[Deptheads] Dealer Room Update & a quick marketing note

Tue May 4 10:44:25 PDT 2010

Gencon had a coupon book for various vendors. I would look at it and if
something caught my eye, look for that booth even if I didn¹t plan on it
before.

How about if we have a coupon page for the vendors? It could be a
letter-size page with every vendor who wanted to participate. Every vendor
could have the opportunity to give away something small or a discount on
something. We could hand out this coupon page to every person at
registration. 

-- 
Mickey

From: Eric D <luckyguyca at yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <deptheads at strategicon.net>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 10:06:54 -0700 (PDT)
To: <deptheads at strategicon.net>
Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Dealer Room Update & a quick marketing note

Hey all,

The biggest change that we are making for this con vs the last Gamex at the
Sheraton is that we are going to put Demo's in the space between boardgaming
and the dealers room.  The thought was that would draw more people into that
area.

The other change is to set up the payouts in that same area again to draw
more people to the dealers room.

The major problem that the dealer's room had last Gamex was that there were
not enough people at Gamex.  Though the location and the signage were
issues, the core issue was lack of people at the convention. Bring more
people = more sales = no issue.

We are trying to address the signage issue and are well aware that it caused
problems.

I think the issue that we are not drawing some groups to the dealers room is
very legitmate and needs to be addressed.  I think that we may wish to
prepare a few special flyers to distribute AT the convention that promotes
the dealers room.  Nothing wrong with having flyers for it (with directions)
at the RPG Headquarters.  If certain dealers are bringing and selling
specific (and new) RPG stuff it should be mentioned on this flyer.  Let's
talk to the dealers and see what they would like to promote for that kind of
in show flyer.

Mike Fryer, what is your thought on how to give it some dealer dollars
through your department?  I have some ideas but thought you might want to
speak out first...

Likewise one or more dealers may want to have a "Werewolf Special" and offer
5-10% off in a special promotional flyer handed out ONLY to the people
playing Werewolf.  Talk to some of the dealers and see what kind of interest
there is in something like that.

Leaving the dealers room for a minute...

At the department heads meeting we discussed posting on specific area
related websites regarding our convention.  Does anybody need any help with
copy for these postings?  Also as you do them could you please send me the
link so I can keep track of where we are communicating and I can try to help
out in areas that we are not already getting the message out to.

If you have not yet posted all of your events please try to work on that
ASAP as we are now in May and people are going to the site to see what they
want to do at the Convention and/or deciding whether or not to go.  Hotel
Registration ends in 11 days so the clock is definitely ticking...

I hope everybody is having a great day.

