Philly Brick Fest 2015 – Apr 23-26

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  • #10854
    Matthew
    Participant

    Of course im willing to chip in on rooms… and its not confirmed yet is SAM is going but if he does, the two of us are getting a room and maybe could split the room up more than just two people

    #10855
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    Sure thing. If you’re looking to save money, I’d hold off on booking another room until we confirm whether spots are open in the rooms our group already has… but that’s your call. Just saying, don’t count on others joining you in a fifth room if we haven’t filled the first four yet. 😉

    #10856
    Nick Chen
    Participant

    Yep I am going. I think Dan is carpooling with me? I need to share a room with some one or multiple people.

    #10881
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    BOOM. Schedule.

    Of note:

    THURSDAY there’s basically nothing special other than the opening ceremony at 8 PM. All of the little contests/games that are scattered throughout the day are repeated later in the weekend, and if memory serves most of them were underattended and/or largely ignored, and didn’t have great prizes or anything. So, I think this backs up Chris’ suggestion to hit Art of the Brick on Thursday afternoon (and possibly to do our LUG dinner this evening…?)

    FRIDAY there are more games, a few seminars, and plenty of time to get our display ready. I’m not sure what “Unveiling” is or whether anyone’s interested in the yard sale, but the bowling probably would be fun, so if we did a LUG dinner or anything else outside the convention’s scope that night, I’d think maybe shoot to do it between 5-9 in order to participate in the bowling (and hopefully win LEGO like Micah and Rick did last time!)

    SATURDAY is gonna be a marathon. Two public sessions (at least we should get a break in between), awards ceremony, then the “red brick district” (sorry, @hacim – you’re too young.) Of course, participation is optional and most of us will probably not stay out until 2 AM, but some of that evening can be pretty fun.

    SUNDAY we’ll all be exhausted, and the session is 6 hours, but it’ll be fun anyway. Teardown and closing ceremonies and then we get on the road. Yay!

    #10896
    Tim
    Moderator

    I like the idea of doing the LUG dinner on Thursday evening. That would get everyone together right away for some good fellowship and just be a great start to the event.

    I’m not sure about car pooling just yet. My work schedule may have me in Richmond either right before or right after PFB. So until that solidifies, I can not commit to a carpool. Assuming I can, I would love to carpool.

    Also, I am doing my room on Marriott reward points, so no cost to me. I can take 1 roommate and we can figure out some reasonable reimbursement (maybe a cup of bricks from the Lego Store and few extra bucks – I’m not looking to make money on it). I’ve reserved a King with a sofa bed, so any roomie would get the sofa. 😛

    #10906
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    Also, I am doing my room on Marriott reward points, so no cost to me. I can take 1 roommate and we can figure out some reasonable reimbursement (maybe a cup of bricks from the Lego Store and few extra bucks – I’m not looking to make money on it). I’ve reserved a King with a sofa bed, so any roomie would get the sofa.

    So what you’re saying is, you’ll give me a cup of bricks from our run to KoP LEGO store and some cash, and all I have to do in return is have a sore back and be a zombie from not actually sleeping all weekend?

    #10907
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    I’ve decided to go to PBF. I have a few MOC vehicles to offer if there are any blank spaces. Otherwise, I am mostly just interested in seeing the whole thing.


    @zbauer
    – just confirming what I just now read over on the display planning thread; you do intend to attend? And are you already registered?

    #10909
    Zach Bauer
    Participant

    Hey Matt. Yes I will be there all of Sunday. I am not registered-just going in with an admission ticket during the ‘live hours’. I have a meeting in Oakland until Saturday evening and will be leaving straight from that to drive to Philly Saturday night. I can help fill a shift on Sunday if you need and was just offering some small cars if someone wanted to include them with their display.

    #10910
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    OK, thanks for clarifying that, Zach. You probably don’t need to worry about staffing the display (unless you want to – we certainly won’t turn you away); if you’re only there the one day (and during public hours) you’ll have your hands full seeing everything.

