This is the adventures of HinterWelt Enterprises at GenCon 2007. We tried something different and went all cheap. Over all, an interesting experience.

A Small Press At GenCon (125K PDF)

How were your sales, out of curiousity?

Great work, Bill!  And I didn't know hobnobbing was a weakness!  You held up well!

You know, with as many talented "small press" folks as we have on this site, I think it'd be cool to have an RPG Site booth at Gen Con one year, both as a forum for some of our guys to showcase their stuff AND get more members for the site--and so folks could gawk at us malcontents, I suppose.  I suppose we'd need to do some sort of fundraiser to get the fundage for it, though.

We talked about a million things - well, almost all about games, but a million things within that subject. Poor Klax was exhausted and didn't contribute much as he slipped in and out of conciousness. By the end of the night, Bill was growing hoarse. We agreed on a collaboration, details to be nailed down later. Ideas were jumping back and forth, but nothing firm was decided. There are some areas where our skills complement, and areas where they reinforce each other. I'm really looking forward to it.

BTW - that's me - the geezer in the white shirt - and Klax - the hulking brute next to me - in the last photo. He always makes me look small and fragile. This may be the only photo of me on the 'net taken since I stopped performing some thirty years ago. I am not leaning on a cane, that's a chair back. I don't need a cane! The walker is parked in the corner...

-clash

Thanks Bill!  Much appreciated info.

Yes! That was excellent info all the way through, Bill! I liked the "GenCon on the Cheap" part.

-clash

Yo Bill, it's aiight, I'll just have to hook up with you next year, when I move back up to your neck of the woods (New Lenox).

Quote from: jhkimHow were your sales, out of curiousity?

Data is still out on the booth. The GPA booth is not known for quick response or great sales for that matter but it is very cheap and we got pretty good placement in the booth. The important factor is the around (aprox. 54) sales of SA! generated from the con off our site combined with about 25 Pie Incident. That is about $900 gross. I say approximately since it is not possible to say all this weeks sales came from GenCon but I am taking the difference from normal weekly sales (around a 75% increase). We normally see an increase after GenCon both on our site but even more so in stores.

Zach, yeah, good idea. I would call the booth something like "The Small PRess Collective" and get two booths. Arrange for multiple publishers to share the booth and expense. Could be a much as 2K for two tables or slightly less. Still, an interesting idea.

Joe, I am sure we will run into each other eventually. I just am sorry it was not sooner rather than later.

Thanks everyone. I do this every year and find it useful to sorting out my own thoughts and figure I might as well share them.

Bill

Quote from: HinterWeltZach, yeah, good idea. I would call the booth something like "The Small PRess Collective" and get two booths. Arrange for multiple publishers to share the booth and expense. Could be a much as 2K for two tables or slightly less. Still, an interesting idea.

Isn't that exactly what the Forge Booth does?  I mean, the Indie Press Revolution Booth?

Quote from: HinterWeltJoe, I am sure we will run into each other eventually. I just am sorry it was not sooner rather than later.

Me too bro.

Bill,

This is really interesting stuff you're putting out there!

I do think it'd be interesting to see a Small Press booth there.  I say, the easier we make it for small press companies to have a presence at GC (which you seemed to do quite well and economically this year), the better it is for the convention.  More, I say, more RPGs!!

Quote from: joewolzIsn't that exactly what the Forge Booth does?  I mean, the Indie Press Revolution Booth?

Oh yeah, and there are a number of groups out there that do collective booths. It has been made very clear by Ed that I am not welcome at IPR. Ron has told me I am not "Indie" and thus the Forge is not for me (and so I imagine their booth). So, what the hell, Zach brought it up and if Clash was interested, it would be great to have a few folks who could spell me when running a booth. Theo is a handful and events take time.

For the record, I have several racks that work nicely in a booth environment and some experience running a booth.

Anyway, we have until January to decide to do this.

Bill

Quote from: HinterWeltOh yeah, and there are a number of groups out there that do collective booths. It has been made very clear by Ed that I am not welcome at IPR. Ron has told me I am not "Indie" and thus the Forge is not for me (and so I imagine their booth). So, what the hell, Zach brought it up and if Clash was interested, it would be great to have a few folks who could spell me when running a booth. Theo is a handful and events take time.

For the record, I have several racks that work nicely in a booth environment and some experience running a booth.

Anyway, we have until January to decide to do this.

Bill

Color me interested.

-clash

Thanks for that insightful article. Very interesting read.

I have to ask how much did you pay for the hotel at the airport, the rental car and parking? Was finding parking difficult?

A question for Zach or anyone else in Indie...What is an affordable alternative to taxis to the hotels? The taxi charged me $25 with me as the sole rider to go from the airport to the hotel. Is there a cheaper alternative?

Quote from: flyingmiceColor me interested.

-clash

And me.  

BTW, great article, Bill.  Thanks for taking the time.

Pete

Quote from: enelsonThanks for that insightful article. Very interesting read.

I have to ask how much did you pay for the hotel at the airport, the rental car and parking? Was finding parking difficult?

A question for Zach or anyone else in Indie...What is an affordable alternative to taxis to the hotels? The taxi charged me $25 with me as the sole rider to go from the airport to the hotel. Is there a cheaper alternative?

We actually had our own van for hauling Theo around in. The parking was $10 for one day. We showed up on Friday and parked on the street so as to avoid paying the parking deck fees. If we were going to be there for the weekend I would pay the $20 (I think that was the amount) for the weekend parking permit.

Hotel, for Friday and Saturday night was around $200. Yes, we could have gone cheaper but the Candlewood Suites is a nice hotel and comparable in amenities to the downtown hotel. I daresay, better than the Radisson.

Bill