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PAX07 Convention Center Feedback

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Posts

  • SpecTrE3353SpecTrE3353 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    If you had put a little more effort into finding food, you would have found a much better selection along with virtually no lines. A nice kid named Zeke pointed out the West Lake Mall to me (where the Monorail starts) just a few blocks away and they had what has to be the most fantastic food court I have ever experienced. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a place to eat next year.

    SpecTrE3353 on
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  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited August 2007
    That guy at Subway actually commented to one of my friends about it. On Saturday, he said he had been there since 4am making bread because he wasn't going to get caught with his pants down again (or something to that effect) and that he's worked conventions in town before, and he's never been slammed like that before. Usually people explore the city and eat at more of the finer places in downtown Seattle. It was explained to him that many of the people who attend PAX, spend all their money getting to and at PAX and can't afford to eat at the expensive places. Hopefully, next year, he'll know better.

    Also, I'd like to throw out my appreciation for that guy who ran the pizza place by himself all weekend. I think he was Greek, but I'm not sure. That guy knocked out about 50 people in the 30 minutes I was in line at his place, and he didn't disappoint with the food. If everybody was as good as that guy is at his job, well I can't even imagine it, that's how awesome it would be.

    Moe Fwacky on
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  • BigRedBigRed Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    I'm sorry, but this did not feel like an adequate 30k person convention. I really admire the effort that went into the event and the main theater events were perfect.

    However I never had a chance at seeing many of the other events that I wanted to see and the booths weren't quite what I desired. After the "line ride" filled up a space that seemed capable of satisfying 10k people it stood empty for 3 days :(

    JavaOne is "over 15,000" attendees held in Moscone Center which is absolutely huge (in b4 $1k-2k admission is bad) - but I don't know if Seattle Con Center is that much different. J1 keeps the attendees outside until the opening ceremony. I could deffinately see that being done and then any of those spaces would have been adequate for the overcrowded sessions which were held in theaters A/B/C.

    It would have been impossible to keep everyone outside. The majority of the WSCTC is public space, plus if there is a gathering of over a couple thousand people outside on the streets, then the Seattle police dept start freaking out.

    Hall 4A was the only place that was empty at the time to hold the line. The convention center staff told us to put the line there becuase even them didnt expect the scope of PAX.
    Dopeski wrote: »
    The exhibition hall bathroom was huge! Every time I went there must have only been at most 5-6 of the stalls being used out of like 40-50 (There were a LOT). The lines weren't that bad, the Freeplay PC line looked a bit long but it only took about 3-5 minutes max to get in. I didn't eat at any of the Food vendors downstairs, so I don't know how long they took, but other than that I rarely had to do any waiting at all.
    Rumor is next year PAX will have the whole place.

    I'm just curious, how much bigger is the Convention Center?

    The space has to be booked a year+ in advance, plus there are many other companies and conventions trying to get space there as well... August is a busy month for the WSCTC so PA cant make any garuntees on that.

    The convention center also has a 5th and 6th floor.

    5th floor is mostly show offices and a few smaller meeting rooms.
    6th floor is MASSIVE. Tons of rooms (big and small) and it also has the grand ballroom.
    Play wrote: »
    Subway thought there were 12,000 coming total. They were wrong. It was more like over 37,000. Oh well, I guess we just held up PAX tradition. Subway ALWAYS runs out of bread. If anything, this should encourage you to get out and explore the city. It's a really cool place, honest. Just don't make eye contact with panhandlers.

    The shops base estimations from the convention centers estimation's.

    They are both accurate.
    The convention center estimated around 12,000 per day

    The overall attendee count is turnstile attendance. So a 3day pass is counted as 3 people, because its expected that a 3day pass'er will come 3 times during the weekend.

    IMO both Subways/tacodelmar handled the pax load *very well*. moreso than the subways in bellevue.

    BigRed on
    <MoeFwacky> besides, BigRed-Worky is right
  • ParamnesiaParamnesia Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Odd. I never had to wait in line in any of the bathrooms, all smelled fine, nor did I run out of toilet paper. So I can only guess that you went to the most popular bathroom in the building and someone recently used the facilities after having a large bean burrito. Also, as it's been pointed out in numerous threads, including this one, there were places to eat within 2 blocks of the center; it just took the incentive to exit the building and walk, which in my opinion was faster and more interesting than standing in a long line for 30 to 45 minutes. I saw water fountains everywhere too, by each bathroom, although a few were not working properly and were only a trickle.
    SkorMT wrote: »
    Over all I thought the center did a very good job. Vendors in the center were a little understaffed I think.. but that's their fault. Though someone rumored that they were informed it was only going to be a crowd of 10K ... lol silly them :D

    One "nice to have" I think would be ATM's on the floor of the exhibition hall, AND that they be restocked through out the weekend :)
    I went to 3 different ATM's on Sunday , and they were ALL dry lol

    Oh, and as a side note. We (as in PAX) wasn't using 100% of the convention center. There was still plenty of room to be had. Believe it or not there's a 5th floor to that thing.
    I had a feeling they were misinformed when the pizza place only had one guy working Saturday. I waited for 10 minutes then decided it was too nice a day not to walk elsewhere and had a really nice chowder with no wait.
    Houn wrote: »
    Rumor is next year PAX will have the whole place.
    I hope so. I hear the 5th (or is it 6th) floor is really nice.
    Houn wrote: »
    Earley wrote: »
    Maybe a good idea would be for them to have a sheet in the packet showing some things to do around the convention center and a map.
    Wasn't there a map in the PAX07 book they gave everyone? I'm pretty sure there was, but I don't have mine with me to check...
    They're was. On the fold out page was a map of the area around the convention center with some letetrs and numbers showing various restaurants and malls and such.

