With many thanks to all who provided feedback on our recent CoCoFEST! and Grant Leighty for working tirelessly on initial 2023 CoCoFEST! planning; Grant and I, on behalf of the GCCC board of directors, are pleased to confirm the location and date for the 2023 31st Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! The event will be held, as previously noted, on April 22nd and 23rd, 2023 at the Holiday Inn & Suites Carol Stream. Grant and I apologize for the delay in confirming the dates, though it was necessary since we will be hosting at a new venue.
Though many event logistics details will continue unchanged (Friday evening vendor/exhibit setup, event start/end times, etc.), we’ll share more details as we continue to plan out the event over the next 4 months. For those wondering, the venue has an on-site restaurant and we are planning to continue our on-site Saturday evening catered meal. As with previous shows, there will be a block of King and DOuble Queen rooms for $119/night available for purchase withing the 140 total hotel rooms available.
The recent global situation as well as inflationary pressures have increased venue pricing in general, and our 2023 event costs as well. As such, we’d appreciate hearing from past attendees, presenters, exhibitors, and vendors on creative ways to fund the 2023 event.
Outsiders may sniff that spending time in a group such as ours is a waste of time, but beyond the community and technical aspects of belonging to this organization, I am so thankful for the opportunity to plan events like this. It has given me a new appreciation for both the costs needed to successfully hold such an event, how venue operators financially view such functions, and the sheer amount of planning necessary prior to the event date.
Of course, the event does not thrive without vendors, exhibitors, presenters, and attendees. We have 8 months until the 2023 show, so I will make the initial call for new and revised exhibits, interesting presentations, and interesting and economical products.
All 4 3000 sq ft sections of the Clarion Inn Venue (12000 sq ft)
As most of you are aware, our 2022 CoCoFEST! utilized the Holiday Inn Elk Grove Village location. Fewer may also be aware that the venue changed ownership a mere 2 weeks before our May event. As is normal, we paid our 2022 venue rental bill at the end of the show and sat down to sign the 2023 rental agreement. However, the venue stated they wanted to wait a few weeks as they were in the process of validating pricing and such. Grant Leighty, CoCoFEST! coordinator, and I, agreed, but I stipulated we needed to lock in our April 22/23 dates so we did not lose them in the meantime. The venue agreed.
A few weeks later, we received the updated rental contract from the venue and were shocked that the 2023 rates were considerably more than in the past. After Grant verified the pricing was not a clerical mistake, we discussed options. We knew rental rates would be climbing given all of the changes happening, but we felt the new pricing was unrealistic, so we started checking pricing at other venues to better manage expectations. To put things in perspective, we paid approximately $0.38/sq ft while while in Lombard (Heron Point), and that number moved to $0.53/sq ft while at Elk Grove Village (Holiday Inn). For 2023, we would be asked to pay approximately $4.50/sq ft for the same amenities.
After checking a number of venues in the approximate area, we firmly believe the Elk Grove Village rates are unrealistic. That said, it’s also probably unrealistic of the club to expect pre-COVID pricing to continue. To use the same comparison, other venues in the area are quoting rates from $0.80/sq ft to over $1.62/sq ft, and those quotes don’t include all costs, like tax, service fees, beverage costs, etc. Therefore, we do need to adjust what we consider normal in 2023 and beyond.
Another concern is venue size and location. Taking size first, we’ve outgrown the 2100 sq ft main hall of Heron Point, while we don’t quite fill the Holiday Inn’s 4559 sq ft main hall (but there’s room to grow). Ideally, we need about 3-4K sq ft for the main exhibit hall, and 600-1200 sq ft for the presentation/auction room. Grant looked at a number of venues, and the locations mostly seem to be much smaller (Heron Point size) or much larger (Clarion Inn size, where VCF-Midwest is held).
Consider Clarion Inn, for example. Tony Podraza, Grant, and I chatted with the venue coordinator in person last weekend, and here’s some things he wanted us to consider:
The main venue hall is 4 3000 sq ft sections, for 12000 sq ft in total (not including the huge foyer and the massive side hallway.
