Furry Writers' Guild Forum

Rainfurrest - FWG Mixer?

Miscellany
#1

Kits managed to talk the head of the writing track into doing a sort of networking meet-and-greet for the FWG during one of the evenings of RF. It’ll be great to have something for the folks who aren’t early birds and, therefore, can’t make the coffee meets, not to mention that it’ll be more of an adult atmosphere since it’ll be held after hours. It’ll also be our chance to recruit more folks into the fold in a fun, relaxed atmosphere without turning things into a giant infomercial. There’s just one problem.

There’s no budget for food or drinks. I’ll be contacting PT after writing this to see if the guild can donate anything to the cause, but I’d rather we save the guild’s funds for other things. So will anyone be willing to donate any food, alcohol, or funds into this event? Spirit and I will be bringing his infamous Party Punch, but the main ingrediant is Vodka, which not everyone can drink. So, any takers?

#2

Are we still having the FWG panel/meet that’s on the official schedule, like we did previous years? (I think last year’s was held Thursday afternoon or evening?)

#3

That’s a very good question x.x Though Kits asked me to poke at folks about this, I wasn’t the one at the unofficial meeting where it was talked about. I’ll ask him and see what he says.

#4

If I can be there (and it’s a very long-shot if, 10% or so chance), I’d be happy to contribute as best I may. :slight_smile:

#5

I really hope you can make it, Bahu :3 Will be great to have you!

#6

I can throw in a little. Maybe set up a place to which we can donate?

#7

I’ll work with Kits and see if we can get something official going :3

#8

I would check to see if we are having a panel during the standard times.

I am not against an after hours meet, however, I would suggest it isn’t associated with the FWG. Much like the SWS for F&F, this could easily become highly unprofessional and having it associated with something that we are struggling to make more professional could be detrimental to our image.

#9

nods I have some concerns about that aspect as well, particularly if alcohol’s involved. Not shutting the idea down, but let’s get some more info. (I know I’m probably hyperconcerned about the guild’s reputation in no small part because my name’s the one on the homepage, but… yeah.) :slight_smile:

#10

I’ll see what Kits thinks. He seems to be of the impression that we should be okay for this, but I can definitely understand the concern. He’s flying up to Canadialand today, but I have no idea when his flight leaves x.x Only that it doesn’t land until tomorrow morning.

#11

Alright, so got to talk with Kits a bit. He believes - and I highly agree - we need to arrange for a four-way meeting between himself, PT, Sterling, and me to smooth out details.

It’s been agreed that it might be best to keep the Mixer word-of-mouth, much like SWS, so that it’s more of an unofficial thing just to be on the safe side.

#12

Yeah, if it’s a “Professional” appearance for us, alcohol would not be a great choice.

But I’m all for the alcohol+writers gabble afterparty. One of the best times I’ve had with artists was a laptop hooked up to a big TV, artists taking turns drawing and drinking. I can see us killing time doing something like that with a collaborative plot.

#13

I’d enjoy meeting as many of you as possible.

#14

There’s nothing wrong with doing a mixer after hours.

Just don’t associate it with the FWG is all.
Cause really, does it NEED to be associated with the FWG?
I’m willing to bet, no.

#15

I second (third?) keeping it informal and not necessarily associated. Or maybe, ‘Mixer for writers, hosted by FWG’? Still too much?

Anyway, whatever you guys decide, I’ll contribute some sort of food or beverage, or some cash if someone else is doing a grocery run.

I’M SO EXCITED I’LL BE THERE ^___^

#16

Kits and I are definitely in agreement now that it would be best to keep it informal, using word of mouth to spread it through. He has no idea if the official FWG panel is still scheduled x.x Or where it would be best for folks to donate, thus the need for a four-way meeting betwee us and Sterling and PT. But yeah, keeping it informal is definitely one thing we’re going to push for now.

#17

I hope the official FWG panel is still scheduled, since that’s one of the very few events I specifically requested…

My concerns on this remain the same. If it’s after hours, open to general congoers, and has alcohol involved, I don’t want it called an FWG mixer or having the guild’s name connected to it in any way. Call it a writer’s mixer or Munchkin’s mixer or whatever. If it’s important that it be associated with the FWG, then we’d need to talk about what to change with it for it to be okay as an official event – but honestly, as far as official events go, I’d rather have the same panel we’ve had before at RF and at other cons.

As far as donations, it would seem best to just have someone designated in charge of the refreshments and use their personal PayPal account for people to send money to. Have this all be an individual effort that individuals are choosing to support, the same way people might toss a few bucks to the host of a barbecue to cover costs.

#18

Okay, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and play the Wise Elder card…

Things tend to just sort of Go Wrong when young people and alcohol mix at a party-like event, including conventions. The universe itself seems to lean that way. I’ve seen it a dozen times over in my life, and I don’t want to see it again. Anyone who provides alcohol at such an event is legally liable for about a million and six potentially tragedies, even when sincere efforts are made to keep said alcohol away from those who shouldn’t have it. (Quite often the trouble is made by those legally entitled.) While I can and have attended public events at cons where alcohol was provided, and have consumed said alcohol while at them, I’ve always been a bit worried for the sake of my friends who were handing it out.

So…

If we want alcohol that badly, let’s just meet in the bar at a certain time. But I think most furs are perfectly fine without it-- I certainly am. In fact, I’d actively rather talk writing with non-inebriated people, given the choice. A panel-type situation would be nice, or something set in someone’s room. But…

I don’t think anyone ought to take on the responsibility-- or cost-- of handing out alcohol or anything else. If I want non-alcoholic refreshments, I’m perfectly capable of bringing my own. And the last thing I want to see happen is to have the FWG associated in any way with a drunken brawl, unappreciated drunken sexual advances, or god forbid an alcohol-related car wreck.

End of screed.

#19

Alright, it looks like this is going the route Kits was worried over when he suggested it be best to just scrap it. So yeah, kind of to the point of scrapping it. I’ve been to anime conventions where alcohol was mixed with adults (interestingly enough, of ~various~ ages) and it led to some of the best nights I’ve ever had at a convention, with nothing (and no one, for that matter) broken or any problems arising. I’m not denying that there haven’t been any bad results at any convention- I know there have. Maybe we were lucky to have folks there who had thrown enough parties to know how to be responsible and watch out for each other, including by taking the car keys from anyone asking for a drink. Maybe we were just plain lucky each and every time. I don’t know. I ~do~ know that if folks are going in believing it will end poorly, then it undoubtedly will. It’s one of those self-fulfilled prophecies that are simply unavoidable thanks to the drinks themselves.

I dunno. If anyone actually wants to arrange anything on their own as an individual thing, go for it. I’m more or less ready to delete this thread and move on though.

As far as the FWG panel, I really don’t know. All my info is coming second-hand from Kits, who was scrambling to prepare for his trip up north.

#20

I’d like to first point out that if the FWG panel is not on the schedule, that would be a bit of egg on RF’s face, as the FWG president is one of their guests of honor.

Concerning this topic (and I’ll point out that I will be moving this and the sushi threads to the “Miscellaneous” part of the forum, as this does break the “One thread per convention” rule), does there really need to be an official event? I mean, it would be nice if we could negotiate use of one of the writing panel rooms after hours (which is about as official as this needs to go), but other than that, we could all just communicate a time to meet up.

Concerning alcohol, if I remember correctly, doesn’t RF not allow alcohol in the convention center, other than at the bar? I seem to remember people getting in some trouble for bringing glasses/cups of booze into panels, even if they were the late-night ones.