[Deptheads] Information Requested
Tim
Tim at StuGIII.com
Wed Nov 5 07:51:40 PST 2008
Karl & Ryan,
The vision for the con needs to be set by the owners. I think we all
agree that the con needs to be 'bettered' as a whole, but the direction
that will take and the support has to come from the top of the food
chain, rather than as Ryan put it "...based on screaming the loudest...".
Tim
Karl Kreder wrote:
> I think you hit the nail right on the head Ryan, and agreed on con
> wide strategy would be a really good idea. But the question is how
> will we get everyone to agree?
>
> On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 8:16 PM, Ryan McMullan <rmcmullan at gmail.com
> <mailto:rmcmullan at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Hey John,
>
> I like what you're saying but I think the underlying
> problem is that there isn't room for all of the departments to get
> big in the current (or any previous) hotel, so it quickly becomes
> "us vs them" tribalism between the departments. I think this is
> largely because the way of allocating space seems to be based on
> screaming the loudest, rather than any sort of convention-wide
> strategy or big picture metric (such as player-hours delivered or
> something like that). I don't want to come out as too negative --
> the con is doing remarkably well -- just explaining why the
> departments see themselves as competing over limited resources
> (namely money and space).
>
> Ryan
>
>
>
> At 09:29 AM 11/3/2008, you 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: <mailto:Evil5757 at aol.com>
>> To: deptheads at strategicon.net <mailto: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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> --
> Karl (zeotter at gmail.com <mailto:zeotter at gmail.com>)
>
> "When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half."
> - Gracie Allen
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