Big Fish Deal 2019
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
Becca
Members
Yes 
! Rumor has it hotel plans are being finalized.
! Rumor has it hotel plans are being finalized.Glad to hear that. If you use the same hotel as last year, you need to work on getting free parking for the Sunday Marketplace. I think the fee charged by the hotel last year, even after the discount (to $5), drove some people away.Yes
chriscoli
Administrator
I hope having free parking isn't a make-or-break for people. We were really lucky in the past to have that luxury, but may not always have it in the future. We do our best to negotiate low rates, though.
Becca
Members
I don't remember how much marketplace only is, but maybe it could be adjusted a bit to make up for parking costs?
JLW
CCA Members
Oh, come on, guys. I parked on the street and walked a block, it was free. The metro parking down the way was free on Sunday (the marketplace).
There's the plaza across the street, there's plenty of nearby parking if you don't want to pay to park.
If you don't want to walk a little ways, $5 is nothing in this area. How long have you lived in the DC area? I have to pay $2 to park at my bank for the 7 minutes it takes me to run in and make a deposit. I pay $32 for 2 hours parking at my office downtown.
The Big Fish Deal is one of the most ridiculously cheap events to attend, and a great show with a great marketplace. It's cheaper than CatCon, it's cheaper than Keystone, its cheaper than ANY of the other shows I go to. And the five flippin' bucks is what's turning you away?
No wonder we can't get more than $3 for a bag of fish in the mini-auctions, ya'll cheap.
There's the plaza across the street, there's plenty of nearby parking if you don't want to pay to park.
If you don't want to walk a little ways, $5 is nothing in this area. How long have you lived in the DC area? I have to pay $2 to park at my bank for the 7 minutes it takes me to run in and make a deposit. I pay $32 for 2 hours parking at my office downtown.
The Big Fish Deal is one of the most ridiculously cheap events to attend, and a great show with a great marketplace. It's cheaper than CatCon, it's cheaper than Keystone, its cheaper than ANY of the other shows I go to. And the five flippin' bucks is what's turning you away?
No wonder we can't get more than $3 for a bag of fish in the mini-auctions, ya'll cheap.
Becca
Members
Aren't you the guy who griped about having to park too far from the loading dock?
I think what Jay was saying is that people who might just stop by to see what it's all about could be deterred by the added cost of parking. They're probably thinking they could hit up a fish store for free.
I know the hotel was pretty reasonable for me - I had to come and go multiple times a day and parking for people who didn't stay there was $15 each time. I talked to someone up front who directed me where to park and not get charged if I was going to be making multiple trips and they left the gates open for folks doing setup and takedown.
Wet Sleeves
CCA Members
Ill speak for myself here, but I'm sure there are other people in the club that would be happy to help those that need it if parking isn't close enough to unload heavier items.
DiscusnAfricans
Past President
Unfortunately parking costs aren't always something we can avoid. If we want to stay in an urban area (Rockville, Bethesda, etc.) its very common to have to pay for parking, and sometimes the hotels can't/won't negotiate because they don't directly manage or own the lot/garage.
The problem with 'adjusting' the cost for parking is that there are too many variables. If we adjust the sunday only rate then we are almost admitting people for free. How do we verify people who ask for the adjustment actually had to pay for parking? I think it has to be seen as a convenience fee; pay a fee if you want a short walk, or park free and take a slightly longer route.
Sure someone could go to a LFS and park for free, but thats the opposite of the goal of having a marketplace. The marketplace brings hobbyists and vendors together so that everyone has a chance to sell their products or fish/plants/etc. without being limited to what a store carries. You can go to a LFS sometimes 365 days a year, but the BFD marketplace happens once.
In the end, we've always tried to keep our rates and fees as low as possible so that any additional expenses incurred by attendees don't break the bank. I'm honestly amazed we've been able to keep the same rates for the past 6 years, where else does that happen? Fees are likely to go up because our costs are going up, and we've only been able to maintain costs because attendance has increased every year.
Every year the cost of flying in speakers goes up, the cost of transporting equipment goes up, the cost of supplies goes up, etc. If we're going to maintain the quality of our events, certain expenses are unavoidable. We've even made larger commitments to the hotels in the past to keep room rates level, but that might not stay the same either. In the end, a budget has to be balanced one way or another, so if slight increases in cost lead to a few less people attending, it may be a casualty of economics, but we assume that people would prefer to attend a quality event than to lower the quality to keep costs the same.
Becca
Members
Definitely good points. I had not heard any complaints about attendance at the marketplace from other vendors, so maybe it's just something to keep an ear open for if there's really an impact because of it. I would blame it on the weather, but it seems like the weather hates this event no matter when we have it.
xny89
CCA Members
From a paid parking perspective, is it possible for the club to absorb some of the fees, let's say for the marketplace, by validating user parking stubs?
