[Deptheads] 2017 Strategicon

[Strategicon Department Heads]

Hi everyone,

Just a heads up that I sent the email below to all my GMs.

Shane
Good morning,
  I wanted to thank all of you for making 2017 a record breaking year for Strategicon and for making this weekend's Gateway a great experience for many.
  I apologize beforehand, but there are several issues that I need to discuss with you, my GM volunteers, so this e-mail may be a bit long.  It is very important that you read this entire e-mail, since it touches on several key points that effect all GMs.

  First, GMs are not allowed to play in their own events unless there is space.  I have had multiple complaints over 2017 of GMs refusing players while playing themselves.  This is not allowed in boardgames.  Going forward, if I receive this complaint, I will consider removing the GM from the volunteer list.

  Second, regardless of event type, if there are enough players and copies of a game for more than one game, an event should have more than one round.  Many GMs are under the wrong impression that events need only be one round.  This is incorrect.  The only difference between events and tournaments is that winners are listed on a separate form.  That's it.  The organization, length, and competition should all be the same. If you wish to volunteer and run a game, be prepared to run at least two rounds.  If you are not willing to do this, please do not volunteer to be a GM in the future.
   Third, regardless of event type, there should be winners listed, from at least 1st through 3rd.  This determination ideally should be made by the standings of the final game played.  Winners are listed in the con book (trust me, players care about this) and are eligible for year end prizes (they care about this too).  Therefore it is imperative that the competition conclude with a clear set of winners.
  Whether an event is a tournament or not is a decision I make based on history.  A new game or a game that has not been run for some time will not be made a tournament until it has proven it can garner enough interest to warrant Dealer Dollar support.  That being said, if you are the GM of an event, and it takes more than one round due to a large turnout, you may find me in Boardgames and request that it be made a tournament.  I have the ability and budget to "bump" events into tournaments and change the size of a tournaments on site, and will happily do so if a game proves popular.
  Co-Op games are the exception to these rules, since sometimes more than one person wins, or everyone wins, or no one wins, therefore multiple rounds and lists of winners are unnecessary.  They also are not tournaments, since determining who earns the Dealer Dollars can prove problematic.
  Finally, the rule requiring a tournament or 101 for badge reimbursement has two purposes.  In order to get a free badge, a GM must run a game with a proven history of popularity (tournament) or be willing to teach people a game that players are interested in learning (101).  I feel this requirement, along with the 8 hour minimum, is fairly minimal given the value of a full con badge.
  There are some other changes coming to the Boardgames Department in 2018.  The flag system will be undergoing a major overhaul and the paper flags that we have used in the past will be phased out.  The new system will better serve the purpose of directing players to starting games, while reducing the amount of work required in BGHQ.
  Reducing the work load in BGHQ is necessary due to a low turnout of BGHQ volunteers.  Also, due to the need to recruit and retain BGHQ volunteers, the shift requirements are being adjusted.  BGHQ volunteers will earn a badge for 3 shifts (6 hours), badge + parking reimbursement for 5 shifts (10 hours), and badge + room reimbursement for 8 shifts (16 hours).  This change will also require the end of room reimbursement for GMs, due to the room allocation budget of the Boardgames Department.
  Also, this coming weekend will be the GM e-mail list purge.  If you have not run an event in 2017, you will be automatically removed from this list.  If you wish to continue getting these updates, or wish to be removed from my list, please let me know.

  Again, I cannot thank all of you enough for your time and effort in making Strategicon a success.  We have grown immensely over the past decade, and this is mainly due to the amazing work and dedication of our volunteer staff.  You have made Strategicon successful and I hope you all will continue with us on this endeavor.
Thank you,Shane SaubyBoardgames Supervisor
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