[Deptheads] Renaming the Cons

[Janice Sellers]

As much as I usually agree with Robert, I can't say I'm totally with
him on this.  Major corporations involved in acquisitions and mergers
spend billions of dollars studying recognition and perception factors
before deciding which name they'll use, or if they'll come up with a
new name.  The fact that they almost always use an existing name
argues strongly in favor of keeping names that are already
established, just for the recognition factor.  So not matter how fun
and evocative the names might be we could come up with, we would be
starting at a huge negative just getting people to acknowledge them.
Think about the reactions when Mondo started his conventions -- no one
recognized the name ConQuest, so most people were a little leery about
it.  And if we still have three different conventions with three
different names, even if all three names are cool, we still have
trouble tying them all together.

I've always assumed Strategicon was for "strategy convention" or
something similar.  I have no idea how Alan came up with it or
Gateway.  Gamex is fairly lame, I admit (though not as lame as
GameCon, which really was a game convention in the Bay Area for a
couple of years), but I've never thought of it as "gay mex."  We all
seem to agree that OrcCon (for Orange County Convention, I've been
told) is the only cool name we have.  If (and I really do mean IF) we
feel the need to rename the conventions, why not name them all OrcCon?
 OrcCon Spring, OrcCon Summer, OrcCon Fall.  Or OrcCon Presidents'
Day, OrcCon Memorial Day, OrcCon Labor Day  That way there's no
question they're related, we keep name recognition, and it's a cool
name.

Janice

On 2/22/08, Robert Lionheart <spinachcat at yahoo.com> wrote:
> The problem is Gamex and Gateway are terrible names.  They have been lame
> since their first day.   There would be some initial rebranding, but right
> now we have lots of people who do not know that Gamex and Gateway are
> related to OrcCon or Strategicon.  I have seen various postings where people
> say that Gateway is a boardgame only con and OrcCon is a RPG only con or
> vice versa and lots of confusion about the fact all three cons are owned by
> the same crew.
> OrcCon is a good solid name.   Strategicon is an okay name, but never made
> any sense because there is either no Strategicon event or there are three
> events depending who you ask.   "Strategicon Presents" is a band-aid.
> Gamex and Gateway do nothing for us.   The evoke nothing except hispanics
> with alternative lifestyles and a cheap computer company.   In the long run,
> rebranding with fun evocative names will be worth the changeover.