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The Penguicon ConSuite has become legendary in the Open Source/Sci-Fi convention-dom. When you walk into our Consuite, you are in for a real treat! Not only is the ConSuite a place to relax, take a load off, participate in some great programming, and enjoy the company of 20 or 30 of your friends, it's the one place at Penguicon you can come and grab some of those salty, sweet, healthy, snacks you crave, make a sandwich, grab a pop or even a beer (ID Required) and it's all Free….free as in beer!

Where is the 2012 Penguicon ConSuite at the Regency Hyatt Dearborn? You'll find us in on the 4th Floor North Suite, rooms 401 & 402 (and maybe, when not in use by Food Track Panels, 403 or 404).

Did I mention that our ConSuite is free with your Badge Registration??

While we don't aim to be the sole source of nourishment during Penguicon, we can state we aim to bring you a deluxe style ConSuite and we hope to see you there!

The Head of Penguicon 2012 Hospitality is handled by Cylithria Dubois [email protected]

If you'd like to sponsor the ConSuite or have any questions, suggestions or information please don't hesitate to contact Cylithria at [email protected]

For those of you interested on how a ConSuite is managed, keep reading as Cylithria and her staff work from now until the end of Penguicon to bring you the best damn ConSuite in the Midwest! (This will be in a constant state of Updates. Keep Checking Back!)

This year, we are at the Regency Hyatt Dearborn. 4th floor, North Suites - Rooms 401 & 402. Remember those room numbers because this year, Food Track Programming will be coming to you from one of the multiple rooms devoted to Penguicon's 2012 ConSuite! When you come out of the elevator bay on the fourth floor, hook a left and keep walking. We're down at the end. You won't miss us. :D

4th Floor - North Suites - Rooms 401 & 402

No ConSuite is ever managed by a singular person. If anyone ever tells you otherwise, they ate too much funny smelling lunch meat! The reality is, an exceptional ConSuite is pulled off by a team of Convention Attendees. The ConSuite for 2012 is no different then past years, and because of that, I need YOU to become part of our team. I want you as Staff!

Staff Members of the ConSuite come from all walks of The Penguicon Convention and work various hours to fulfill their staff positions. Because of this, there are some perks to the Job. Being close to the food while it is hot. First in line eating privies. $25.00 registration fee instead of $50.00. The ability to hang out with nearly everyone at Penguicon, because they all eventually end up at the ConSuite :D

Staff members are required to work a minimum of 10 scheduled hours. For these 10 hours of work, Staff Members only pay $25.00 for their Penguicon Badge Registration. These hours do not have to be served during the Con itself. This year we are slated to offer some Staff Members the added bonus of working during Pack In (Thursday, April 26th) and Pack Out (Monday, April 30th). During Pack In or Pack Out days, every hour worked, counts as two. So for those lucky staffers who can be present on Thursday or Monday, you could work 5 hours and still be comped $25.00 Badge Rate - AND have your Penguicon free!

For those Staff Members unable to make the Thursday or Monday days, there is still plenty of excellent, fun jobs to be had. Cylithria will have in place, prior to the Con, a schedule for every one of the 14 Staff Member Penguicon is affording us this year. I'll work with you to try and make sure you are NOT scheduled during that epic panel you want to be at while making certain you fulfill the 10 hour requirement too!

The best thing about becoming ConSuite Staff is, you don't have to have prior experience to join us. If you are willing to learn, able to help and want to be part of one of the most legendary ConSuites in Conventiondom, I want YOU! 90% of the friends I look forward to seeing once a year, I met through the ConSuite. To this day, I work it because I really do get to be around everyone at con, and guess what, I never have to look for them - they come to me - In the ConSuite! :D

What do you do as ConSuite Staff? Read Below for the short answers:

Various Duties of ConSuite Staff:

*Beer Troll Staff - The Beer Troll Position will only be handled by Staff Members, so this one is up for grabs by anyone 21 years of age or older. You will be stationed with the Beer, and as an Attendee presents their legally valid ID, you will draw them a beer and hand it to them. Simple as that. We provide seating (if you like,) and make sure you get breaks or help during busy times, and we definitely make certain you get some of that Hot Food too! (Beer Trolls even earn a special Ribbon denoting to all of the Con that you are in fact, A Beer Troll)

*ConSuite Staff - Working with the dual Suites , you will be assigned various tasks that you and your Volunteer Penguins get done during your shift. Pop Tubs will need to be filled (and re-filled,) Food items replenished, food items heated, cooked or warmed. Clean Up of the suites will be on going in small increments and basically you chat it up with our fellow Penguicon Attendees, keeping the suites running smoothly. Because every set of Staffers will also have Volunteer (penguins) in the Suite working with you, you won't be stuck with all the tasks, all the time.

