GENCON 2003 - FINAL ORGANIZATION

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

It's Forge GenCon Booth update time. From the top ...

The three primary companies funding the booth are Adept Press, Arc Dream Publishing, and Driftwood Publishing. The people from these companies include Ron Edwards, Dennis Detwiller, and Jake Norwood, respectively. Each might have a couple other people coming as well (I don't).

I have ordered booth furniture of various sorts, and Danielle and Paul are hard at work organizing the banner and lots of other cool stuff. All further discussion of these matters should go here, in this thread.

The other companies present, and people representing them, include:

Errant Knight Games (Kayfabe) - Matt Gwinn & Janet Johnson
Half Meme Press (My Life with Master) - Paul Czege, Danielle Hall
The Burning Wheel - Luke Crane
Ramshead Publishing - Ralph Mazza
Chain of Being - Dan Geyer, Cory Katzenmeyer, Justin Williams
BTRC (EABA) - Greg Porter
Memento Mori (Decay, InSpectres, octaNe, et al.) - Jared A. Sorensen
Thyrsus Games (Fvlminata) - Michael Miller
Gilded Moose Games (Charnel Gods) - Scott Knipe

Just folks being there include: Nev (real name withheld), Raven, Juergen Mayer, Jeffrey Miller, Matt Wilson (maybe will have a game too), Tom Fitch, Mike Holmes

Please correct me if you are listed but not attending, or attending (and paid) but not listed. (Justin Dagna, did I miss you somehow? Remind me of your status.)

Now for the hotel part. So far, my records for this are very spotty. I'm staying in one of the hotel rooms, and so are Jake, Nev, Raven, and Juergen. I'm pretty sure that Dan, Cory, Justin W, Jeffrey, and Matt W are too. Now is the time to correct me, if you are planning to stay in one of these rooms and aren't listed, or are listed and planning to stay somewhere else.

Best,
Ron

[Paul Czege]

Hey Ron,

Timing-wise, what hours is the exhibit hall open for setting up the booth on Wednesday?

Paul

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Paul,

8 am to 10 pm on Wednesday. Lots and lots of time.

Best,
Ron

[Matt Snyder]

Ron, I'm PAID, but NOT ATTENDING. However, I will be selling Dust Devils.

I handed off 29 copies (29? Don't ask ... ) of Dust Devils to Ralph this weekend, and he'll tug those along with his own copies of Universalis.

So, I don't have a specific representative present at the con, but I'd greatly appreciate any nod you attendees can give to DD when folks amble by.

Thanks,
Matt

[Matt Wilson]

Jeff and I have made separate hotel arrangements, so don't list us there.

My flight puts me in six-ish on Wednesday. Where can I go to pick up my badge and possibly help with last-minute setup stuff?

[jdagna]

Ron, I've got my own booth set up for GenCon already.  At my distance from the convention (we live in Seattle), the booth is practically the cheapest part of the trip, so I think it's worth the extra money for the added exposure.  I've been meaning to see where our booths are in relation to each other, since I hope we can send people each other's way.  I'll get back to you on that once my head stops spinning from Origins.  Thanks for thinking of me!

As for hotels, we've got that handled as well - we'll have a total of four people there which pretty well fills up our room.

[Matt Gwinn]

Just for the record, our booth # is 1841 which is way in the back by the staging area.  We are kiddy corder to the huge Upper Deck area so hopefully that will draw some attention our way.

I have to admit that I am concerned about space.  We have only two thirds the space we did last year and we were pretty short on room then. What kinds of plans do we have to deal with this? Do we have a floorplan yet?

,Matt Gwinn

[Michael Hopcroft]

I know it;s too late to sign onto the Forge booth again (you won;t have a badge for me), but my health and outlook have improved to the point that I am seriously looking at gooing to GenCon after all. If I can manage to get a flight in from Portland, I'd like to go. If I get the right flight I will miss at most four days work. I just have to figure out where all the money will be coming from.

My ganmes will be sold through james' booth, but if somehow it can be arranged to use some of the space for demos and for me to help sell other people's products, that would work. I noticed one non-attending member -- I wonder, would he be willing to sell me his badge?

I'd hate to be trapped at the GPA booth again, especially since all my product is elsewhere....

Fact of the matter -- I want to go, but I'm going to need help in just about every area. I'll need CHEAP airfare, cheap lodigngs and cheap meals. And I might have to raise some extra money anyway.

Can anyone offer any suggestions, or at the very least congratulations on my recovery? 8^)

[lumpley]

Ron: I'll be there with puppies.  I paid you for the game a while ago and for myself just this very minute.  

I'd like to stay in the Forge room, but I have a question about that: can my little brother Drew, who'll be there not as a Forge person but selling his artwork, stay in the Forge room too?

-Vincent

[Nathan]

I'm not going unless I get a huge check in the mail in the next few weeks. :)

BUT... I will still print the little mini-posters if you guys need them. I need those files ASAP so I can get them done and off to Ron or whoever needs them. Please send them to nathanh@cameron.edu.

Thanks,
Nathan

[greyorm]

Ron,

Unfortunately I won't be attending after all, barring a miracle (including getting a pregnant woman to change her mind about it *ahem* so...I won't be going...barring a miracle).

(Yes, folks, my wife is pregnant again. She's due early-to-mid September. Yes, this is the last one...I SWEAR!!)

She isn't the only reason, but she's a very compelling one.
I hope everyone has a great time!

[Michael Hopcroft]

Well, I'm probably going after all. My supervisor seems amenable to giving me the time off, Hotwire has quoted the same great airfare for me two days iin a row so hopefuly it will be available Thursday when I order, and I have six games to run 9including a few that are sold out) so I pretty much have to go.

Anything I can do to cut my expenses down would be welcome advice. If there is still space in the Forge hotel rooms, I could use some. Keep in mind that i've seen my game schedule and it isn;t pretty -- I'll be coming in at 4:00 AM every morning after running late-night games. I've seen my schedulle and I have THREE games in the 11:30PM-3:30AM timeslot. This may pose problems. It may also make it easier, as I can catch a few winks of sleep in the bed while everyone else is out and about in the morning.

Membership at the door is $60. I'm thinking of taking up a collection. 8^) Seriously, though, if any of the memberships that aren;t being used in the Forge booths can be transferred, I;'d be interested in one and I'd be willing to work for it (in addition to mtatching the original payment made by the original purchaser). I don;t know if genCon would allow that on such short notice, but if they did I'd be interested.

(I'm only half-joking about taking up a collection., by the way. If anyone wants to see me at genCon badly enough they're willing to help me pay fo rit, i won;t turn them away. But you won;t see a "Send Michael Hopcroft to genCon!" fuind on the Seraphim Guard website.)

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Michael, let me know yes-or-no privately when the time comes.

Everyone else, thanks for the updates. Keep'em coming.

Best,
Ron

[Jared A. Sorensen]

I believe I have the room situation all set (with Mearls) so no problem there. I'll be at the booth with octaNe and InSpectres in tow...and I'd really like to bring some wee games as well (right now I'm thinking of making tiny booklets for Sex & Violence, Clown Cops and Tooth & Claw).

[Michael Hopcroft]

As i have told Ron privately already (but don't mind everyone else knowing), I won't be going after all.

Basically I had hearts-to-hearts with three very important people; my supervisor, my branch president, and the Holy Ghost. They all agreed that I needed the work experience more than the convention this year and prompted me not to go. Therefore I canceled my leave request and won;t be buying that plane ticket.

I'm shooting for next year, at which time I'll have enough seniority at my company to get  paid vacation time and be able to be filled in for more easily. Right now my company (which does custodial work for a school district) is in the middle of the heavy school-cleaning system and they need every dedicated body they can get.

We all make sacrifices, but sometimes we have to choose what sacrifices to make.

I will deeply miss you all and hope you all have a fabulous time and make a ton of money selling a lot of games.