The venue really doesn’t have a way to sub-divide the 3000 sq ft sections into smaller chunks. He suggested a pole and a curtain, but that’s not sound dampening.
3000 sq ft is a bit tight for our main venue needs (as noted above, it’d be OK for now, but offers little room for incremental show growth)
To organize the show at this location, we’d need 2 of the 4 3000sq ft sections (one for exhibit and one for presentations)
On principle, the venue does not rent to dissimilar groups on a given weekend. So, even though we don’t need the entire venue, they would not consider renting the remaining space out to someone else unless that other group is very similar to ours (another computer club or a game club, etc.)
They have a minimum charge out rate for the entire space for the weekend.
So, though we only need 4-5K of space, we’d need to pay the minimum full venue rate for the weekend, and that rate changes depending on the date. The coordinator noted that during the wedding season, he doesn’t rent out the facility for less than $30K/weekend (which gives you an idea of wedding costs). Mind you, the rate quoted to us was much lower, but we’d need to steer clear of wedding season. Guess where the normal CoCoFEST! dates are located?
On the other hand, Grant found a few venues that were eager to work with us, but they only have 2000 sq ft of conference room space. We simply can no longer fit into that small a venue. It’s a shame, too, as the coordinators seem very flexible and ready to customize things to fit our budget and needs.
Location is another concern. Besides the obvious location concerns (a preference for locations near O’Hare and not in high crime areas), some of the venue were just hard to get to. One sits at the corner of two main freeways, and just driving to the venue required extreme diligence to not miss the turn or be in the wrong lane. For years, we’ve enjoyed easy access to the venue. Heron Point was at the corner of 355 and North Avenue, but about the only tricky part was getting to the parking lot from the East on off North Avenue, and most folks figure out the shortcut by cutting through the Heron Point parking lot from the East entrance. Elk Grove Village was likewise pretty easy to navigate.
I don’t want to discount other considerations, like quality, cleanliness, and number of hotel rooms, venue loading/unloading options, on site food, etc. But, the size concern alone shortened the list considerably.
Easy loading and unloading option through double doors right outside main hall
Additional rooms available for breakouts or other uses (for additional fees, of course)
Our preferred April 22/23 2023 dates are available, and no premium rates to leverage them
Recently renovated
Main HallwayMain Ballroom (set up for wedding)Side conference roomRestaurantRestaurantRestaurantSide conference room
As noted, Grant is discussing venue costs with the location. The initial quote is much more reasonable than the Elk Grove Village option, but still strains the fest budget. We’re hoping to negotiate a bit more favorable terms.
Another option to consider is the Clarion Inn venue (VCF-Midwest). To do so, we’d need to make two changes. The first is absolute:
We’d need to move the fest up into March (off season). They’d be willing to give us a late March date (maybe even March 31/April 1), but no later.
The next option concerns cost. For off-season, there’s a minimum charge rate, regardless of sq ft usage. We have a couple ways we could meet the minimum charge:
We could increase fees and such to cover the cost ourselves. Since this venue’s cost is 3X our previous venues, covering all of that cost with fee increases might be unrealistic.
We can spread the cost into other areas. If we advertise a slightly more expensive room rate (think $130 versus $110), the difference per night can be used to meet the venue charge rate. I’m sure folks have opinions on this, but it is an option to consider.
Either instead of the above or in addition to it, we could guarantee room rental nights or food intake at the on-site cafe. Unlike room rate alterations, these would be guarantees (we’d be responsible for the difference if the minimums are not met). Again, I’m sure folks have opinions on this.
We could find a “partner” group wanting to host a similarly sized event at the same venue on the same weekend. There’s some value in partnering with another group (more cross traffic, etc.), but I’m not sure at this time who we would approach
The first change is not that hard to make. Choosing which direction to pursue for the second change is harder. Each option poses concerns, and it may be unrealistic to find a suitable hosting partner, but there are upsides. The venue needs to charge out a minimum rate but wants to work with us. Obviously, this venue offers plenty of room for growth. In addition to the 12000 sq ft in the ballroom, there’s probably 9000 sq ft in the foyer area and another 2000 sq ft in the side hallway that could be used to support additional smaller groups or special presentations or exhibits now and in the future.