    It sounds like you’ll be on your own for transportation… what about lodging? Are you good there, or are you looking to chip in a few bucks for Saturday night and jump in one of the rooms we have reserved? We can probably accommodate that, but we don’t want to get *too* overcrowded so I want to make sure we know how many people need sleeping quarters each night.

    #10911
    Zach Bauer
    Participant

    Ok that sounds great. Yeah I’m not going to beg for staffing if I’m not needed because you aren’t the first to tell me I’ll be busy trying to see it all 🙂

    I’m all good on those fronts. I’m staying at a friend’s house in Philly Saturday night and I’m driving because I will be leaving for NYC on Sunday night.

    #10912
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    Yea, I mean, come say hi and hang out for a bit, but the session is only 6 hours long (I think), and it’s 90,000 square feet of convention floor.

    Sounds good, just confirming where you stand. We’ll leave you out of the logistics planning then and just see ya there!

    #10914
    Zach Bauer
    Participant

    Yes I will definitely stop by and say hi. I’ll also be the club’s promoter on Sunday of I get the opportunity to talk up the Steel City LUG display with anyone I meet 😉

    I can help dismantle the display on Sunday night depending on what time that is happening.

    #10917
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    I can help dismantle the display on Sunday night depending on what time that is happening.

    Doors close at 4:30; we’ll start teardown ASAP. Closing ceremony at 5 PM. We can *probably* arrange for you to not be kicked out with the general public at 4:30 so you can stay to help tear down… (maybe even to get you in early before the masses on Sunday, but don’t count on that.)

    #10918
    Zach Bauer
    Participant

    I probably won’t be able to get there early on Sunday anyway. Is there someone I could give a couple tiny MOCs to for them to take with them on Thursday to set out during construction of the display?

    #10921
    Nick Chen
    Participant

    I am carpooling with Dan. I have room to bring MOCs if people need me to bring them. Did we sort out the issue of the trailer and custom tables? I have a Toyota FJ with a tow hitch so I can tow a trailer if someone has one we can use. Caveat, I have never towed anything before but I am willing to try.

    I dont have a room. Anyone have room I can split with?

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Nick Chen.
    #10927
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    Nick, did you see the spreadsheet link?

    OK, boys and girls, T-minus 24 days, so let’s get our logistics on! I updated my little Google Spreadsheet with the latest info I could gather from the thread / Saturday’s meeting discussion, but please review and confirm / correct as needed: Matt’s Awesome PBF Logistics Spreadsheet (make sure you’re looking at the tab with 3/30 date)

    I have you in there. We don’t have all attendees locked into specific rooms just yet (waiting for confirmation from @paulamalu, @rbeideman, and @hacim on whether they want to take on additional roommates) but we’ll get you in a room one way or another. We currently have 4 rooms booked; can add another if need be. Just plan on somewhere around $30-45 / night depending on how things shake out.

    As for the trailer, we talked about it at Saturday’s meeting, and I think @laura may have had a lead? She may also be able to tow, but thanks for being willing. It’s not so bad driving with a trailer; the only real issues are backing up and parking. So try not to do those things, and you’ll be fine!

    #10928
    Nick Chen
    Participant

    Thanks Matt. No I didnt see this spreadsheet. Stupid question, where is this spreadsheet? If you need me to tow the trailer let me know. I have a hitch but need to buy the ball. Not sure what height/size so the sooner the better. Shouldnt be too bad as my work sells some.

    #10929
    Zach Bauer
    Participant

    Nick I have a ball you could use and can tell you everything you need to know about towing if you end up being the tow person.

    #10935
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    Thanks Matt. No I didnt see this spreadsheet. Stupid question, where is this spreadsheet?

    Aw, snap, looks like the link didn’t come through when I quoted my original post from last week. Here it is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GpQWg09vGEVtAGljUarlDsaEVkeTYjw8CTeHhOOIUts/edit?usp=sharing (look at the most recent tab – I updated it to read 4/1, as there’s new info I added since Monday.)

    I may just go ahead and book one more room. We have 14 people attending who will be sleeping in hotels, to my knowledge, which would mean either 3 or 4 to a room on average, if people want to get that crowded. Tim said he’d take on one roommate, and if we assume Rick and Micah’s room will be just the two of them, and Paula and Laura do the same, that means we have 8 left for our one remaining room, and I don’t like you guys *that* much. So I’ll check out the current availability, and probably report back with a new room by tomorrow.

