[Deptheads] Child Care at the Convention

Eric Burgess erburgess at gmail.com
Mon Feb 11 13:16:35 PST 2008 

Just to add to this: I've had many board gamers say they would come out if
the con were in a nicer area. OC has definitely been suggested but even
Pasadena isn't bad (Gamex used to be based in the Pasadena Hilton for a
while) or perhaps out a ways into the Inland Empire (near Ontario Airport).
Not sure what would be best but I've definitely heard this feedback a fair
amount.
-- 
...ERB

Boardgame Babylon - 2007 Board Game Internet Award winner for Best
Podcast/Videocast


On Feb 11, 2008 11:42 AM, Norman Carlson <carlsonnorm at yahoo.com> wrote:

>  I can check with the hotels around Disneyland again, sense i work at the
> convention center it will be easy for me.
>
> Norm
>
>  ----- Original Message ----
> From: Eric M. Aldrich I <ealdrich at penguinlust.org>
> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
>  Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 10:45:15 AM
> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Child Care at the Convention
>
> The cons actually all started in Orange County -- Orccon was first held at
> CSU Fullerton (I think, I wasn't there for this one), Gateway at the
> Sheraton Anaheim (next to Disneyland) and Gamex at Chapman College.
>
> For the sake of those that travel, we'd have to be near John Wayne
> airport. The earliest moving is realistic is 2010.
>
> I'm not opposed to this, but we'd have to plan this out thoroughly.
>
> Eric
>
> On Mon, Feb 11, 2008 at 10:33:38AM -0800, DB wrote:
> > If we?re truly serious about aiming for families, long term plans might
> be
> > to move the con to family-friendly Orange County.  I?m just saying that
> > having the con at a hotel near crummy-neighborhood LAX on a street full
> of
> > strip clubs isn?t exactly a family environment.  Plus, since real estate
> in
> > Los Angeles urban area is so high, the middle-class family audience that
> > would show up at the con doesn?t live anywhere close.  Plus, if we were
> in
> > Orange County, we?d be that much more accessible to bedroom communities
> in
> > san diego, riverside and san bernardino counties.  When the con started
> in
> > the L.A. Area all those years ago, it was a very different demographic
> that
> > lived in the city.  We might need to reconsider our location in the
> coming
> > years and make the jump to where our intended attendees actually live.
> >
> >  - Denys
> >
> >
> >
> > On 2/11/08 8:24 AM, "Heather Hughes" <heather at gibsongirl.net> wrote:
> >
> > > 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 Gaming?
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