[Deptheads] Information Requested
Ryan McMullan
rmcmullan at gmail.com
Tue Nov 4 20:10:18 PST 2008
The penthouse has worked very well for the Camarilla LARPs
(mainly Vampire), but as you mention it is an established
well-attended event, so folks will seek it out (and it's not really
an eye-candy event).
Ryan
At 11:32 AM 11/3/2008, you wrote:
>The penthouse is the "kiss of death" for anything other than an
>established well attended event. The isolation and the lousy
>elevator service alone would doom anything else. In the past open
>gaming was there and recently miniatures tournaments. While I think
>splitting up miniatures like that is a poor idea (reduces the eye
>candy) that is a better use. Perhaps if you had a huge A&A tourney
>or some other well attended single game, the penthouse would be a
>viable option. Basically, it should be reserved for events where
>the attendees will be there for a long time (3-4+ hours) and don't
>require walk-in traffic.
>
><mailto:Evil5757 at aol.com>Evil5757 at aol.com wrote:
>>Hello everyone.
>>
>>It has been almost a week since I put out the below message, and I
>>have received no input from anyone yet. After re-reading it, I
>>wanted to make sure everyone knows the intent of it. As a
>>convention, we should be working to improve our weaknesses and
>>strengthen the convention as a whole. I am asking everyone for
>>their input on which departments are most in need of improvement OR
>>have the most room for improvement, whichever fits the situation.
>>
>>The last convention management team failed for 2 primary reasons,
>>complacency and a "that's not my department" attitude. Don't fall
>>into that trap. Work your department, help the others. When we
>>started, everyone worked as a TEAM to get things better. Don't let
>>the teamwork end. In about a year, the convention will have a big
>>hurdle to jump - rising prices no matter where we go. the only way
>>to combat this is with attendance - more attendance for ALL
>>DEPARTMENTS. I would love to see the computer room having to be
>>moved to a room like the Penthouse because they have 4 Rock Band
>>set-ups and all are being used in a weekend long tournament. I
>>would love for Collectibles to have to move into a full ballroom
>>because they have a Regional qualifier for a M:TG event with 400
>>people. I would love to see Boardgames need another room because
>>they have a 248 person Axis and Allies tournament like I used to
>>run at Origins. I would love to see Heather get the entire Fantasy
>>Flight staff out here with their own room running their events to a
>>packed house.
>>
>>Should I not do anything about it because those aren't my departments?
>>
>>Ok, enough rant. Please send me your feelings on how our
>>departments stack up so I can compile a "priority list" and get it
>>to Eric so we can talk about it next meeting and see what we can do
>>to help each department.
>>
>>John
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From:
>>To: <mailto:deptheads at strategicon.net>deptheads at strategicon.net
>>Sent: 10/29/2008 11:39:06 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Boardgames Query
>>
>>You are absolutely right, we are getting worse at getting along,
>>period. We are all fighting the circumstances, and that has led to
>>fighting each other to protect each department's interests.
>>
>>I was going to suggest this when things calmed down a bit, but now
>>seems like a good place to start. The saying "we are as strong as
>>our weakest link" is sooo true at every convention I have been
>>staff on since 1978. The complaints that are published in writing
>>or word of mouth always focus on the weakest link at a convention,
>>sometimes inversely. Remember when people stopped coming to
>>Strategicon because it was a "card convention"? It is so easy to
>>look at what we do best and GO FOR IT! The best conventions I have
>>ever worked with put their attention on problem areas and areas
>>that needed to grow rather than what they were strong with.
>>
>>When I first joined Strategicon, the first thing I said was we
>>needed to get collectibles and LARPs going again, and that was our
>>primary focus for the first 2 conventions. We now have solid
>>departments that are steadily improving each convention. This is
>>what we need to focus on. Earlier I was criticized for my opinion
>>because I am not in the RPG department. Well, now I am putting
>>together a staff to run a Gaming Community Department, trying to
>>bring open gaming back to the rightful place it should be. I want
>>input from Victor. I want input from Janice. I want input from
>>Chris. I want input from Heather. I want input from EVERYONE. I
>>don't care if they are not a part of the Community Gaming
>>Department. Sometimes people see things better or at a different
>>angle than if they are in the middle of it. That is how we also
>>keep from getting set in our ways and complacent (which we are starting to do).
>>
>>The state of things as I see them:
>>
>>Boardgames - Great job, slow steady improvement on little things to
>>fine tune constantly being done.
