Forwarded by permission of Nick.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 22:02:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nick Leifker <nightelf@thekeep.org>
To: Scott Jamison <majks@cyberx.com>
Subject: Re: [FFML] Goodbye for awhile.

want otaku business, don't give it to them.

	hmm...not clear on what happened, most of the AX reports weren't 
going into particulars on the problem.

Let me put it to you this way: I talked with Meri Hazlewood recently, to
ask if I could run the fanfic panel for A-Kon 10.  In the conversation, I
found out exactly *what* happened.  They don't deserve to be in business
after what they pulled.

Essentially: Meri & co. were harrassed, as were many of the congoers.
They were promised some things (warnings on noise problems, at the very
least), tried to make sure they were as unoffending as possible, but were
still shut down and nearly thrown out of the hotel.  They were not given
any warning on the matter.  The management complained about the "scanty" 
costumes, when they were wearing more clothes than many of the people by
the pool.  As near as I can tell, the night manager decided that he didn't
like otaku, and did his darnedest to make the congoers as uncomfortable as
possible.  He went so far as to log false complaints against them and
confiscate videotapes of con events, to cover his own derierre in the
matter.

That night manager wasn't too bright.  Meri's looking for a new site for
A-Kon 10 - and there are no Hilton hotels on her list, solely due to the
events this past weekend.  The AX staff knows about the congoers'
complaints, thanks to the Sunday Gripe session, and they'd be fools to
touch the company with a ten-foot pole after what happened.  I do hope
Hilton Corp. hears about this...

Feel free to send this to the ML, if you like.

-- Nick