*Pack In/Pack Out Staff - Pack In is scheduled for sometime during the morning, early afternoon hours of Thursday, April 26th. Pack In Staffers will be meeting with Cylithria and Dan Eckerd of Logistics at an assigned, secret location (some loading area of the hotel) and we'll be using hand carts and dolly to transport the ConSuite's possessions and food items up to room 404. Due to the nature of this type of work, we do offer a double hour system on Pack In (Or Pack Out) Day(s). For every one hour you work on Thursday (or Monday), you earn 2 hours towards your 10 hour minimum. Pack Out Staff also do the same thing, except in reverse. Monday, April 30th we box it all up and carry it back down to that secret location (loading area) and get it the hell out of the Hyatt! Pack Out Staff also earn Double Hours.

*Be Advised: Pack In/Pack Out requires lifting, and or sorting, good organizational skills. If you have any limitations but wish to be part of the Pack In/ Pack Out, email me and we can see if this duty is right for you!

Staff members of ConSuite will be receiving weekly email updates from me, as news becomes available. I hope each will make suggestions, speak up when they see a potential problem and definitely ask if there is something they want to learn while being in the ConSuite.

To become a member of the ConSuite Staff, please fill out the following ConSuite Staff Application: http://goo.gl/SJKO1

Each Year the Penguicon ConSuite has certain items that get packed up and stored until the next years convention. Items such as coffee makers, utensils, the tubs we hold pop in, and a bazillionty and one plastic knives. (Why don't you all use the knives? Why? It's a mystery of the ConSuite….)

Each year the incoming Head of Hospitalty is responsible for the inventory of ConSuite's Possessions. This means getting a proper pre-con inventory, keeping track of that inventory as Logistics brings it from the Cube to the Convention Hotel, managing the inventory during the convention itself, packing up and returning that inventory via coordination with Logistics, to the Penguicon Storage Cube.

Inventory of ConSuite Items completed by Cylithria Dubois on 2/11/2012. A link to Inventory will be placed here shortly.

The Stuff We Buy For PCon. (Filling in at another time)

• Put together rules listings for function spaces
• Put together list of rules for ConSuite Staff
• Put together private (Staff only) Contact List
• Create “Hiya Penguin” info.
• Determine and get to [email protected] the Volunteer schedule needs and #'s
  • Function Spaces - designate coffee bar area, pop area, cold foods, cooked foods, breakfast foods areas.
    • Ops is to be immediately notified of all spills that do not immediately mop up (i.e. are still wet/discolored after taken care of)
    • Head of Hospitality to be immediately notified of any emergency issues that might arise. (IE: Fights (Food or physical), Broken Anything, Accidents, Injuries, yada yada yada (insert various items as needed)
  • Consuite
    • No bags of trash will be left in a carpeted area
    • No bags of cans will be left in a carpeted area
      • Try the storage room bathroom/bathtub
    • Room will be vacuumed at least once per staff shift
    • Is 'don't get us kicked out of a hotel' a 'rule item'? (YES Jer, it is now! :D)

• Pack In Time: Noon(ish) on Thursday, April 26th
  • Does above pack in time also allow for Cold Storage? (ANSWER: Hotel not providing Cold Storage. I am so thrilled, not.)
  • Service Elevators? (Jer arranging)
  • Hand Carts/Dollys (Jer arranging - must use quickly.)
• Food Track Panel Space
  • keep empty? Cordon off? evict & clean prior to panels? (Tentative Plans are to have Food Track in room 403 which will also be partial storage. Door will be locked until Food Panel set Up Time. ConSuite Staff will “ready” the room, let Panelists into 403 and then unlock the 403 room door when Program scheduled to start. At end of Program Scheduled Block, ConSuite will re-lock 403 door, let Panelists out, clear the room) Will post layout Specs after they're drawn up.
  • Verify times & days of Food Track Panel Events
• ConSuite
  • Broom, dustpan & vacuum in room
  • Trash pickup - Get schedule from Jer
  • Ice Delivery? - Get Schedule from Jer
  • Full Bags of Pop Cans will be temporarily stored in Bathroom until they can be placed in Logistics Truck until Pack Out/Return.
• Green Room
  • Private dining area, perhaps? (Green room being worked out with Hotel via Facilities Manager)
• Signage & Program Book Blurb
  • Signs in ConSuite:
  • 'If you rely on the ConSuite for nourishment, YOU WILL DIE!'
  • 'ID Required' (for Beer Area)
  • 'Food Track Programming This Way' (For outside 403)
  • 'Your ConSuite Staff Members Are: (List First Names/ConNames)'
• Miscellaneous:
  • Return of Pop Cans?
  • Are Boxes for recycle given to hotel staff at trash pick up?
  • Do we carpet plastic floors?
  • How many times will I say “They ate it all”?

If you want to get involved, the first step is to let us know! At this time the Hospitality Department(ConSuite) is allocated 14 Staff member positions for Consuite duties. Becoming a Staff Member entitles you to certain perks; extreme nearness to the food, first hand knowledge of what is next on the menu, and a Badge Registration rate of $25.00 for the weekend instead of $50.00!

To find out more on how you can become Staff or to make a suggestion for any of our departments, contact our Head of Hospitality, Cylithria Dubois at [email protected] and let her know.

Questions can be directed to Cylithria Dubois, Our Head of Hospitality.