A negative comment about a party at Arisia

[xiphias]

Far as I'm concerned, you can EITHER have an invite-only party OR you can advertise your party.

But it's FUCKING RUDE to advertise your invite-only party.

Don't mind invite-only parties. Don't even mind invite-only parties who, apparently, were going around handing out invites only to women who were dressed slutty. Heck, if someone took that to the extreme, and walked around the con handing out slips of paper which said, "You're sexy. Come to my room at 11 pm," that wouldn't bother me. And if he or she got people to show up, more power to him or her.

DO mind people who do that and also put posters up in the stairwells advertising their party. It's fucking RUDE to do that, then set up a velvet rope outside, and do the "club" thing. Dunno about you, but I go to cons to get away from that kind of dynamic.

Yes, I'm pissed off at not being pretty enough to get into that party.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Because of the beverage policy, the party had to be closed. I don't know what qualifies as an event, but I bet that pesky Cambridge law would keep us off that list. I didn't know there was a gripe session or I would surely have gone. :)

Invites were distributed all day friday and saturday, perhaps your friend was in costume when they received the invite, or perhaps their regular attire looked costumelike to our friends, or, I hate to say it, perhaps one of our menfolk took a shine to your friend and just wanted to see them again. The folks paying for the party do get handed their own ration of invites and we can't really control who gets one. The best costumed person at Con could get missed if we just don't run into them.

Anyway sorry about that, we probably weren't even supposed to poster at all but never even thought of it while thinking up what names should be on the poster and what font would look best and where could we get a big one made etc. etc. I apologize for our D'oh! moment. We sort of thought people would think our posters were awesome. In retrospect I think we missed an angle. :)

[fibro-witch.livejournal.com]

I think one of your men folk took a shine to her and wanted to see her again. She never heard of fandom before moving in with me.

All of us live and learn. Having an open party does mean on booze, and not being allowed to turn people away. Having a closed party means not postering.

Having an event means you get a spot on the program, and space on the first floor. It also means support from the con and the hotel, but again, no booze, and no turning people away.

If you don't mind, I am going to post this thread to the arisia lj community. Just to let the powers that be know your aware of the issues this post has raised.

[(Anonymous)]

Or one of our women who especially like other women. =)

Could we have an event that turned people away for a dress code? Since we sleep in the rooms and probably can't afford both (or have a tip jar at an event) it probably would be too much for us.

Please do post to the arisia lj community, I didn't know about that either. Arisia staff have been nothing but super helpful to us and we didn't mean to break any rules or cause any distress. We've had parties for our own friends for years and years but only recently started to invite any other folks, and so far it's been quite fun, but a lot more work. Anyway thanks everyone for your comments I do appreciate the feedback.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

please don't let this discourage you from throwing a great party

[quietann.livejournal.com]

If it's an open party, you can't turn someone away for not meeting the dress code, as far as I can tell. Open means open-to-everyone (with possible exceptions for avoiding massive psychodrama, e.g. if a person who's been stalking one of the party hosts shows up...). Closed means invite-only, no posters, you can serve alcohol if you're carding folks**, and who you let in or do not let in is up to you.

** I have heard varying opinions as to whether all present at the party must be of legal drinking age.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Well. . . according to OFFICIAL policy, closed parties can't serve alcohol, either. Now, my training in alcohol law of Massachusetts is entirely server-side, and I'm real fuzzy on venue-side (one of those things I'm intending on taking coursework in the next couple years), so I don't know if that's ONLY a contract issue, or a legal issue.

[cheshyre]

Been doing a little more reading into the liquor laws; don't precisely see any Massachusetts or Boston law that prohibit guests from bringing liquor into their rooms, but are you familiar with corkage?

FWIW, a comment about corkage for Boskone '07

[quietann.livejournal.com]

It's definitely a gray area... to absolutely follow the law 100% all alcohol would have to be supplied by the hotel along with a hotel bartender of course.

I'm 99.99% sure it's a Cambridge / Boston ABCC thing ...

[paradoox.livejournal.com]

I'm 99.99% sure it's a Cambridge / Boston ABCC thing ... An earlier draft of the contract had a full corkage waiver. (For various reasons (Boskone-From-Hell, etc.) Arisia probably would still have had an open / closed party policy). The hotel explained to us why they couldn't sign that and cited the Cambridge liquor licensing policy. Given I've had other hotels cite this in Boston / Cambridge and have had no problems getting full corkage waivers in other towns, I tend to believe them.

(The hotel is licensed a whole to serve alcohol. They are the only people who can serve alcohol by law in the hotel. Kind of like you can't bring booze into a restaurant with a liquor license.)

[nw1.livejournal.com]

Historically Arisia has had no "Official" policies on whether closed parties may or may not serve alcohol. A closed party is by definition invitation only and behind a closed door. Arisia takes no official notice of closed parties, except to be aware of the implications for Convention Security.

[dda.livejournal.com]

I don't know what qualifies as an event, but I bet that pesky Cambridge law would keep us off that list.

Given that I ran Events this year, I'm pretty sure I know what qualifies. :-) You are correct that we cannot hold a public event that serves alcohol that isn't purchased from the hotel (aka a cash bar). We did have just such a cash bar for the First Night event, for example.

In addition, it would be difficult to have an "invite only" Event at Arisia (other than limits on numbers of attendees for fire codes); it would have to be open to all comers although it is quite reasonable to request a certain type of dress. The Victorian Dance did just that and several people showed up in fabulous costumes while others were in what could be considered "fen normal."

I doubt it is what you have in mind but if you want to put on an event next year, send email to events [at] arisia [dot] org and whomever is running it next year will get in touch with you.

[dda.livejournal.com]

We sort of thought people would think our posters were awesome.

I certainly found them awesome!

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you! :)

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

We sort of thought people would think our posters were awesome.

They were awesome. I swiped one from the stairwell. :)

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you! (well, not for the swiping, but for the compliment inherent in the swiping. :) )