[NFBV-Announce] Hotel Orientation and Other Pointers

Thu Nov 2 04:50:41 UTC 2023

Hello everyone!

It's show time!

Just a few things before we get to the hotel layout:

TLDR? Haha, don't be silly. There's too much to cover to condense it to a
few short sentences, other than maybe to be especially nice to Jacki Bruce
and Bob Meter. I can be hard to work with, and they caught the short end of
this year's stick.

1. Meal Tickets: Don't lose them. It's what we use to track meal counts. On
Saturday evening at the banquet, my vegetarians need to leave your ticket on
your tables so the servers know to bring you the right dish. If you lose
your ticket, you'll be making an extra donation to the Hilton family.

2. If you have issues with your rooms, take it up with the front desk. I
think most of our issues have ben resolved regarding room rates, assuming
you connected with me. If not, I've done the best I can, and the only thing
I would do is walk over to the front desk with you anyway. I have a hundred
things on my plate and am counting on you to do a little self-advocacy in as
polite a manner as possible.

3. If the meting spaces are too cold, put on a sweater. If they're too warm,
take off a layer. It's instant climate control from your seat! Seriously,
unless we're talking a huge HVAC issue, remember it's a hotel in the middle
of a season that can't make up its mind if it wants to be hot or cold.

4. Friday and Saturday box lunches will feature the same options both days.
I know, work the groan out of your system now. Everything, everywhere, is
getting more expensive. I did the best I could with the budget we have.

5. On Sunday morning, you will come into the Adams Ballroom and find
yourself amongst round tables instead of the theater seating you were
expecting. You might wonder if breakfast is forthcoming. You would be
waiting a long time. We're doing what we can to minimize the amount of
flipping. Technically, you're not supposed to bring food into the meeting
space, but I'll ask the hotel for forgiveness later. Just, you know, clean
up after yourselves if you chow down during the town hall Q&A.

6. Cell reception is a little quirky on the first floor of the property.
Keep an eye on your phone, and if needed, switch to Airplane Mode so you
don't kill your batteries. You shouldn't be perusing your phones anyway
considering the hard work all the speakers have put into their
presentations. If you need me for anything, you'll find the number where you
can reach me on the agenda, or you can ask Annette Carr, who will also pick
up on that line. If you expected me to give you the number here, don't be
silly. Then you wouldn't go perusing through the agenda, which you can
access at: NFBV.org/Convention.

7. If you see something wrong, and it is within your power to address it,
please do so and consider us eternally grateful for your being proactive.

Alright, let's get into the hotel layout description.

The hotel is not aligned along a perfect east-west coordinate; however, for
the sake of simplicity, let's say you enter the hotel at the bottom, or
southern, side of the rectangle.

Upon entering, on your left will be a chalkboard with the restaurant's daily
specials. Though the property does not typically open the restaurant for
lunch, our group size might persuade them to do otherwise for anyone who did
not purchase the box lunches.

Still on your left, past the chalkboard, is a small seating area.

This small seating area is followed by the elevator bank serving the guest
room towers.

Past the elevators, and across from the front desk, will be a welcome table
positioned between two pillars where our first set of NFBV representatives
will be stationed to help guide you back toward the promenade and conference
center.

As you continue to make your way north, or toward the rear of the property
with the main entrance behind you, you will walk past plants and pillars. On
your left there will be a high top table with 12 chairs.

Now, let's backtrack and cover what's on your right after entering the
lobby.

To your right will be the luggage carts, the concierge desk, and a door you
can access to walk back into the conference center. Be aware you will need
to walk down a few steps beyond this doorway to access the shortcut
corridor.

Beyond the concierge desk is the L-shaped front desk with four lanes to keep
the check-in process moving smoothly.

Past the front desk, you will find a trash can, a microwave, and more
seating area.

The corridor will come to an intersection.

If you take a left at this intersection, you will find the arcade, gym,
indoor pool, and one set of restrooms. The pool is opened from 7 AM to 11 PM
daily. Think of these amenities on the northwest quadrant of the property.

If you were to move forward from this intersection, you will find the
Harvest Grill and Pitchers. You'll need to find the steps leading up to the
first level of the restaurant and bar area. There is ramp access to the
seating area.

