2005 Cincinnati Feis

When:	June 26th, 2005
Where:	Northern Kentucky Convention Center Covington KY
Competitors:	Ges (dancing) Rebekah (dancing/soda bread) Rachel (dancing) Luke (dancing)
Why We Went:	It's only an hour from Clan Seger World HQ. Plus, most everyone has danced the previous day at Dayton while we worked. We're fresh, they're tired :-)
Previously Reviewed:	2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

ORGANIZATION

There was a small designated Camping Area near Stage 4, usage of which had been auctioned off to a lucky family prior to the feis. Neat fundraising idea.
Good selection of vendors.
There was a dedicated stage monitor for all Irish Arts competition.
Preregistration at the Dayton Feis the preceding day, as always.
The contestant numbers had on the back, in addition to the standard list of competitions, the stage on which each competition was held.

Unlike in previous years, no provision was made for the technologically Amish in the Irish Dance community to register. You had to have an eFeis account to do so.
The committee should not advertise that certain levels of dances (such as Advanced Beginner) are going to begin at a specific time. This wasn't the problem it was last year only because the feis ran slower than normal.

B+

All dancers rotated between the same two stages for the majority of their dances, and those stages were paired. You could set up base camp safely in one area of the main ballroom and stay there all day.
Beginners danced after Figures.
This is one of the few feisanna in the Midwest that specifically has sibling figure competitions.
For Advanced Beginners through Open/Prizewinner, dancers in the U10 and younger age groups -- as well as Adults -- danced after Beginners. U11 and older age groups for these levels danced after the Adults and younger age groups finished for the day. Here are the two reasons this was so right:
- Every previous time we've danced at this feis, congestion was an insurmountable problem in three places within the main ballroom. This year, only half the people of previous years were competing for the same amount of space at any point throughout the day. I wish they had thought of this years ago.
- Devonna couldn't make it this year on account of being struck by lightning on the front porch of Clan Seger World HQ the previous night. This schedule meant only Luke was dancing at the same time I was, and contributed enormously to lowering my stress levels that day. By the time Rebekah and Rachel were ready to dance, I was done for the day.

Their perennial feis facility -- The Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington -- was used again this year.
The same floor plan as last year was used in the Main Ballroom.
The lobby running alongside the main hall to its north had more than enough room for the most extensive vendor area you'll find outside an Oireachtas.
Results and Awards were moved from their perennial location on the second floor to the first floor next to the escalators. This cleared up the congestion usually experienced at the bend going back toward the championship stage.
There was a lot of parking within two minute's walk of the feis site
One of the best consequences of their stage schedule was that everyone didn't have to keep moving around the feis.
Many coat racks located strategically throughout the site
People finally discovered the downstairs exhibit hall lunch counter this year.
Soda Bread/Arts & Crafts were located behind the entry gate and next to the escalators where everyone entering/exiting the feis could see them.
I continue to like how they attempted to block off zones in front of all major doors with black and yellow tape to make them no-camping zones -- and had signs to that effect as well.

I only saw one men's room. I'm sensitive to this as an issue.
Stage 9, instead of handling non-championship competitions, handled championship competitions. This was why the feis ended near 6 PM instead of before 5 PM as in previous years.

B. No amount of scheduling tricks could compensate for losing an entire stage.

The Awards table continues to be broken out by level. After watching it operate for two years, this runs better than the previous methods they had used.

The entry secretary needs a protege to help her out at the beginning of the feis so she doesn't get so overloaded with last-minute requests -- like mine requesting that Rachel and I be scratched from our music competitions. No one else seemed able to handle my problem before the feis started.

B+