Bad organization at GASS

I went to the ping-pong prize drop today. What a horrible experience it was! I was expecting a crowd (who doesn't like getting prizes?) but it was way more crowded than I had thought it would be - do to the size of the area. There were so many people crammed into a small area. It was nothing but pandimonium. When the balls were dropped, people went crazy, showing their true selves as they trampled anyone who stood in their way. I could have gotten more balls if I wanted to be ruthless and leave my toddler alone. It was supposed to be something fun, and turned into something I wish my son would not have witnessed.

I think the worst part of the prize drop was that the organizers thought that a few people in a small tent would be able to serve over 5000 people in a timly manner in trading out the balls for certificates. The temperature was hot and I saw many tempers rising. I had assumed that the largest tent was going to be the trade in tent - and others around me had the same assumption. When we realized that it was the smallest tent we were amazed at the lack of planning and thought that was put into this. Yes, I know hindsight is 20/20 especially coming from an outsider, but it was pretty obvious that the organizers hadn't thought too much about crowd control. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke were very real dangers that hopefully didn't happen.

Better organization would have gone a long way to having a smoother experience for all involved. I know I am not the only one who was dissatisfied with how things went. A larger area for the crowd would have been nice, as well as more people to help trade in the prizes. Maybe somewhere the winners could go the day after to ease up on the crowd. Those who organize events for Montrose need to think about things like this. Having planned many big events, I know that organization is key to keeping attendees happy. I hope that if they decide to do this next year, they will take some of the mistakes made this year and learn from them. This was the first year to do this and much was learned.