[Deptheads] update on hotel

[Eric M. Aldrich I]

I'm jumping in a bit late here. I agree we need to do something for the computer room. The idea of having set times for tournaments is a good one, and it used to be that way (last time I recall, when Janice ran the room full time).

I've finally cut through to someone in charge at the Radisson today. Deborah Lusby is head of sales, and has full authority to address the issues we're having. Hopefully tomorrow we'll have some answers.

It appears Joey leaving just at the ownership chageover was a coincidence. There was NO documentation of the arrangements he made with us, so we're trying to sort it out.

Eric


On Mon, Dec 10, 2007 at 08:41:48PM -0800, Norman Carlson wrote:
> I agree with what Victor is saying here. I have talked with a few of the leading manufacturers in the past and they all said the same thing. If we had 5000 or more attendees they would sponsor the room, anything less was not worth it to them. 
> 
> I am not saying the we should stop trying to establish a strong room, it is going to take some work. I do feel that we could accomplish our goal with the right contacts and persistence. 
> 
> Norm
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Victor B <fhoenix88 at yahoo.com>
> To: Robert Lionheart <spinachcat at yahoo.com>; Deptheads at strategicon.net
> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 7:57:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Need more room for Larps
> 
>   This is the age of computers.
>  We need a good computer room.
>  We went thru this last year-- I mentioned having game systems in there and making it a arcade/lounge with game systems (xbox, 360, ps2 and 3, wii, etc) and the normal comuter games. Have Halo, guitar hero, dance dance revolution, and other tourneys scheduled. Run it and they will come. 
>  And party games will rock. Many people do not have 2 or 3 other people to play rock band or other party games with...and the bonus is you caan have competitions.
>  Once you establish a electronic gaming room then you can grab sponsors and get support.
>  A well organized electronic gaming room would be busy. Like an internet cafe. Schedule a few tourneys daily and people will practice when they can and play other things as well. Just don't look at the comp rom as people sitting at computers with headsets on oblivious to rest of world for hours.....look at it as a place players socialize and compete in party and multiplayer games together. Dancing, shooting, guitar playing, etc.
>   
>  Vic
>  
>    
>   
>  
> 
> Janice Sellers <janicemsj at gmail.com> wrote:
>  On 12/10/07, DB wrote:
> > (sorry for the post on *three* lists but it seems as though not all of us
> > are on each list and I'm not sure which one we should be using.)
> 
> According to the message Eric Aldrich sent out, we should be using the
> deptheads at strategicon.net address.
> 
> > My question is: where can we find a larger room for Larp events? On peak
> > times -- Saturday nite -- we will probably need two such rooms if the
> > Camarilla ends up running events.
> 
> According to Patrick Havert's notes, two of the three circle drive
> rooms (the rooms on the ground level near the hotel entrance) are
> designated as "overflow." Since they have hallways outside of them,
> they would seem to be spaces that could work  for LARPs.
> 
> > The large meeting room we were in yesterday will house the computer room,
> > correct? Is that the best use of that room considering we have no plan for
> > the computer room, no one currently in charge of the computer room and, if
> > the 2007 Strat Cons are any indication, we will have 6 people maximum in
> > there on Saturday afternoon. I'm just saying that it's a real waste of that
> > space if we have no intention of running a "real" computer gaming area.
> 
> I'm trying my damnedest to bring things into the computer room, and it
> would probably help tremendously if people would actually *help*
> instead of just bitching about why we have any space designated for it
> at all. So far there is a tentative plan to put the online
> play-by-email game people in there, and a possibility of  some
> corporate support. The biggest reason that we are trying to keep a
> space designated for a comptuer room is because once it's gone, it's
> gone. Yes, I know some of you (whom I will not name, but it's
> pointedly obvious who you are) would be thrilled by that, but some of
> us, including several of the convention owners, would not. I try to
> support other departments as much as possible; is it too much to ask
> that other departments support what I am doing?
> 
> And yes, that's quite a bit of a rant, and I really don't give a damn.
> Live with it.
> 
> Janice
> _______________________________________________
> Deptheads mailing list
> Deptheads at strategicon.net
> http://mordred.punk.net/mailman/listinfo/deptheads
> 
> 
> 
