"GO Fest Review - 2 mile radius saves the day!"

#PokemonGO: Yesterday was over of the best and worst days in my life. Our Group traveled three hours by car and caught a 1-hour train to arrive at Grant Park for 10:00. We stood in the heat and waited 2 hours in line to get into Pokemon GO fest.Once we were in we were crammed into a tiny fenced area that has no cell phone reception. The CEO had given a speech and was booed. People were extremely upset. People who had flown in from across the US, from all countries in the world.First they announced that there were problems (1:00). At 2:00 the CMO Mark Announced that they didn't know what the issues were but that they wouldn't be resolved. C3 was telling guests "we told them this would happen. We don't even get cell reception when we are at work." That's when it was announced everyone is being refunded their ticket and will be receiving $100 of in game currency. Still no answer to what 18,000 people were going to do with their day.Then the good announcement came. Pokemon go is spreading over a two mile radius the city. Go to a restaurant, a zoo, a park, a garden. Go to the streets. Go where your phone works! Go to a bar!And that's when Pokemon GO Fest started. The real event. I walked 13 miles in beautiful downtown Chicago catching every Pokemon from heracross to unowns that spell "Chicago". I met people. Thousands of people. I said hello to as many as I could. I had dinner with strangers. I explored gardens with 4 men from Missouri just because they were cool. I saw the bean with a family from Japan. This was how Pokemon was meant to be played. Not in a fenced in area with 3 inches of mud. In the streets, exploring, adventuring! I had never been to Chicago. I was too afraid to go along. I don't feel that way anymore. I want to go back, I want to travel! I want to explore!And then 7:15 hit and it happened. Lugia spawned. 10,000 people ran to the fountains. We halted traffic, we closed a city block. We conquered.Last night GO Fest attendees had a 100% catch rate on all legendaries. We were catching them all, then caught the train back.Also, mad props to the DJ and the food vendors at the park. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the lines were FAST. Music kept us sane as we wondered for cell reception. via /r/TheSilphRoad http://ift.tt/2uNz4uv