Jedi Council Forums - Now that C4 is over...lessons learned

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Author	Topic: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
Lufta Shif Registered: May '00	Date Posted: 6/5/07 9:06pm Subject: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned - Date Edited: 6/5/07 9:10pm (2 edits total) Edited By: Lufta Shif
	OK, much as we hate to admit it, C4 ended over a week ago. With several days to reflect upon this wonderful event, what are a few things that you learned that you can pass on to others? For example, are there any items you wish you had with you? What would you do differently the next time? What tips can you pass about the C4 experience? Things I will do the next time: Display my TFN badge more prominently – double side it perhaps Have TFN folks sign my badge Attend the Rebel Legion mixer – looks like it was a blast Get in line earlier for Starbucks at the end of the day - they always closed too early for me to get my last coffee fix! Things I will bring the next time: That new blister-prevention stick from Band-Aid Super Glue and mini sew kit for costume emergencies A thumb drive to share photos with friends Allergy Medicine - I heard the pollen count was at LA's annual high during C4! Things I learned that I will not forget for next time: The business center at the LACC will print your boarding passes for FREE! Have a sharpie handy at all times – you never know who you bump into! Post more on Star Wars related boards to get to know folks or reconnect with old friends before C5 Lufta Shif -----signature----- "Is it weird in here, or is it just me?"
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Kasey_Atol Registered: Apr '07	Date Posted: 6/5/07 9:41pm Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Things I'll do next time: For sure I will volunteer with Official Pix. The perks are so nice, especially if you end up working with someone very pleasant, which I didn't even do. I happen to be rooming with guys who did. Here's to being paired up with Orli or Amy though I'm bad I know. Hopefully I'll officially be in the 501st by the next Con, so I would like to meet more fans and members of the 501st and Rebel Legion. Hopefully I'll be able to remember more of the 501st party. If it's in LA again, I would like to see more of the city...see a dodgers game, see Chiness theater, find the important "stars" on the streets worth photographing. Things I'll bring next time: An extra battery for my camcorder. Rechargable batteries for my camera. Remember to bring my toothbrush and not have to buy one. Possibly an extra suitcase to put all the stuff I buy.
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Grimby the Hutt Title: JC Head Admin Fan Design/RMFF Webmaster Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 6/5/07 9:50pm Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	I'll try not to leave my wallet in my rental car next time. That way I'll be able to afford to buy something besides food with all the money that isn't stolen from me. Also, make sure I know what the weight limit is per bag on the airline that I fly. My bag was 60 pounds and flying United it costs $50 extra per bag over 50 pounds. -----signature----- "Ratio Tile, the wish power are together with you." - Allah Gold, Backstroke of the West
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miarama Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 6/5/07 11:21pm Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Grimby, when you checked your bags did you use Curbside check-in or Regular check-in? I used my airline's Curbside service. A couple of my luggages actually felt A LOT heavier than 50 lbs. and I was preparing myself to pay some fines, but that wasn't the case. I did not even notice the curbside bag handlers weighing my bags, whereas if you check-in at the regular counter they actually weigh it. The fee for the service was $2 per bag plus TIP
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Lowbacca_1977 Title: Senate Moderator Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 6/6/07 3:06am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Lessons learned Plan better on getting exclusives/getting to the store Find out where the places to be are Check out the general fan force table more. or at all. IF I have two aussie gals trying to get me to dance, go with it more always have my digital camera Not carpooling so i don't get stuck places Things that did work Having the Fan Force badge out Having paper/pen with me Carrying cash on hand Buying food beforehand and having it in a backpack with me to not pay con prices Working the Pacific Region Fan Force table proved a lot of fun Re: other comment... LA has pollen?