>>
>>Collectibles - Great turnaround from where we are a year
>>ago. Still room to improve the attendance with word-of-mouth and
>>some big tournaments or some kind of big draw.
>>
>>Dealers Room - holding steady. Even with the turmoil, Janice has
>>done a good job of filling the place with various
>>products. Getting rid of exclusivity for non-mfrs a plus. Getting
>>mfrs in is next goal.
>>
>>Computers - Good job with a department I was ready to give up on
>>until we could have a big internet network to go with. Good job
>>proving me wring and I have a great computer guy starting in my
>>department who can help out if you need it.
>>
>>Registration - Cleaned up VERY nicely. Steady improvement each
>>convention and I heard no complaints at all this last
>>convention. I am sure there is some behind the scenes logistics
>>you are looking to improve on.
>>
>>Auction - Seems to be that moving it to Monday has improved
>>things. Maybe if we could get the listing of items up for auction
>>out earlier it might improve attendance? i don't really know, but
>>might be worth a try (sign-up lots on Saturday, post lots on
>>Sunday, auction on monday?).
>>
>>RPGs - The variety of games has been improving steadily. There are
>>a LOT of games not represented though, including out of print ones
>>that can be run. Remember, gamers love to reminisce. if you have
>>a blue Planet or a Space Opera game, people will get in on them and
>>take home good memories of cons past. RPG players seem to replay
>>convention history in their head more than any other, old RPGs
>>bring those memories back.
>>
>>RPGA - Seems to have a good system going with getting current
>>modules quickly. Back East, we used to have "This Convention Only"
>>modules that were extremely popular. Can we find out if we can do
>>something like this and how we can make "Strategion Modules"?
>>
>>Miniatures - Sat and Sun good....Fri and Mon bad. We badly need to
>>help Jose and Robyn make this department a 4 dayer.
>>
>>Special Projects - improving every convention, but still 3 or 4
>>conventions away from being the 24/7 gaming location it is intended
>>to be. Adding a Battlestar Galactica large scale space combat game
>>early this year and a 1/100 scale Wooden Ships and Iron Men game at
>>the end of the year.
>>
>>Marketing - This has always been sticky because there is not a lot
>>of money to put into it. I have always felt that big impressive
>>"LOOK AT ME" tshirts people can buy from us then advertise for us
>>at their gaming clubs or with their friends is always the best
>>investment of money (get your money back and free advertising). We
>>have about a month until Eric wants to get our marketing push out
>>there for February.....please cost out and put some ideas out here
>>that we can work with or find better prices on.
>>
>>Movie Room - Strange, because ideally we want everyone gaming and
>>not have spare time to watch a movie. However, we want the movie
>>list to make people say "I wish I had time to see that" so that
>>anytime they want to take a break, grab a soda and a sandwich and
>>sit down to watch a movie, they still enjoy themselves. We need to
>>publish the movie list on a poster though, BEFORE the movie is playing.
>>
>>Program - We have the basics in place, and with Eric working on the
>>extraction program this should be a strong point by the end of the
>>year. With everything growing though, we need to decide - larger
>>book, smaller print, or what do we cut out?
>>
>>Open Gaming - Sucks. Scattered all throughout the convention
>>instead of a single location building energy. Everyone who is
>>stretched for space should be asking open gamers to leave their
>>area and come to Community Gaming.
>>
>>At this late hour, I probably forgot a department or 2, but you get
>>the idea. Our attention needs to be focused on our weakest links,
>>Open Gaming and Marketing, and on our links that have the potential
>>to improve the most, Computers, Miniatures, and Collectibles as I see it.
>>
>>Yes, i know people will say I put open gaming in there because I
>>run it, but I volunteered to run it because I see how much it needs attention.
>>
>>What I would like to ask EVERYONE to do it write down the
>>departments I have listed above (boardgames, collectibles,
>>marketing, etc.) and make a list of strongest to weakest as you see
>>them. No personality conflicts. No department wars. Please put
>>them in order of whatever you feel more comfortable doing, either
>>weakest to strongest OR strongest to "most room for improvement,"
>>as I listed collectibles earlier. Strong, but a huge upside is
>>possible the way Victor is running it.
>>
>>If you don't want to post it "out there" email it to me directly
>>and I will put your input anonymously with everyone else's when I compile it.
>>
>>John
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>----------
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>>
>>
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