FishEggs
Well-Known Member
I'm one for not lowering the quality of the event just to save a few $$. And that's coming from a bonafide cheapskate. Once you do that it starts a chain reaction of everything spiralling down to something not worth going to in the end anyway.
It creates a race to the bottom where you will loose more attendees in the coming years because the event sucks than you would loose because people have to pay for parking to attend an awesome event. Just look at all the people who spend hundreds of dollars to see a football game and still have to pay $30 to park blocks away and walk. I think I'll just use some of that tax cut money to pay for parking.
It creates a race to the bottom where you will loose more attendees in the coming years because the event sucks than you would loose because people have to pay for parking to attend an awesome event. Just look at all the people who spend hundreds of dollars to see a football game and still have to pay $30 to park blocks away and walk. I think I'll just use some of that tax cut money to pay for parking.
mchambers
Former CCA member
I had no problem finding nearby street parking Saturday and Sunday this year.
DiscusnAfricans
Past President
Last year we had over 200 people register for the marketplace alone, so you're dealing with a substantial amount of money if we were to do that.
Honestly, all of our hotel options significantly raised the rental costs this year, so we're already going to be taking a huge hit on the budget. If you start adding in subsidizing parking costs, we're likely to lose a speaker, or reduce food/drink options to make up the difference. The other option is raising the registration fees, which may be inevitable, but would defeat the point of subsidizing parking, you're just shifting the cost.
It's possible the cost of parking will go up this year, so we may just have to see if that affects attendance. As Matt said, it may just be a matter of spending a little extra effort and time to park in a nearby location to save the cost. That way nobody incurs extra fees.
We thought most people would prefer a 4-star location with some parking fees than a 3-star location with free parking (in theory, I don't know the actual ratings off-hand). Generally the amenities of the hotel and nearby restaurants, etc. would make up the difference, you're likely getting a better value if you take advantage of the fringe benefits.
Pat Kelly
CCA Member
I for one loved the upscale feel of the last event location but understand that it is not going to be able to continue when the
fees double in one year..... The club would go bankrupt if this happens. Or the event would have to stop in order to continue
to have meetings. I for one have no problem paying to park when we continue to fill the room with vendors and people.
One day we may get to Chicago size with a waiting list for tables.... LOL
I was concerned about people who just stop by for the Market Place or that only come to the marketplace was possibly deterred by the added Parking Fee. There also seemed to be some confusion about the fee $5 or $15. To get parking for $5 you needed to get a voucher from the front desk. No one at the hotel mentioned any free parking areas to me. You may want to post where free nearby parking is located. Getting fish from the front of the hotel last year to the vendor room took several trips unless you were lucky to get a larger cart. You might want to station some help with the carts and make sure someone does not hog them from others that need them. I know my sales were down from the year before and attendance seemed down a little at the marketplace as well. I heard some grumbling about parking. Just thought it might be an issue. By the way, when I left the hotel after the show, the gate was up and I did not have to use my validated card to get out of the garage. That makes me wonder if the fee for the parking could be waved. Different hotels have different policies. Most hotels only charge for valet parking and not general parking. Some charge for events, others do not. Given the amount of business they get from the club for this event, they probably could consider waving the parking fee on Sunday if it is an issue. Some of this could have been from the first year at a new place. You cannot think of everything when you make a major change. A little better communication about the parking options for 2019 may help the event go better.
DiscusnAfricans
Past President
We'll have more parking details on the new website, though its still currently being developed. The website will be www.TheBigFishDeal.com, we'll post when everything is functional.
We're going to be at a new hotel again this year, we're going to make an announcement at the meeting on saturday, and we'll be posting more details on the forum soon.
This hotel also charges for parking. Fees can not be waived because the hotel does not own or manage the on-site parking garage. There will be several lots and/or garages close by that will have free parking available. We'll post this information on the website, but its best to read any signs for a lot where you plan to park. The area will have public transportation and plenty of shops/restaurants available though, so there are benefits to being in this type of area.
I went down to CatCon for the Sunday auction. The parking lot was free, but I paid tolls on the way down. I could've chosen a route with no tolls, but it would've meant another 15 minutes or so each way. I essentially paid a convenience fee to save myself time. Parking lot fees can be seen in a similar manner. You can pay for the convenience of being in direct access to the hotel, or you can park a little further away and not pay any fees, but have a slightly longer walk.
We can't really reserve or hold carts on the morning of the marketplace because people who are checking out of rooms will be using those carts too. Its first come, first serve, so your best bet is to get there early, but even better would be to bring your own cart.