    I'm baffled by the people who complain so vehemently about the lines for food and drink considering the number of people who attended, as if they've never been to a large event or crowded place before. Still, I found the Subway and little food place inside the exhibition hall to be pretty fast. The latter was overpriced, but I expected that.

    Paramnesia on
    "Right now I'm having amnesia and deja-vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before."

    Awesome Artist and Awesomer Friend.
  • karlthepagankarlthepagan Austin, TXRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    BigRed wrote: »
    It would have been impossible to keep everyone outside. The majority of the WSCTC is public space, plus if there is a gathering of over a couple thousand people outside on the streets, then the Seattle police dept start freaking out.

    Thanks for the info! I just really hope that the satellite theaters can get more space & attention next year (maybe arrange for overflow areas / CCTV?) - I can't wait to go :)

    karlthepagan on
  • titanmatrixtitanmatrix Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    word on the street is that pax gets the whole center next year, this year we shared it with a ups convention(i know).

    any one who went to sakura con in the last 2 years knows theres more than twice the amount of space they couldn't use, adn iwth it makes the con HUGE.

    Also, WSCC way beter than MB. Hell, I'm glad i had enough room to breath.
    For ye naysayers, look at last years(2006) e3, people were accosted just trying to move to another booth.

    and finaly. QUIT BEING WHINEY, LAZY BITCHES.
    I'm tired of people not wanting to walk, BooHoo. excercise. Wahhhhh.

    titanmatrix on
  • wenchkillawenchkilla Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    alienfirst wrote: »
    There is food EVERYWHERE in Seattle. Around the Convention Center, and, if you're willing to take a bus ride, there's Pike Place Market (bus transport is free in downtown Seattle). My boyfriend and I would go down to Pacific Place (a block or two away) and eat there when we got hungry. Good food, and we had no wait time.

    Pike Place Market is actually only 5-6 blocks down, so you don't even have to wait for the bus :)

    wenchkilla on
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    PSN/XBL: dragoniemx
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited August 2007
    We went to this place at Pike Place that had all you can eat Belgian Waffles for about 6 bucks, and there was nobody there when the seven of us showed up to eat.

    Moe Fwacky on
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  • SpecTrE3353SpecTrE3353 Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    We went to this place at Pike Place that had all you can eat Belgian Waffles for about 6 bucks, and there was nobody there when the seven of us showed up to eat.

    There is a really great italian shop down there as well that sells cheese and wine and bread and meat and olives, etc. We went down one day and just bought assorted groceries and made our own meal instead of eating out at yet another greasy restaurant. It was extremely swell.

    SpecTrE3353 on
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  • SamyelSamyel Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Assuming the complaints aren't trolls...

    Bathrooms get slammed by humanity by a vastly different degree depending on where they are. I would expect anyone intelligent enough to be involved in gaming to figure out that hey, maybe in a building that size, there are many washrooms, several of which may be nearly untouched--y'know, the ones that aren't right next to high-volume places like the line.

    Food is available all over the damn place. My friends and I found a great bakery a couple blocks from the hotel. We also had short waits for food at places in the mall nearby, and even managed to get a quick and tasty meal at that Subway, despite it looking vaugely post-apocalyptic.

    If you found the walk between theatres exhausting, put the X-Box controller down and get some exercise.

    If you couldn't find all the lounges with the beanbag chairs in them, for flopping, chatting and DSing, you really, really need to raise your Search score.

    If you thought that standing in line was unbearable, stop coming to conventions. Or, learn to talk to strangers to pass the time.

    If you felt wronged because there wasn't a map of downtown Seattle with eating establishments highlighted--read your bloody event program. Or ask at the front desk of your hotel.

    Edit: Oh yes, post-PAX surliness. I'm so cranky to be back at work. :(

    Samyel on
    "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity."
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    We went to this place at Pike Place that had all you can eat Belgian Waffles for about 6 bucks, and there was nobody there when the seven of us showed up to eat.

    What was the name of it?

    Also, can you, er, describe the waffles? (Like, were they soft and freshly prepared?)

    ASimPerson on
  • BlackDragon480BlackDragon480 Bluster Kerfuffle Master of Windy ImportRegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    ASimPerson wrote: »
    What was the name of it?

    Also, can you, er, describe the waffles? (Like, were they soft and freshly prepared?)

    Pike Place Bar and Grill. As for the waffles, I'm not sure, I only walked by the place on my tour of the market. I can't comment on the quality, although their waffle bar did look good.

