "Fursuit Recuperation and lounge", it wouldn't need any A/C beyond what is already there.

...Of course - if the space actually would suffice in this service, it would have to be exclusively "ours" for the duration of the convention - which means considering it as part of "event space" - and paying for it. I don't believe that pool/spa/workout room is a traditional part of Banquet Facilities, but there might be a precedent - private pool parties, or some such - and there might actually be a history of what such a space would go for. Probably a pretty good penny (or a lot of pennies). It might even require a surcharge to fursuiters to make it affordable.

I'm not trying to think of extra ways to charge the attendees, here, I'm just trying to see if there is a managable opportunity to make a situation more managable, and more safe.

EDIT: OK, having seen in the "Headless Lounge!" feedback thread that there already WAS a lounge in the hotel proper, this might not be as helpful as I had thought.

So let me throw out an idea that someone told me about. It doesn't involve asking the convention to do anything differently, rather it involves furs helping each other out.

Someone who was staying at the Omni made an arrangement with a friend at the Westin. His friend was not a fursuiter, he was. He asked if he could have some of the unused closet space in the Westin hotel room to store his fursuit, and in return, he gave his friend $5 or $10 a day for the storage privilege. It worked out beautifully for both of them. The fursuiter not only had a place in the Westin to store the costume but also had a place to change in privacy. The non-fursuiter got a bit of the hotel cost shaved off due to the contribution of his friend. It was a win-win for both parties.

Perhaps a solution like this would make the most sense. It doesn't increase any demands on the convention staff, lets people make their own arrangements, and could lead to making new friends in the process.

Just my two cents...and the somewhat idealistic thought that we don't have to complicate things any more than necessary....just learn to help one another out.

KP

I don't know how well it would fly, but it _might_ be a partial solution, at least to the 'suit' problem. (note the "Partial")

If the new Dealer's Room/Art Show room is large enough, could a section be curtained off much like the Art Show, and simply have rows of clothes poles? Just assign one person there to check in and out suits, to be hung up. If it's in a back corner, near a good air return, there shouldn't be much problem with odor.

Anthrocon could charge a daily fee for use of the racks, and use the same sort of procedure as the Art show. It could also charge for 'services' (if anyone was willing to help out), including a suit dryer. (Maybe deodorizing? Boxes of Arm & Hammer in a basket in the suit? )

Depending on demand, it could be put together with PVC pipe only, which could be obtained from a local Lowes or Home Depot, assembled quickly, disassembled quickly, and easily stored. (or just gotten rid of). For that matter, the convention hall might have something that would work. (Those really tall dividers they use between convention stalls, for example)

I'm planning on being there next year, early again, if possible, so I'd be willing to volunteer some time for this if necessary.