Puget Sound Chapter WSGA Meeting Locations

[+Right Wing Wacko]

I need your help! There was no MAY meeting of the Puget Sound chapter because we have been unable to find a location to hold our meetings! We have grown to big for the resturants we have been meeting at! May would have been when we were scheduled to hold our meeting in the Redmond area (or anywere on the East Side for that matter).

 

If anyone has any ideas as to where we could cram a group our size please let us know.

Edited May 19, 2007 by Right Wing Wacko

[+Allanon]

And "our size" has been averaging between 60 and 100 people...

[+FluteFace]

Maybe during this time of the year as the weather improves, we should start having meetings outdoors in local parks. It shouldn't be too difficult to gather at a park for a few hours on a weekday, maybe a small potluck or something like that.

[+TotemLake]

Maybe during this time of the year as the weather improves, we should start having meetings outdoors in local parks. It shouldn't be too difficult to gather at a park for a few hours on a weekday, maybe a small potluck or something like that.

That's a great idea.

[+Right Wing Wacko]

Local parks are a great idea however they have additional problems. When 100 people decend on a park, the parks board is going to want us to to have reserved and rented an area. For groups our size, they also want insurance. This year the WSGA should have a few dollars to use for events, so maybe we can swing one or two of these types of events.

[+Kiersolvd]

If there are that many people coming, can there be multiple meetings on the same day at different locations? That might dilute the number attending at any one place. Not an ideal solution but it might be a solution.

[+The Jester]

One thing to try is to contact the Chamber of Commerce in town and see if they know of meeting rooms at resturants that could hold us.

[+Right Wing Wacko]

One more thing that has been a problem in the past. Groundspeak will not list the event if there is the requirement that people coming must order something and therefore have to pay to attend the event.

 

This has stopped us a couple times when we tried to use the Banquet room of a local buffet restuarant.

[+The Jester]

Which was a real surprise, because I was the one to recommend it. I'd talked to them and asked about using it even if a some didn't order and got an OK. Then the WAGA got a different story!

[+BillP3rd]

I need your help! There was no MAY meeting of the Puget Sound chapter because we have been unable to find a location to hold our meetings! We have grown to big for the resturants we have been meeting at! May would have been when we were scheduled to hold our meeting in the Redmond area (or anywere on the East Side for that matter).

 

If anyone has any ideas as to where we could cram a group our size please let us know.

 

In the early days of WSGA we used to book meeting rooms at various branches of the King County Library system. I've done some checking (you can book the rooms online now, up to 3 months in advance, and see the schedule for each room) and here's what I've found for several branches in different parts of the county:

 

Kent Regional

253-859-3330

150 in large room

 

Redmond Regional

425-885-1861

2 large rooms (66 & 81)

 

Bellevue Regional

425-450-1765

8 meeting rooms with capacity up to 190

 

Shoreline

206-362-7550

large 60, small 30

 

Federal Way Regional

253-838-3668

small 35, large 85, or combined ~180

 

Auburn

253-931-3018

1 room, cap. 113

 

Maple Valley

425-432-4620

1 room, cap. 110

 

Of course, a meeting in one of these venues would imply some sort of prepared program in addition to the usual meet-and-greet. For example, I recall one meeting where we had presentations on paperless caching. I'm sure that we could come up with lots of interesting and relevant topics. Perhaps a guest speaker? Someone from the state parks would certainly be interesting and appropriate.

 

I'd be willing to help with the planning and organizing if there's interest in this type of venue/format. (Oh, and there's no charge for use of the rooms and most or all have wireless internet).

[+TotemLake]

Local parks are a great idea however they have additional problems. When 100 people decend on a park, the parks board is going to want us to to have reserved and rented an area. For groups our size, they also want insurance. This year the WSGA should have a few dollars to use for events, so maybe we can swing one or two of these types of events.

Revisiting this idea...

 

Wouldn't that be on an official reservation basis? I see the only reason why you would want to make a reservation is so everybody ahead of time knows which pavillion to go to.

