Parkes Elvis Festival 2017 Feedback

2017 Parkes Elvis Festival Theme - Viva Las Vegas

Dear Elvis Festival Executive, The Mayor Ken Keith, Senior Executives NSW Trains

(only 8 pages short)

I would like to congratulate and thank each and every one of you and your teams for putting together the best Elvis Festival yet.?It is a credit to all of you and is appreciated by everyone who attends.?All the little details make a huge difference to everyone’s enjoyment and ensure they cannot wait to attend the following year.

This is my fourth Festival and I am passionate about making a difference with my annual letters of suggestions and compliments.?Everyone I speak to always says, “This festival was better than last year.”?Am always, so very happy to hear this.??I ask others for their suggestions which I document at the Festival.?Ultimately these will benefit everyone as well as generate revenue for Parkes.?My letters take many hours to draft, review and compare with previous letters.?I am always delighted when so many of the suggestions are implemented for the benefit of everyone.?Even the Librarian knew my name, so my letter is distributed far and wide. Thrilled!!!

Sorry this letter is just as long as last year, 8 pages of ideas.?I also thought it would be much shorter.

Funko Elvis so very cute

TRAIN

Sensational so easy to check in luggage at the front of the platform.?One line so much better.

All the staff are so happy?at central and on the train. Loved Robert and Howard's name tags with Elvis.?

Love the name tag for NSW Trainlink

Even the train driver was dressed for the Elvis Express

Loved the smaller goodie bags, with chips, cheese n crackers, water bottles and wine, muffins?

Toilets smelt fresh?and were spotless

Everyone was thrilled there was 2 buffet cars?which never ran out of food

Loved free Elvis cupcakes, very popular and delicious, a very nice touch

No complaints re food nor drinks?

Arrived early brilliant train trip

Suggestions

Phone booking number sent by text to book Elvis train tickets?CountryLink wrong number / could not cope with all the incoming calls

Booking tickets for train, email should include advising passengers should bring balloons streamers etc to decorate their carriage?

CAR C Party carriage

Preference should be given to previous car C passengers. Can you keep a record of Car C passengers.

Viv, myself, Gail and Wendy,

Vicki wanted 3 tickets in carriage C when she booked her tickets and was put in carriage F

Please No bogans to be booked on carriage C.?We have an Elvis Carriage C 2016 Facebook page

There were 9 new young attendees who made it unpleasant for the rest of the passengers, who were very drunk and very loud. Perhaps the train staff could have told them to behave

John Collins even had to tell them, when the camera crew were coming on aboard if they misbehaved at all, the camera crew would leave immediately leave.

Baggage check was only for first 50 people.?Remaining 350 people not checked in.?

There were no clear instructions on luggage line. Many were waiting in line for nothing, then told put your luggage on yourselves?

We need a clear signage with the time boarding for the train like at the airport.?

Sound Speakers on the train were not always working.

When making announcements they need to talk louder so we can hear?what they are saying

When train pulled into Bathurst as they emptied the septic tank, shocking smell filled carriage C, ensure they spray the carriage to stop the smell

Portable wifi on the train?

All dressed up to Party

PROGRAM

Cotton Program bags were very well received by everyone

Magic list of eateries and cafes with times well received

They should be open later Friday and Saturday nights?

Loved the list of library films?and times in the program this year

Thrilled awards for photography competition changed to 4pm Friday?

Suggestions

Provide Survey feedback form in program,?tear out form and post, as this will reach so many who are attending the festival

The Parkes Museum and the Elvis Museum should be consistent and open till 5pm for the duration of the Elvis Festival, stop confusion of different closing times.

Remind passengers to put their phones on plane mode when no mobile coverage as this will save their battery usage.?Older demographic on the train who would not be aware of this

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

The dish dinner, hold a second dinner on Saturday night for train attendees, this would be very popular.?

The winery dinner was fantastic, why not also offer breakfasts and lunches.

Have a bus go out to the winery.?Hold events with Cocktails or chicken and champagne.?

Many were not aware there was a winery near Parkes. Put this in the program

Prime TV is a sponsor of the Elvis Festival, why not?put on Elvis movies?over the festival weekend on TV, for those who are tired and want a quiet night in.

Need one location open till late on Sunday night for the party animals who want to continue to party as there is nothing open.?Am certain they would do very well.?Put this in the Program

COOKE PARK

Cooke Park is always so very beautiful, such well-manicured grass, lovely roses and spotlessly clean.?A huge thank you to your team who work so hard looking after it for us all to enjoy

Additional coloured lights in park, made it look so beautiful at night

Everyone loves the flamingos in the water feature

The giant light at the back of the park was brilliant at night

Water fans are a wonderful?initiative, very welcome by all in the hot dry heat

Much better sound system this year, well worth the investment?

Noticed the many new permanent lights installed, the park looks so much better?

Fabulous there was no smoking in the park

The program in the park was fabulous, with the dancing competitions for all ages and not just focused on the local children on Saturday afternoon.

Sensational food vendors in the Park, spoilt for choice with such healthy options, all well patronised

Program in the Park much better Saturday afternoon and moved Wedding vows renewals straight after gospel service

Suggestions

Screen for Thursday night film too small, I thought previous years it was much larger

Remove the last broken old lights

More shade sails needed for seating areas for duration of festival, gospel service many were seated in the full sun

Shade cloth over dance floor

Perhaps have one of the moving clown faces with their mouths open, where you put in table tennis balls to win a prize you have at fairs for children of all ages to enjoy

CLARINDA STREET

Brilliant the tents in Clarinda St with chairs tables to sit in the shade in the middle of the road

Far better with all the vintage cars in the middle of road, for everyone to enjoy and admire

Suggestions

3 buskers were located on each corner of one cross road.?It was unbearable to listen to 3 different songs all at the same time?

