OK, I started out telling myself that GEEK was going to stay small, but I have been sought out to help with starting the Knoxville Gaming Convention. May God have mercy on my soul.

The soft launch of this will be 08/24-08/25 as part of the local horror convention called CreepyCon, so not a lot of time to prepare. The feeling I have is that this could either be totally awesome or absolutely suck, there won't be much in-between. The full convention will be next year at the end of July, so plenty of time to prepare for that.

So, wish me luck. People with more experience, give me all the advice you can. I will be picking the brains of the massive knowledge base that hangs out on this forum.

And now, I've got to call in the troops and do some planning.

Good luck.  

What are you using for a location?  Still library's?

Quote from: Headless;1044083Good luck.  

What are you using for a location?  Still library's?

No, much bigger than the library meeting rooms. Right now, the Knoxvile Convention Center is the venue site and that is a 500,000 square foot facility. I'm thinking that it is a bit too large to start out with, but I'm not the one footing the bill.

FYI for everyone, here's the CreepyCon website
https://creepyconknoxville.com

BTW, their code of conduct rocks:
If you are behaving like a douche bag, we will remove you from Creepycon without a refund.

Here is video from their first con in 2017
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2017/09/09/inaugural-creepycon-attracts-thousands/105433612/

Jeff, you have 2 months. You're that special kind of fucked where you have just enough time to work your ass off to get shitty results. I don't envy you in the slightest and if I was a douchebag, I'd send my thoughts and prayers.

But I'm an asshole, not a douche, so here's my advice:

1) Forget about the 2019 convention for now. All guns on the August 24th CreepyCon target.

2) Tell us EXACTLY what the deal is for your crew at CreepyCon. Data dump on us like German scheisse porn!

3) LARP motherfucker LARP! CreepyCon is ground zero for cosplay. Might as well do some live roleplay with them.

4) Sound the local alarm.  You need all the organized play goobers of all stripes. WTF the Camarilla is calling itself, the 5e AL, Paizo's PFS, are the first targets. THEN you go onto the official boards of all the "major" games and call for their demo teams to show their asses. I know Palladium has GMs in Knoxville. BTW, Kevin has been advertising local cons via his weekly Palladium newsletter.

5) Can you give free badges to GMs who work X hours? If so, what is X?

6) You need to advertise the fuck out of this, both online and off, starting NOW. Does GEEK have a FB page? The answer is yes by tomorrow. It also will need a website by the end of the week. Your org needs to look bigger and more professional to give itself credibility so people want to trust you can deliver fun. Also, legitimacy makes it easier to source prize support from companies and vendors.

7) Do you have a budget? How much? AKA, for marketing, badges, prizes, etc? If not, get one ASAP. Free food is a huge draw. Snack bowls, thank you baggies for GMs, bowl of M&Ms, homemade cookiets, etc.

Is this RPGs only? If not, you need a horror boardgame track. There are a fuckton of current horror boardgames from Arkham Horror, Elder Sign, Cthulhu Wars, Zombicide, etc. I would limit boardgames to horror themed as its CreepyCon. Hell, I'd get ALL the non-Org Play RPG GMs to focus on horror events.

Answer questions and I will armchair general more noise at you!

Quote from: Spinachcat;1044254FYI for everyone, here's the CreepyCon website
https://creepyconknoxville.com

BTW, their code of conduct rocks:
If you are behaving like a douche bag, we will remove you from Creepycon without a refund.

Here is video from their first con in 2017
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2017/09/09/inaugural-creepycon-attracts-thousands/105433612/

I know! I love it! They are NO BULLSHIT!

Quote from: Spinachcat;1044254Jeff, you have 2 months. You're that special kind of fucked where you have just enough time to work your ass off to get shitty results. I don't envy you in the slightest and if I was a douchebag, I'd send my thoughts and prayers.

But I'm an asshole, not a douche, so here's my advice:

Yup, I'm already busy as Hell. I cancelled this month's GEEK event to concentrate on this.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442541) Forget about the 2019 convention for now. All guns on the August 24th CreepyCon target.

And more importantly, how things go at CreepyCon will show me where I need to concentrate my efforts because a year away is still a year away and a lot can happen in a year.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442542) Tell us EXACTLY what the deal is for your crew at CreepyCon. Data dump on us like German scheisse porn!

We have been given a space with ample room for ten tables. GEEK gets to manage the tabletop gaming and have a table of our own. I get a badge for the weekend and every GM who works for 8 hours gets one. There will be a game library available there.

So far the plan is to have me work the whole convention and have other demonstration team members who run given badges for the days they run.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442543) LARP motherfucker LARP! CreepyCon is ground zero for cosplay. Might as well do some live roleplay with them.

