ever try hosting a gaming competition in a big city?
I have run events (not gaming) in the past, and large urban areas present problems, primarilly COST.
Holding an event in a place like Lancaster (that is pronounced LANK-aster, not LAN-caster) helps reduce the cost of an event by having cheaper meeting rooms, and especially cheaper hotel costs for participants.
There is a critical line in cost of participation that you cannot cross or your event will go bust, if you are catering to a middle class typical attendee. For a 3 day event, that line is $500 per person. For 4 full days that cost is $1000 per person. If you have hotel rooms at $150+ per night, then for a 3 day event, your participant budget is exceeded JUST from the hotel cost, let alone registration, meals, and travel. Shave the hotel cost to $75 per night, with the option of even cheaper rooms, and you are within the budget of the typcial trip for many folks. Travel time is of course the other major consideration, so you schedule for NEAR major centers of active participants (but not IN them).
That is why places like NYC (with hotel costs over $200 a night pretty much a “given”) are not viable options for events that are catering to the middle class. But sompleace like Lancaster (with an hour drive from BWI airport, and within 2-3 hour drive of 20 million people) are good choices for event locations.
I think he’s from NYC…
@Craig:
ever try hosting a gaming competition in a big city?
Gen Con So Cal went belly up for a variety of reason. I don’t know all that went into it being canceled, but it would seems to have a large correlation to the number of people who attended the convention in the prior years. Did the time of the year have part in its demise? Sounds like it. But I don’t know.
GCSC had problems in attendance, timing, and sponsors. GCI had so many more people, and it was “first” that you had a harder time convincing the big companies to go to another convention, likely farther from their “home office”.
So Cal also did not support the convention as well as it could have. Yes, it was in November/December, a time issue given the holidays. People cant take a week off and then take others for the other holidays.
This letter explains alot…
http://gencon.com/2007/socal/press/Open-Letter.aspx
Squirecam
You still cannot register, but the event listings are up. A&A is listed under the “tabletop” section.
Also available for download is their pre-registration booklet.
Origins takes place in Columbus, Ohio. Official dates are July 5-8th, but you can get badges/event tickets and open game on the 4th.
https://www.originsgames.com/2007
Squirecam
So are there no wargaming conventions on the west coast?
The only one I see mentioned in this thread is the one that went belly up down in the LA area.
So are there no wargaming conventions on the west coast?
The only one I see mentioned in this thread is the one that went belly up down in the LA area.
No, there are some smaller ones. Actually, Gamex 2007 just occured…
Thanks!
Do you know of any up in the San Francisco Bay area? LA is 5+ hours from where I live but San Jose is little more than an hour.
Thanks!
Do you know of any up in the San Francisco Bay area? LA is 5+ hours from where I live but San Jose is little more than an hour.
Here you go……
BD, you got no excuses now!!!
Thanks!!!
I’ll have to get that on the calender so I can go and watch the experts play…
Thanks!!!
I’ll have to get that on the calender so I can go and watch the experts play…
The major difference between newbs and experts is that experts don’t run out of beer in the middle of the first turn.
Some would argue that’s the only difference.
By that standard, I should be in the “Grand Master” category. Not only do I not run out of beer, I make sure my opponent does not run out of whiskey shots with beer chasers!!
Less than 3 weeks to Origins.
Still time to make plans and go.
Both board game and minis tournaments…
Origins is next week. Still time to plan and go…
origins begins tomorrow, July 4th…runs through July 8
Columbus Ohio Convention center…
Info here…
Gencon takes place in Indianapolis IN, from 8/16-8/19.
Several board game and minis tournaments…
Still time to plan and go…