    #10937
    Rick Beideman
    Participant

    Yes. Micah and I are planning to live in luxury and have a room to ourselves. We do have room to transport people if there is a need for that.

    Rick

    #10949
    Tim
    Moderator

    So what you’re saying is, you’ll give me a cup of bricks from our run to KoP LEGO store and some cash, and all I have to do in return is have a sore back and be a zombie from not actually sleeping all weekend?

    Actually, you would give me a cup or two of bricks and a little cash. But the rest (sore back and being a zombie) is spot on. 😀 In my experience, the Marriott hotels have reasonably comfortable sofa beds but this would be strictly caveat emptor.

    #10950
    Matt Redfield
    Keymaster

    Actually, you would give me a cup or two of bricks and a little cash.

    I like this deal less and less… you were a good roommate at Cincy BFL, but I had a real bed there… maybe I’ll leave this offer for someone under 30…

    #10954
    Benjamin C Good
    Participant

    Yes. Micah and I are planning to live in luxury and have a room to ourselves.

    Ha this made me bust out laughing. Susie won’t be at PBF, but we’ve already decided that that’s gonna be our attitude at BrickFair for anybody else going – ‘screw you guys, get your own room.’

    #10955
    Tim
    Moderator

    you were a good roommate at Cincy BFL, but I had a real bed there… maybe I’ll leave this offer for someone under 30…

    For some reason, when I booked the room, the two double bed rooms were more points than the King room. So I took the one with the least amount of points.

    #10959
    Benjamin C Good
    Participant

    As for the trailer, we talked about it at Saturday’s meeting, and I think @laura may have had a lead? She may also be able to tow, but thanks for being willing.

    Did we have any more info on that?

    So here’s an update on this subject from Ben. My Dad has a suburban and trailer, and once I’m again I’m trying to borrow them from him but I haven’t heard anything yet and I’m pretty sure they’re not actually available. My Dad is always telling me how difficult it is to drive with a trailer (esp the parking and lack of backing up) and that I should just rent a van. So I finally took a look on uhaul.com:

    A van is only $19.95 a day. I used one to move after college when I still didn’t have much furniture, so I know it has plenty of room. So I thought it would be a good option. The catch is… it’s also 59 cents a mile. Bearing in mind that I would probably pick it up in the North Hills, drive to Josh’s to get the tables, drive to Lancaster, drive to PBF, drive around locally that weekend, and then do it in reverse, it comes to close to 700 miles, which, with the daily rental fee, comes to close to $500 dollars. So I crossed that off as an option.

    The good news is that trailers are el cheapo. I looked at one that’s called the 4’x8′ trailer, it’s $14.95 a day, plus tax, period. And just to be sure, I talked online with Uhaul’s helpful online chat agent Manuel, and he confirmed it. The site lists the interior dimensions as 4’1 (wide enough) by 8’1 (deep enough for two tables to lay flat, so we can have two stacks) by 4′ (high enough for all the tables in two stacks). So that seems like an excellent option to me if it turns out that we need it.

    So then it would be who’s driving it. I have also never driven a trailer but am willing to try it (in fact I really wanna learn so I can tell my dad that it’s not that hard and just lend me your trailer already). Since I’m stopping in Lancaster both ways, that might add another $15 to the total but I can cover it if need be. I do not have a hitch though so I’d have to take care of that.

    Anybody else who wants to do it needs to bear in mind that you’ll need to get the tables from Josh’s house and drop them off as part of your route. And also that Thursday is prime setup time, so if you’re not leaving Pgh til noon Thu and arriving in Philly at 6pm, you’re not the ideal candidate for hauling, since setup can’t really get going until the tables arrive. (Also worth noting, Uhaul recommends you don’t go over 55mph with a trailer, so this’ll slow you down on the Turnpike if you like to drive right up to the speed limit.) I’m still planning on arriving at the convention hall around 1pm that Thursday afterooon.

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