Cosplayers have been alerted to the venue and I have three of them who are also ex-dancers talked into being booth babes. I plan to have them alternating working the tables (because they also game) and roaming the convention floor handing out flyers and free bottles of water. Yes, I am a horrible horrible man because I will be using innocent women and their feminine wiles to help sell a gaming convention idea.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442544) Sound the local alarm.  You need all the organized play goobers of all stripes. WTF the Camarilla is calling itself, the 5e AL, Paizo's PFS, are the first targets. THEN you go onto the official boards of all the "major" games and call for their demo teams to show their asses. I know Palladium has GMs in Knoxville. BTW, Kevin has been advertising local cons via his weekly Palladium newsletter.

Yeah, I'll be talking to the Organized Play people tomorrow. Local AL annoys me with their leadership's attitude, but running games there will get butts in seats.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442545) Can you give free badges to GMs who work X hours? If so, what is X?

A free 1-day badge goes to each GM who runs 2 3-hour convention games. I know, not a lot of time, but just enough to get people's feet wet.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442546) You need to advertise the fuck out of this, both online and off, starting NOW. Does GEEK have a FB page? The answer is yes by tomorrow. It also will need a website by the end of the week. Your org needs to look bigger and more professional to give itself credibility so people want to trust you can deliver fun. Also, legitimacy makes it easier to source prize support from companies and vendors.

GEEK FB page. One of the perks of working with the local library system is that helps us look legit.

I want to see if this works before I start begging publishers for prize support.

Quote from: Spinachcat;10442547) Do you have a budget? How much? AKA, for marketing, badges, prizes, etc? If not, get one ASAP. Free food is a huge draw. Snack bowls, thank you baggies for GMs, bowl of M&Ms, homemade cookiets, etc.

I am budgeting $500 for this adventure. A banner is already being designed. I have giveaway copies of all the games that I will be demonstrating and will be trying to help do the same with the others. As far as snacks go, there will be some available for those who participate in the games. Plus the free cold bottled water being given away by the booth babes.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1044254 Is this RPGs only? If not, you need a horror boardgame track. There are a fuckton of current horror boardgames from Arkham Horror, Elder Sign, Cthulhu Wars, Zombicide, etc. I would limit boardgames to horror themed as its CreepyCon. Hell, I'd get ALL the non-Org Play RPG GMs to focus on horror events.

It is not RPGs only. We have a member who specializes in board games and one who specializes in wargames. Everything we plan on running that con will have a horror theme.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1044254Answer questions and I will armchair general more noise at you!

Schweet!

Awesome! Good luck! :cool: (And may God have mercy on your soul. )

Good luck!

A couple things I've learned helping run a convention or two, and attending several;

1. There are lots of examples; but "game looking for players" stand up signs for the table, with the number of players needed. Super helpful in the board/card game area.
2. Keep sign-ups for board/card games in one area, and RPGs in another (and LARPS, and ...). Make it clear this is where people can sign up. Bonus points using a digital solution.  Orca Con uses Sched. Dragonflight uses Tabletop Events. Both are easy to use. Sched has a mobile app with alerts IIRC.
3. Include "power" options for RPG signups. Lots of GMs these days need extension cord for laptop. It's best when mapping out the floor to designate "powered" tables and strategically tape down cords with the least amount of foot traffic.
4. Lights!! Been to several conventions where the RPG setup is too dark! Check lighting at night in the various gaming areas and ensure they are well lit. If not, negotiate with your venue to provide additional lighting.
5. Wi-Fi! Even if you have to charge a nominal feel to cover the venue charge, gamers often need internet access and people are very connected these days.

If I think if other things, I'll post 'em here.

Just another cosplay MeetUp.

Quote from: Spinachcat;1044254BTW, their code of conduct rocks

Quote from: jeff37923;1044270I know! I love it! They are NO BULLSHIT!

Hmm, I dunno.  All that's really different is they don't virtue signal.  If you look at the policy, there's 3 points.
1. As a ticket holder for Creepycon, we expect you to be kind and respectful to each other, to our vendors, to our performers and to our staff as well as the staff of SMG and the World's Fair Exhibition Hall.  

2. If you are behaving like a douche bag, we will remove you from Creepycon without a refund.

3. If you feel your safety is at risk at anytime, please locate a member of the Creepycon staff or an employee of the World's Fair Exhibition Hall with your concern and we will take care of the problem.

Without any specifics given for #2, combined with #3, means they can kick you out because your zombie cosplay included a MAGA hat, or you looked at the hot chick barely dressed as Vampirella, same as any SJW con.

Quote from: CRKrueger;1044424Hmm, I dunno.  All that's really different is they don't virtue signal.  If you look at the policy, there's 3 points.
1. As a ticket holder for Creepycon, we expect you to be kind and respectful to each other, to our vendors, to our performers and to our staff as well as the staff of SMG and the World's Fair Exhibition Hall.  

2. If you are behaving like a douche bag, we will remove you from Creepycon without a refund.

3. If you feel your safety is at risk at anytime, please locate a member of the Creepycon staff or an employee of the World's Fair Exhibition Hall with your concern and we will take care of the problem.

