Gamers Slandered In NY Times

[Lizard]

But not BY the New York Times, which is an important distinction to make.

In the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/business/yourmoney/29MARR.html, we have the wondrous quote:

"In their suits, hotel owners complain about poor service as well as high fees. The Flatley lawsuit, for example, contends that Marriott filled a job at the hotel in Quincy with a convicted drug dealer who kept a gun in the hotel's health club. It also complained that Marriott booked a convention for fans of the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons last January at a deeply-discounted price — a move that the owner's lawyer said would make it harder to attract the professional groups that the hotel had hoped to draw. "Once you get those guys, you're not going to get the orthopedic surgeons convention," said William E. Wallace III, a lawyer at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy who represents Flatley."

(This article was first mentioned on rpg.net; credit where it's due)

 

[William Ronald]

A lawyer who does not care to research the facts, seems judgemental and a trifle arrogant besides.

Nice to know he is contributing to stereotypes .... including those about lawyers.

Milwaukee did not have trouble attracting people because of Gen Con. Indeed, if hotel space was better, Gen Con would not be going to Indianapolis next year.

Maybe we can have Vin Diesel teach this fellow a lesson and have Lexa Doig ignore the lawyer completely.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

It also complained that Marriott booked a convention for fans of the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons last January at a deeply-discounted price — a move that the owner's lawyer said would make it harder to attract the professional groups that the hotel had hoped to draw. "Once you get those guys, you're not going to get the orthopedic surgeons convention," said William E. Wallace III, a lawyer at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy who represents Flatley."

Is he actually all that wrong with this?

 

[Lizard]

Re: Re: Gamers Slandered In NY Times

Is he actually all that wrong with this?

Given that most of the hotels I've been to which have hosted cons also seem to do a fine business in standard business conventions, I'd say, "Yes".

I cannot imagine, in reality, anyone other than, say, the head of the Harry Potter Teaches Kids To Be Satanists Foundation saying to a hotel, "By the way, have you ever hosted a....GAMING...convention? You have? Well, we'll take our business elsewhere!"

 

[Fast Learner]

In my experience, yes, he's completely wrong.

I've run and been heavily involved with many gaming and sf/f conventions, with plenty of costumed freaks.

At Hyatt Regencies, Sheratons, Hiltons, and many more reasonably fancy, business-catering hotels.

All of whom have lots of other conventions, too.

And we continue to do it, all the time.

His comments are completely uninformed.

 

[Corinth]

He can tell that to the Radison South Hotel in the Twin Cities. It's the home of CONvergence, and damn if the hotel management doesn't love the con for the business it gets.

 

[dren]

In my experience, yes, he's completely wrong.

But unfortunately that's not the problem. the issue here is perception. Once a hotel gets known for hosting such trivial and inconsequential activities like D&D, it is easy to assume that the hotel is considered Mickey Mouse in stature.

Like a lot of other things, the image of the hotel may suffer even if we as gamers do nothing wrong. And the hotels may love us by going there, but they may not admit this to their "top tier" clients.

The only things we can really do to enhance our image, is

1. always remember that your activities colour all other RPGers, so try to behave at a times.

2. Roll a natural 20 on diplomacy checks with all NY Times reporters to enhance their opinion of us.

 

[Buttercup]

I think this is utter bunk. I go to professional conferences about once a year, and I can tell you that I've never cared an iota what conferences the hotel I stay at has hosted in the past. I've never heard of any of my colleagues wondering about this either. Why would we? What could it possibly have to do with us?

What I have heard people voice concenrs about is the service, the cleanliness of the rooms, the service, and the service. Hotels that treat their convention guests well will have more conventions. Hotels that don't, won't.

And where does this guy get off suggesting that gamers by definition can't be orthopedic surgeons?

 

[Tsyr]

Ok, maybe it's the "I woke up five minutes ago and the coffee isn't ready" thing, but I can't honestly understand that snippet... Are we to read it that hotel owners are being sued by other hotel owners because they booked a DnD con?

I'm confused...

 

[Vaxalon]

Among other things, Tsyr, yes, he's saying that booking a DnD convention at a discount was a mistake.

Evidently he would have rather had an empty hall.