Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:58:14 -0400 From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu> To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> Subject: [WSFA] Things to do in/with the Town Square, was Re: Trees... forest.... Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> > omni at omniphile.com 10/21/2005 4:32:55 PM >>> >>It was Mike Nelson, I think, who for the first Capclave came up with the >Town >>Square concept that we're now using. If rather than thinking of the space >>as being in a hotel you imagine it as the town squares in small towns in >>Europe and early America combined with the Neighborhood Local (a term >>sometimes used for the neighborhood bar or pub) it helps. > >That concept didn't come across well to the average con-goer (which I was, >since I wasn't in on any of the planning for this). It appeared to be a >more or less typical con-suite with a lot of square footage...to me anyway. > It worked fine, but if the idea is something else, more clues about that >might be useful so people catch the it more easily. I'm not sure what >those clues might be, but maybe some brainstorming will produce a few. As good as Capclave was this year, there are ways to make it even better (Brighter! Shiner! More washes per load!). We missed some things... luckily nothing detrimental to the con. > >Maybe a "town crier" to announce programming starts or changes? Intersting idea.... > A >"speaker's box" for anyone who has something to say? (probably a bad >idea...). A small "business district" with a soda shop, ice cream store, >and con mementos? Rotton tomatoes for the speaker's box? (probably a bad idea...) > A cannon for the kids to climb on? ;-) Or into? Whoops, there goes another one! mjw > >-- Mike B. >-- >Things are more like they are today than they ever were before.