IronCon 2014 - Possible Cancellation

Cooper

If you are making minimum wage you probably have more necessary things to spend that money on though

Tamiko

Cooper said:

If you are making minimum wage you probably have more necessary things to spend that money on though

Very true but you can hope! And usually, if you are lucky, you have the money when you get your taxes back. You pay for things you need to and the rest in hand. That comment was more towards it isn't that there was an lack of interest but more people don't have the money with prices going up and wages staying the same.

Makarios

I'd definitely recommend not getting a rental car for anyone who doesn't need to lug around tons of stuff for whatever reason. Vegas is all pretty centralised, you can walk just about anywhere you'd want to go (and grab a cab for to/from the airport for super cheap).

I guess it comes down to how much the heat bothers you at that point though.

Tecton

Makarios said:

I'd definitely recommend not getting a rental car for anyone who doesn't need to lug around tons of stuff for whatever reason. Vegas is all pretty centralised, you can walk just about anywhere you'd want to go (and grab a cab for to/from the airport for super cheap).

I guess it comes down to how much the heat bothers you at that point though.

Yep, and if you're staying at the same hotel as other attendees, sharing cabs is cheap and easy!

Santar

Tecton said:

Makarios said:

I'd definitely recommend not getting a rental car for anyone who doesn't need to lug around tons of stuff for whatever reason. Vegas is all pretty centralised, you can walk just about anywhere you'd want to go (and grab a cab for to/from the airport for super cheap).

I guess it comes down to how much the heat bothers you at that point though.

Yep, and if you're staying at the same hotel as other attendees, sharing cabs is cheap and easy!

Just how I like it.

Aktillum

Tecton said:

Yep, and if you're staying at the same hotel as other attendees, sharing cabs booze drugs parking tickets damaged hotel room fines escorts is cheap and easy!

@Santar with me?

Aepas

Will be disappointing to not see everyone that I hate in the same room if it does not happen.

Silas

I don't understand all the posts from people saying it's too expensive. Do you expect Sarapis to cover your costs or something? If you can't afford it, don't go. This thread is to let people who can afford it know that they need to buy their ticket before the end of the month or the event will be cancelled.

Do you call up three star restaurants every night to tell them that you can't afford to eat there too? Bizarre.

Tania

As someone who works for a hotel, I hate to say this, but: try Expedia's vacation packages. Expedia is awful and I hate it, but it is also convenient and can possibly save you money. I was looking at vacation packages to Las Vegas for a possible bachelorette party for a friend, and some of the prices people are quoting are outrageous, even for summer rates!

Xith

I think when I did my planning last year I reached about $600 to go by myself with round-trip gas, including meals and stuff. Which is why I got a buddy to go with me to split the costs. But that buddy bailed and then I couldn't get anyone to buy my ticket(s).

Tamiko

Silas said:

I don't understand all the posts from people saying it's too expensive. Do you expect Sarapis to cover your costs or something? If you can't afford it, don't go. This thread is to let people who can afford it know that they need to buy their ticket before the end of the month or the event will be cancelled. Do you call up three star restaurants every night to tell them that you can't afford to eat there too? Bizarre.

My post was more aimed at Sarapis saying it was a lack of interest that tickets weren't selling. I was just pointing out that it isn't a lack of interest but more the government shutdown and job security has blocked a lot of people from just taking tax money and buying tickets. IRS isn't even going to accept filings until 31st. I have my W-2s already and have pretty done all the e-Filing but I can't get the government to work any faster.

Tamiko

Tania said:

As someone who works for a hotel, I hate to say this, but: try Expedia's vacation packages. Expedia is awful and I hate it, but it is also convenient and can possibly save you money. I was looking at vacation packages to Las Vegas for a possible bachelorette party for a friend, and some of the prices people are quoting are outrageous, even for summer rates!

Only problem I have had with vacation deals if they tell me I'm going to be in one place and I arrive and am told I'm actually going to be in the shitty sister resort that is 35 miles away. I get to that loser hotel, we go to get a rental car and the car we were told would have and the vacation package overbooked that car so we have to cram into a super rabbit.

With vacation deals you find or Orbitz and Expedia, the savings is dealt through the owner company and they toss things over to the sister companies at last minute. One, two, or both of the scenarios I mentioned earlier have happened to me going to Texas, Florida, and New York City. One time, I had to sleep on a couch in the lounge because my room wasn't booked until the day after I arrived, though my receipt clearly said it would all be ready on the same day. Took 6 months to finally get the refund for the night I didn't spend in the room.