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echo-3 Title: Midwest RSA Presiden t Hoosier Alliance Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 6/6/07 3:49am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Things for CV- Volunteer at Official pic's. Have my Imperial Officer/ Death Star Commander uniform ready and be a member of the 501rst. Plan more then 40 days ahead, to attend so I can a have a hotel room ready for at least 3 days of the con. Go to more fan related after party's. Bring more then ONE picture id with. If you loose your id,They WILL NOT LET YOU on the return flight home!!!!! -----signature----- http://podcast.hoosieralliance.com/ Bloomington Indiana Fan Force http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoosier-Alliance/93530527244
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Dark Lady Mara Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Jun '99	Date Posted: 6/6/07 4:09am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Don't go to the Rebel Legion mixer - it was not at all a blast. Get own hotel room. It's worth the extra money not to have to mess around with roommates. Bring less damned luggage! -----signature----- "Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to... the female audience." ~~ SPOILER-FREE TILLLL EPISODE IV "there aren't that many Ls in til." - farraday
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JediJustin Registered: Aug '06	Date Posted: 6/6/07 4:49am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	My CIV trip was planned out pretty well. I took a lot of pointers/suggestions from my C3 trip and applied them to this con. So my C5 planning will most likely be almost the same as it was for CIV. One thing I did do this time for CIV was print up my own business cards with my name and e-mail address. Made it a lot easier to give to people whom I met, as opposed to fumbling for a pen & paper to exchange contact info. -----signature----- Justin LaSalata http://www.TheForce.net http://www.Rebelscum.com Microsoft MCSE
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Plagious Registered: May '06	Date Posted: 6/6/07 4:58am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Things to do next time: 1. Stay active on all the message board so I don't miss out on special things like group pictures and parties. 2. Even if they say video cameras are not alowed bring mine anyways because noone cared. 3. Perhaps be a volunteer. (The perks of not waiting inline were not needed this year but it still had some benifits.) 4. Join more organizations like 501st to get more benifits at the celebration. 5. Do more things like the talent contest and other events. 6. More Costumes!!!
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pwinklespi Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 6/6/07 8:40am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Lessons learned....nothing. I didn't have one problem at CIV. I got all my exclusives in a few hours, I took a bunch of pics,& video, I saw all the Q&A's I wanted to see and I enjoyed my vacation. I had all the little stuff taken care of. My wife and I both had shoulder bags that we stuffed with food, drinks, snacks, band aids, hand lotions, chap stick, money, cell phones, sunglasses, cameras, batteries & hand wipes. HAHA! We are all set.
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SSDExecutor Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 6/6/07 8:53am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Lufta Shif posted: Things I will do the next time: Display my TFN badge more prominently – double side it perhaps Have TFN folks sign my badge Attend the Rebel Legion mixer – looks like it was a blast Yeah... although next time I'm going to have even more badges than I had this time! I guess I'll have to thin-out some of my older ones. Lufta Shif posted: Things I will bring the next time: Super Glue and mini sew kit for costume emergencies Definitely Super Glue! I had to walk to the Chevron station around 1:30am to get some to fix my lightsaber clip (they were open 24-7 and actually did have some though - talk about a lifesaver!). Lufta Shif posted: Things I learned that I will not forget for next time: Post more on Star Wars related boards to get to know folks or reconnect with old friends before C5 Man I know I need to do this too... must make time to post! Other than that, I did pretty well. Like pwinklespi & JediJustin I learned many things from C3 that made things much better for C4. (I also did cards for C3 and C4, they do come in handy don't they?) -----signature----- Join the Rebellion! http://www.redstickrebellion.com/
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Mokitty Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 6/6/07 9:09am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Lessons learned from CIII that paid off in CIV: - Dr. Scholl's are your friend. Seriously. Buy some before you leave home, because the drugstore there is liable to be out of them. Spend a few days doing extra walking to make sure they work for you. - If you plan to line up very early to get in the first day, it doesn't hurt to bring a collapsible chair. It's a pain to carry it inside but after you get your exclusives you can always check it. - Plan to do all the shopping right away. Ship your stuff home or take a taxi to drop it off at the hotel immediately. Lessons learned from CIV: - When flying Air Canada, it is infinitely cheaper to ship everything home, even across international borders, than it is to bring an extra suitcase ($95USD!?). Therefore, check with your airline what the charge is for extra baggage and plan accordingly. - Again, for those out of country, get an American friend or relative to provide their address as the shipper when mailing things home. They can mail it to you as a "gift" and save you on customs! - Lines are really not the monstrous things CIII made them out to be. If you're not the partying type, this will be the place you make friends, which is what makes the experience so special. Strangely, in spite of CIII's lines, it somehow feels like I accomplished more at it than at