Without any specifics given for #2, combined with #3, means they can kick you out because your zombie cosplay included a MAGA hat, or you looked at the hot chick barely dressed as Vampirella, same as any SJW con.

It's usually better off that way since you can't account for every possible scenario that comes up and sometimes someone hasn't showered for 3 months and has to be kicked out.

Quote from: trechriron;1044372Good luck!

A couple things I've learned helping run a convention or two, and attending several;

I'm all ears and taking notes.

Quote from: trechriron;10443721. There are lots of examples; but "game looking for players" stand up signs for the table, with the number of players needed. Super helpful in the board/card game area.

One of the first things I did was get some plastic table toppers from Office Depot so that we looked professional - they have helped immensely.

Quote from: trechriron;10443722. Keep sign-ups for board/card games in one area, and RPGs in another (and LARPS, and ...). Make it clear this is where people can sign up. Bonus points using a digital solution.  Orca Con uses Sched. Dragonflight uses Tabletop Events. Both are easy to use. Sched has a mobile app with alerts IIRC.

OK, the specific genres of games will be split up like you suggest already.

The smartphone apps you are suggesting will be tested to see which and if they are good fits for implementation. I only have experience with these type of apps from ConNooga, but I really liked the results. Thank you for those links!

Quote from: trechriron;10443723. Include "power" options for RPG signups. Lots of GMs these days need extension cord for laptop. It's best when mapping out the floor to designate "powered" tables and strategically tape down cords with the least amount of foot traffic.
4. Lights!! Been to several conventions where the RPG setup is too dark! Check lighting at night in the various gaming areas and ensure they are well lit. If not, negotiate with your venue to provide additional lighting.
5. Wi-Fi! Even if you have to charge a nominal feel to cover the venue charge, gamers often need internet access and people are very connected these days.

Power and WiFi access must be prepaid, but I am willing to spring for that out of my own pocket because knowing that it works in the game area will help bring in people to the spot.

Lighting, I do not know about, but I can tryu to get in to the convention center and check out the area beforehand.

Quote from: trechriron;1044372If I think if other things, I'll post 'em here.

I'd appreciate it!

OK, well I'm not doing the convention anymore. The organizer called me on the phone and informed me that the ten tables I was told I'd have are now going to be used by the local chapter of the Adventurer's League. I'd get to use a set of three tables away from the main gaming area, in another section of the convention. This just became too much of a headache to want to deal with. So I told the organizer goodbye.

I'm tired of this bullshit. The Organized Play fuck-o's want their shit to be the only public game in town and they can have it. I'm buying a house and going to direct my efforts to things that are more rewarding for me personally like home games and writing. Everything else, I am putting on hold.

Quote from: jeff37923;1053080OK, well I'm not doing the convention anymore. The organizer called me on the phone and informed me that the ten tables I was told I'd have are now going to be used by the local chapter of the Adventurer's League. I'd get to use a set of three tables away from the main gaming area, in another section of the convention. This just became too much of a headache to want to deal with. So I told the organizer goodbye.

I'm tired of this bullshit. The Organized Play fuck-o's want their shit to be the only public game in town and they can have it. I'm buying a house and going to direct my efforts to things that are more rewarding for me personally like home games and writing. Everything else, I am putting on hold.

That sucks. I know what its like from organizing LDRC where everyone's trying to fuck you and then, when you get the shit done, suddenly you now have to deal with a bunch of little red hens. I've learned so much out of doing it, about people and events and negotiation and business and... way more than I thought I would have when I first started out. But mannn... people test you.

So what was the situation with these guys? How long's it been going on? Think you'll do con or a club independently?

That sucks, but you also dodged a potential bullet. If the organizers didn't see the value you were bringing, chances are there would have been a snafu closer to the con (or at the con) after you did even more work. I wonder if AL will be able to fill those tables. Your concept of horror themed games for a horror con make a fuckton more sense.

I really don't understand why the con would want to separate gaming spaces. I wonder if that was an AL request as well. And yes, Organized Play is VERY territorial, and an incestuous little freak club best avoided. You've got my quote in your sig and I absolutely stand by that.

I hope you continue GEEK because I believe a non-AL gaming Meetup has strong potential.

Good luck with home buying. Location is key 'cuz you can always tear down and rebuild a shack into a McMansion!

Quote from: jeff37923;1053080OK, well I'm not doing the convention anymore. The organizer called me on the phone and informed me that the ten tables I was told I'd have are now going to be used by the local chapter of the Adventurer's League. I'd get to use a set of three tables away from the main gaming area, in another section of the convention. This just became too much of a headache to want to deal with. So I told the organizer goodbye.

I'm tired of this bullshit. The Organized Play fuck-o's want their shit to be the only public game in town and they can have it. I'm buying a house and going to direct my efforts to things that are more rewarding for me personally like home games and writing. Everything else, I am putting on hold.

I wish I could buy a house in response to my headaches...

Oh, wait. That is tangential, isn't it? Congratulations!