Mazer Cup 2012... Who is going?
- Thread starter Mars Colonist
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Ha, no I think he just makes mead! Very nice guy though so it was all good. Someone else spilled the next day so I felt a little better, theirs didn't land on a judge though.
@John E. Stewarding may be the job for you (and I recommend staying the night).
Stewarding is perfect for someone that can follow directions and is interested in mead, but perhaps doesn't feel that they are qualified to judge (If you're on the fence on your abilities to judge, put your experience and caveats/hesitations about judging down on the online form.). As a steward you are asked to do things such as: Bring mead to judges, fill out simple paperwork, double-check judges' scores, pour mead, and other odds and ends. Good stewards are the glue that make a competition run smoothly.
Stewarding also gives you insight into mead making, and mead judging. You should have an opportunity to sit with the judges as they are judging the meads. As a table steward you'll be able to drink the meads, listen to the discussions over the meads, and read the judging comments. This is usually quite interesting, not to mention educational.
I can attribute my mead making addiction, err hobby, almost entirely to the first MCI I attended as a steward, having brewed beer for only 6 months. I learned _a lot_ from stewarding with experienced judges and talking/drinking with judges/stewards/professionals at the awards ceremony. I went in thinking mead was interesting, left with a list of meads to make. And I made 4 batches within the next month.
So, volunteer if it sounds like fun helping judge 100s of amazing meads.
Kyle
MCI Volunteer Coordinator
Stewarding is perfect for someone that can follow directions and is interested in mead, but perhaps doesn't feel that they are qualified to judge (If you're on the fence on your abilities to judge, put your experience and caveats/hesitations about judging down on the online form.). As a steward you are asked to do things such as: Bring mead to judges, fill out simple paperwork, double-check judges' scores, pour mead, and other odds and ends. Good stewards are the glue that make a competition run smoothly.
Stewarding also gives you insight into mead making, and mead judging. You should have an opportunity to sit with the judges as they are judging the meads. As a table steward you'll be able to drink the meads, listen to the discussions over the meads, and read the judging comments. This is usually quite interesting, not to mention educational.
I can attribute my mead making addiction, err hobby, almost entirely to the first MCI I attended as a steward, having brewed beer for only 6 months. I learned _a lot_ from stewarding with experienced judges and talking/drinking with judges/stewards/professionals at the awards ceremony. I went in thinking mead was interesting, left with a list of meads to make. And I made 4 batches within the next month.
So, volunteer if it sounds like fun helping judge 100s of amazing meads.
Kyle
MCI Volunteer Coordinator
Ha, no I think he just makes mead! Very nice guy though so it was all good. Someone else spilled the next day so I felt a little better, theirs didn't land on a judge though.
Oh, I thought it might have been someone from Intermiel. They weren't present?
Oh, yes it was Andre from Intermiel - I didn't know they made things other than mead.
I booked mine already too and they didntknow anything about discounted rate, but I find on the Mazer Cup site, they they should have them. Ill have to contest mine.
Yes, there are special rates at the hotel for judges and volunteers! The problem is that you need to know that 1) you must make your reservation with an actual human, rather than using the Outlook's automated reservation thing, since they don't program special rates into the automated system, and 2) you MUST say that you are with the Mazer Cup and are requesting the special rate booking at the time that you make your reservation. As our Favorite Martian colonist has noted, the rates that you are entitled to as a volunteer are listed on the Mazer Cup website, and I think they are around $10/night less than the Outlook's standard rates for this time of the year.
If you have made a reservation at their standard rates, then by all means call them, talk to a real person at the reservation desk, and see if your reservation can be changed. If they aren't responsive to your request, then I'd recommend just cancelling your existing reservation, then calling back a day later and booking under the Mazer Cup rate. It is still early enough relative to the event that you should be able to do that without risking missing out on a room.
If you have made a reservation at their standard rates, then by all means call them, talk to a real person at the reservation desk, and see if your reservation can be changed. If they aren't responsive to your request, then I'd recommend just cancelling your existing reservation, then calling back a day later and booking under the Mazer Cup rate. It is still early enough relative to the event that you should be able to do that without risking missing out on a room.
Alas, I did talk to a real female person, and mention Mazer Cup on March 1-3, and she did know anything about it... now, this could be before it was posted on the MCI website, as I had not seen that before I called them.
The Mazer Cup prices for this year were finalized literally a day before that information got posted on the Mazer Cup website. I'd suggest that you try again. If the person you get this time is similarly uninformed, ask her to verify the rates with Sue, who is the lady on the Outlook staff responsible for coordinating our event.
I'm comin' fer sure.
FWIW, I just finalized my plans, and save for the fact that I will have to be on a bus or in a cab to the airport at ~6:00 on Sunday, I am very fired up. 'Til we Mead Again, as they say, and it's not going to be all that long now.
FWIW, I just finalized my plans, and save for the fact that I will have to be on a bus or in a cab to the airport at ~6:00 on Sunday, I am very fired up. 'Til we Mead Again, as they say, and it's not going to be all that long now.
"The Compleat Sybarite," eh? The title of your next book?? If so, that's definitely one that I'll look forward to picking up.... 
It doesn't look like I'll bel able to do anything that isn't within 60 miles of the homeport...
Maybe 2013? :shrug:
Maybe 2013? :shrug:
I cannot explain how bummed out I am to not be able to attend this year, but hey - time flew between the last one and this one, so it'll fly between this and the next as well! ;D
BREAKING NEWS!! We're The Largest Mead Competition EVER!!
Hey, everyone! Our entry count on the home side of the Mazer Cup just logged its 300th registered entry as of earlier this morning, which blows by last year's record setting number of entries by more than 25, so this year we will again be the LARGEST HOME MEADMAKING COMPETITION ON THE PLANET!
We are doing well on the commercial side of the event also. I don't have the latest entry count for commercial entries - but I know it is on par with last year.
Thanks to everyone who has entered thus far, and if there are any slackers out there who haven't registered any entries yet, you have just a few days left to do so. Get on it - or get left out!!
For those of you planning to volunteer at the event, you will certainly be able to claim that you have seen more mead concentrated in one place than has ever been before. (And we will certainly keep everyone busy again this time!) ;D
Hey, everyone! Our entry count on the home side of the Mazer Cup just logged its 300th registered entry as of earlier this morning, which blows by last year's record setting number of entries by more than 25, so this year we will again be the LARGEST HOME MEADMAKING COMPETITION ON THE PLANET!
We are doing well on the commercial side of the event also. I don't have the latest entry count for commercial entries - but I know it is on par with last year.Thanks to everyone who has entered thus far, and if there are any slackers out there who haven't registered any entries yet, you have just a few days left to do so. Get on it - or get left out!!
For those of you planning to volunteer at the event, you will certainly be able to claim that you have seen more mead concentrated in one place than has ever been before. (And we will certainly keep everyone busy again this time!) ;D
Hey, everyone! Our entry count on the home side of the Mazer Cup just logged its 300th registered entry as of earlier this morning, which blows by last year's record setting number of entries by more than 25, so this year we will again be the LARGEST HOME MEADMAKING COMPETITION ON THE PLANET!
Thanks to everyone who has entered thus far, and if there are any slackers out there who haven't registered any entries yet, you have just a few days left to do so. Get on it - or get left out!!
For those of you planning to volunteer at the event, you will certainly be able to claim that you have seen more mead concentrated in one place than has ever been before. (And we will certainly keep everyone busy again this time!) ;D
Awesome! Jon and I certainly hope to one day get out there to volunteer and to have meads in the commercial competition!
