Prowl XL Reflections & Insights

Thank you very much for everyone who joined us for Prowl XL at our new venue, The Jewel in Manchester, NH!

We ran a survey after the event, and found the following insights which were mirrored and expanded upon during our team's post-event Retrospective. Though available publicly, we ensure our venue gets a copy of these reflections & insights so we can learn, grow, and refine our events together. Questions posed ahead are intended to be for our Venue, but as with everything we welcome community feedback.

Kinky Interests

Many attendees shared an affinity for leather, rubber, pup, and pony. We've thought about kink-specific events before, and it sounds like we're close to having a critical mass to meet our event goals. We saw good interest across all categories, and would be happy to explore additional events for those too. Reach out at hello@bandr.org if you are particularly passionate, and let's partner up to expand our delightfully queer spaces!

Positive Reflection Themes

Event Organization

Comments like "Organization of event” and "Picture booth and facilities were well managed" indicated appreciation of the event's structure.

We love that the Jewel’s Floor Manager thought of us as “Super Nerds” 😎 We extend our tremendous gratitude to community members who helped us load and unload - we always need more helping hands, especially the day-of an event, and we would do well to ask for help ahead of time. We also thank our DJs for brining the energy to the new venue - You're an integral part of Prowl and we're so happy to host you.

Space and Venue

Phrases like "More space is good" suggest that attendees valued the roominess of the venue.

We thought the cozy alcoves and spacious main area were a perfect fit for Prowl. We’ll definitely need to bring more shelving for the Changing Area to wrangle luggage.

Social Interactions

Comments such as "My first prowl. I Enjoyed meeting the people I did" highlight the social aspect as a positive core experience.

We observed many newcomers this event, and hope to welcome even more next time! The Jewel’s Greeter was an integral part of the Prowl experience, and we would love to see her with us for a long time to come.

Negative Reflection Themes

Climate Control / Hydration

Feedback like "If possible more fans or air circulation for the fursuiters" suggests that ventilation or air quality could be better.

We observed attendees frequently requested water to help cool and recover. How might we further cool the main areas, especially the Changing Area? Could we improve climate with a mix of extra fans and pre-cooling or open ventilation? Also, how might we ensure everyone stays hydrated while balancing F&B needs of the Jewel? We're happy to supply all water for events and provide it for free to attendees and staff.

Quiet / Alternative Zones

Comments mention the need for a quiet area or zones for different types of social interaction.

We love this idea, as it is festival-level thinking! However the only additional indoor space would be the loading area which we’d like to reserve for Staff use only. We noticed many folks gathering outside on and around the exit stairs - could we perhaps setup some seating outside for folks to recharge? Would food trucks or lawn games be a possibility for outside?

Freeform Feedback Themes

Photo Booth

Suggestions like "Better organization for photos" and "Stanchions to organize the line" indicate that the photo booth queue could be better organized.

We noticed we had a lengthy line backed up along the far wall and bar. How could we better arrange the Photo Booth for optimal flow? We brainstormed various time-allotment strategies, and we’ll likely need to couple that with better booth and queue positioning.

Advance Notice / Planning

Comments such as "More heads-up would be nice. My work schedules are usually a month out," suggesting that earlier announcements could aid planning.

This is definitely on us - Barks & Rec is a labor of love and we always want to give it more of our time and act faster. Once we wrap up a multi-event agreement for Prowl 11, 12, 13, and 14 then we’ll be happy to announce the next Prowl date and promptly open ticketing. Partnering with nearby hotels would ease travel plans for out-of-towners, and we should integrate with taxi, rideshare, and roomshare apps.

Let us know if you have any thoughts, and reach out at hello@bandr.org if you're interested in partnering up, joining our team, or if we may be of any direct assistance.