[Deptheads] SoCal Smackdown (Was: Get games up ASAP!)

[Victor B]

Being seen as one convention 3 times a year is not a good thing. It helps people decide to go to bay area conventions or local competing conventions instead of us easier.."I can still go to strategicon in february, so I will do kubla in may and either strategicon in september or try that new con in anaheim and still do strategicon the following feb". Being seen as one convention 3 times means people do not mind missing one of our cons.
Being in 3 locales gives each con an identity and each could draw upon locals. Obviously we are missing the anaheim crowd and being in the largest city and surrounding areas in america there are far more gamers to tap for conventions than 1500. We can't rest on past success. We have to grow and change like we did by revamping our computer room to a full blown, well run and supervised video gaming area.
With Twitter, facebook and boards we have better than ever communication and gamers will network and form conventions in areas we ignore (As we see now).


V


 

________________________________
From: Nekojin <nekojin at gmail.com>
To: deptheads at strategicon.net
Sent: Thu, June 10, 2010 2:34:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Deptheads] SoCal Smackdown (Was: Get games up ASAP!)

A few points:

1.) Many gamers don't view Strategicon as three annual conventions - they view it as one convention, three times a year. Some of those would resent having to keep track of three separate locations. 
2.) The chatter on the SCSD board pointed out a schism in the miniatures gamers that I wasn't aware of - that some historical gamers resent and dislike the Warhammer (and related) players for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is noise levels. The example given was some players shouting, "WAAAAAAGH!" at the top of their lungs. To that point, it might be a good idea to give the Warhammer and similar games a separate area from the historicals. Perhaps two sections of the same room, separated by a soundwall and door? 

That's all of my thoughts for the moment. I'll probably have more later. 

Jason 


On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 1:28 PM, Victor B <fhoenix88 at yahoo.com> wrote:

