[SBU Board] A Problem with Our May 2017 NLM Sectional Venue

[Patti McCallum]

Thank you Tim.  I am very frustrated with the situation and hope we can find a viable site soon.

On November 3, 2016, at 5:15 PM, Tim White <trkwhite at gmail.com> wrote:

Folks,

I'm addressing this e-mail to our current and incoming Unit 446 board members and to our Unit 446 members who are also District 19 Board and ACBL Board of Governors members.  We seek help in dealing with a problem with the site for our Unit's May 6 & 7, 2017 NLM Sectional.

Background:  We've encountered several significant problems with our plans to hold certain tournaments at North Seattle College (NSC).  Recently NSC informed us that they had double-booked the facilities we had booked for our Open sectional in Feb 2017 and that we are out.  (We were able to recover that situation by lining up Bothell on short notice.)  During our NLM tournament at NSC last month, we experienced poor service and facility problems.  At Patti's insistence, yesterday she met with our NSC focal Amy LaZerte to review and discuss these problems.  In the course of this meeting, Patti learned that for 2017 NSC is raising their rental rates 45%.  

A 45% rate increase for CC1161, the NSC space we've been renting for NLM sectionals, would drive facility rental cost above $1000 for our May sectional.  While there is merit with continuing to subsidize (incurring limited losses with) our NLM sectionals, we must manage the extent of these losses.  As well, our overall experience with NSC has been very poor.

Thus, we seek your help with brainstorming, identifying, exploring and evaluating alternative sites for our May 2017 and other future NLM sectionals.  In exploring any new site we address its suitability, availability and affordability.  At the top level, key requirements for an NLM sectional site are:  space for ~36 tables of play plus DIC and hospitality set-up, availability for Saturday & Sunday, target rental cost range of $450 to $750 total (or ideally less) for the two days, convenient freeway/arterial access, proximity of equipment trailer access for unloading/loading, and satisfactory lighting, parking and restrooms.  A kitchen facility would be advantageous.  For reference, attached in Excel format is a database of prospective sites around the metropolitan area.  We would also welcome suggestions on additional sites.

We seek to cast the net widely and swiftly for viable sites for May 2017.  Please give this your consideration and share your recommendations and findings.  Community facilities, schools, businesses (including but certainly not limited to facilities of your own employers), etc., could be viable candidates.  Our board's Tournaments Sites Committee can work through viable suggested candidate sites and bring forward to the full board for approval a recommendation for the May NLM site.

Thanks for helping address this problem,
Tim