Session Toronto - June 22nd

[Cass]

Thanks for addressing the concerns - it's a wonderful concept. Keep it up guys!

[groulxsome]

Thanks for addressing the concerns - it's a wonderful concept. Keep it up guys!

I agree. It is really great to see such a quick response and that you folks from Session are so open to listening to criticism.

Also, just one note on how water could be better. I know the City of Toronto "HTO to go" is only free for public events, but I know there are similar services in the GTA.



Having something like that, which has taps set up so that they can be used for water and for rinsing glasses is a great way of making water a part of your event without bottled water from vendors or the odd solution of the first aid tent (which kinda makes it seem like needing water is a medical problem, not a recommended part of the event). I cannot remember the name of the service used by the Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival last year (it wasn't the city one, it was a private one), but it was by far the most successful example I've seen of a watering station for a beer event.

[Cass]

For those wondering about the volleyball court, it's actually part of Wychwood Barns park and always there. Used pretty much all the time

[Craig]

For those wondering about the volleyball court, it's actually part of Wychwood Barns park and always there. Used pretty much all the time

I figured as much. Really, if you replaced it with seating the space would have been more or less perfect for the volume of people.

The beer was very good. The food was great too, much better than last year. They were even handing out free food inside from time to time.

Better access to water would have been nice, but I didn't find it as challenging as some of you seem to. I noticed it at the first aid station right on the way in and there were water fountains inside too. The rinse station was obviously a flop.

I didn't really have any issues at the gate either. The line was moving as fast as I think you can hope for.

My largest complaint of the night is someone walked off with my rain coat from the Great Lakes booth. I'm sure it was an accident, because I ended up with someone else's black rain coat, but it's still annoying. Mine was gore-tex and had my earbuds in the pocket.

[Pub Style]

Squeaky - just sent you a PM

[Craig]

In less than 3 hours after I posted that the organizer of the festival and someone from the brewery I stashed my coat with both contacted me to see if they could get it back. This from a little tack-on to a long, rambling post.

This place is great.

[Malcolm]

Thanks to all who came out. It was by far our best attended event, but again had it's hiccups. Thanks to all for all your critiques and suggestions.

Regarding the WASHROOMS: you can imagine our horror when we found out the porta-potties wouldn't arrive in time. Last year we had a washroom debacle, and we made sure we had enough porta-potties reserved that we would be well beyond comfortable. As Cass indicated, this was an Artscape supplier.

The knocks on Artscape don't surprise me in a bit. They are a hopelessly uninterested landlord who unfortunately have their hands on some premier properties. I've had to negotiate with them for several events and their "service" is pathetic.

[NRman]

As a 4 time Session attendee I have enjoyed them all and I look forward to next year.
I agree it was crowded and the washroom situation was almost a literal #^%show .
I have no idea about Artscape but they sound like a poor organization - I hope someone cut them a new one after the porta pottie failure and someone got a credit. At the end of the day they are damaging the Session brand, not their own.
As for space, I find this picture interesting (from the Artscape Blog describing the Burger Day on June 2 with attendance of 5000 people) 5 times Session? hard to imagine but they refer to closing wychwood and I assume used the whole site)
http://www.artscapeeventservices.ca/blog/


Session felt a bit like this

[Droogy]

As a 4 time Session attendee I have enjoyed them all and I look forward to next year.
I agree it was crowded and the washroom situation was almost a literal #^%show .
I have no idea about Artscape but they sound like a poor organization - I hope someone cut them a new one after the porta pottie failure and someone got a credit. At the end of the day they are damaging the Session brand, not their own.
As for space, I find this picture interesting (from the Artscape Blog describing the Burger Day on June 2 with attendance of 5000 people) 5 times Session? hard to imagine but they refer to closing wychwood and I assume used the whole site)
http://www.artscapeeventservices.ca/blog/


Session felt a bit like this

Maybe 5000 over the whole day with lots of turnover. We had 1000 and no one was leaving!

[grub]

Maybe 5000 over the whole day with lots of turnover. We had 1000 and no one was leaving!

maybe that was part of the confusion? they were told to expect 1000, so they only figured "oh, that'll be spread out to about 200 at a time, we'll be fine as-is"?