Good points.
>We also have to remember that SCS ran the large warmachine event last year that robyn mentioned wanted to line up for us but we were unwilling to take space from other departments to accomidate half a ballroom worth of miniature tourneys.
>It was give and take situation. We had to take away space somewhere to give it to those large events. Unfortunately we don't have unlimited space. So miniatures got the shaft last september while we preserved the layots of the other departments.We had miniatures all over the hotel. Poolside, rooms near ftiness room on first floor, foyer, etc. That doesn't work. They need a large room with lighting not spread around like scraps...which is why miniature gamers felt treated like scraps at strategicon. They are mentioning that on forums discussing our con vs socal smackdown for miniature gaming. We don't have the space for 300+ miniature gamers. We already miss out on 500-900 pokemon players that norm sees gaming at anaheim convention center monthly because we have no space for that group to run it's events at our convention. Many cons back we took an RPG hit because of lack of space and private rooms and that cost us rpg gms and staff. 
>Every action has a reaction. 
>We need to accomidate 3000 people in large well lit areas to unite the gaming community under our banner. Currently we overflow at 2000.
>
>The co-owner of the con posted this on a forum ---
>
>This con will definitely be focusing more on miniature games then any other. We will be featuring all type of games, but when we started the idea for this convention, it originated with the miniature game player in mind. Currenly, the schedule that you see is confirmed events, and the board gamers were much quicker to confirm.
>We are going to be offering Flames of War, Malifaux, Warhammer Fantasy, 40K and Ancients. We also have someone interested in running Battletech. If anyone out there would like to run a miniature game please let me know and we will work on getting it on the schedule. By this time next week, I am hoping that the mini schedule is just as full, if not more, so than the board game section
>
>Miniatures used ,to and still can fill the westin ballrooms. 
>Would have been nice if SCS contacted us and said "hey...we weren't kidding about space. If you can't accomidate us miniature gamers will we form another convention that will trump you in miniature gaming and also bleed you in board games, rpg, & collectables." In the short term gamers win because they have 2 cons wooing them and working hard to get them to attend their con. In the long term it splits the gaming community, splits gms ad volunteers, and makes game companies and vendors decide who to support. 
>
>Years ago I mentioned that we should make all 3 of our cons feel different and have each in a different local (and some staff could rotate to prevent burnout). Leave orccon at LAX since it is successful there, move may to burbank or inland valley, and move september to anaheim.
>Maybe we can negotiate a future merger that has gateway in anaheim.(pending hotel contract with sheraton). Even if it is 2 years down the road a merger that has gateway in anaheim would benefit us, them, and gamers. Plus we get their manpower and support (minus the haters) for other cons.
>
>V
>
>
________________________________
From: Eric Burgess <erburgess at gmail.com>
>To: deptheads at strategicon.net
>Sent: Thu, June 10, 2010 11:42:54 AM 
>
>Subject: Re: [Deptheads] SoCal Smackdown (Was: Get games up ASAP!)
>
>
>
>I think the idea of asking for exclusivity right now is dead so we can probably drop it. The MIBs were an example of a group we could work with on it. I think people jumped too much onto that individual situation because I didn't make it clear I was talking about enforcing exclusivity with organizations in general.
>
>That said, I am not convinced that SJG would drop us like a hot potato if we asked them nicely to support our convention in the interest of consolidating the community rather than breaking it apart. I doubt SJG wants to send prize support to two locations every time, especially since SCS attendance numbers will be in the toilet at this convention and maybe for a while. If SJG says 'no' and they want to support every con anywhere no matter how close to an established convention with a long history with them, we won't fight but there is nothing wrong with asking. We are simply trying to defend our attendees and the community. I know Steve well enough to know he is a business man and gets how it works.
>
>Like Eric N, I think Vic's sage advice is right on the money but I don't really think there is such a large community that there is room for both. The more important point is that two conventions in SoCal on the same weekend is a fundamentally terrible idea for every gamer in SoCal. The SCS are absolute idiots for mounting it rather than working with us to improve what they dislike (even the location) or targeting another time. Forget Veteran's Day - what about going against Origins for 4th of July weekend? Driving to Ohio is further than LAX. And, to be honest, I'm not convinced holiday weekends are such a big deal - I think we lose hundreds of attendees by being ON those weekends when people have other things to do. The only exception is Orccon since few people have strong traditions on Presidents' Day like they do for the other two big weekends. There are tons of conventions that do well on non-holiday weekends throughout the US. They
 absolutely have choices.
>
>One key way to stop them is to gain a level of exclusivity in relationships to ensure that the whole gaming community gets served. Everyone in LA/OC would be better off if one convention was huge rather than having a few on the same weekend. While the kumbaya-vibe seems to be the way most would like to go, the bottom line is the publishers will never come out and truly support this community if it remains splintered. SCS is already offering the chance to be 'exclusive' for that Warmachine event - why can't we have that, too? I just spoke to Mayfair about our next Settlers event and they wanted to offer it to Kublacon as well. They realize the loss of value for us and were apologetic about even suggesting it. And I'm trying to get them to not do it, but politely. I don't see a reason why we can't reach out to many organizations and ask them to commit to us, where they will get the best exposure and make the argument that we are simply making sure we
 the community as a whole gets served.
>
>Obviously, Strategicon has faced assaults before (notably ConQuest and even GenCon SoCal) and come out on top. But they all weakened the convention. My concern is that we will need to kick this effort in the teeth at some point. I'd rather do it when they are a non-starter than when they have established themselves and maybe realize that Presidents' Day is a better time to draw people out.
>
>Just my two cents.
>
>...ERB
>www.boardgamebabylon.com 
>www.strategicon.net
>
>
>
>On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 11:06 AM, Robyn Nixon <robynln at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>So basically 
>>MIB for Steve Jackson Games
>>PG for Privateer Press
>>MI for Mongoose Publishing
>>Henchmen for Wyrd Games
>>
>>All of them are volunteer programs that pay their volunteers in product for running events and demos. 
>>
>>
>>
>>On 6/10/10 10:44 AM, "Devi Hughes" <devi at ocbg.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>To clarify, MIBs are compensated with Steve Jackson Games product only.  We get a lot of product, but compensation is only in the form of games, not monetary compensation.  Unfortunately, the hotel staff won't accept the latest Munchkin expansion in exchange for a hotel room.  :)
>>>
>>>
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