Dear Friends and fans of the Nominoichi,
Well, as the subject said, we are looking to bring in a new system of table reservations.
Overall the whole event will be almost the same as last year. The day, time, location, etc... will all be the same.
But last year, and every year, we have asked you to email in your reservation information and I have done the work of copying and pasting those details into my master table list, then sending out a
"You have a table" letter to all the sellers. Tables have been assigned on a first-come, first served, basis and all that takes a lot of work.
A lot of work. ... and even after all that, it's never been fair to those who have to work, or are busy, on the exact hour and minute the tables are available.
So this year things will be different.
We are developing a new system to register for a table, an ONLINE system. People who want a table will be able to create an account, then use that account to register for a table, and input all the data (table type, section, selling partners, any NEXT TO requests, etc...)
This information will be collected over several
DAYS, and once it's done a random selection of people will get tables. You'll no longer have to send an email within the first 90 seconds, you will have enough time do this on your own schedule, and there'll be NO priority for those who do it early or later. This new system will be random and fair for all people who apply.
It will also send you an email to confirm you have registered for a table and so there shouldn't be any more problems of "missing" table requests.
Again, I just want to stress this is something we are still working on, and while I hope it will be ready to go this year, I can't say for sure yet.
There are also two important points to consider before you panic:
Last year over %80, (close to %90) of the people who applied for a table were successful. That average has been quite stedy for a few years, so I don't think changing the system will result in a flood of new applicants. Your odds of getting table will be the same.
The rules about cancelling will not be changed, particularly: IF you cancel your table you
are NOT allowed to participate as as a seller in the same year at another table. Therefore, any groups that try to game the system by applying separately, and then plan later cancel and join back together at one table, will be disappointed.
Anyway, that's what we've been up to.
Please let us know your comments and questions.
... and as always, thanks for your interest in the Nominoichi!