~ 4500 sq ft of the Marriott Shaumburg ballroom (half of it)
I’m awaiting better pricing on a third option (Marriott Schaumburg). Like Clarion Inn, the venue is too large for our needs (~9000 sq ft), and the initial quote was the same as Clarion (given the same cost, we’d probably prefer the Clarion Inn location), but there may be opportunities to lower the price. Unlike the Clarion Inn location, the Marriott Ballroom has two 2340 sq ft middle sections and then 8 (4 per side) 490 sq ft sections on the sides that can be individually configured. Like the Carol Stream hotel, this one is renovated ($22M), offers easy access, provides easy loading options, and remains close to restaurants (Portillo’s is about 5 mile away :-)).
Initially, I thought we’d gather some additional quotes to help with negotiation at the Elk Grove location. But, based on feedback Grant has received from other organizations previously using the Elk Grove Village Holiday Inn location, it appears everyone has seen the same rate hikes. Unfortunately, no one has seen much success negotiating lower rates. While I know there were no major issues with the venue during the most recent fest, I do know the hotel portion suffered some complaints. Those attendees will most likely not shed a tear if we pick a new location for the 2023 show.
Tangentially related, Grant found some nice venues that are simply too small to hold CoCoFEST! Two such venues were Holiday Inn O’Hare and Holiday Inn Hoffman Estates. The O’Hare location was bigger (3100 sq ft ballroom), but it is the one situated at a busy corner of two main highways. The other was smaller (2000 sq ft), but also sports easy access and the venue coordinator is extremely interested in working with groups like GCCC to rent the venue. While neither will work for CoCoFEST!, I have long personally thought a “retro hackathon” weekend would be nice to organize in the Chicago area, and such an event could be more easily fit into a smaller venue like this. I’ve not even inquired on GCCC’s position concerning such an event, but the eagerness of the venue coordinator at Hoffman Estates creates even more personal interest to consider something like this. If others are interested in this or something else that can utilize these venues, feel free to reach out with ideas.
As always, we welcome feedback and are happy to answer questions on this topic. Feel free to contact us via email, Facebook, or the CoCo mailing list.
CoCoFEST! 2022 was a huge success this year. I want to hear from you to make it even better for next year. I have created a survey for everyone to leave their opinions. This is open for everyone, even people who did not attend this year’s CoCoFEST! Please take 10 minutes to fill out the survey and let your voice be heard. I plan to share these responses at the next business meeting for the Glenside Color Computer Club. If you want to reach out to me directly, you may email me at cocofest@glensideccc.com. Thanks in advance for taking the time to fill out the survey.
I would like to once again thank all of the attendees (physical and virtual), exhibitors, vendors, presenters, and staff who helped make the 2022 Glenside “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! a success. I heard some folks exclaim it was the most fun fest they’ve attended in a long time, which is heartening. I’d also like to give a shot out to Jason Timmons, our auctioneer (and VFC-Midwest organizer) as well as Michael Lee (VCF-Midwest organizer), who both graciously allowed the use of VCF-Midwest items like power strips and audio video equipment to help put on our show.
Even though it is still early, there’s no better time to start planning the 2023 event. Especially right now, when memories are still fresh, we’d love to take some time before, during or after our June business meeting to gather both comments and concerns in order to bring everyone improvements next year.
We’ve heard mainly room concerns (one time and re-occurring security key system issues, as well as A/C issues), with more praise given to the conference venue (dance floor issues notwithstanding). As some are aware, the hotel management changed a mere 2 weeks prior to our event, which no doubt played a role. In any event, we can’t fix what we don’t know about, and we can’t ensure the positives are kept unless folks let us know. So, please feel free to send any of the officers your thoughts, come to this month’s discussion and offer your perspective, or catch one of us after the meeting.
