Banquets

[Camille Eonich]

Tell me about the best banquet that you have ever attended for a SASS Match and please tell me about what made the banquet that you are talking about so special.  While we're at it let's talk about the worst ones that you have been to and what made them so bad without naming where the worst one was at please. 


This one is hard for me because I don't go to a lot of them.  The best ones that I have been to had Lucky Bill as the entertainment.  There is one state match that we go to that has an open bar.  That's nice too.


The worst that I have attended had live entertainment but he played while everyone was eating.  He was loud too so that carrying on a conversation at dinner was almost impossible.  By the time that everyone finished eating he was done and he left.  The banquet ended very early.

[Missouri Marshal]

Well the fanciest was the Missouri State shoot.  Held at the Branson Raddison, great food, nice atmosphere.  Had the Awards at the banquet, BTW cost for the banquet was included in the match fee of $95 which also included all side matches, three lunches and the Friday night Cowboy Social.

 My favorite.. Blue Ridge ROUND UP, great entertainment(Lucky Bill), great pards.  Coming real close second is the Virginia State Shoot, same reason, Lucky Bill and great pards.  One of the things I like the best about both of them is they're held at the host motel which makes it much easier and ya don't have to have a designated driver.

Biggest letdown....A SASS Regional shoot.  Held in a meeting hall, very little Hor's Devours that you had to stand in line forever for then they run out of most of it, food was so, so....No Atmosphere.  Tables/chair so close together that the ladies had a hard time with their dresses.  Big letdown, had expected more for the "Big Time Shoot".

[Arcey]

Good - any I could walk or crawl away from.......

Bad - wakin' up in an empty ball room or by the pool.........

[Advertising]

[McMate]

Best banquet, was the first North Carolina match that I attended with Dig'em.  The banquet was super; I got to gamble, had no idea what I was doing, but they said I was doing good.  Food was good too.

Roundup Banquet runs next in line.

Worst:  Dig'em, Gemstone and I all went, had to wait as the food wasn't ready and then it was cold, music wasn't good.  Haven't attended that banquet since.



McMate

[Tensleep]

Worst... no doubt about it, Saturday night meal same as the night before, twice the price. No entertainment, no real program except an auction of things that had been donated. Ranged from chaps (nice) to really cheap posters and pictures.
No dancing, not really able to even visit at the table, everything was rushed.

Best, no doubt again. Missouri State Championship. Great food, plenty of it, great atmosphere, nice uncrowded room and good pards.

[Stump Water]

Well... the last two tol' about the worst.  Where wuz they?

[Tensleep]

Well... the last two tol' about the worst.  Where wuz they?

Cammy tolt us not to say... 

[Lone Gunman]

Why is it the bad things always seem to stick in the mind better 

A few years ago, and a fair distance away, there was a banquet on the second floor of a building that was accessed via an escalator. Someone decided the best place for the sign in table was just a few feet in front of the top of the escalator...and then to put barricades to the left and right so no one could sneak in     By the time word got to the bottom of the escalator that folks had best stop getting on it looked like Lucy at the candy factory       It wasn't so much 'bad' as just funny as all get out.

[Dogwoman]

I can't narrow it down to worst or best but I can seperate was was good or bad in each. 

Barbequed chicken: very bad.  Women in ball gowns and gloves are not thrilled about barbequed chicken.

Getting your food in a buffet style: ok however, if there is prime rib cutting, at least have SEVERAL cutters.  I had to wait so long for my prime rib that the rest of my food was COLD.

Coffee at the table!!!!  (Here in Utah, you darned near have to threaten people with hanging to get coffee at a banquet!)
Dessert at the table.  Going to get it is really a pain.  Having it served is so much better when you are trying to negotiate a ball gown.

Great:  softer music: string type stuff.

Dancing after the banquet.  A great way to get rid of that stuffiness!  *grin*
Happy Hours are nice but seating would be really nice during that time.  Standing after standing all day at a match gets rough on the feet.

Make sure you have a large enough setting for the banquet.  Like was mentioned before, getting around with those dresses can be a pain with tight seating.

Have a good PA system and great master/mistress of ceremonies!!!!  With all the talking and background noise, hearing the speaker can be rough with a cheap system.   A good MOC really keeps the background talking to a minimum because no one wants to miss a word!  We have a fantastic one at our state match.  That woman is a HOOT.

Be open to suggestions from those who went previous years.  They can come up with some great ideas!

Have clear directions to the banquet.  Directions from the range should be placed in the shooter's packets.