(no subject)

[stitchwhich]

I'm torn. With the breaking of the news about the accommodations at Atlantian 12Night, I am loathe to attend. I have a feeling of betrayal. $18 to attend (member cost) and you cannot bring any beverages or food into the venue, but must eat in the hotel restaurant, whose prices are apparently around $15-20 per diner. That is just for lunch. If you wish beverages, you must buy them from the restaurant or the hotel bar.

None of us in our khanate have a lot of recreational funds right now. One is without a job at all. But we agreed to host the gaming room, which was to be open all day. There are only five of us. Do we go and cheat the rules by gingerly sneaking in beverages we can afford, and take turns dining in our cars while in the parking lot, or do we send a message to the autocrat saying that in light of the information she'd withheld for months, we are withdrawing from staff?

Which is the most ethical way to handle it? I could, perhaps, release everyone except myself and man the room alone, drinking hotel-provided water and reducing the hours of the game room to just the afternoon. Maybe that would be the best solution since I was the one who'd she had approached and who'd taken it to the khanate.

I am disgusted and feel tricked. I'm angry.

Comments

[danabren]

Those are some draconian rules, but they are put in place by the hotel. If the event steward knew and didn't say, that was shitty. If the hotel reminded her because she hadn't noticed, she needs to read the fine print next time. If the hotel just put that rule in place this late in the game, the hotel is a jackass.

I agree with your thought, offer to release your staff and reduce your hours.

You were working from incomplete information, and the requirements of the hotel are burdensome to members of your staff due to real-world financial limitations. If the event steward is not happy about it, then graciously offer to withdraw the entire service, since you were unaware of the rules until just now, and cannot reasonably fulfill your volunteer responsibility without either A) spending money you do not have or B) breaking the rules about bringing in snacks, and gosh you would not want to put the entire event in jeopardy with your sneaking in snacks, dontcherknow.

[gurdymonkey]

Gee, that sounds familiar!

West Kingdom Twelfth Night gate fee: $25 at the door.
Hotel parking: $22/day unless you're a hotel guest, in which case it's $11.
No outside food, of course.
Room rates: what you'd expect for a hotel convention center next to San Jose airport. Not to mention the incessant pre-event guilt trip announcements about how much more the kingdom will have to pay if not enough people blow money on hotel rooms.

The less said about the construction in the lobby and the handicapped toilet stall next to the conference center that never got taken care of the better.

[tedeisenstein]

Events should not force attendees to go into debt. Write the autocrat to regretfully withdraw the gaming stuff on account of expense. Include a statement (in strong language) that she not withhold information, in the future.)

[baronessekat]

1) let the Khanate know and see what they say.
2) Contact the autocrat and let them know that there is a distinct chance that you will have to back out of the promise. "Our options right now appear to be: Offer limited times that the room will be open, spend money that had not been budgeted on food we have to buy there, or go hungry (and with some of us being Diabetic, that is not a healthy option)."

I would also express the feeling of being tricked and taken advantage of.

[kareina]

If you opt to withdraw you and/or your staff from the event you should write to the Hotel, and explain to them why you chose to do so, and that their policy has severely impacted the event, and that you will be writing to everyone involved with the event organization letting them know that you strongly recommend against doing business with that hotel ever again.

Alternatively, call the hotel now and request a modification to their rules for everyone who is supposed to work at the event and suffers from health issues that limit their food options. If they say yes then widely advertise this to everyone in the SCA, and, perhaps, you will be surprised to see just how many people with such health issues celebrate by bringing their own food.