 

What if we just descended on the park and took the first available space? Groups have done that all the time. The only reason why you would want to reserve is to have a pavillion. Most of us are self sufficient with grills and stoves as well as carry-in picnic meals.

 

Parks like Marymoor have a great venue for this and even though you have to pay for parking, its only a buck or two. Almost everybody has an FRS radio or two, so finding the group spot should be a piece of cake.

[+BillP3rd]

Local parks are a great idea however they have additional problems. When 100 people decend on a park, the parks board is going to want us to to have reserved and rented an area. For groups our size, they also want insurance. This year the WSGA should have a few dollars to use for events, so maybe we can swing one or two of these types of events.

Revisiting this idea...

 

Wouldn't that be on an official reservation basis? I see the only reason why you would want to make a reservation is so everybody ahead of time knows which pavillion to go to.

 

What if we just descended on the park and took the first available space? Groups have done that all the time. The only reason why you would want to reserve is to have a pavillion. Most of us are self sufficient with grills and stoves as well as carry-in picnic meals.

 

Parks like Marymoor have a great venue for this and even though you have to pay for parking, its only a buck or two. Almost everybody has an FRS radio or two, so finding the group spot should be a piece of cake.

 

Getting pavillion on a weekend at this point probably wouldn't happen (I got up at 6:00 AM on Jan. 2 to reserve the pavillion at Coulon for our 1st WSGA picnic) but a week night just might be a different story. I like the idea of meeting at local parks, especially with the daylight lasting longer, and having a pavillion would be a bonus.

[Team Misguided]

I've always been fond of using the KCLS meeting rooms at least once a quarter so that we can have a 'real' meeting. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the restaurant meet & greet events too, but I like to have a quiet place now and then where we can actually have a presentation.

[+WeightMan]

I've always been fond of using the KCLS meeting rooms at least once a quarter so that we can have a 'real' meeting. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the restaurant meet & greet events too, but I like to have a quiet place now and then where we can actually have a presentation.

The one when Jester was going over some of the things you can do with GSAK was most helpful to me. More like that would be great.

[MarcusArelius]

I've always been fond of using the KCLS meeting rooms at least once a quarter so that we can have a 'real' meeting. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the restaurant meet & greet events too, but I like to have a quiet place now and then where we can actually have a presentation.

The one when Jester was going over some of the things you can do with GSAK was most helpful to me. More like that would be great.

 

A repeat of the GSAK presentation would be much appreciated for those of us that missed the first one.

[+Allanon]

I've always been fond of using the KCLS meeting rooms at least once a quarter so that we can have a 'real' meeting. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the restaurant meet & greet events too, but I like to have a quiet place now and then where we can actually have a presentation.

Would a Sno-Isle library work as well?

 

I've always been fond of using the KCLS meeting rooms at least once a quarter so that we can have a 'real' meeting. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the restaurant meet & greet events too, but I like to have a quiet place now and then where we can actually have a presentation.

The one when Jester was going over some of the things you can do with GSAK was most helpful to me. More like that would be great.

 

A repeat of the GSAK presentation would be much appreciated for those of us that missed the first one.

What about it Craig? Willing to do another one?

[+hydnsek]

A repeat of the GSAK presentation would be much appreciated for those of us that missed the first one.

What about it Craig? Willing to do another one?

If Jester can't do it, I might be willing to volunteer, at a meeting or for private tutorials. GSAK is the best!

Edited May 22, 2007 by hydnsek

[+superhoser]

That would be nice because now I have a palm and am using cachemate.

[+The Jester]

Actually, I've been looking for a place to do a GSAK event. A little more time than the meetings allow, so there would be something for the beginner and advanced users. I've had a couple of requests.

 

But, yeah, I could do something.

 

BTW, I generally have my laptop with at events/meetings. If you have a question, I can haul it out and answer it. Or just show you the cool new things being added...

[+Kiersolvd]

It's too bad, now that summer is here, that meetings couldn't be a BBQ at a local park.

 

Since a local eastside establishment makes rush hour traffic leaving Bellevue very high, it very difficult for me to attend any weeknight events to the north or in Seattle.

 

Have fun next month.

Edited June 25, 2007 by Kiersolvd