Dark Lord Day 2012 Rule Changes

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by Lansman, Mar 2, 2012.

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  1. Lansman

    Lansman Savant (1,104) Mar 19, 2011 Missouri
    Trader

    On the FFF Dark Lord Day site, they have commented that they are going to take the 'successful ideas from XV' to better DLD 2012. From what I have heard (I did not go to XV, instead opting to go to FoBAB in November), nothing about XV was run well, and it was an unpleasant experience to those I have talked to who chose XV over FoBAB.

    So my questions are these - 1) What 'good' ideas could come out of XV that would better DLD 2012? and 2) Why are they eliminating coolers and chairs for DLD 2012?

    Dark Lord Day has long been a great place to trade and share rare and good beer with local beer geeks, make some new friends and acquaintances, etc. While the suggestions from the comments on the DLD site for people to bring small coolers are a step in the right direction, due to the lack of other amenities available at the event in the past, the goal of both trading and have a few beers to share (as well as eat food) while at the event makes this very difficult to achieve without a larger size cooler, no?

    It can be argued that the only thing properly organized and well-planned in the recent past was the allocation and distribution of Dark Lord. Outside that, the layout has been simply atrocious when it comes to food, outside beer vendors, etc. Not only were the lines winding throughout the parking lot the equivalent of maybe a quarter mile long, all the outside beer was located in one place and one place only, generating one huge traffic jam as lines merged and people could hardly move.

    If the point is to get people to come in, get the beer, and leave, then FFF should be congratulated because that will likely happen faster with people a) not being able to sit down and b) their being tired of waiting in huge lines for beer, food, or to get inside the pub. I haven't seen any response by FFF to the questions people have been asking about the rule changes - any insight on this would be very welcome!
     
  2. sacullen

    sacullen Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2008 Illinois

    The reason I cheer the no coolers/no chairs rule is last year's DLD was a major pain in the ass to move around. People would set up camp, taking up very large areas, and create traffic jams. Then they would leave their camp and simply leave one person to claim the space. It got to be really annoying when it would take minutes to walk 20-30 feet, only to find a ring of 10 coolers, 10 chairs, and 1 person blocking the way.
     
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  3. camil1mj

    camil1mj Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2010 Michigan

    I have not been to DLD, but I did go to XV. There were a lot of things I think could have been better about XV, but the no cooler and chairs rule was not one of them. It worked great. I was able to bring a few beers in a backpack (instead of a cooler) to trade. Also, without coolers and chairs there was plenty of room to move about the grounds. Lastly, even though trading and sharing beer is a great bi-product of DLD, it is not why FFF's puts the event on. They have no obligation to us as fans to ensure the event is set up for ideal beer trading and sharing.
     
    FlssmrBrewAlum likes this.
  4. Lansman

    Lansman Savant (1,104) Mar 19, 2011 Missouri
    Trader

    Totally understand this part, and I agree that this isn't the reason why the event is held. However, I'm not sure how it worked at XV, but part of the reason for small to medium size coolers being nice to have is for purposes of eating something there instead of waiting in lines the entire time like at a beer festival (which isn't what this event is either) for food or anything else. The best part of DLD in the past was not worrying about having to wait in line for an hour to maybe try to get a taste of beer X. While you certainly could do that, you didn't have to, which added to the great camaraderie of the event. Without the ability to bring much of anything in, you will still have the problem of one person 'holding down the fort' of a large swath of space while everyone else waits in line somewhere.
     
  5. PlinytheFarter

    PlinytheFarter Initiate (0) Dec 5, 2011 Illinois

    I love how people complain that 3F is doing what they want with their event. If you disagree with their choices so much then don't go. Im tired of beek geeks thinking they run these breweries. Better yet if you have all these great ideas, open a brewery, have an event and show them up. Oh wait it's way easier to just sit on forums and complain.
     
  6. robwestcott

    robwestcott Initiate (0) Nov 3, 2008 Indiana

    right on !

    i'm tired of beek geeks too. they don't know jack about beer.
     
  7. Lansman

    Lansman Savant (1,104) Mar 19, 2011 Missouri
    Trader

    Geez - wasn't expecting that kind of response. Just asking the question to understand if there was something I was missing with regard to the elimination of these things because I didn't see the problem for having them last year. My apologies.
     
  8. robwestcott

    robwestcott Initiate (0) Nov 3, 2008 Indiana

    better not to apologize. the "i love how people complain..." post was just a typical knee jerk response to any complaint, constructive or otherwise, whatsoever about a three floyds event.

    feel free to complain and feel free to shout praises to the rooftops too. its an open forum as far as i know.

    i was at DLD '11 and the XV party. i was fine with the way both were run. personally, i had no issues whatsoever. DLD '11 was smoother of course, and i had no issues with the chairs and coolers and found it easy to get around. but then again, if i remember correctly there were 6000 people in a relatively small space, so i didnt really have any reason to expect it would be easy to get around, did i ? the XV party wasn't as issue either, as long as you got there early. the late arrivals though, yeah, they have cause to complain.
     
