(Originally published 09 March 2019)Around 40 of you sounded off in our 2019 Game On survey, and what you had to say came across loud and clear: you really dig the new location.
Beyond clicking a few boxes in responses to our questions, you shared a raft of thoughtful feedback in the written sections. All of it is helpful, as we can take this feedback to the good folks at the Red Lion in prep for 2020 and put some thought into how we run things too. Here are a few themes that came across …
Feed me, Seymour!
Many of you would like to see a bit more diversity in the “gamer’s menu” that Red Lion put together. While plenty of folks were fine with it, the choices were a bit limited. Next year we’ll look to broaden the scope of the menu and work in some vegetarian options, along with lighter fare and some salads. You can’t live on fried food alone. OR CAN YOU? The free snacks and free breakfast buffet were a hit too, ‘natch.
As for the hotel’s food service, it was spotty for some and good for others. You were all forgiving of how the snow impacted staffing a few evenings, which led to a dip in service. Likewise, we feel like the Red Lion may have underestimated our might in the first place—just how quickly we can go through food and drink. This is a point we’ll bring up for next year so that they can staff accordingly and turn around your orders and payments much more smoothly.
And oh yeah, we will have coffee service next year.
We heard you too about the proximity to supermarkets and coffee shops. At the Holiday Inn, we had options within walking distance. Now, not so much. Whole Foods is about a mile away, and the Trader Joe’s just a little less than that, which is not the same as walking across the Holiday Inn parking lot to the PCC or Tully’s. Next year, let’s hope there’s no show-stopping snow that keeps you from taking advantage of that and delivery services like Uber Eats.
Related, you gave your room stays high marks overall. Just remember to check the thermostat on the fridge in your room. There were reports of frozen tuna salad and Modello slushies.
Let there be light.
How about that new gaming space? From what we heard, you loved it. The light, the noise level, the climate control, the way you could get around … all those points were called out and more. The best feedback (and we love this) is how you were all stoked to be in one room. You called out the feeling of camaraderie that created, how easy it was to find a pickup game, and there was at least one person who played a wargame for the first time because it was “right there.” In fact, among the survey respondents, 25% of you say you come to Game On to play both wargames and board and card games. Music to our ears, and we have always felt that the old Holiday Inn layout created an unnecessary distinction between the two.
So, Red Lion or Holiday Inn next year?
It’s the Lion, by a mile. At least in your estimation. And that’s our plan as well. Obviously, we balance quite a bit when deciding to hold Game On, but this gives us a pretty clear path forward.
That’s just a quick summary. You shared other helpful feedback about what went great and where we can improve. We’re taking all of that in too and applying it toward 2020 AND BEYOND!
Thanks to all of you for showing up this year and giving this new venue a shot. We’re super-stoked to hear how much fun you had at this year’s con. Got more feedback? Bump on over to our Facebook group and chat us up.
GAME ON!