[Deptheads] Strategicon - Troubling Trend

Fri May 9 15:08:01 PDT 2014

Okay, back from my torture!

I have been wanting to get someone into a position in the Marketing
department to solicit Kickstarters for our convention.  My original thought
was that, since I send out marketing e-mails telling people about what's
coming up at the conventions, we could do a section on "Kickstarters" that
will be there (and they can be in any stage of funding)..  Ultimately, I'd
like to have up to 3 Kickstarters that *we solicit* for each of the genres
represented at the convention.  It gives people a chance to try something
new and if they really like it, help make it a thing.  In my opinion, the
gaming industry seems to be going through a shift to where many games are
now crowdsourced--we need to be adaptable. If we lump them all in one area,
for now, fine.  If we start charging Kickstarters, though, they may not
come and we may miss out on opportunities to showcase games in the future.

What does it do for Strategicon?  It sets us apart as a convention who is
open to up and coming games and ideas, rather than just "stuck in a rut"
with the established companies.  We also get advertising from the
Kickstarters.  How, you ask?  Because as part of the requirements I am
going to put in place, they need to display a reciprocal banner on their
information regarding Strategicon's support of their game (I'll have
someone design an eye-catching ad).  They must include when they will be at
our conventions and let people know they'll have a chance to play their
games (and by "let people know" I mean in their Updates they send out).
 People who may never have heard of Strategicon get to hear about us and
get to come to the convention--to play a Kickstarter, then see the other
amazing things we have to offer.

Don't worry!  I shan't take tables away from you without your knowledge or
consent!  I have not entirely fleshed out how this is going to work...I'd
only just pitched this whole thing to the board earlier this week because I
just got a person who was interested in helping in this capacity.  SO!  I'm
not sure how it's all going to work, but there would be communication and
department head approvals involved.  Like, "Hey, Shane... Minions of Death,
Fork it Over, and Flying Buttresses are three board game kickstarters we
were interested in having at the convention.  Do you have table space to
give them a total of 4 demo games over the weekend?"  Just for example.
 Maybe 8.  I don't know.  But, if we bill them *as* events, it makes it
easier to plan them.  Any other demos that are to be run can be run either
in Open Gaming (which I'm hesitant to do) or, if we're actually using the
area outside of the elevators in the Lower Lobby, there.  I think that's a
great place for Open Gaming and Kickstarter Demos that are not on the
schedule.  It's an easy to describe and get to location.

Kryssie Mackey
310.982.7632
"Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder...as is instant death.
*Avada Kedavra*, Sweetie."

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Kryssie Mackey
Marketing Director
310-766-9954
phantom.hopscotch at gmail.com
Strategicon Events <http://www.strategicon.net>
Follow me on Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/Kryssieness> &
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/Angelkins>
!
"Imagine what you could accomplish if you knew you couldn't fail!"

On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 2:15 PM, Jim Sandoval <plustentoawesome at gmail.com>wrote:

> Perhaps we should come to a consensus about how to prioritize crowdfunding
> at our convention. It's nice for the community, but we as a convention
> don't really get much out of it.
>
> Do our attendees want to have these things around to a lesser or greater
> extent? Do they like being exposed to these new games or do they feel like
> they are just being marketted to while paying to go to a game convention?
> These might be good questions to post up in our several social media sites.
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 12:01 PM, Kryssie <phantom.hopscotch at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I suppose we were wondering what to do with the space at the elevators.
>> ^_^  Make it a Kickstarter area.  I think groups we solicit should be
>> different than groups who solicit us.  Let me think on it whilst my
>> physical therapist twists my ankle all over the place and I'll let you know
>> when I get back.
>>
>>
>> Kryssie Mackey
>> 310.982.7632
>> "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder...as is instant death.
>> *Avada Kedavra*, Sweetie."
>>
>>
>> [image: Facebook]<http://s.wisestamp.com/links?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAngelkins&sn=Y3J5bXNvbi5mYXRlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D> [image:
>> Twitter]<http://s.wisestamp.com/links?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2FKryssieness&sn=Y3J5bXNvbi5mYXRlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D> [image:
>> Etsy]<http://s.wisestamp.com/links?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fshop%2Fgeektuality&sn=Y3J5bXNvbi5mYXRlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D> [image:
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>> Contact me: [image: Skype] crymson_fate
>>  Get a signature like this:
>> <http://s.wisestamp.com/links?url=http%3A%2F%2Fr1.wisestamp.com%2Fr%2Flanding%3Fpromo%3D43%26dest%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wisestamp.com%252Femail-install%253Futm_source%253Dextension%2526utm_medium%253Demail%2526utm_campaign%253Dpromo_43&sn=Y3J5bXNvbi5mYXRlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D> Grab
>> yours!<http://s.wisestamp.com/links?url=http%3A%2F%2Fr1.wisestamp.com%2Fr%2Flanding%3Fpromo%3D43%26amp%3Bdest%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wisestamp.com%252Femail-install%253Futm_source%253Dextension%2526utm_medium%253Demail%2526utm_campaign%253Dpromo_43&sn=Y3J5bXNvbi5mYXRlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ%3D%3D>
>>
>> Kryssie Mackey
>> Marketing Director
>> 310-766-9954
>> phantom.hopscotch at gmail.com
>> Strategicon Events <http://www.strategicon.net>
>> Follow me on Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/Kryssieness> & Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/Angelkins>
>> !
>> "Imagine what you could accomplish if you knew you couldn't fail!"
>>
>>
>> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 11:45 AM, Eric Burgess <erburgess at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> The solution is: find a prominent, excellent Demo Area for these guys
>>> and make them sign up to use these tables for limited amounts of time.
>>> Then, if they want pickup games later, they can use open gaming tables if
>>> they are playing but do not allow open gaming tables to be 'unscheduled
>>> demo' space.
>>>
>>> As Shane says, if they wanted dedicated space all weekend, they can pay
>>> for a dealer room or (if our space allows), ask they to pay for dedicated
>>> 'demo' space. I find that slightly unfriendly to small publishers but not
>>> so much that it shouldn't be considered. But make it a package - create a
>>> badge for "Designer/Publishers" that includes a dedicated table (with the
>>> caveat that if they aren't there, it becomes open for others), maybe give
>>> them access to the VIP event or something and charge just a bit more for
>>> it. Then, they'll have some 'skin in the game' on it if they want a table
>>> all weekend or they can always just schedule time in the demo area for 2
>>> hour slots (or whatever) if they don't want to spend the money on it. We'd
>>> put Guests in this space for some amount of time (some are machines who
>>> demo constantly, while others will just schedule events and then others can
>>> be there when they are not).
>>>
>>> Note you could pull out parts of that idea and still make it work well.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <http://www.linkedin.com/in/erburgess/>  <http://twitter.com/bgbabylon> <https://www.facebook.com/boardgamebabylon>
>>>   <http://www.boardgamebabylon.com>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Eric Burgess
>>>
>>> Chief Creative Officer, 3SidedCard
>>>
>>> Director, Product Management, PublishThis <http://www.publishthis.com/>
>>>
>>> Host/Producer, Boardgame Babylon <http://www.boardgamebabylon.com>
>>>
>>> Curator, Game Library at Strategicon <http://www.strategicon.net/>
>>>
>>> *E: *erburgess at gmail.com <eburgess at publishthis.com>
>>>
>>> *P: **626- 674- 4674*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 8:48 AM, Tim <tim at stugiii.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>  I think they belong downstairs as well.  The other locations just are
>>>> not tenable options
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Tim.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* deptheads-bounces at strategicon.net [mailto:
>>>> deptheads-bounces at strategicon.net] *On Behalf Of *Shane Sauby
>>>> *Sent:* Thursday, May 08, 2014 7:28 PM
>>>> *To:* Strategicon Department Heads
>>>> *Subject:* [Deptheads] Strategicon - Troubling Trend
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>>     So the trend that I noticed a year ago with kickstarter has gotten
>>>> worse.  I am getting more and more game publishers wanting to come in and
>>>> take over tables in the ballroom for the entire days or the whole weekend.
>>>> I am a little uncomfortable with this idea because it limits the number of
>>>> events that I can put on for the attendees.  Also, I would think that game
>>>> publishers who want to show off all their games should be in the dealer
>>>> room.  I know it is already full, but I believe they belong there, or at
>>>> least in the foyer between the dealer room and the ballroom.
>>>>
>>>>     Another option, which I would like to suggest, is to rent tables in
>>>> the room at the bottom of the escalators.  If SJG, Columbia, Chaosmos,
>>>> Gorilla Games, etc. all had there own tables down there, I would not have
>>>> to use that space since it would free up several tables in the ballroom.
>>>> Something I would like people thinking about going forward.
>>>>
>>>> Shane Sauby
>>>> Boardgames Supervisor
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> http://mordred.punk.net/mailman/listinfo/deptheads
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>
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