  9. PlinytheFarter

    PlinytheFarter Initiate (0) Dec 5, 2011 Illinois

    It wasn't a "typical reaction", it was my reaction. I am entitled to it just as someone can complain. I just see this post devolving quickly into the same thing every 3F event post does. I had an amazing time at the XV part, mostly because I planned ahead. These events are what you make them. Also Rob, beer geeks don't know jack about running an event like this.. I said nothing about their knowledge of beer itself. Please don't use the ole Red Herring fallacy on me.
     
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  10. Steimie

    Steimie Maven (1,404) Jan 7, 2012 Michigan

    This isn't going to end well...

    Happy Friday everyone :grinning:
     
  11. robwestcott

    robwestcott Initiate (0) Nov 3, 2008 Indiana

    what red herring fallacy ? in your original post you were talking about beeK geeks, not beeR geeks.

    but kudos to you for planning ahead for XV - and that's the moral to the story. get there early and the problems are someone else's.
     
  12. JakeT469

    JakeT469 Initiate (0) Jan 13, 2012 Colorado

    As far as the large cooler and chair thing goes, its all fair game while waiting in line to get in. Its when u get in the gate that they dont want them so take ur coolers, chairs etc back to the car b4 u go in. I would share/trade most of ur beers while in line and bring a backpack with a few select brews and some food for when u get in. Also, a simple solution to the over crowding at DLD, instead of selling 5000+ tix sell half that. I could go on forever on this so 1 more thought and im done. Like they did for XV, sell half the tix at the brewpub b4 the online sale date. Trying to get tix online every year annoys/pisses me off every time. Ok im done. CHEERS!!
     
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  13. iceatalamo

    iceatalamo Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Michigan

    I went to the XV party and I was not one of the people that got there early. The line wait was long, but it was a nice day so we didn't mind all that much. there was plenty of sharing and trading going on so I don't think that will change. Once inside we found a seat at one of the tables rather easily. It got a little crowded with the beer lines inside the tent and with people trying to walk around, but nothing too bad. The food was over priced and not that great, but that was to be expected. This was my first vist to 3F's so I don't have past experiences to form any other opinion. I won't be going to DLD, but one of these days I will.
     
  14. Sean9689

    Sean9689 Pooh-Bah (2,270) Mar 17, 2009 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Hopefully they sell some tickets at the BrewPub this year like they did with XV. That worked awesome and let true locals avoid the internet hysteria.
     
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  15. JakeT469

    JakeT469 Initiate (0) Jan 13, 2012 Colorado

    Totally agree Sean. Im really hoping that is something they change this year. That would b my only gripe about DLD.
     
  16. ClubberLang

    ClubberLang Crusader (422) Jun 1, 2007 Illinois

    Maybe it's not why they put it on, but it's a big reason why it's as big as it is and a big reason that people come from all over for it. I've been three times, and without the bottle sharing aspect of it I'm not sure if I'll bother dealing with the ticketing system that will inevitably crash as well as figuring out a way to get down there and back. I think they could put a limit on cooler size and that would be fine (the freaking gigantor coolers people would bring were kind of ridiculous) but a flat-out ban will remove what has become the best part of Dark Lord Day for I'd guess the majority of people who aren't either there to pick up Dark Lord to sell on eBay or there primarily for the concert. Last year I got a taste from a huge bottle (I think a Jeraboam) of 1999 Hair of the Dog Adam. There's no other event I've been to where people break out stuff like that and happily share it with random people who ask for a taste, and it really builds the community atmosphere there. If it's just about waiting in line to get in and waiting in line for Dark Lord and waiting in line for guest drafts and waiting in line for other beers and waiting in line for the brewpub I think it will lose a lot of what I thought made the event enjoyable even in the years when FFF had (in some cases royally) screwed up logisitics somehow.

    Bottom line: 2011 DLD wasn't broken, while the XV party had a farkton of complaints. Why the hell would they want to make DLD more like the XV party?
     
  17. Sean9689

    Sean9689 Pooh-Bah (2,270) Mar 17, 2009 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Fo sho, homie...How many out of the 2500 did they sell at the BrewPub? 800?
     
  18. EseLocoSS

    EseLocoSS Initiate (0) Feb 2, 2010 Illinois

    I heard from one of the Floyds bartenders that this will not be happening.
    The reason they sold tickets at the pub for the Anny Party was because that was primarily a party for the locals so they wanted the locals to be able to secure tickets.
    They said that Dark Lord Day is an event for everyone around the country so it is better off to sell tickets online only.
    Hopefully this isn't true and they do end up selling some portion of tickets at the pub.
     
  19. Sean9689

    Sean9689 Pooh-Bah (2,270) Mar 17, 2009 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    That would seriously blow.
     
  20. Khazadum

    Khazadum Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2010 Illinois

    Dark Lord Day has a CULTURE of trading and bringing outside beers, but that isn't the intention of the release. If you want to have a huge tasting with coolers and chairs, do it at your house.

    I like the idea of just bringing in my backpack that I can easily carry 6-12 bottles in and some glassware. Still can do your major tasting, and enjoy DLD without the traffic jams. If its the rapid fire trading you want to do, do it at your car or in the huge ass line outside before the event. Simple solution.
     
    beersis81, pschul4 and camil1mj like this.
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