The Conference Hospitality Suite (or Con Suite) is one of the major socializing spaces available during the weekend. Its hours are generally flexible, depending on the person(s) running the room, and the schedule of events for the weekend.
Generally speaking, the Con Suite supervisor should expect to spend quite a bit of time in this room. Hopefully, with a volunteer staff, he or she won't be trapped in the room for the entirity of the conference.
Supervisors need to know the following:
How to select supplies and quantities
Where to acquire volunteers during the weekend
How to delegate responsibility.
Supplies
Drinks
CC16 writes:
We averaged two cans of soda for each person attending the con for a four and a half day con. My impression is that that is low. Weather and the time of the year will play a part in consumption, but if your con is in the same hotel as all the activities, you are pretty much in a closed environment and weather should not play too large a role in drink types. My suggestion is that you over-order from a supplier who will take back what you do not use. Also, unless you have a truck to spare, find a supplier who will deliver. Our first thought was to find a soft drink distributor. In our case we were too small an occasion to warrant price breaks or any special consideration. We wound up ordering from an office supply company that delivered for free on orders over $100. You may be able to get snacks that way, too. We supplemented these purchases with spot pick-ups at sales at local grocery stores.
A suggested list of sodas might include the following in both sugar and diet equivalents: Coke, Pepsi, ginger ale, root beer, lemon-lime. As for non-carbonated drinks, ice tea mix, hot tea (either standard Lipton-style or flavored) and coffee bags (Maxwell House and others) are good choices. A variety of flavors are available for these drinks as well, in both caffeine and decaf varieties.
Providing caffeine-free cola drinks will also help keep your guests happy. Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper (in some areas) come in a caffeine-free version as well as caffeinated. Be careful about the caffeine content of some sodas. Read the label - it isn't unusual for a seemingly non-caffeine drink like root beer or orange soda to have added caffeine. In the East, for example, there is at least one brand of root beer that contains caffeine, as does Sunkist soda.
Snacks
Chocolate is a necessity for costumers. M&M's are the perfect way to deliver a chocolate fix - they're relatively neat, and come reasonably cheap in bulk. There are no wrappers and they can sit out all day without trouble (not that a bowl has ever stayed out all day). In fact, candy is generally a big item.
Other obvious snack foods include potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, etc.
Vegetables with dip and cheese chunks are also popular options, but they present problems. Most hotel reftigerators are too small to store any large amount of this stuff. Either plan on providing these sorts of snacks on a limited basis, have someone's house available to store perishables and make several trips, or bring in your own refrigerator (if the hotel allows). Some hotels include mini-fridges (the next size up from a cube), but these are still fairly inadequate for a 300+ conference.
People also love microwave popcorn. It's a good alternative snack and it's portable. If you want to provide this item make sure you bring a big enough microwave, so that you do not burn more than you pop. Small microwaves are terrible for popping popcorn.
Most conferences have something that is native to the area as a special treat. CC16 provided toasted ravioli. Again pick something that is easily and quickly prepared, that leaves minimal mess.
Finally it's a good idea, if your conference can afford it, to provide portable breakfast food (ie bagels or pastry). You can make great friends by doing this.
Hours
Generally speaking suites are available from 12 noon to 2 am each full day. If you do choose to provide bagels, you may consider opening earlier. Try to open early enough and stay open late enough so that folks can gather and mingle after main events, see films, sew, watch tv, or just sit around and decompress. Be prepared to close during the main events (masquerades and Fashion Show) so that your staff can have the opportunity to get out and watch. Advertise when the suite will be open and when it will be closed.
Refrigeration
Video Availability (Masquerades)
Cooking/Hot Food
Corkage Requirements
Volunteers & Assistants
One last item to remember, is make sure you have help. Otherwise you will trapped in the Con Suite all the time. Make sure you coordinate as much as possible about when you need a stand in so you can go eat, Also make real good friends with the hotel staff. They have to supply little things like ice and trash cans. Finally don't look around for too much help planning things. You are probably mostly on your own, No one else has done this before either. Good luck!!