I know Summer is imminent, which means potentially less time to enjoy your classic computing hobby. Still, while you grab some sun and/or travel this season, I hope you stay plugged in and up to date on the hobby as well as find a few minutes to play a new game or two (Paul Shoemaker just released “Ghost Rush” in the past few days, to get you started, and I know Nick Marentes has just finished a few.)
We will open the call early at 6:30PM as in previous months, for some time to catch up and say hello to new faces.
A heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in some way at the 30th Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! We had a packed exhibit hall, full presentation schedule, lots of foot traffic, and a fun but not overly hectic “No Minimum Bid Auction”.
Show Results
I’ll update these numbers if modifications are needed, but here’s some potentially useful statistics on the 2022 show:
39 Exhibitors/Vendors
60 (of 62 total available) Exhibitor/Vendor tables in use
112 Attendees
65 Dinner reservations
With the 2022 show being free admission, we relied on table reservations, dinner reservations, and the auction proceeds to fully fund the show. Since this was the first time admission would be free and the abbreviated timeframe between the 2021 and 2022 shows (~6 months, which could affect auction donations or attendance or both), I am pleased to report the following financial statistics:
Dinner: $1320.00
Tables: $1095.00 (tables were $20 for 1st, $15 for rest)
Auction: $2364.00 (50 auction lots sold)
Dues: $420.00 (28 attendee memberships. All 1st tables also receive a bundled membership, which means 28+39 = 67 total memberships purchased at the show)
Thus, total 2022 gross proceeds totaled $5199.00!
For 2022, the venue costs went up a bit, to $3507.44 (compared to 3048.17 in November 2021), with net proceeds totaling $1691.56.
2023?
As Tony would say in his yearly CoCoFEST! address: “Will there be another ‘LAST’ CoCoFEST!? Yes, there most surely will be!”
A month or so back, Grant and I looked at the 2023 calendar for suitable dates, and I mapped out the dates that had been most often selected for previous fests. For reference, here are the insights:
(I put in the scheduled 2020 date, even though the fest was cancelled in 2020)
In general, weeks #16-20 get most of the love, which translates into 4/22/2023 to 5/21/2023. We selected the mid-May date in 2022 to try to get at least 6 months in between fests, but it seems best to move the date a bit earlier as in years past. Thus, for 2023, we’re working to secure 4/22-4/23 (week 16) as the 2023 show dates. I’ve verified Vintage Computer Festival – East does not conflict (they are scheduled the week prior), but we’re waiting on Midwest Gaming Classic dates, as we borrow some equipment used for that show, and thus preferably want to avoid conflicts. Our backup date is the following weekend. For 2024, week #18 is May 4th weekend, which I thought would be nice for a space theme if desired, but it’s too early to schedule that date.
Feedback
Grant will be sending out a survey in a bit so folks can share their perspectives on the fest, but early response has been positive. Of things noted in 2021, the dessert shared with with the catered dinner was much better in 2022, we did leave more time between presentations, and kudos to those who suggested the hot cocoa station, as it was both on brand and well utilized. I know Grant’s going to push the Sunday start back, since 8:30 came a bit early for most this year (which is fine, why not enjoy Saturday night/Sunday morning!)
Pics Or It Didn’t Happen!
I curated some photos from the places I found them. If you’d prefer one not be in the gallery, let me know.
We didn’t do it, as far as we know, but…2022 Glenside CoCoFEST!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank in advance all of the folks who are working diligently to prepare for our our upcoming CoCoFEST! event. As a past attendee, it can be easy to take for granted all of the hard work folks put in to ensure the fest happens and happens well.
There’s been multiple committee meetings, the most recent discussing things as varied as:
Door prize tickets (make sure you stop by the admission booth to get your ticket!)