Eric

--- On Tue, 5/4/10, Eric M. Aldrich I <ealdrich at penguinlust.org> wrote:
> 
> From: Eric M. Aldrich I <ealdrich at penguinlust.org>
> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Dealer Room Update
> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
> Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 12:37 AM
> 
> We're going to do as much as possible to utilize that space and drive traffic
> to that area. We know we blew it last time. We'll have to do better this time.
> Eric
> 
> On May 4, 2010, at 12:23 AM, stevenong at comcast.net
> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=stevenong@comcast.net>  wrote:
> 
>> Before posting, I understood the decisions had been made and weren't
>> changing.
>> My goal of these post is to update the staff as to my progress and prepare
>> them for the fallout.
>> If traffic is down and sales are low you are going to hear from both sides.
>> 
>> The dealers are going to complain that the positioning sucks and there wasn't
>> any traffic.
>> Some especially the new vendors will have to make a decision based on this
>> con; do I come back?
>> When I was talking to Battle Foam, Black Army and Game Ogre the first thing
>> that they ask is what is the con population?
>> Or more plainly, is it worth my time and money?
>> 
>> Eric asked me for deeper discounts from the manufactures that I represent
>> (Gryphon, Eagle and Three Sages Games), and I have put in the request.
>> I was working off the premise of having some prime high traffic real estate.
>> Somehow I doubt they will appreciate lowering the price and seeing less
>> sales, you can't have them both or at least not for long.
>> 
>> The Guest will continue to complain that the dealers are selling the games at
>> close to full retail.
>> And well yes that will probably be true especially if traffic is down, as I
>> said before it's easy to be generous when your doing well.
>> 
>> Yes, both of us believe that good signage and map in the con book are
>> critical, hopefully the payout station will help.
>> 
>> You asked, so here is a challenge for you, RJ and I have cut the cost of the
>> dealers room by hundreds of dollars.
>> (one less room, replacing the dinner with a lunch, and no alcohol, for all I
>> care you can get rid of the donuts to but apparently it's a well like
>> tradition)
>> 
>> I challenge this staff to take some of that savings and turn it into dealer
>> dollars but not by increasing the current programs.
>> 
>> Drive some of the non tournament people back into dealers room.
>> 
>> When I go down into the bowels of roleplaying or stay up to see who's playing
>> werewolf, "I'VE NEVER SEEN THESE PEOPLE BEFORE!!!!"
>> (or at least never in the dealers room)
>> 
>> It's like going to someone else's con, and this is my 10th or 11th
>> StrategiCon, I should have seen these people.
>> 
>> Give DD's to the GM's and organizers, give them the authority to pick the
>> best player, have a vote, Rock-Paper-Scissors, I don't care.
>> 
>> I know these are the cheapest of our guest, but I think getting a little from
>> them is going to be easier that squeezing more out of our board gamers and
>> CCG'ers.
>> 
>> Monitor it, put little marks on the new programs and see how many come back?
>> 
>> I may be completely wrong, it wouldn't be the first time, but I believe that
>> it's only fair that you give them some DD's, they paid the same amount to get
>> in as everyone else!
>> 
>> Think about it, Roleplayers are so cheap that it would give them an ulcer not
>> to spend free money.
>> 
>> Steve Ong
>> Three Sages Games
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Tim" <tim at stugiii.com
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=tim@stugiii.com> >
>> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=deptheads@strategicon.net>
>> Sent: Monday, May 3, 2010 11:00:24 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
>> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Dealer Room Update
>> 
>> The reason we need someone who is a dealer in charge of the dealer's room is
>> precisely because that experience is valuable.  The problem with the changing
>> the room was that it meant splitting up the boardgames layout to multiple
>> rooms (and increasing their staff to deal with the increased space).  While
>> we might make it work for Gamex, it wouldn't work for Orccon.  Rather than
>> moving the dealer's room each con, we all felt that it would make more sense
>> to make the existing location work.  Granted you weren't at that meeting and
>> it may be inexperience on our part, but it would seem with clear signage and
>> the payouts taking place right outside the dealer's room, that should keep
>> the traffic up. 
>> 
>> What can we do to make the current location work?
>> 
>> 
>> Tim
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: stevenong at comcast.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=stevenong@comcast.net>
>> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=deptheads@strategicon.net>
>> Sent: Monday, May 3, 2010 10:15:21 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
>> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Dealer Room Update
>> 
>> Sorry some of my post got chopped off.
>> 
>> The guest and people who run this con are the nicest I've ever met and as I
>> told Eric that is a factor why I continue to come down from NorCal.
>> But in the end, I'm responsible to my partners and my decision and I would
>> expect other vendors make up their minds completely on cost and work versus
>> profit.
>> 
>> I don't know what Janice has said in the past, or what RJ will say in the
>> future.
>> 
>> But, I'm not a politician, I'm rather blunt most of the time.
>> I'm not here to argue with anyone.
