It's true - Enfilade has a new home for 2003. With the closure of the Fife Best Western Executive Inn (BWEI), NHMGS was forced to look for a new site. After an exhaustive review of spaces large enough to hold us comfortably, I decided on the Marriott at Sea-Tac. The address is 3201 S. 17th in Seattle. It is off Highway 99 across the street from the airport.

I like the location. It is further north, and so more accessible to Canadians and those from parts north. For those coming from the south, it's not on the other side of Seattle, but a bit more of a drive. The space is somewhat smaller, and more expensive, than the BWEI. That is typical of the problems I faced with the hotels I contacted. However, I believe the Marriott will be a fine, comfortable space for Enfilade.

The gaming space is divided between two rooms, one quite large, and one smaller. I believe both rooms are carpeted and should be less noisy. They share a foyer which can house swap tables, and a communication system that blares through a Bose sound system, so announcements should be easily heard. If we need something, all we do is press a button and the staff finds you, instead of us trying to hunt down a hotel person. From the perspective of managing the convention, it is a big improvement. The hotel agreed to provide an inexpensive buffet, and is anxious to work with us on room set up. The ASL guys have a great room, and the hospitality suite is very, very nice.

The down side is the price. The cost of the hotel went up about 33%. There will be a price hike this year, though I am unclear about how much.

Due to the proximity to the airport and requirements by the city of Sea-Tac, there is a parking fee. I negotiated free day parking for those who are not staying at the hotel, but there are no in-and-out privileges. So you can't drive to American Eagles and come back without paying for parking. Overnight guests pay a $7 parking fee in the cost of their room, for a total of $86 per night. Overnight guests do have in and out privileges. The room cost is the same we would have paid at the BWEI this year.

While I feel that this is the best deal I could get, I am concerned about the future of Enfilade and Breakthrough. The one year deal we have with the Marriott is the upper limit of what we can afford for space. Moreover it is the upper limit of what we can ask attendees to pay to play. Each year, we put the resources of NHMGS at  risk when we are faced with increasing costs tied to admissions and hotel room rentals that usually go up. It depends on the good will of hobbyists who may or may not have the ability to pay.

For example, even though we have more centrally located the convention near Seattle, we still need to occupy 100 guest rooms for the weekend. The rental for our space is predicated on renting out those rooms. If we don't rent out them Enfilade is still on the hook for them. I think it is a difficult position for the club. I am interested in examining non-hotel sites for 2004. Help would be appreciated.