Organizing A "Game Day"

[Roy]

Hi, everyone!  

We're forming an RPG club here in Northwestern Arkansas (Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers/Bentonville) and we're considering hosting a "Game Day".  The roleplaying community is still too small for a full-blown convention, so I thought a one-day event may be just the thing we need to bring the rest of the roleplayers out of the woodwork.

I would appreciate everyone's help in figuring out the best way to organize our event.  Here are some general questions I have:

(1)  What is the best way to describe a "Game Day" to someone unfamiliar with them?

(2)  Can you give me some examples of the organization of past "Game Days" you've attended?

(3)  What hours seem to work the best for "Game Days"?

(4)  What lessons have you learned from running past "Game Days"?

(5)  As a player, what's the most important aspect of a good "Game Day" to you?

I would really appreciate your help.  I've helped out with conventions before, but I've never had the pleasure of attending a "Game Day".  Thanks in advance for your help.

Roy

[teucer]

(1)  What is the best way to describe a "Game Day" to someone unfamiliar with them?

A day for us to get together and play games (you might specify RPGs, or you might mention that that will be the focus but there will be others, or whatever the case may be).

[Roy]

OK, nice and simple.  Is that how all "Game Days" work, or are there other kinds I'm not aware of?  

Roy

[Alan]

Hi Rob,

Here in Seattle we have a weekly game day.  It meets in a game store on Monday night.  We used to have free space, now it's moved to a pay space that costs about $4 per person.

The basic principles of our game day are:

One or two people will volunteer to run a one-shot game the week in advance.

No advance reservations.  Play is first come, first serve.

The one-shots and the no reservations ensure that drop in players don't get locked out of play.

As for recruiting: we have a Yahoo forum with lots of members, and we posted fliers in two or three game stores.

[Roy]

Thanks, Alan.  It helps a lot.  We're going to try to run our first Game Day in November.

Roy