By: J.T. Evans
… that is the question.
Or something like that, right?
Before every Pikes
Peak Writers Conference, we often receive questions about the advantages of
staying at the Marriott. Obviously, if you're from out of town, staying at the
Marriott is a no-brainer.
However, for the Colorado Springs (and surrounding area)
folks, it's a matter of balancing the budget against the pros of staying at the
Marriott.
My first conference was in 2010, and I made the 45-minute
drive between my home outside Monument to the Marriott each day and night. I
didn't feel like I had missed out on much because I got to attend a full day of
classes, hang out with writerly types at the meals, and generally made a good
day of things.
However, each evening I dragged my full brain and tired body
to the car to head home and noticed my fellow writers headed to the bar area to
hang out for drinks and relaxed fun.
I didn't know what I was missing out on!
I did know that I was missing out on roughly 90 minutes of
sleep each day while I did my drive back and forth. Those 90 minutes of sleep
are vitally important, especially during a conference.
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| Colorado Springs Marriott |
When 2011 rolled around, I barely made it to the Marriott
for the conference on Thursday morning. One of those not-too-unusual April snow
storms hit the day before and continued on through Friday. Living at high
altitude like I do meant we landed a good amount of snow. My wife was generous
enough to loan me her SUV (my sedan couldn't handle the snow), and I managed to
creep my way through drifts and icy conditions to the Marriott.
At the afternoon break, I called my wife for a weather
report, and she said there was no way for me to get home, not even in her SUV.
I'd been snowed out
of my house!
I had to find a room somewhere. Racing to the Marriott's
front desk, I asked with deep concern, "Are there any rooms left available
for Pikes Peak Writers?"
The wonderful staff at the Marriott immediately got me into
a room, and I settled in for the rest of the weekend. I did have to bounce to
the nearest superstore to buy emergency changes of clothes, toiletries, and
other miscellaneous supplies, but I managed to get through the weekend.
By having a room in 2011, I learned the value of what every
conference and convention calls "BarCon." It’s not just about downing
the drinks.
BarCon is all about relaxing after a long day of intense
learning. It's about hanging out with your tribe. It's about networking, making
connections on a personal and professional level. You get to swap stories of
great success and receive immense comfort for the stories of abject failure.
Yes, there are drinks involved, which is a whole other reason to get a room at
the Marriott: no driving required.
The "official activities" of Pikes Peak Writers
Conference are amazing, wonderful, educational, and insightful.
However, hanging out with friends, old and new alike, until
well after midnight soothes the soul, energizes the mind, and fills the heart.
By staying at the Marriott, you can take advantage of all of
this without missing out on (even more) sleep, and without worrying about
something keeping you away from PPWC each day.
I can't, in good faith, let you go without knowing about the
downside of staying at the Marriott.
It's not free.
It's not horribly expensive either. The rate for PPWC
attendees at the Marriott is $107 per night. This is a fantastic rate for such
a high quality hotel.
If you're ready to attend our conference and want to get a
room, head over to our Marriott page, and get all of the details. Look for the
link to reserve your room with the discount already applied.
PS: You never know when you might run into an agent and two
editors talking shop in the closed down bar at two in the morning. Yeah. That
happened to me in 2012. What a great night! If I'd driven home, I would have
never had that experience.
About the Author: J.T. Evans writes fantasy novels. He also dabbles with science fiction and horror short stories. He is the president of Pikes Peak Writers. When not writing, he keeps computers secure at the Day Job, homebrews great beers, spends time with his family, and plays way too many card/board/role-playing games.
Me too, Darby Karchut. And get a load of JT Evans article on the Marriott. Makes me want to stay instead of go home...
ReplyDeleteI know! I've debated this every year! Great article, JT!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the article, Darby. I debated it my second year (the 2011 snowstorm year), but it's been a no-brainer for me every year since.
DeleteI stayed at the Marriott when I came to my first conference last year, and the hospitality of everyone that worked there from the desk clerk to the bartenders was amazing. This year I was trying to figure out my finances and thanks to the 108 or so a night discount I could stay there again. Seriously to anyone local or otherwise, stay at least one night and you won't want to leave.
ReplyDelete