NY salsa congress - prices

[yippee1999]

So this year's NYC Salsa Congress will be upon us before you know it. I don't know if they got alot of flack last year for their drink prices (esp. BOTTLED WATER prices....I know I certainly complained to them)...but interestingly enough I noticed that for this year's Congress, they specifically indicated on the website what the drink prices would be. Bottled water will cost FIVE DOLLARS.

I don't know about you, but I think this is absolutely criminal. And there's no way to get around it btw...believe me...I tried last year. They have very militant "bouncers" who check your bags every time you enter/re-enter the dance, to be sure you're not trying to sneak in your own water. Heck, you can't even LEAVE the ballroom with an EMPTY bottle of water. They want to ensure that you don't bring your empty bottle to the bathroom and try to fill it up and drink some more (free) water in there!

As we all know, salsa dancing is highly aerobic, and keeping hydrated is very important. I've no problem with the Congress charging moderate/high prices for mixed drinks...$10-12...isn't that generally the NORM for mixed drinks? ...and if people are paying good money to attend a Congress and then want to spend more money to get drunk and DEhydrate themselves, well...I guess that's their prerogative and they should pay for it. Ditto for beer, for which there will be a $9 charge. But $5 for bottled water! While alcohol is not "essential" for enjoying the Congress, water most certainly is, ESPECIALLY if you are dancing alot.

I know bars in the city usually charge $5 as well for bottled water, but then, this is not a dance club or a bar where people go mainly to drink or try to meet someone. This is an event geared to SERIOUS salsa dancers, and they need to keep themselves hydrated.

Attendees are already paying significant money to attend, and many of us ATTEND to DANCE....not to stand around, not to get drunk, not to get laid, etc. I think it is very unfair for those of us who just want to DANCE...that we will essentially have to spend what....an additional $25 (for a night of dancing, most people will have at least 5 bottles water)...just so we can dance?!

All the other dance socials I attend charge ONE DOLLAR for bottled water, so clearly a profit can be made selling water for just $1. But $5?! I think it's very sleazy.

But I guess their reply would be "well no one is forcing you to attend the Congress". But you know what...that's not the point.

 

[jennyisdancing]

So this year's NYC Salsa Congress will be upon us before you know it. I don't know if they got alot of flack last year for their drink prices (esp. BOTTLED WATER prices....I know I certainly complained to them)...but interestingly enough I noticed that for this year's Congress, they specifically indicated on the website what the drink prices would be. Bottled water will cost FIVE DOLLARS.

I don't know about you, but I think this is absolutely criminal. And there's no way to get around it btw...believe me...I tried last year. They have very militant "bouncers" who check your bags every time you enter/re-enter the dance, to be sure you're not trying to sneak in your own water. Heck, you can't even LEAVE the ballroom with an EMPTY bottle of water. They want to ensure that you don't bring your empty bottle to the bathroom and try to fill it up and drink some more (free) water in there!

As we all know, salsa dancing is highly aerobic, and keeping hydrated is very important. I've no problem with the Congress charging moderate/high prices for mixed drinks...$10-12...isn't that generally the NORM for mixed drinks? ...and if people are paying good money to attend a Congress and then want to spend more money to get drunk and DEhydrate themselves, well...I guess that's their prerogative and they should pay for it. Ditto for beer, for which there will be a $9 charge. But $5 for bottled water! While alcohol is not "essential" for enjoying the Congress, water most certainly is, ESPECIALLY if you are dancing alot.

I know bars in the city usually charge $5 as well for bottled water, but then, this is not a dance club or a bar where people go mainly to drink or try to meet someone. This is an event geared to SERIOUS salsa dancers, and they need to keep themselves hydrated.

Attendees are already paying significant money to attend, and many of us ATTEND to DANCE....not to stand around, not to get drunk, not to get laid, etc. I think it is very unfair for those of us who just want to DANCE...that we will essentially have to spend what....an additional $25 (for a night of dancing, most people will have at least 5 bottles water)...just so we can dance?!

