Posted by Sally on 5/14/2008, 8:34 am, in reply to "Why did we change the FTF location?"
208.27.111.130
Nancy, I for one am really looking forward to the Frankenmuth experience! True, I was only able to experience one FTF at the old location (and had a ball I might add), but I do think that having the opportunity to experience a little Oktoberfest along with our many mouse-related activities will only enhance our weekend. So save me a pretzel and a beer - and thank you as always for all your efforts.
--Previous Message--
: Some people are happy that we'll be in Frankenmuth
: this year. Others are concerned that the costs
: will be higher. Still others are concerned that
: it's a big festival weekend there and we'll be
: swamped with people. I thought you might want to
: know how fortunate we are to have changed
: locations. Frankenmuth will be an experiment and,
: in many ways, a challenge. But the people in
: charge are delighted to have us there.
:
: Without going into the gory details, suffice it
: to say the general manager at Valley Plaza and
: his new food and beverage manager were far from
: accommodating last year. Then, after the event,
: I was "informed" that many of our
: privileges would no longer be available: scooter
: for Mom, walkie/talkie to keep in touch with
: staff during the weekend, Grand Ballrooms (we
: were moved to the little rooms on the other end),
: use of the entrances and hallways for activities,
: ability to set up the room a day early and lock
: it, and many other things that made our event
: enjoyable and easy to manage. We were also told
: to expect to work around a minimum of two
: weddings in the same building on Saturday.
:
: Shortly thereafter I learned that the new F and B
: manager felt we don't spend enough money there (a
: measly $20K from us and another $20 from guests
: in the form of room rentals). He wants to turn
: the convention center into ALL weddings and big
: parties: they are quick big-bucks events that
: require no extra room changes,
:
: Fast forward to my last email from our former
: sales associate. They eliminated her job. To
: get to her, they also had to fire four other
: sales associates under her. The last two quit.
: All of the events Sonja had coordinated have
: already bailed or are making this their last year
: at VP. The GM's wife is now working in sales
: because they have only one clerical assistant
: left and no sales associates. THe woman who was
: in charge of catering left and took her two
: daughters with her (they also managed various
: aspects of catering). To cap it all off, the
: owners of VP sold a large adjacent plot of land
: to the county to build a JAIL.
:
: We truly believe they are on a mission to go
: bankrupt and cut their losses. The GM and F and
: B guy are both out of their minds.
:
: Can you imagine the horrible treatment we would
: receive if we were still planning to go to VP
: this year, if there even IS a VP this year???? We
: were fortunate to book the Bavarian Inn and Lodge
: and could only do that because we took the
: weekend we took. It won't be ideal, but we can
: always make it FUN. My mind is in overdriving
: trying to do just that.
:
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