NC Survey: Share Our Thoughts & Suggestions

[etteluap70PC]

I was there Monday around noon and was NOT impressed with the selection!!!

 

[Jennifer E]

I can understand that people want to save seats, and it's more fun to sit with your friends. But, there should be a rule that those seats need to be released about 10 minutes before the start of the session. Not that rules matter anyway, since there is a sign posted that says "No Saving Seats."

There were also signs that said to load the bus from the rear. Not once did anyone do it! Funny how rules are always meant for everyone else...

 

[Malinda Klein]

I was excited to see that Doris was available for pictures on Tuesday from x to x, and then I realized it was Wednesday!Wish they would have had something in the handouts or schedule to say she was there for that.

 

[esavvymom]

There were also signs that said to load the bus from the rear. Not once did anyone do it! Funny how rules are always meant for everyone else...

Yep!
Personally, I don't have a problem with seat saving- except it makes it hard to see what's available because there isn't a body in them. I don't like sitting alone- so if I can't hook up with my friend(s), which was hard to do- iffy-cell signals, or trying to find each other in a sea of thousands!....I'd end up sitting alone. Not much fun really. I can see making it a rule to save seats only till a certain time, but why shouldn't we be able to save seats so we can ENJOY ourselves with our friends. YOu know they are going to need a seat anyway! No one will go without a seat.

Have yet to fill out my survey. We just got back today, so I've got some catching up to do.

 

[raebates]

Hmmm... I never saw that room full (where we ate) but I was thinking that the registration area had plenty of room especially after the first day and there was also a lot of room in the hall of fame.

I'm thinking that when they planned the layout they were hoping for significantly more than 6000 consultants and that would have crowded the rooms even more.

I did like that Merrill was off by itself and it seemed like it was a larger space.

You're probably right about their expectations.

The dining area was never full, but the meal moved from one side of the room to the other. On Tuesday I was at breakfast early. I took a seat near the back of the room on the right side. I was at Merrill before they opened, then took my purchases back to the hotel. When I returned to McCormick Place I had some extra time so I went back to the dining hall for a leisurely cup of tea. By then the right side had closed down and everyone was seated on the left side of the room.

 

[pkd09]

I wish there would have been time for Q & A after seminars. All of mine went the complete 1 hr 15 min. I would also have liked the time with my NED to be at the end of the day giving us time to mingle/socialize and ask her questions.

A bit disappointed about the give-a-ways

Missed the Serve it Up Squad

Missed Tech Support

Missed other vendors

Food was fabulous

Glad we had our evenings available

Appreciated the book for notes

Not thrilled about the Snuggie

Had an AMAZING time!!!!!!!

 

[mountainmama74]

I commented to my friends as we were walking out that it seems that the person who needs it ends up winning. There was an article about the gal who won the car lease at Leadership last time and about how she needed a new car, too.

Julie England, who won the car last time, is my director and a very good friend of mine! When we were on the way home, we were talking to another consultant on the plane and she said, "How about that girl who won the car?" and I pointed at Julie next to me and said, "SHE won the car last year! Amazing isn't it?" LOL!! What fun!!

While I really wanted the car, I'm SO GLAD to hear it was someone who really needed one!!! I don't really, my car is less than a year old. But how awesome would it be to win a new one? I was really sad to hear that this year's winner had just lost her mom. So sad!!

This was my first conference, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. But I have to say, I really loved it!! When I filled out my survey, I did note that it was hard to see in general sessions with the chairs the way they were.

I also noted that we really didn't get $100 in free products/paperwork. We did get TWO packs of minis, and three or four packs of postcards, plus the regular catalog and a calendar. Then the rub, and the stuff from the Treasure hunt, and all the pins. I guess maybe it adds up....but like most of you, I would have preferred to not have the Treasure hunt stuff.

I do love the pins, though!!

 

[chefsteph07]

I"m doing a FR tonight and those linens from the treasure hunt are going as raffle prizes.

 

[esavvymom]

I wish there would have been time for Q & A after seminars. All of mine went the complete 1 hr 15 min. I would also have liked the time with my NED to be at the end of the day giving us time to mingle/socialize and ask her questions.

To me, that was PC's fault. The general sessions usually ran too long and we had 15 minutes to get to our workshop! 6000+ trying to get out of that hall through 3 doors?? UGGH. So the workshops (which were only 1 hr to begin with anyway) were shortened because they were not able to start on time and most people were still pouring in 15 minutes after they were scheduled to start. I think the ONLy workshop that started on time and had enough of it- was my 8:30AM workshop, because there was no general session to mess it up.

I haven't done my survey yet- but that was one thing I made note of- the lack of sufficient time between general sessions and the next planned event. Too much traffic congestion, too much distance to cover, with the # of people. Even with half going to lunch or leaving and the other half going to workshops- it still was a bit of chaos. Otherwise, the 6000-7000+ people aspect was handled reasonably well.