Auction logistics (last year’s auctioneer Jason Timmons has graciously agreed to run the auction again this year)
Attendee badges (Salvador Garcia’s design includes space for two lines of text, a name and vendor/exhibitor/officer information)
Video feeds (we’ll have both an exhibit floor feed and a presentation feed, via our YouTube and Facebook pages)
Obviously, CoCoFEST! Coordinator Grant Leighty has been principal in ensuring all the tasks are identified cand completed, with assists from TandyList maintainer Randy Weaver, Treasurer Eric Canales concerning fest fees, Tony Podraza handling bookkeeping, and Rich Bair supporting admissions. Many thanks to all of them and the remainder of the coordination committee for the work they are doing.
Let’s not forget the host (7!) of speakers for this year’s event. It’s nice to have both a mix of well known and relative newcomers as well a mix of topics that should include something of interest for everyone. I appreciate D. Bruce Moore, John Linville, L. Curtis Boyle, John Strong, CoCo Crew, Paul Thayer, Ken Waters, and Kevin Phillipson taking the time to prepare and present at the show. We could put on a fest without speakers and presentations, but I don’t think it would be nearly as fun or engaging.
Whether it be pre-enjoyed or new, we also appreciate the myriad of products offered by vendors taking time from their busy schedules to man a table or 3. I hope everyone leaves with a new item for the hobby from one of our vendors.
I’ll give a shout out to Jason Timmons for conducting the No Minimum Bid Auction with humor and wit. I think the banter makes the auction even more enjoyable, even for those who successfully keep their bidding hand in their lap.
Finally, thanks to those who will be joining us in less than 4 weeks either in person in Elk Grove or virtually via the Internet. The interest and engagement you provide motivates the planning committee, the speakers, the vendors, and the club to put in the work to make the event happen. Never underestimate how much just enjoying the event means to those who sell, exhibit, speak, or otherwise handle show functions.
This month’s meeting will no doubt focus on the fest. Last minute items to discuss, questions to answer, and any financial details to share. We’d love for you to join. Given our recent registration as a non -profit, we’ve been able to secure some additional discounts on technologies we use to run the club and the fest, which means we’re switching from BlueJeans videoconferencing to Zoom. Note the new link below.
We will open the call early at 6:30PM as in previous months, for some time to catch up and say hello to new faces.
I hope everyone is having a great start to Spring this year. It’s nice to enjoy longer days and warmer weather. This also means that CoCoFEST! is getting closer. 2022 marks our 30th anniversary for the Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! If you have not made your travel plans or booked your vendor/exhibitor table, time is running out.
FREE ADMISSION
This is the first year that admission to CoCoFEST! will be FREE to attend. We’re hopeful this will both encourage more local folks to visit our event and potentially join Glenside. As always, if you would like to become a member of the Glenside Color Computer Club, we will be collecting membership dues at the Fest. Vendors and Exhibitors, note that your fees include a 2022 club membership. If you have any questions, or you would like to pay for the membership before CoCoFEST!, please contact Glenside Treasurer Eric Canales for assistance.
HOTEL
CoCoFEST! Will be held at the same location as last year. This is a larger venue from year’s past and it will provide us plenty of room to grow. If you have not booked your room yet, please do so as soon as possible. The cutoff date for the special rate of $99 a night plus tax will end at midnight (CDT) on April 29th. Please remember to use the group code “COF” when making your reservation.
COVID-19 Update
I have received a few emails about the vaccine and masks mandates in order to attend the event. I am happy to announce that there are NO masks or vaccine mandates at the hotel or to attend CoCoFEST!. Cook county lifted the health orders back on February 28th. If anything changes, I will post an update on the Glenside website and I will send an email to all registered vendors and attendees. I do NOT see this changing in the near future.
Dinners
There is still time to register for dinner on Saturday night. The dinner will be catered by the hotel and it will be served as a buffet. There will be plenty of food for everyone to enjoy, but you MUSTpre-register to ensure we have an accurate head count. The dinner is only $20 a person, and dinner for kids 12 or younger is free. I must provide the head count to the hotel on May 6th, so we will end preregistration for the dinner on May 5th.