Our attendance was actually up last year, both for the overall convention and the sunday marketplace. It may have seemed lighter because there was more space, or less people from the full convention attended, but we also had more vendors and more private tables than years past.
BFD 7 (2019) will be another great event, but it will also have some challenges too. We do our best to make everything as smooth and functional as possible, but its a large event generally planned and run by a few people. We always welcome constructive feedback though and will do what we can to make the event better, but we also welcome volunteers to help in the planning and organization phases.
We're going to be at a new hotel again this year, we're going to make an announcement at the meeting on saturday, and we'll be posting more details on the forum soon.
This hotel also charges for parking. Fees can not be waived because the hotel does not own or manage the on-site parking garage. There will be several lots and/or garages close by that will have free parking available. We'll post this information on the website, but its best to read any signs for a lot where you plan to park. The area will have public transportation and plenty of shops/restaurants available though, so there are benefits to being in this type of area.
I went down to CatCon for the Sunday auction. The parking lot was free, but I paid tolls on the way down. I could've chosen a route with no tolls, but it would've meant another 15 minutes or so each way. I essentially paid a convenience fee to save myself time. Parking lot fees can be seen in a similar manner. You can pay for the convenience of being in direct access to the hotel, or you can park a little further away and not pay any fees, but have a slightly longer walk.
We can't really reserve or hold carts on the morning of the marketplace because people who are checking out of rooms will be using those carts too. Its first come, first serve, so your best bet is to get there early, but even better would be to bring your own cart.
Our attendance was actually up last year, both for the overall convention and the sunday marketplace. It may have seemed lighter because there was more space, or less people from the full convention attended, but we also had more vendors and more private tables than years past.
BFD 7 (2019) will be another great event, but it will also have some challenges too. We do our best to make everything as smooth and functional as possible, but its a large event generally planned and run by a few people. We always welcome constructive feedback though and will do what we can to make the event better, but we also welcome volunteers to help in the planning and organization phases.
Becca
Members
DiscusnAfricans
,
chriscoli
,
MHMoro
- would it be worthwhile for the club to invest in a couple of those fold down wagons for hauling stuff and/or something like this - https://www.amazon.com/iBoost-Solid...589&sr=8-22-spons&keywords=luggage+cart&psc=1 ? If we plan to keep doing this every year, it might be worthwhile to provide a few basic items to help vendors load and unload.The tolls for Catcon were just a few dollars and we can't reasonably expect vendors to walk a block or two with tanks, water, etc. For people like Jay, is it possible to make sure there's an area available for them to load and unload with close proximity to an elevator or the event space, where they can take the time they need without worrying about tickets or towing?
Parking at that hotel is $20-$22 per day, which is somewhat excessive, given that it is almost as much as the event itself. It does appear that there are other garages around that charge lower rates (as well as metered parking) if you use an online service to reserve parking in advance (more like $5-$10 per day). If you're staying at the hotel, they'll validate your ticket so you don't get charged more than once per day if you're coming and going multiple times, but it doesn't reduce the daily fee.
Information on hotel parking is here:
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/maryland/hyatt-regency-bethesda/bethe/maps-parking-transportation
The hotel is a short distance from the Bethesda metro station. Here's a list of nearby parking areas:
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_loc=One+Bethesda+Metro+Center+One&cflt=parking
It looks like at least some of these are free on weekends, after 10am.
If we want to stop high parking fees from deterring marketplace-only attendees (after all, the hotel parking costs more than it takes to get into Repticon, or the pet conventions) maybe it's worth getting in touch with one of the other parking garages to see about a discounted rate?
At the very least, we could add a list of parking garages and prices to the BFD website.
I can't say I love the Bethesda location. I like to help with this event, but probably won't this year because of the commute time and the level of traffic I'll face when I need to go pick my kids up from daycare/school on Friday. But, I'm just one person and the only expensive tastes I have are fish-related
. I pretty much only spend the night in a hotel if my job requires it.
FishEggs
Well-Known Member
I dont think it should be on the club to pay money out to make up for people being ill prepared. Anyone that attends trade shows or these types of events where you have to haul a bunch of stuff to and from, should have their own cart or wagon or whatever they need. Cant assume there is going to be anything there for you when hundreds of other people are trying to do the same thing. If a person needs help with moving product, they should think ahead and ask for it, set something up. Plenty of helpful people in the club.
Just wanted to put my 2 cents in even though I know I will lose money since you only get 1 penny for your thoughts but sometimes that's just the cost of doing business.
Just wanted to put my 2 cents in even though I know I will lose money since you only get 1 penny for your thoughts but sometimes that's just the cost of doing business.