>  ----- Original Message ----
> From: Robert Lionheart <spinachcat at yahoo.com>
> To: Deptheads at strategicon.net
> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 10:27:21 PM
> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Need more room for Larps
> 
>  I would LOVE to see a highly active and successful computer room.   I love the idea a programmed track with badass Halo tourneys and StarCraft II games on LAN and the soon-to-be Lightsaber Battles on Wii.  That would rock. 
>   
>  I also like (not love) the idea of a wind-down room with beanbags and casual pick-up console games where people can try out new stuff and kick back between sessions.  
>   
>  But there is no question that neither situation is happening at OrcCon unless there is something that I have not heard about yet.   I was hopeful that the hotel would help us out and relocate all those TVs from the RPG rooms and THAT would be awesome.   But so far, not a peek from the Radisson.    
>   
>  Also, in terms of convention focus - single person electronic gaming is anathema to what we are offering.  We are the place you go to do what you cannot do at home.  We are the place to game with other flesh and blood human beings instead of WoW or Xbox.   So between computer gaming and supporting a very exciting development in Live Boffer games, I am going to hoot and holler for the Boffers. 
>   
>  Boffer LARP draws in a different group that Vampire or other "talky" LARPs.   The Boffer crowd is often younger and represents a great teen focus which we need desperately. 
>   
>  The last time I remember the computer room rocking was in the early 1990s with a primitive turn-based gladiator game that had a dozen terminals and a team from the company leading the event.   That drew attention in the long, long ago pre-Xbox, pre-WoW days of yore.  
>   
>  If we want keep the computer room on life support for OrcCon, it might be best situated within the Dealer's Room so they can be locked up with the rest of the merchandise at night.   Also, it would draw attention to the computer games from everyone entering the dealer's room and give gamers another reason to walk by the dealer tables so we can increase traffic there.
>   
>  - Robert
>   
>   
>   
>  
> 
> Janice Sellers <janicemsj at gmail.com> wrote:
>  On 12/10/07, DB wrote:
> > (sorry for the post on *three* lists but it seems as though not all of us
> > are on each list and I'm not sure which one we should be using.)
> 
> According to the message Eric Aldrich sent out, we should be using the
> deptheads at strategicon.net address.
> 
> > My question is: where can we find a larger room for Larp events? On peak
> > times -- Saturday nite -- we will probably need two such rooms if the
> > Camarilla ends up running events.
> 
> According to Patrick Havert's notes, two of the three circle drive
> rooms (the rooms on the ground level near the hotel entrance) are
> designated as "overflow." Since they have hallways outside of them,
> they would seem to be spaces that could work for LARPs.
> 
> > The large meeting room we were in yesterday will house the computer room,
> >  correct? Is that the best use of that room considering we have no plan for
> > the computer room, no one currently in charge of the computer room and, if
> > the 2007 Strat Cons are any indication, we will have 6 people maximum in
> > there on Saturday afternoon. I'm just saying that it's a real waste of that
> > space if we have no intention of running a "real" computer gaming area.
> 
> I'm trying my damnedest to bring things into the computer room, and it
> would probably help tremendously if people would actually *help*
> instead of just bitching about why we have any space designated for it
> at all. So far there is a tentative plan to put the online
> play-by-email game people in there, and a possibility of some
> corporate support. The biggest reason that we are trying to keep a
> space designated for a comptuer room is because once it's gone, it's
> gone. Yes, I know some of you (whom I will not name, but  it's
> pointedly obvious who you are) would be thrilled by that, but some of
> us, including several of the convention owners, would not. I try to
> support other departments as much as possible; is it too much to ask
> that other departments support what I am doing?
> 
> And yes, that's quite a bit of a rant, and I really don't give a damn.
> Live with it.
> 
> Janice
> _______________________________________________
> Deptheads mailing list
> Deptheads at strategicon.net
> http://mordred.punk.net/mailman/listinfo/deptheads
> 
>   
>  Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>        Looking for last minute shopping deals?   Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
> 
> 

> _______________________________________________
> Deptheads mailing list
> Deptheads at strategicon.net
> http://mordred.punk.net/mailman/listinfo/deptheads