 

[pamperedlinda]

There were also signs that said to load the bus from the rear. Not once did anyone do it! Funny how rules are always meant for everyone else...

I never saw those signs - I"ll admit I wasn't looking for them (why would I look for instructions on loading a bus? I know how to climb stairs.)....I was also probably talking to someone while in line or boarding. I also never heard anyone announce it. So, I guess I was one of those "rule-breakers" too....however, if you don't know that there are "rules" can you really be accused of breaking them?

 

[mountainmama74]

I didn't see the "load from the back" sign until the very last time we got on a bus! I wasn't sure if they had always been there, or what!

 

[Kelly8]

I LOVED the necklace that consultants and SC received for those postcards. I thought it was unfair that the rest of us couldn't get one. When I inquired to HO about that, they said that TL's, Director's, etc would get "great" gifts as well...wrong!

I thought we were supposed to get over $100 in items to take home? The business materials that we got did not total that, unless they were counting the pins and meals in that...? I am confused???

The totes: How many clear fronts do I really need?

I, too, wondered where the $100 in giveaways came from, but I guess if you count the purple stuff at retail and what it originally sold for, that takes up a huge chunk (what, like $60?). If you received a pin for being top ten in your executive line, that cost $5 each! Add in the tote bag, all those stupid buttons, business materials, and you have $100. I think they pulled back way too much, and it took me an hour to do my survey because I let them know how I felt about Conference this year. Mind you, it's not always about the gifts to me, but I felt that the recognition was just totally take aback. And I think they could've done better on gifts. If you're going to spend money on a gift, why the cupcake pin? (what is that about?). I told them in my survey that Pampered Chef is way better at recognition than this and that I will be attending next year and have all the faith in the world that Conference will be improved. If not, I'll have to think really long and hard about attending the year after. I don't get anything out of the workshops anymore (I'm so surprised that some on here asked for more paper for notes-you can have mine!), so I go for the recognition and motivation, and I felt they lacked in that area big time! This was truly the worst Conference I had ever attended!

 

[chefsteph07]

I don't know if I'd say it's the "worst"....but it was definitely different. I can use alot more than pins, I can tell you that. I loved the minis and the recipe cards, that was nice. But the purple linens, if they counted those (and not everyone did the scavenger hunt....) then I think that's wrong.

I was disapponted that there was not more recognition for Round Up and HWC. No gifts for career club sales. We got a quaker oats bar for our Team Time, which normally if we had a banquet we would have gotten something. (our team time was just MORE recognition, like general session- BORING! *How about some more training??*)

Now, I realize it is not about the gifts. But it's nice, especially if you gone in years past. it's nice to get those "exclusive" items just for going to conference, that other consultants don't get. I loved the year with the career club gift of the pens in the nice little silver jar pen holder. That is NICE and I still have it proudly displayed on my desk.

 

[chefa]

Kelly,

I'm with you. While I had 2 good workshops, I could do without the cheesy buttons, the June Taylor dancers and Mr. DJ as well as that stupid cheesy "necklace" for the postcards. The loud, raucous, thumping music before the general sessions was a bit much too. I would have preferred way less thumping and more regular lighting so I could read over my workshop notes and other materials.

I expect quality when I spend my hard-earned money to attend something that is supposed to help me better myself and my business, and quite honestly, I dont' think I got my money's worth this year!

The "treasure" hunt was more like a snipe hunt! What a friggin' waste of time and energy! I'd rather have all the vendors in one space so I can visit them at my leisure - not as part of a game!

And Merrill. What a racket! They're the only licensed vendor, but you gotta be a freakin' smurf to wear any of their clothing! Unless of course you'd like a 4X T-shirt that makes you look like Mother Hubbard!

 

[gaddischef]

It seemed like a larger space because everything was GONE again by the end of the first day. :grumpy::grumpy::grumpy: I was SOOO excited to get to go into the Director's Room, but couldn't get there until Tuesday morning. By that time, there were exactly 5 items left in the room, and 2 of those were shirts that were only in 2X and larger sizes. I was sad.

I spent almost 3 hours at Merrill on Monday, from standing in line to get in to trying to see the products, to standing in line for check-out! It was a mess!! I did get a few things, but got frustrated because there were so many people! Some things even then only had certain sizes left (I got in around 11:30). There were only 2 lines for checkout which I thought was crazy.

I didn't even see the information about Doris taking pictures .... boo.

I didn't like Excelence Award recognition for the single category winners -- I go to conference for recognition and to me, that didn't seem like all the work I did to earn it was appreciated. I know there were alot of people who earned it, I guess, just another product of the one big confernce, but I said I should've just worn by regular clothes and sat with the rest of my cluster. Did other EA achievers like this? Were we supposed to have a pin? Just curious.

I love conference for the networking! I get to see a bunch of my PC friends!!