Article from Issue December 2007
Of course, the inaugural Magna cum
Murder was the most nerve-wracking of all, but running a close second was this
one, the fourteenth. After the birthing pains of the first festival in 1994, it
seemed pretty much smooth sailing. Not a lot changed – certainly not the venue –
and we were supremely confident that the Horizon Convention Center and the
Roberts Hotel (or the Hotel Roberts, or the Radisson, depending on the year)
would be there as long as we needed them. While there had been turnover among
the personnel of both places, there was enough overlap that we rarely had more
than a teensy little glitch here and there to deal with. We got complacent as we
are wont to do when things are easy.
You all know what happened next, seemingly out of the blue.
The Roberts closed.
Magna XIII in 2006 was the last event held at the Roberts before the doors
closed. We were worried, but not unduly so. Surely, we thought, it will sort
itself out. There has to be a Roberts in Muncie; we were convinced that
everything would be back to normal by Spring of 2007. And if it wasn’t (but it
would be, we insisted!) well, the Horizon Center was there and Dan Allen
(President of the Chamber of Commerce) and JoAnn McKinney (Executive Director of
HCC) and Melissa Riggle (Events Manager) went out of their way early on to
assure us that they’d make sure all went well for us. And they did. Especially
Melissa, our once-and-future Magna Sweetheart and Warrior Princess.
Melissa and her crew went so far above and beyond the call of duty we can never
adequately thank them.
Those shuttles that ferried you from the Convention Center to your hotel?
Melissa made that happen.
Remember how nice it was to have a book-check room so you didn’t have to haul
your purchases from panel to panel on Saturday? Thank Melissa.
Then there was the quiet little out of the way green room with wireless
connection and all the amenities you would normally have just walked across the
street to enjoy in your hotel room. Melissa made it happen.
So many of you commented on the ingenuity and cleverness of the decor for the
banquet. It was all Melissa’s idea, and she knew she could count on the servers
under the capable leadership of Tina and Amanda to see that the evening was as
perfect as it was.
I wish I could list the names of all Melissa’s faithful lieutenants who pitched
in to answer our every request, no matter how trivial or outrageous – Kenny,
Chef Pete and Janice were in the vanguard — but there were so many more, and
each and every one of them performed at peak for us during Magna cum Murder.
I could go on and on.....those wonderful meals, the bar in the lobby, the lobby
itself....the set-ups everywhere... you name it, Melissa was the guiding force
behind everything, and we are more grateful than we can ever say to her and
everyone at the Horizon Convention Center who made our fourteenth Magna cum
Murder pretty nearly perfect!
So here’s to you, Melissa, with all love, gratitude, admiration and respect.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Articles from Issue March 2007
To My Dear Magna cum Murder Friends –
Kathryn has given me this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude for your
continued business and to let you know what to expect when you visit our fair
city next year.
At this time we don’t know when the renovations at the Roberts Hotel will be
complete; however, if the hotel is not open in time for your event, we’ve taken
some steps to ease the inconvenience of having to stay further away.
We began by asking ourselves, “Why do clients want an adjacent hotel?” and
arrived at the following conclusions and plan to mitigate them:
1 - Transportation
One obvious answer is that they can walk to the sessions without having to drive
– and if they are in town without a vehicle, then that need is especially
apparent. So, we have made arrangements for transportation to and from a block
of hotels on Muncie’s north side for our convention clients. We have several
options including buses, van shuttles and taxis for your convenience.
2 - Lounge
Another reason is that many people want to go to their rooms during the day to
relax, watch TV, check e-mail, or make a phone call. So, we’ve created a lounge
in a secluded area of the convention center, away from the hustle and bustle of
the meeting rooms. We’ve included plush, comfy sofas, conversation areas, a
computer desk and a large screen TV, to help our guests get away from it all,
right here in the convention center. Take a moment to relax with a cup of coffee
in front of one of our fireplaces and get caught up with an old friend.
3 - Bar
We know how much hotel guests always enjoyed socializing at Flappers, so for
Magna cum Murderers’ convenience, there will be a fully stocked bar available at
the Convention Center. It will be open from Friday afternoon until the last dog
is hung Saturday night after the banquet.
4 - Baggage Check
One other reason we believe so many people prefer an adjacent hotel is that they
want to unload some of the items they’ve acquired at a tradeshow or convention
and not carry them around all day. With this in mind, we’ve created a “coat
check” of sorts for briefcases, book bags, etc. for our clients’ convenience.
If the Hotel Roberts has not reopened in time for Magna cum Murder 2007, we know
you may experience some inconveniences, but we hope we’ve addressed those in our
plan and we welcome your thoughts about other things we can do to make your
event with us even more memorable. Please feel free to contact me with your
suggestions at
jmckinney@horizonconvention.com or 765-751-9130.
We know you have many choices in meeting facilities and on behalf of the entire
staff of the Horizon Convention Center, we appreciate your business and look
forward to hosting your 2007 event.
Sincerely,
Joann McKinney
Executive Director, Horizon Convention Center, Muncie, Indiana