Sarapis

Well, we're up to 20 tickets sold, meaning we only need another 30 by end of the month. Buy if you're wanting to go please!

Tania

Tamiko said:

Tania said:

As someone who works for a hotel, I hate to say this, but: try Expedia's vacation packages. Expedia is awful and I hate it, but it is also convenient and can possibly save you money. I was looking at vacation packages to Las Vegas for a possible bachelorette party for a friend, and some of the prices people are quoting are outrageous, even for summer rates!

Only problem I have had with vacation deals if they tell me I'm going to be in one place and I arrive and am told I'm actually going to be in the shitty sister resort that is 35 miles away. I get to that loser hotel, we go to get a rental car and the car we were told would have and the vacation package overbooked that car so we have to cram into a super rabbit.

With vacation deals you find or Orbitz and Expedia, the savings is dealt through the owner company and they toss things over to the sister companies at last minute. One, two, or both of the scenarios I mentioned earlier have happened to me going to Texas, Florida, and New York City. One time, I had to sleep on a couch in the lounge because my room wasn't booked until the day after I arrived, though my receipt clearly said it would all be ready on the same day. Took 6 months to finally get the refund for the night I didn't spend in the room.

Believe me, we have been screwed over by Expedia before, too, which is why I said I hate it. But if you find a good rate on those sites, you can usually get that same rate by calling the hotel/rental place direct, if you're worried about them doing the above (which they will do. Fun fact: Expedia doesn't let hotels remove inventory, even if we're sold out of rooms. We have to jack up our price to a level that no one sane would pay. This once ended with someone paying more than a thousand dollars for the hotel I work in. Regular rates were $99).

Xae

I'm curious, can you extend the date of ticket purchases?

Xith

Xae said:

I'm curious, can you extend the date of ticket purchases?

Yeah I have a few too many expenses to be doing IronCon tickets yet. I don't think this goal is going to be met by the end of january.

How many people have said they want to buy later? Does a pledge count?

Akia

You fools, you don't need to eat.  Tanris and I didn't eat for 3 days.  You get everything you need from the free alcohol/beer.

Saeva

Just pack a backpack full of ramen! Food costs = $2

Antonius

I'll second what Akia said. I ate maybe a couple of slices of pizza and a sandwich the entire time I was in Vegas, you just have to get all your calories from beer. Total food and transport costs: 21 USD.

Sarapis

Yeah, that about sums up what I ate too. There'll be more snacks that aren't just chips there this year too, assuming we can go ahead with it!

Tahquil

Sarapis

Aww, that's too cute Tahquil.

Tamiko

Saeva said:

Just pack a backpack full of ramen! Food costs = $2

If you saw how much salt you ate in all those pack of ramen, I bet you wouldn't eat them ever again. Some of us have, you know, diabetes and high blood pressure to worry about. *swoon* 

I love alcohol and all but I guess I would be a buzz kill because few slices of pizza and booze would probably have me passing out somewhere by day 2. o.0 These old bones can't hang like that anymore.

Saeva

lol I agree that not every human can live on ramen alone... but I spent the later part of my youth surviving off that crap.
It works for a weekend.

Gibbi

This might have already been covered, but what if someone buys a ticket, despite knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that they'd not be able to go?  Is it just the money that is needed, or someone's actual physical presence to keep things from being cancelled?

Katzchen

Gibbi said:

This might have already been covered, but what if someone buys a ticket, despite knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that they'd not be able to go?  Is it just the money that is needed, or someone's actual physical presence to keep things from being cancelled?

I'd say just the money! It's not like they lose anything if you don't attend. You could always offer it for sale if IRE sells all their tickets.

Achilles

Pretty sure its just the money needed.  Sarapis has mentioned this is a loss-leader for them.  Those generous enough to help subsidize the rest of us will be remembered fondly when inebriated at Ironcon.

Antonius

Yeah, I suspect money is just required to start booking things. They don't want to put money down for the venue and entertainment then have to eat a huge loss because not enough tickets were sold.

I briefly considered buying more tickets to sell on to people later, but it's just not feasible for me to do. Even if I could afford to buy the tickets in the first place (and then how would I afford globes?) I just couldn't guarantee that people would actually buy them from me afterwards when they can afford it, despite what they've been saying in this thread.

Shunsui

Antonius said:

 (and then how would I afford globes?) 

Did you learn nothing from Tahquil's video plea?

Antonius

@Shunsui: I already paid for two $200 tickets, I've made my contribution!!

Also, cute as Tahquil looked, I didn't watch much of her video because I'd already bought my tickets.