All the other dance socials I attend charge ONE DOLLAR for bottled water, so clearly a profit can be made selling water for just $1. But $5?! I think it's very sleazy.

But I guess their reply would be "well no one is forcing you to attend the Congress". But you know what...that's not the point.

Wow....at West Coast Swing weekend events, the water is free. The ballroom and workshop rooms all have big ice water dispensers and cups and you can drink all the water you want.

 

[SDsalsaguy]

Just to stay in genre, there were lots of free water stations at the LA Salsa Congress.

 

[yippee1999]

..mind you...I'm referring specifically to the evening dance portions of the Congress. Perhaps the NY Congress offers free water during the day..during the workshops etc... I don't know. But for all of the evening/open dance events I attended at the NYC Congress, that was not the case.... It was a highly secured event, complete with militant bouncer types and high-priced water that you had no choice but to buy (or else run the risk of passing out)!

 

[etp777]

I have not been to the Chicago congress, but I know (or so I've been told), they integrate with Chicago Summer Dance for at least one night of the congress, and then go on to another venue after 9. The Summer Dance part definnitely charges for water too, and about same price, so it's not limited to the NYC congress.

Err, that being said, that part is an open venue, so can easily walk across street to 7-11 or something if you want to. So still not as draconian a setup.

 

[dance234]

ugh.

 

[SDsalsaguy]

..mind you...I'm referring specifically to the evening dance portions of the Congress. Perhaps the NY Congress offers free water during the day..during the workshops etc... I don't know. But for all of the evening/open dance events I attended at the NYC Congress, that was not the case.... It was a highly secured event, complete with militant bouncer types and high-priced water that you had no choice but to buy (or else run the risk of passing out)!

And just to be clear, when I say there were abundant water stations at the LA Congress, I mean during the evening social dancing as well.

 

[Stagekat]

I have not been to the Chicago congress, but I know (or so I've been told), they integrate with Chicago Summer Dance for at least one night of the congress, and then go on to another venue after 9. The Summer Dance part definnitely charges for water too, and about same price, so it's not limited to the NYC congress.

Err, that being said, that part is an open venue, so can easily walk across street to 7-11 or something if you want to. So still not as draconian a setup.

Close...but this weekend was the Chicago Salsa...umm... I think they called it a Festival.. that they coinsided with Summer Dance... Looked impressive and certainly carried the pricetag that Congress has, but this event had it's attendee's jumping all over the city... which I found um... unique. Sadly I wasn't able to try this one out.

Chicago Salsa Congress is in February... typically President's Day Weekend.

(Sorry... BOT... Hope everyone at the NY Congress has a fantastic time! I bet it puts ours to SHAME!)

 

[Beto]

Just to stay in genre, there were lots of free water stations at the LA Salsa Congress.

Just like there were at the DC Salsa Congress the weekend before last. Tons of free, ice cold water during the workshops and during the evening. The hotel staff would bring in more containers anytime that they ran out.

..mind you...I'm referring specifically to the evening dance portions of the Congress. Perhaps the NY Congress offers free water during the day..during the workshops etc... I don't know. But for all of the evening/open dance events I attended at the NYC Congress, that was not the case.... It was a highly secured event, complete with militant bouncer types and high-priced water that you had no choice but to buy (or else run the risk of passing out)!

The militant bouncers are definitely not my favorite aspect of the NYC Congress experience but there *are* ways of bypassing them later in the evening in terms of getting your water, or other beverage, into the ballroom. The fact that we even have to resort to this method in the first place is kind of a bummer. Other than *that*, I always have a good time in NYC during the congress weekend.

 

[LatinDancer006]

You think this is bad? You should check out their policy for event volunteers. They make these people put in 20 hours of volunteer work and still make them pay for their tickets!

 

[MacMoto]

And just to be clear, when I say there were abundant water stations at the LA Congress, I mean during the evening social dancing as well.

I went to the NY congress the last two years. The first time I went (2007) there were water stations in the evening. I remember thinking how generous they were since you never see free water stations at congresses in the UK or any of the European congresses I've been to. Obviously the organisers and/or the venue decided that they were too generous and that they should go European... :roll: