[GenCon 2006] First thread about it

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Meeting up on Wednesday and busting butt at the booth, all afternoon, is a big deal. It has to be set up completely before dinner on Wednesday. Typically I arrive in Indianapolis at noon or just after, check in, and go straight to the hall. Whoever's there, we all start setting up tables, putting up banners, working on everything, organizing stuff, and assigning lieutenancy to various functions. As people arrive with specific pieces of equipment, e.g. cash register, power source, they get set up then.

None of this can be left to Thursday morning. It's like setting up for a theater production; curtain-time is so far past the hump of major organizational effort that it's not worth mentioning. The only reason not to be there on Wednesday afternoon is some kind of real-world related constraint; otherwise, be there, because you're needed. It is not a coincidence that people arriving on Thursday, in the past, often have a hard time finding their feet at the booth (with a couple of exceptions); they aren't socially tuned into the work that it took to get it all rolling.

If you're first there, don't be disconsolate and lonely, get some work done. Set up tables, get rid of whatever packing-boxes debris are sure to have accidentally been strewn over our space from nearby booths, be useful. If you really don't want to be first and lonely, then coordinate with someone else about arrival, by email. There's plenty of time to do that. But don't plan to arrive later in order not to be first - work together with someone else in order to be first and not-lonely.

Best, Ron

[Nev the Deranged]

 Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will be there around or even before noon, available for whatever grunt work or logistics anyone wants to lay on me. Or to keep Tony company so he doesn't cry. =P

 If the hotel room is open when I arrive I will move my stuff in when I arrive, if not it can just as easily stay in my car until that night. As I am probably rooming with Brennan at this point, I have offered to be his personal bitch, which may have been a mistake since that gleam in his eye made me very uncomfortable. But what's done is done.

 As for monkey/ninja/helper-outer type persons, are there any big changes to expect this year? I know monkeyism has been a constantly evolving situation, trying to find the balance between the ridiculous and the sublime.

 I'm psyched!

[Brennan Taylor]

I'm planning on taking a strong hand in my part of the booth, and I want to do a bit of sales training for everyone who will be working that area. I know it will be all-volunteer, but I want everyone working the "store" to be as knowledgeable and curtious as possible. Once I have a better idea who will be working that region, I will begin to coordinate. This will probably be around June 1, as well.

Troy, I will get you as much info for the sales sheet as I have. I am lacking some hi-res thumbs for IPR products, but those I have will be sent to you. Drop me an e-mail.

[Matt Gwinn]

Will people (like me) be allowed to sell their game at the booth even if they can't make it to the Con?
If so, is that the same pay scale minus the price of the badge?

I know this has been the case in the past, but there have been more and more games at the booth as the years go by and I know there has been talk of limiting the number of games for sale at the booth.

,Matt

[Joe J Prince]

Hi all

I'm intending to be on The Forge booth, but my flight doesn't get in until 3pm on the Wednesday. I'll make my way to the convention centre as quickly as I can - hope this will be OK.

I've already ordered my badge and registered to GM some events - I hope this doesn't screw anything up. I'm spending a small fortune so I wanted to sort things out as early on as possible.

I must confess I don't really know what I'm doing but it sounds like a lot of fun! I'm sick of my job anyway...

cheers,
Joe

[Ron Edwards]

Sigh ...

All right, Joe, you've fucked things up a little by ordering your badge. I'll see what I can do about repairing that situation. Please, no one else do that. Really. It's not more secure, it's a pain. If you did it already, kick yourself in the ass for me and let me know privately.

Signing up for events is obviously your own prerogative as exhibitor, but do recognize that the obligation for the booth is a full half-day of work per day.

Obviously I'm going to have to post rules/regs soon in their own thread, as people are starting to flail.

Matt, that's a good question. My immediate inclination is to say yes, but I'd like to check with the other primary guys first.

Best, Ron

[Brand_Robins]

Ron,

I was under the impression that there is a sweat-equity element of a neccisary number of hours spent selling/working the booth. Can you give me details on that, or tell me if I'm just high on dope again?

[Ron Edwards]

I'm not bright enough to parse that question as you've phrased it.

The current deal was and is, if you buy into the booth, you're committing to at least a half-day of working the booth for each day of the con. Working the booth means you demo your games and others, promote, smile, and generally be useful and participatory.

Let me know if that answers you.

Best, Ron

[Brand_Robins]

Answers me perfectly Ron.

Thanks!

[LordSmerf]

Ron,

Sorry if this was answered earlier and I missed it, but what exactly counts as a "half-day".  I seem to remember the exhibit hall being open for 8 hours a day (but don't remember all that clearly), so does that mean 4 hours a day?  Or are my numbers off?

Thomas

[jrs]

Thomas,

Something like that; I doubt anyone will clock you on it.  I don't remember how many hours the exhibit hall is open each day, but there is an expectation that if you're selling your game at the Forge booth you will be present at the booth a chunk of the day to promote it and promote the other games at the booth.

I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but there is also an expectation that you will be at the booth before the exhibit hall opens to get the daily talk of how things will go down that day.  And in past years, you were expected to be present after the exhibit hall closes to get your portion of the daily cash out.  Things are different this year since Brennan will be taking over the money component of the booth.  He'll decide what's required for cash outs.  "You" in the above statements refers to the buy-in individual who plans to sell his or her game at the Forge booth. 

I'm certain Ron or Luke will correct me if I mis-stated any of the above.

Julie

[Ron Edwards]

Julie's right.

The exhibit hall is open for business from 10 AM to 6 PM, except for Sunday which closes at 4 PM, I think. "Half day" means being at the booth for half of that time, per day.

However, Julie is totally right that being there before opening and after closing is also required. This is more than a "show up and do my thing" endeavor.

Best, Ron

[Justin D. Jacobson]

We (which is to say myself and Mark, my friend and booth-monkey from last year) will be in on Wednesday and probably be able to get to the exhibitor hall sometime late that afternoon, girdled up and ready to lift heavy objects into their proper position. This is just the start of the fun, people. That first day when you're setting everything up is like the first day of summer camp when you get to say hello to all your summer camp friends who you haven't seen in a year.

[Selene Tan]

Can people without games to sell be booth monkeys too? Would that mean registering for a badge through you as well?

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

A few people have been asking about the booth-monkey thing. This year, we're scaling it back. A few people have been such important additions to the booth over the years that they can get a Forge booth badge without selling a game. But not many, and I don't really plan on letting new people do this.

Which sort of breaks my heart, because one year's monkey is often next year's publisher, but the utility is diminishing. We don't need people running the register so much any more, for instance. This is perhaps another reason why someone else ought to start up another Forge booth in the exhibitor hall ...

I'm willing to be convinced otherwise, but the best way to do that is to let Luke, Tim, and Vincent enter into a debate with me about it.

Best, Ron