Need to ensure the buskers are placed apart

Public?did not have opportunity to vote for buskers and they should select?the winners

ELVIS CENTRAL

The merchandise at Elvis central is sensational, always love the new items on sale

Loved the DVD celebrating 25 Years of the Elvis Festival

Loved the uniforms gold for staff and volunteers t shirts n hats?

Volunteers all looked fabulous, so easy to identify.?They all looked so proud to be representing their community and all worked so hard to ensure everyone was safe and having a fabulous time.

Fabulous they were taking surveys and feedback

Loved free hats outside Vinnies box, very thoughtful

SHOWS

Pete Townsend and Jake on Friday night, sang the same 3 songs separately.

Need to ensure they choose different songs.?

STREET PARADE

All ready for the street parade yahooo

The Street parade is the highlight of the Festival and was very glad it was a longer route

Very well organised

Driving in the Street Parade, I had one of the Police Commissioners walk over to me, I was petrified what he was going to say about my hat and to my surprise he said "My hat is better than yours!!!" OK his hat had lots of gold brocade. We both roared with laughter !

Suggestions

Ran out of forms on Friday morning in Cooke Park to register for the street parade, my details were taken down but were not included on the list for the street parade

Street parade, provide water stands for walkers in the parade, like they do in the city to surf in Sydney?

Your local Radio station should play only Elvis music for the duration of the street parade so all vehicles can be synchronised?playing the same music.

The showgirls just want to have fun !

WINNERS FOR STREET PARADE

Impossible to know why the winners were chosen.?There was no description provided in the announcements of the winners of their car and/or outfit.

Have a large screen to show pictures of the winners?so everyone can see and identify why they won their prize.

LIBRARY

Thrilled awards for photography competition 4pm Friday?

Thrilled the photos were are all a much larger size

The afternoon tea was lovely

Suggestions

The library was closed on Sunday, many were disappointed and were not able to see the photos nor the films

If the library is closed move the stands of photos close to the glass windows so people can see them through the windows

Lovely old movie theatre, behind the Coachman Hotel, why not show the movies in the Library there, but have them running all day, post in the Program.

If this is not possible have the films running all day in the library

TAXIS

Fixed price taxi brilliant?initiative

Suggestion

Pinpoint hot spots and times for park shows, look back at where taxis were called, so they can?anticipate the need for taxis

BUS SERVICES

The same bus driver who picked them up at the Elvis train?on Thursday afternoon did the following

The 10.30pm Peak hill bus service with the same driver drove them on Thursday night to their motel.?

However on Friday night they had to wait an hour for the bus at Cook Park. As The Peak Hill bus with the same driver refused to drop them at their motel when it drove past.

Volunteer no idea about bus timetable.

Would be very useful if the bus routes are colour coded.?Eg red Peak Hill and blue for Forbes.?The drivers wear a polo shirt in that colour and the sign in the front of the bus is also colour matching

GOSPEL SERVICE was fabulous.

It was very well received when it was explained where the money collected was going and how it would change lives.?Many dug deep into their pockets, you had a far better collection this year.

Much better sound system well worth the investment?

Suggestions

There were too many VIP seats at the gospel service. It’s not fair for a bus group attending to get better seats than everyone else. Many get up extra early to secure good seats to enjoy the service. Sure the key people including The Mayor, Priscilla etc. should be provided VIP seats but not 10 rows.

PARKES LEAGUES CLUB TICKETS

Fabulous signs advising which shows had sold out, no complaints re bookings, well done

Suggestions

Unfortunately I was extremely upset and so very disappointed with our tickets for the Parkes Leagues Club Sunday night show.

I didn’t realise till we went to our seats for the show that we were given the worst seats on table 53 right at the very back in the corner, the very last table with immovable seats.?One of my friends is Vision Impaired.?My friend Sean Wright would not be able sit at table 53 where the seats are not able to be moved.

I booked my train tickets on the dot of 10am on the 19 th September 2016 and then immediately rang to book the tickets for the Sunday night show at the Parkes Leagues Club.??

I wrote last year about the non-existent customer service that so many had complained about to me, perhaps a disgruntled employee who saw my letter and remembered my name ?????Why were we given such appalling seats when we were one of the first to book our seats for the show.?

I spoke to Gail who is known as the twins with her friend Wendy, they called at 10.45am that morning and their seats were on table 2 right at the very front. I would have thought we would have been in the front close to the stage being one of the first to call to book our seats.?

Next time I will ask for their name and what table number we are booked on.

Everyone wants a small area where attendees can get up and dance during the show.

RETURN TRAIN TRIP

Love we have the same seats on the return train trip

Is it possible for the local Friday paper to be handed out on the platform for the Monday return train trip?

Would it be possible to have a Special run for the Monday train with only the 2 pages of Elvis festival?photos which will be published on Wednesday since there are now only 2 papers each week instead of 3.

Ran out of wine on return train trip.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my letter and sending it far and wide to all organisers of the Festival.

This year it was absolutely sensational, so well organised, so much to see and do.

I cannot wait to return, next year there will be 7 of us, this year there was 5 of us. Last year there was 3 of us.

Kindest Regards

Deanna Mastellone