The Preliminary Menu
Two options from the following list:
Meatloaf
Chicken
Pork Loin
London Broil
Broiled Tilapia
One side from the following list:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Wild Rice
Seasonal Vegetables
Dinner Rolls
Dessert
Freshly brewed Coffee and Tea
Like last year, I will be sending an email to everyone who has preregistered for the dinner to provide feedback for which items that we want to be served. We need to choose two items for the main entrees. Also, if you need to request vegetarian/vegan meals, please contact Grant Leighty.
Speakers
This year we had no problems finding people who wanted to give a presentation. I actually had to turn people down and offer them a spot in next year’s CoCoFEST! This is a great problem to have, and I will be looking for ways to accommodate more speakers at future Fests. This year we will have seven speakers that will provide new products, new games, technical presentations, and podcasts. There will be something for everyone to enjoy. Please check out the speakers bio and information.
2022 Speakers
CoCoCrew Podcast
D. Bruce Moore (New Game Announcement)
John Linville (De Re CoCo)
John Strong (New Product Announcements)
Ken Waters and L. Curtis Boyle (BASIC09 and GFX2 enhancements in NitrOS-9/EOU)
Kevin Phillipson (Turbo9 Project)
Paul Thayer (Developing Retro Games in the Modern Era)
Vendors/Exhibitors
Our new venue offers space for 62 sales or exhibit tables, and 34 vendors/exhibitors have reserved all but NINE (9) tables currently. If you’re considering showing off a project or offer items for sale, do not delay in visiting TandyList for your table(s) today. The first table is $20, and each additional table is $15.
Auction
We will have an auction again this year. Since we just had a CoCoFEST! just a few months ago, we are looking for donations. Please look around your house and see if you have any items that you may want to donate to the auction. If you are not able to attend this year’s CoCoFEST!, but you have items that you want to donate, please contact Grant Leighty. We are willing to pay for reasonable shipping fees.
We look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s 30th Anniversary of the “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! We would still like to have everyone preregister at TandyList so we can keep the lines short at the registration tables. If you have any questions about CoCoFEST!, please contact Grant Leighty, CoCoFEST! Coordinator.
We are now less than 60 days away from the 30th Anniversary of the “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST. I wanted to provide an update as we are still preparing for this year’s show. I will be at the Glenside meeting this Thursday, March 17th to answer any questions that you may have.
Tables have been in high demand this year. If you are thinking about getting a table to show off your latest project, and/or sell your items for the show, do not wait much longer. As of this post we only have 15 tables available. If you are interested in reserving a table, you can do that at TandyList.com.
We have also had a great turnout for presentations this year. We plan on having seven presentations on the latest projects, new hardware, and software. We will not be accepting any additional speakers for this year.
We will be hosting the traditional Saturday night dinner. I have requested for the latest menu from the hotel, and we will have an informal poll to provide feedback on our buffet serving options.
I am happy to report that things are returning to normal. As of this post there will NOT be any mask and vaccine mandates.
To both help speed up entrance at the show and to cut down on people standing in lines, we’re encouraging attendees to pre-register. Remember, this year’s show is free to attend.
To both cut down on paper currency handling at the show, we’re encouraging attendees to use electronic and/or credit card payment options. This also include the day of the show and the auction.
There are still hotel rooms left to reserve, but you have until April 29th to make your reservations at the discounted room rate of $99 a night. You will need to use the group code of COF.
We would love to have you attend the show this year, and remember it is FREE to attend. Please pre-register at TandyList.com for a table, the dinner, and to attend the show. For additional information click here.
This year admission will be completely FREE for all guests! There is a small cost for vendors, which also includes a years membership with our club. For those who wish to attend and also be a contributing member to our club, you will have the option to both register to attend and pay your yearly dues if you wish online. In order to minimize lines at the door, we ask all attendees to register even if you are only attending. We’re excited to have you and can’t wait to see you all!
If you have any questions, concerns, or trouble with registration, please reach out to Randy Weaver for technical support, or Grant Leighty (CoCoFEST! coordinator) for anything else.
More information about CoCoFEST! 2022 can be found here.
Registration for CoCoFEST! 2022 vendors and attendees can be found here.