>> I'm not here to change the order of things.
>> And lucky for you, I'm only running the dealers room for one con.
>> 
>> But some of these store owners have had a rough couple of years, I don't see
>> these changes helping, and most importantly some of them are my friends.
>> 
>> So as long as I'm doing this the vendors will have a voice stating their
>> side.
>> 
>> Steven Ong
>> Three Sages Games.
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: stevenong at comcast.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=stevenong@comcast.net>
>> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=deptheads@strategicon.net>
>> Sent: Monday, May 3, 2010 9:54:00 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
>> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Dealer Room Update
>> 
>> When I agreed to do this I was told that decisions were made and that they
>> would not change.
>>  
>> They did change, and not so much as a courtesy call was made, I find that
>> unprofessional.
>> 
>> I did not ask for anything to change, I'm stating my opinion.
>> 
>> As for the last GameX, that really has no bearing on anything.
>> We were under the impression that this was a one time deal.
>> And if you really want to know my numbers and probably others were down with
>> noticeably lower traffic.
>> 
>> Not everyone has had the experience of being a dealer.
>> I'm stating opinions based on my experience as a manufacture and dealer and
>> as such my decision tree is different than most.
>> 
>> Each dealer is different, but for the paying and potential new dealers,
>> placement, traffic and the bottom line is really all that counts.
>> Who here currently or in the past owns a game store or company?
>> 
>> The opinions that I'm stating I hope are representative of those stores and
>> manufactures that count the StrategiCon events as part of their yearly
>> income.
>> I'm sure you know that some of our dealers are not hobby businesses, but have
>> you considered that this is how they put food on the table, pay their rent,
>> or maybe the difference between going on a family vacation or not this year?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Robyn Nixon" <dragonladytoo at trackrecords.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dragonladytoo@trackrecords.net>
>> >
>> To: deptheads at strategicon.net
>> <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=deptheads@strategicon.net>
>> Sent: Monday, May 3, 2010 8:33:29 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
>> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Dealer Room Update
>> 
>> Additional security was also discussed:
>> 1. The air wall is only goes to the Video game room.
>> 2. The Video Game room is Staffed at all times it is open (there is too much
>> expensive electronic equipment to leave it un guarded).
>> 3. The Video game room will be locked at any time that it is un-staffed
>> (participants MUST leave the room if Staff need to leave due to breaks,
>> whether restroom or food).
>> 4. Therefore there is either a locked door or actual person based security on
>> the air wall side., meaning it is probably the most secure room at the
>> convention.
>> 
>> 
>> On 5/3/10 8:26 PM, "Tim" <tim at stugiii.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> This is where the dealer's room was last Gamex.  The airwall door was
>>> blocked by the Warhouse's rack, effectively preventing it from being opened
>>> from the computer room side.  The racks hide it preventing it from being
>>> opened from the dealer's room side.  Demo's and dealer dollar payouts will
>>> be right in front of the dealer's room door, which should facilitate their
>>> prompt spending.
>>> 
>>> What is the problem with the dealer's room being where it is?
>>> 
>>> Tim
>>> 
>>> stevenong at comcast.net wrote:
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>> Dealer Room Status:
>>>> 
>>>> 1)     I¹ve emailed dealer room contracts and room layout to the list
>>>> Janice gave me plus three others.  I have interest from two of the three
>>>> new vendors
>>>> 
>>>> (1 manufacturer and 1 store).
>>>> 
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>> Hotel Confirmation:
>>>> 
>>>> 1)    Hermosa, Malibu and Laguna meeting rooms are 33 feet by 49 feet each,
>>>> combined room size is 99 feet by 49feet.
>>>> 
>>>> 2)    The Airwall Door between Malibu and Redondo does not lock.
>>>> 
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>>   
>>>> Opinion:
>>>> 
>>>> a)     I believe the new position of the dealers room is not equivalent to
>>>> the placement at the Radisson, and will directly effect sales.
>>>> 
>>>> b)     If sales drop, dealers will be less inclined to make deals or be
>>>> generous to our guest and staff.
>>>> 
>>>> c)      If sales drop, dealers will evaluate whether or not participation
>>>> is profitable enough to justify the work.
>>>> 
>>>> (Conquest in Northern California moved to another city and put the dealer
>>>> room off to one side of the hotel, several dealers including my company
>>>> decided not participate in the convention)
>>>> 
>>>> d)     I suggest that as much signage as possible be produced to offset
>>>> this possible problem.
>>>> 
>>>> e)      I was not consulted on the room move so if anyone ask about the
>>>> airwall door that doesn¹t lock, I will give the following statement.
>>>> 
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>> ³The airwall door doesn¹t lock, this was brought to the attention of the
>>>> owners and staff.  They have decided that it¹s an acceptable risk.²
>>>> 
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>>  
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>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
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