The Winter social - 11th March

Life of Rye

Well-Known Member
Is anyone attending this?? Very much looking forward to this one and am happy to have stumbled across it

Currently on 4th release so looks to be selling out - just hope it isn't sold to full or over capacity.

Just need to arrange a local hotel now!
 
I've been the last couple of years. Last year was very good in the new venue. If it was still in Feb I would go, but March already looking pretty busy.

The bars ran out of pretty much everything pretty quickly last year which I hope they solve. Also had a very 'messy' crowd with a number of casualties struggling quite early on. Well run event though
 
I've been the last couple of years. Last year was very good in the new venue. If it was still in Feb I would go, but March already looking pretty busy.

The bars ran out of pretty much everything pretty quickly last year which I hope they solve. Also had a very 'messy' crowd with a number of casualties struggling quite early on. Well run event though

Do you know if it is all held in one large structure/tent? Was there enough room to get about and dance with out pushing people out the way or treading on feet?
 
Do you know if it is all held in one large structure/tent? Was there enough room to get about and dance with out pushing people out the way or treading on feet?

If it is the same venue as last year, its a permanent structure that is basically like 2 big sports halls joined together. I would say it was definitely big enough that even if fully sold out there was still plenty of room. It was huge. These are some pictures of the halls outside of being set up for this.

SEKC_2014_Show_Hall.jpg


KentEventCentre_11.jpg
 
That looks decent enough then

How is the sound system at the venue?
If you end up going let me know and we can maybe say hello (if I am not in the zone for hours on end)
 
That looks decent enough then

How is the sound system at the venue?
If you end up going let me know and we can maybe say hello (if I am not in the zone for hours on end)

Decent. The bonus with the venue is it is in the middle of nowhere so they did not have to worry about sound.

Will do, but go to Miami the week after so likely saving my energy for that
 
Was good last year just was pretty empty! remember room 2 being dead and hated the fact maceo cancelled. However those on the day did a good job. the production is class and the sound on point.

Getting there is the problem, middle of nowhere
 
Was good last year just was pretty empty! remember room 2 being dead and hated the fact maceo cancelled. However those on the day did a good job. the production is class and the sound on point.

Getting there is the problem, middle of nowhere

You not returning then?
The venue is just off the M20 right? looks pretty easy to get to?
Looking at staying in a hotel in Maidstone about 15mins from the venue so hopefully the taxi driver knows where it is!
 
Yep, easy access from the M20. 15mins from Maidstone centre is pretty spot on. Cost me £15 in a cab there last time around.

I do advise pre-booking, and paying upfront for a taxi for the return. Horrendous scenes last time in the queue.

Which hotel/s you looking at? I'd recommend Innkeepers Lodge at The White Rabbit. Decent pub there for grub/pre-drinks. Not a million miles away from a Wetherspoons and walking distance of 2 train stations.

The Village also good but tucked away by itself. Although closer to the M20 & the venue.
 
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went to the last social event in sep 2016 and got to say it was quite impressive abit different from all the other festivals but i enjoyed it. Only problem tho is the drinks and getting served at some times i was queuing upto 30 mins, they make u buy drinks tokens aswell. But it i had a good time.
 
Rye - I have also been to all of these, obviously the summer ones are best but in terms of getting the drinks and staffing correct both of the winter festivals have been good. I don't remember any rooms being empty, it was ramo when I arrives but it was "comfy" in the main room from around 8.30pm

Virtually every summer festivel has been a nightmare in terms of bars, even in VIP, i struggle to understand how they keep getting that part so wrong, but we live in hope.

If I remember rightly the system last year was F1, it sounds good in the new venue.

Very friendly, Maidstone has some great restaurants as well and cafes if you can get up Sunday morning.

There are loads of hotels, but they get full, the town has a busy nightlife, Isle boy has recommended some good ones.

Defo pre-book tax as he also recommends,even a few days before if possible, the bus system they had at the summer one was an absolute disaster, steer clear.
 
Rye - I have also been to all of these, obviously the summer ones are best but in terms of getting the drinks and staffing correct both of the winter festivals have been good. I don't remember any rooms being empty, it was ramo when I arrives but it was "comfy" in the main room from around 8.30pm

Virtually every summer festivel has been a nightmare in terms of bars, even in VIP, i struggle to understand how they keep getting that part so wrong, but we live in hope.

If I remember rightly the system last year was F1, it sounds good in the new venue.

Very friendly, Maidstone has some great restaurants as well and cafes if you can get up Sunday morning.

There are loads of hotels, but they get full, the town has a busy nightlife, Isle boy has recommended some good ones.

Defo pre-book tax as he also recommends,even a few days before if possible, the bus system they had at the summer one was an absolute disaster, steer clear.

I read that they sold tickets for £1 last minute and it was far to busy....not sure how true that was

I will be sleeping until kick out time on the Sunday and then driving straight home to get into bed!
 
Aye, they did give away a heck of a lot of tickets. This was for the Friday night though. Mainly because it wasn't being supported locally. People travelled from all over the UK, Europe & even as far as South America to see Sasha & Diggers play together again. But bizarrely it didn't capture the imagination of the local crowd.

The problems regards the overcrowding on Saturday wasn't related. I don't think the event overall was oversubscribed, I think they just underestimated how busy the main arena, the outside arena & the DnB arena would be (and overestimated how busy their arena 2 would be!). The busy (rammed) 3 were the closely grouped together on the site. The walkways to each were convergence points, and this is where the bottle neck occurred.

When Coxy jumped on in the main arena and everyone flocked there, it was just perfectly busy in arena 2 for Dubfire - loads of space. Room for another few hundred, maybe even thousand people. I think it just needed better planning in regards to layout and set-times.

As for the bars, here is their problem: every year the bar situation seems to be a nightmare. So many people complain - and rightly so. But this prompts them to hire a new company to run the bars on the next event. Which kind of makes sense - why would you give the people who f*** it up another chance, right? But it also means that there is no continuity. The people who ran the bars last time may have fudged up, but maybe **maybe** they could learn lessons and get it right next time around. A new company? Sure. They have no prior bad experience. But no experience of the venue and the logistical problems either. So, in all likelihood, we will see the same again.

The fact is it has been subpar for a while. And I personally think they'd be better of sticking with the same company, just negotiating a better fee based on their previous performance.

(Just as a sidenote to the above, the entire time I was in the main arena - which was busy throughout the day, but especially so immediately before and during Cox - the bar at the very back I got served almost immediately and they were well stocked throughout. So I think you just needed to pick your bars. Unhelpful if it is the other side of the site)
 
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