[Deptheads] Child Care at the Convention

Heather Hughes heather at gibsongirl.net
Mon Feb 11 08:24:23 PST 2008 

I have all the information she (Lisa) aquired on that .  I still have the
company info.  In 2007 it was too much of a cost with a new convention
management for us to afford, so we put it on the back burner.  We can
revisit it again at the next meeting if you like.  I will call the service
again in anticpation of a more detailed discussion on their services and
cost for May.

Heather


On 2/8/08, Norman Carlson <carlsonnorm at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>  We need to attract the family to the con, as Patrick stated "The con is
> getting older, and we need it to get younger or our con is dying a slow
> death", we started working on this in 2005, by acquiring a licensed bonded
> company to run a kids room. Lisa was handling this for us and  has a lot of
> information that we could probably get from her. If i remember correctly she
> had a company that we where considering in right before the con was sold.
>
> Norm
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: DB <noldor at gmail.com>
> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
> Sent: Friday, February 8, 2008 7:54:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Re: Computer Room Tourneys
>
> I think we should put Rob in charge of day care. I imagine pursuits
> throughout the con like something out of Logan's Run. Carousel! Carousel!
>
> - Den
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Karl Kreder" <zeotter at gmail.com>
>
> Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 07:51:32
> To:deptheads at strategicon.net
> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Re: Computer Room Tourneys
>
>
> We have a large family group of 3 families worth of kids (about 8-10 of
> them, ages from around 6 to 13) and 4 adults.  They have come to the last 3
> cons and say that they bring the kids to get them off the video games for a
> weekend. Just an FYI
>
> On Feb 7, 2008 10:30 PM, Robert Lionheart <spinachcat at yahoo.com <mailto:
> spinachcat at yahoo.com> > wrote: If you truly want to tap the family market,
> you need a fully funded kids room with babysitting / kids play volunteers.
> Kubla has this and its a huge resource drain, but they are betting on the
> long term idea of a family oriented convention.    An enhanced video game
> room is a double-edged situation.   While should bring the attention of the
> younger audience, you run the distinct risk of such an area becoming a
> "kids' area" when the convention is not set up with personnel to deal with
> such an area.     The security issues alone are quite daunting as are
> equipment liabilities.   One time a kid goes missing due to completely
> innocent wandering and you can bet the crap will hit the fan at high
> speed.   While this may not have been an issue when only a handful of kids
> are present, try to juggle this problem with five times the number of young
> children.  Also, is ANYONE on our !
> staff trained and licensed to monitor children in a commercial space?
> Also, I do not believe we have to aim that young at all.  The high school /
> college crowd / young adult market is very good and the older / returning
> gamer is another choice target.   If the convention wants to focus on family
> entertainment that is quite possible  BUT there would need to be significant
> changes to make that happen.   To make that happen, the convention would
> need a much more mundane family game track.  Stuff that people recognize.
> I don't mean members of BBG.   I mean people who shop at ToysRus and never
> heard of Catan.  I am taking Chutes & Ladders and games where families can
> play as a whole with other families.   You would have to Disneyesque things
> to a great degree.   There would have to be MUCH more focus aimed at
> entertaining the 6-10 year old and their parents at the same event.     If
> you look at family marketing, you will see that the family focused event
> marketing has a maj!
> or keystone - they market the idea that only people there are other fa
> milies.  Families view this as an important factor in the assumption of
> fun and safety.   Go view advertisements for zoos, Legoland, Whatever on
> Ice and other family focused events.  They do NOT include single males in
> their marketing.   In fact, these people do not exist in Family Marketing
> World.   Last time I checked, males attending without kids is our main
> demographic.   Otherwise, just saying "sure, bring your kids" is not enough
> to draw anyone.  Currently, there is NO reason to bring your family to the
> convention if you have 6-11 year old children.   We have ZERO focus on their
> needs and we do NOT have a child secure atmosphere.
>
>   - Robert
>
> Patrick Havert <patrickhavert at sbcglobal.net <mailto:
> patrickhavert at sbcglobal.net> > wrote:  Robert,   As head of marketing do
> you think Teen parents may look at the website?  Come on and grow up, unless
> we do something that younger kids can attend they have no reason to go to
> the con and neither do their families.  If we eliminate that group for a few
> years, do you think they'll really come back?  The con is getting older, and
> we need it to get younger or our con is dying a slow death.  I admit that
> teens are better, but we want people to be able to bring their families, if
> we don't let's just put up signs on the website that say 12+ years old only
> so we can eliminate any family groups with younger kids.   If you can
> explain why lounge is better than Zone for teens, I'd love to hear it.  You
> seem pretty jaded for someone trying to get people to attend the con, maybe
> we should call it one of your names to really lower expectations.   -Patrick
>   ----- Original Message -----  F!
> rom: Robert Lionheart <mailto:spinachcat at yahoo.com>    To:
> deptheads at strategicon.net <mailto:deptheads at strategicon.net>    Sent:
> Thursday, February 07, 2008 5:14 PM  Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Re: Computer
> Room Tourneys
> Oh gods Patrick, are we doing it "for the children"?     That's it!  We're
> going with Video Game Bordello!  Halo Orgy starts at noon!   I like the
> non-family connotation of Lounge because we do not want the Video Game Space
> become the Babysitter Zone.   We do not want parents using the con as a dump
> zone for their rugrats.   I am quite sure Janice isn't signing up for
> Strategicon Day Care, aka Dungeons & Diapers.    We want teens, not kids, as
> attendees.  Kids are walking liabilities.  Teens are walking wallets and
> awesome impule buyers for the dealer's room.  Kids are a resource drain
> while Teens are networking gold.   The 12+ crowd is far far far more
> desirable than the 6-11 range.   - Robert
>
> Patrick Havert <patrickhavert at sbcglobal.net <mailto:
> patrickhavert at sbcglobal.net> > wrote: I agree with Janice in that Lounge
> has a kind of non-family connotation associated with it, that we do not want
> to foster.   How about Video Game Zone, Video Games Live, or Interactive
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