CIV. - A bit of local info: The Wilshire Grand will try to stick a large number of people who are paying the rate for the "executive" class rooms (two bathrooms, deluxe sitting area, etc etc, it looks so good on their website) in tiny little cubby-size rooms with two beds, one bathroom, and a single chair, tv, and desk crammed against the wall so close to the beds you can hardly get by (if you've got more than one person in this room, be prepared to have to do a lot of climbing over the beds). Buyer beware. We complained vigorously about the room they had stuck us in, which was located on the "executive" floor despite looking more like a Days Inn or something, and were given a huge run around (they had overbooked -- we booked ours months ago, we should have been first in line for the correct room; that WAS the room advertised -- look on your website buddy this is NOT the room pictured, it doesn't even have any of the things the text description promises!). Finally one of the managers admitted that most of their "executive" suites are really just standard rooms located on the executive floors. We managed to get moved to our correct room after a few days, but it was a HUGE hassle, and I'm suspecting there were plenty of people there being overcharged the "executive" price for what by their own admission is a standard room, as they tried to do to us. Things I would do differently at CV: - If they fail again to provide concise information about the surrounding area; services, shops etc, make a mission of finding out on the first day. Where can you go to eat, where are the sights and how do you get to them, how long will it take on public transit to get to better restaurants... ask everyone -- bellhops, concierge, front desk... you'll get conflicting information but eventually someone will tell you definitively what you need to do. This trip would have been so much better for me in so many ways had I known at the start I could get to Universal City Walk for $5 and a half hour on the Metro. - Not stay at the Wilshire Grand. The room we finally got was wonderful, but having to fight like that for it, then suddenly having to pack up all our stuff and move at the last second when we were already running late to get to the LACC, was just not worth the hassle.
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Darth_Nevoc Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 6/6/07 9:30am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	A few things I will do: 1- Print up business cards with personal contact info. I didn't want to give out my actual business card since it has only work related stuff on it. 2- Get a room at a chain hotel. I was at the Fig and felt as though I had to tiptoe through the tulips to avoid pissing Uno off. I'd like to be able to have a friend come back to the room for 5 minutes while I drop stuff off without having to stagger our entry so we weren't going in 3 at a time and getting noticed. 3- No longer sit in the exit row on the plane. Sure the extra legroom is nice, but in the window seat you only get one arm rest (the other is a ledge on the fuselage). I'll give up 2 inches of legroom to get a second armrest. 4- Join the friggin 501st already! Thats all I can think of at the moment. I had a blast at CIV. I can only imagine how badly I-CON will pale in comparison from now on. -----signature----- Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. -Douglas Adams
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Plagious Registered: May '06	Date Posted: 6/6/07 9:51am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned - Date Edited: 6/6/07 9:53am (1 edits total) Edited By: Plagious
	We stayed at the Millennium Biltmore and we too had to fight to get the rooms we reserved. What we were paying for was not what we were getting. Not to mention no free Internet. Lesson learned: Just because the website says you get Internet in your room doesn't mean its free. Here is a quote from the website. All rooms offer high-speed internet access, bathrobes and slippers, bottled water, in-room safe, two telephones and turndown service. Use of the full service fitness centre, shoeshine and clothes-pressing services are also complimentary. Other room amenities include satellite TV, pay per view movies, upgraded bathroom amenities, desk, iron/ironing board and hairdryer. I am surprised we didn't have to pay to turn the TV on. What was the best hotel to be at during C4?
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wendynat Registered: Jun '05	Date Posted: 6/6/07 10:04am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	1. The biggie: Stay at the Holiday Inn, not at any of the shuttle hotels, no matter where your group insists on staying. I should've stuck with my instincts - we easily wasted 45 minutes to an hour and a half waiting for/riding on shuttle buses each day. Next time, book the hotel in walking distance!!! Especially important since we were in armor most days :P. 2. Come in a day early. Our flight was supposed to land at 11 AM on Thursday, but due to being delayed on our layover in DFW (sat on the tarmac for a couple of hours in the plane - argh!), we landed around 2:30, missing a lot of the Fan Club only day. -----signature----- Severing the Past (WIP, OCs): http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=20380216 The Dutiful Wife (WIP, OCs): http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/21549940/?0 Other stories listed on my userpage!
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echo-3 Title: Midwest RSA Presiden t Hoosier Alliance Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 6/6/07 11:25am Subject: RE: Now that C4 is over...lessons learned
	Regarding Hotel... Make sure I confurm my hotel room before I get there. CIV Hoilyday Inn CC messed up our room to , even though the reservation was made in Feb of 06!!!!! And they never did make it right because of over booking!! -----signature----- http://podcast.hoosieralliance.com/ Bloomington Indiana Fan Force http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoosier-Alliance/93530527244
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