[Deptheads] GATEWAY DOES:

Mon Jul 18 15:55:38 PDT 2011

I agree that every staff person should help to strengthen other teams and 
promote our convention as a hole. We succeed or fail as a team.

We should not imply that HMGS/PSW is being "forced" to attend smackdown nor 
should anyone working smackdown be trying to get their attendees to leave and go 
to gateway.
Anyone volunteering or staffing our convention should not be telling attendees 
to leave for another convention that is going on at the same time as ours. That 
is bad form for the person doing it, the group they represent, and the con they 
are sending people to. So we shouldn't do it or advise others to do it. Let 
smackdown suck on their own.

HMGS is their own group- not a strategicon group. HMGS/PSW is a chapter of the 
organization. I was a member of HMGS-East and attend cold wars and Historicon.
HMGS/PSW is  doing the right thing- they do 2 strategicons and 1 socal 
smackdown. They aren't taking sides this way. If we were once a year like 
smackdown and on the same date they would have to choose who to support.
Since we are 3 times a year we cannot expect every group, company, designer, 
etc. to commit to us 3 times a year forsaking all others. We have several 
companies, groups, etc. that commit to our con 1 to 2 times a year
and do other cons or events the other 1 or 2 times. That is fair. We took all 3 
four day holiday weekends and we are going to have more competing cons next year 
and 2013. Los Angeles comic con is 3 weeks after gateway.
If it succeeds it will move to labor day weekend. Other cons fight to secure 
their weekend- we fight to protect 3 weekends during a 9 month stretch of the 
year. We cannot get upset when groups and companies have to be unbiased. 
Especially when it happens all the time in may with kubla already. Appreciate 
what  HMGS/PSW has done for strategicon, be happy for the cons they do attend of 
ours, happy they will have a  crew of HMGS/PSW at gateway, and happy Frank 
joined our staff and will keep the miniatures area on track and growing. Hurray 
Frank.

We should succeed on our own merits and smackdown can fail on it's own. We don't 
need to be sneaky or underhanded about it. If we work hard and put on a great 
overall show then world of mouth will reach smackdown attendees.
Podcasts, blogs, live feeds, updates via twitter, etc. Social media showing the 
great time people are having at our con. 

We should advertise what WE offer before the con, and let our attendees and 
social media do the talking for us during the con. Smackdown not going away 
anytime soon. They learned from last year and have some industry people on-board 
for this one, some good volunteers, good support, and they will be better and 
continue to get better. We just have to continue to get  better too. And if we 
don't work together to keep miniatures growing socal smackdown WILL be the 
miniatures con and if so they will bleed off rpgers, ccgers, vendors, and 
boardgamers as well. And they will grow those other depts. too. They are in no 
hurry.

Btw...the "Bring your    Smackdown 2010 badge to Orccon for a $10 full weekend 
badge" is a great idea if implemented right.

1.  I don't think they are going to let us have flyers at their con for it . 
Would we let them have flyers at our con to get a full badge to smackdown for 5 
dollars if you present you gateway badge? If we did it they would say ok but we 
get the same from you.
2. Our 4 day badge is $50 or $40 pre-reg. Their weekend badge is $25.
If I lived in orange county I would buy a smackdown badge ($20 for 1 day or $25 
for weekend) and then go to strategicon for $10. That is both cons for $30. That 
is better than just paying for strategicon pre-reg.
Our sat/sun 1 day badges are $25 and fri/mon are $10. Make the smackdown badge 
exchange $15 or $20 for a full badge.  This rewards people with the opportunity 
to try both cons but prevents abuse.
We can advertise that on social media thursday thru sunday of the con. 

V

________________________________
From: "Evil5757 at aol.com" <Evil5757 at aol.com>
To: deptheads at strategicon.net
Sent: Mon, July 18, 2011 11:46:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Deptheads] GATEWAY DOES:

Everyone,

I have seen this time and time again in different areas where an  established 
convention is challenged by a new convention. The new convention has  to take 
things away from the established convention (like events and people) or  it 
won't succeed. This is exactly what Smackdown is trying to do, and they are  
doing it through our Miniatures department because it has been our weakest area  
the past 5 years. 

The way we win is to strengthen our Miniatures department, and part of that  is 
EVERYONE (no matter what department) contributing what they can to help the 
department under attack. 

The way we lose is infighting and ANYONE taking a "It's not my department"  
attitude. 

I do not like that fact that HMGS is basically being forced to bring events  to 
Smackdown instead of a full force gathering here like last year. But it's  
happening, so look at the bright side:

a. We will have reliable people over there to count the dozens of people in  
attendance.

b. We will have first hand accounts of what they are trying to do so we can  
anticipate their next move and counter it.

c. We will have people there who are NOT Strategicon staff telling everyone  at 
Smackdown how much better Gateway is.

d. The HMGS people who go to Smackdown will have a greater appreciation for  how 
we do things when they show up for Orccon.

e. The HMGS people at Smackdown will be able to give US some fresh eyes and  
give us some suggestions for improvement we might not have thought of yet.

Bill and Harmon - all I ask is that the HMGS members who go to Smackdown  give 
their honest opinions when talking to Smackdown attendees. We have a better  
product - I know it and you know it. What we need is for brainwashed Smackdown  
attendees to be told the truth so they can see through the lies they have been  
told and make their own decision.

Eric, Tim, and Chris - I still think we should have a "Bring your  Smackdown 
2010 badge to Orccon for a $10 full weekend badge" flyer  distributed at 
Smackdown so people can compare for themselves. We Win.

John

In a message dated 7/17/2011 11:49:41 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
Tim at stugiii.com writes:
Bill,
>
>No one is arguing or discounting the contribution that    HMGS/PSW made to 
>Strategicon, nor the contribution that Strategicon made to    HMGS/PSW.  Robyn 
>is obviously upset about HMGS/PSW supporting Smackdown    in September. Just as 
>some of the HMGS/PSW members are upset about    it.
>
>We decided to stay out of the internal politics of HMGS/PSW; the    debate about 
>SoCal Smackdown as well as the vote.  The reason we asked    you to not publish 
>that email Bill is we didn't want to become distracted by    an email debate to 
>no purpose.  The decision had been made and we have    other things to focus on.
>
>Bill, Robyn and everyone, there is little to    be gained in continuing this so 
>lets drop it.
>
>Tim
>
>
>On    7/17/2011 10:59 PM, Bill Witthans wrote: 
> 
>>Hmmmm,
>> 
>>Very strange view Robyn, "HMGS kicked us in the      ass this year and didn’t 
>>even give us a kiss" really? How so? 
>>
>> 

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