To the right from this intersecction is a convenience store, the Promenade,
and the conference center where all of our programming will be hosted. Think
of the ballrooms and rest of the conference center as taking up the eastern
half of the property.

As you turn right, or east, and begin moving toward the promenade, on your
right you will find a high top table with charging stations. Continuing
along your right, you will walk past grass walls where conference organizers
will typically hang banners or where guests can set up photo tents. It's the
spot where you could take a picture with your sweetie before or after
banquet, assuming they haven't driven you nuts by this point in the weekend.
And, oh yeah, bring your own camera! Didn't I tell you we're working on a
budget here?

On your left, across from the bank of charging stations, is a market that
sells cafe items: pastries, coffee, sandwiches, sodas, etc.

Past the market will be a seating area with more electric outlets to power
up your devices after you ignore my advice to keep an eye on their
reception.

Past this seating area on your left, and across from the grass walls on your
right, is the main registration desk. There is a corridor adjacent you can
follow back toward a second set of restrooms near the employee entrance.

After transitioning from tile to carpeting, you will have entered the
promenade. *Insert epic orchestral music here.* This serves as the massive
foyer with skylights to the ballrooms lined up against the left wall. In
order from left to right, the ballrooms are: Harrison, Taylor, and Adams.
Harrison, on the far left, is the space we'll be using for senior
programming on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. Taylor is what we'll
use for the Exhibit Hall on Friday afternoon. Harrison and Taylor will be
combined to host that evening's hospitality event led by the Williamsburg
Chapter.

Harrison only has one entrance. Taylor has two entrances. In order to access
Adams' one entrance, you have to walk through a set of sliding glass doors.
The General Sessions and banquet will be in Adams.

Box lunches will be served in the promenade on Friday and Saturday
afternoon.

So, to recap, along the left of the promenade are the ballrooms. Ahead of
you are the doors heading to the rear of the property and a piano. On your
right will be the entrance to the conference center. It's something of a
small entrance, but it is the only door leading into the conference center.

Step into the conference center and make an immediate right to walk down a
short ramp. At the foot of this ramp is a second registration desk I'm sure
we'll use to post a marshall to give directions.

At the bottom of the ramp you will be in the foyer to the conference center.
There is a fireplace in the middle. There is an auditorium to the left of
the fireplace we will not be using this weekend.

Think of the conference center as a large U corridor. It is not a perfect U
corridor. There are a few jogs in the corridor, but a U is the best way to
describe the general concept. In the middle of the U is the Central Lounge.
This is where the DEI event will be held Thursday evening and where we will
have childcare and the youth track on Saturday.

Let's assume we're going to walk up the right side of the U. If you come
down the ramp and make an immediate left, you will pass the registration
desk on your right; a set of stairs leading up to the second floor and our
hospitality room; Room A&B, which is one of our breakout rooms; and a small
corridor that is the shortcut back to the main lobby I told you about
earlier. As you work your way around the U shape, you will walk past Room
2&3; Room C, which is only for our auction and door prize teams; and
eventually Room D. Remember, the Central Lounge is in the middle of this
crooked U shape. 

If you're standing in the conference center foyer, at the bottom of the U
shape, the men's restroom is on your right side. The women's restroom is on
your left side. The entrances to these facilities come before your entrances
to the Central Lounge.

If you would like to take the eleavator up to the second floor from the
foyer, the elevator is located to the left of the right corridor. In other
words, if you walk past Room A&B, you've already started walking into the
U-shaped corridor and have gone too far. The elevator only serves the two
floors of the conference center. If you need to get back to your guest room,
you will need to make your way back to the main lobby.

If you hated that hotel description, rest easy. There will be plenty of
people to help you get oriented, and after you've gotten lost a few times,
you too can orient the next person. It's not as complicated as it sounds
though.

And with that, it's off to Williamsburg we go! Find me and say hello. You
make it all worth it, and thank you to everyone who sent me jokes and memes
a couple weeks ago. I was quite touched and supremely grateful for the
funnies.

Your Federation brother,

Joe 

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