Elevator lines, a Dealer's view
Overall, A+ con. I had one small issue I would like to bring up.
As a Dealer I feel this is something all of us Dealer's could use a hand with.
After the Dealer's room closed on Saturday, I hauled up a large suitcase with sketchbooks, supplies and laminator I would need to work for the night, along with some personal belongings in my arms. This is not stuff I could have used the stairs for, or I would have, as I used the stairs while I was just wandering the con the rest of the weekend.
I was greeted with a 45 minute wait in the elevator line, while trying to carry things that weighed more than I do. It was awkward, and bit painful since I have a bad knee, and slowly having to move along my collection was putting a lot of unneeded stress on that leg.
Is it too much to ask that attendees with a Dealer's badge and large amount of things to carry back, get some line skip privileges ONLY for the hour or so after the Dealer's room closes each day?
Elevators are something that we are wrestling with on a constant basis. Just about every group demands at some point to get preferential access to the elevators: supersponsors, performers, dealers, panelists, "handicapped" people -- by the time we're done, more than half of the convention is on the "go to the front of the line" list and it does not help.
We are already working to monitor the 2nd and 3rd floors better to prevent people from trying to get on there, and to make the access door to the stairs more obvious.
Kage
You know the large theme parks have a "fast pass" system for the more popular rides. I am sure you know it works. Take a ticket and come back at a set time to ride. Would it be possible to set something like this up? If it works at Disney, maybe we could get it work here.
Just a thought on how to deal with the line problems at the Con
BTW My son (and me) had a wonderful con !!
Speedy Hamshark
AKA Sharky
Actually, i just had this funny idea. It probably has been thought of before and rejected because it wouldn't work, but just in case...
Do you think the hotel/convention center would mind if we left a few folding chairs (folded when not in use) leaning against a wall next to one or more of the elevator banks? It wouldn't change the length of the wait, but it might help a few of those folks whose primary concern is not how long it takes, but how long they can physically stay on their feet. And i would hope that could police ourselves in following the same rule with them that we do with the special seats in the front of the bus--if someone comes who needs it more than you do, you get up.
Then again, i could see issues coming up around traffic patterns for dorsai or the union work involved in folding and unfolding those chairs, and i certainly wouldn't want to cause trouble.
It's not been suggested, and it's a good idea on paper, but has a few drawbacks:
1) Chairs leaning against the wall would inevitably cause scratches and scrapes that the hotel would not appreciate.
2) In the off-hours, it's a fair bet that one or more of the chairs would wander off.
3) It relies on people cooperating. Since we had our hands full just trying to get people not to sit themselves down on the stairs in the lobby, it's a sure bet that at least one person would just plotz himself down in a chair and refuse to move.
4) The chairs, when in use, would create a traffic flow problem amongst people who do not want to use the elevators.
I don't think it's workable.
For my own clarification - are we talking the 'glass elevator' in the DLCC from 2 to 3, the down elevators in the DLCC from 3 to the walkway, or the Westin elevators?
Westin elevators only. I had no problems with the few minute wait with the convention center lines.
I definitely understand the issue with figure out who gets ahead of lines for the elevator, and this year really showed the shear volume of use on peek times. I'm glad at staff is atleast taking note of this issue. <3
I noted this in your LJ post, but I'll reiterate it here.
Was this material you could not safely or reasonably leave in Hall C for the night? The room is well-monitored and secured throughout the entire night, even after the Dorsai leave and the convention centre security staff take over for the night.
As Kage pointed out, as much as many do have grounded reasons for getting expedited elevator service, that number grows rapidly and it becomes unwieldy very quickly, even if kept to only reasonable cases.
Another alternative might be, ask one of the bellmen to take heavy objects or containers to your room for you. For a tip, they will most gladly do so, and it would prevent you from having to hold or carry heavy objects while standing in a line.
It's also probably worth noting that the elevators will be in heavy use at ceratin times of the day. Such times would include: when the dealer room closes, just before and after large events, and so forth. These are times when large percentages of hotel guests (and their guests if visitors are coming in from other hotels) will be trying to move around in the building. Exepctations should be that there will be longer than normal elevator lines during those times.
KP
And the bellman can use the freight elevators, which we can't. So for a couple of bucks, you may be able to get your case delivered to your room while you head straight out for dinner.
CAVEAT: I've not spoken to the hotel about this, I am not a spokesman for the hotel, etc, etc. If you intend to *depend* on this, call the hotel and ask.
Personally, I use a backpack to haul stuff around like that. Backpacks are easier at the airport too, where you have to schlep an action-packer tub and carry a suitcase. I just use the backpack instead of the suitcase.
Everyone in line has a story... one guy has a lot of stuff, the next guy has a gimpy leg, the next one is a fursuiter or an ultra-mega-sponser...
Kage is right when he says everyone wants special treatment, and contrary to what you might think, he cannot use his magical fire breath to create more elevators.
Hmmmm or can he.....?
Jeef
Actually, it's the wine. All he has to do is either spit-spray-mist it out and create a new elevator, or just pour it onto the ground and grow an elevator or shuttle service. 
Let me take a quick stab at this one....
The fur suiters complained about the elevator wait, so they were given their own floor near the bottem so they had the option of doing the stairs if they were able and if they did take the elevator they didn't have to go up that high any ways.
So give the next floor up to dealers. Problem more or less solved.
I had typed out a long rant but in the interest of good taste, I deleted it.
Actually, there most likely won't be a "fursuit floor" next year: read here.
well then the dealers can have the old suiter floor? We know how many dealers there'll be and I'm sure we have less dealers then suits. Problem solved?
No no. You see, there is no Fursuiter floor, because this year, the fursuiter floor went up to Floor 17 of the Westin. If we were to open priority floors to dealers, there would be the same issue- probably they'd end up towards the 17th floor.
This is the joyous trouble of having a convention that is on the growth track towards 5,000 people. It becomes harder and harder to give a special benefit to even 10% of the convention, because that 10% soon becomes the size of a small furry convention on its own.
We can no longer offer priority floors to any subgroup.
And if its not be said already, dont you dare try to push the elevators limits, least you find out the hard way like these poor girls
If I might hitch onto this topic - could not dealers, who are hauling quantities of stuff, be allowed EITHER the direct use of the freight elevator, or delivery of their "Freight" to the bell staff, and have it brought up by them?
I suspect direct use is a no-go, but the second option, while not eliminating the need to stand in line, DOES eliminate the encumberment with all this heavy equipment!
For that matter - I know folks are not particularly happy with the idea that any wheeled cart for hauling stuff makes it work covered by Teamsters - but if there were, say, a baggage cart at the end of the dealer's working area, where properly labelled equipment or boxes could be collected, that 4, 5, or more dealers' essential-to-take-back-to-room stuff could be transported with the charge divided among them? The Teamster could haul it to the dock, or an arrangement with the union could be made to get it to the freight elevator, and then Dealers could pay or tip hotel staff appropriately for delivery to their rooms?
I know, on first reading, that this sounds both risky and expensive, and dealers already feel that their costs associated with this Con are too High - of course, they feel that way about all the conventions - but believe me, once you get used to someone else taking your stuff, and then delivering it to your room for you, it stops seeming to be an extravagant luxury, and becomes a necessity worth the price.