    BlackDragon480 on
    No matter where you go...there you are.
    ~ Buckaroo Banzai
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited August 2007
    the building has a horrible floorplan and the architect that designed it should never get a job again, but at least it wasn't cramped.

    also, whoever was in charge of the escaltors and still having two go 'up' at the end of the day lended itself to a traffic jam

    FyreWulff on
  • BrokenAngelBrokenAngel Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    ASimPerson wrote: »
    Moe_Fwacky wrote: »
    We went to this place at Pike Place that had all you can eat Belgian Waffles for about 6 bucks, and there was nobody there when the seven of us showed up to eat.

    What was the name of it?

    Also, can you, er, describe the waffles? (Like, were they soft and freshly prepared?)

    They were fresh, plate sized and delicious, and on top of it, all you can eat. I think Moe and randomguy managed to get down 2 each but I could barely get through one. Mmmmm waffles.

    BrokenAngel on
    k9mk2carn.pngeleventhdoc2carn.png *Proud Head Girl of Slytherin & Team Red*
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited August 2007
    Actually, I only ate one as well. They were tasty though, with fresh fruit on top, 6.50 was a deal for just the one, if I could have eaten more though, I would have.

    Moe Fwacky on
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  • DJBreslinDJBreslin Registered User regular
    edited August 2007
    The extra space (as compared to the Meydenbauer) was an absolute blessing. However, PAX seemed more fractured than in prior years. When things get that big, some stuff like that is inevitable.

    One point: downtown Seattle adds a layer of expense to PAX. The hotels, surrounding food and parking are all costlier.

    But at least you can buy a sub... with bread. ;-)

    DJBreslin on
  • KaitouAyashiKaitouAyashi Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited August 2007
    You could really see the confusion and chaos the first morning. Convention center staff seemed to not have a CLUE what was going on, and even Enforcers seemed confused. Everything got better almost immediately though.

    KaitouAyashi on
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  • Natural 20Natural 20 Registered User new member
    edited September 2007
    The escalator of doom.

    Dear god, at the beginning of the con I went down the escalator of doom and was promptly told I couldn't go back up into the main hall. It was really frustrating because there was nothing there to tell you that you weren't meant to do that.

    Natural 20 on
  • BlackDragon480BlackDragon480 Bluster Kerfuffle Master of Windy ImportRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Natural 20 wrote: »
    The escalator of doom.

    Dear god, at the beginning of the con I went down the escalator of doom and was promptly told I couldn't go back up into the main hall. It was really frustrating because there was nothing there to tell you that you weren't meant to do that.

    That was really the only thing that annoyed me the whole weekend, well that and not having 3-4 clones of me so I could have attended everything I wanted to.

    Luckily I found a loophole, I got a nice Enforcer (sorry, I didn't catch a name) to escort me past the Green Coats near the Subway on the forth floor and help me make a bee-line through the still entering throng and back to the main hall.

    BlackDragon480 on
    No matter where you go...there you are.
    ~ Buckaroo Banzai
  • PlayPlay Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Natural 20 wrote: »
    The escalator of doom.

    Dear god, at the beginning of the con I went down the escalator of doom and was promptly told I couldn't go back up into the main hall. It was really frustrating because there was nothing there to tell you that you weren't meant to do that.

    That was really the only thing that annoyed me the whole weekend, well that and not having 3-4 clones of me so I could have attended everything I wanted to.

    Luckily I found a loophole, I got a nice Enforcer (sorry, I didn't catch a name) to escort me past the Green Coats near the Subway on the forth floor and help me make a bee-line through the still entering throng and back to the main hall.

    I'm pretty sure that was me. I really don't know why the Greencoats managed the hordes in such a weird way, but my job is customer service, and I take pride in my work. :lol:

    Play on
  • GoatSlayrrGoatSlayrr Registered User new member
    edited September 2007
    I must have been at a different PAX than the OP, because I didn't have any of those problems all weekend. The CC was soooooooooooo much nicer than Meydenbauer. The place was always reasonably clean, given the crowd. The lines for food weren't all that bad, especially if you went off site and didn't get in line right as a big panel or something got out.

    All in all, I really liked having PAX at the CC and for the most part it went off really well, from the attendees point of view anyway.

    GoatSlayrr on
  • DreamwriterDreamwriter Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    So, things to keep in mind for next year, for those who decide not to talk to anyone, read these forums (we had a few threads about food in Seattle), or read the frickin' guide that everyone is given upon entering PAX:

    There's a full mall one block away - go past Gameworks and you're there. Lotsa sit-down restaurants.

    There's a second full mall two blocks from that - head down past Nordstroms to the Monorail. Huge international food court.

    Convenience Store just across the street from the convention center, has your standard drinks/premade sandwiches/microwavables.

    There's a tiny vegetarian hotdog place up one block - beyond the convenience store (though they were NOT prepared even for the few PAXers who went up there, I overheard them saying they were running out of everything and that was going to be their most profitable weekend of the year).

    Walk down ANY road and you'll see restaurants all over - heck, the 4 or 5 blocks to Pike Place has a number of restaurants along the path, ranging from non-Subway sub shops to Vietnemies food.

    Dreamwriter on
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