[GenCon 2004] Booth Tour idea? (anyone w/ own booth?)

[daMoose_Neo]

Had a thought, might be a little late or so to pull it off, but couldn't hurt to toss it out there.
How many people will be having a booth of their own at GenCon?
Idea was this: A Booth Tour. Work up a quick little flier of games and people who are members and contributors here but with booths of their own and a map of the hall. Helps broaden some horizons without making things too messy, I'd think.
Case in point:

*just finished a demo of Twilight*
Customer: "Really cool game! I like the stuff that has a darker, more mysterious atmosphere."
Me: "Really? You like roleplaying too?" (Twilight being a CG)
Customer: "Oh yea! I game a couple nights every week!"
Me: "Well, theres this game you really ought to check out at the Forge, its called 'Conspiracy of Shadows', a really slick game!"
Customer: "The Forge? Wheres that?"
Me: *pulls out handy map* "Just a couple aisles up actually! Here, take this, this will help show you around some of the other really cool games going on around here!"
Customer: "Thanks! I just might have to check these out!"

Have a write up or something on the back of the map, one of those "If you like this then you might also like:"

Just a thought~ What says everyone else? Or am I the only one with a booth of me own?

[Ron Edwards]

I like this idea tremendously. One of the things I'd wanted for last year was an exhibit-hall map with all the booths with independent games marked clearly.

Anyone wanna step up and volunteer to make these?

Best,
Ron

[Keith Senkowski]

Hi,

I volunteer to work this up.  I just need a list and I'll work up a flier.  I feel obligated since my game was mentioned in the example.  So email or pm or post here what I should have on the map and I'll work it up.

Keith

[daMoose_Neo]

As suggestor, I can pull it together no prob ^_^

In my mind would need:
1) Booth #'s
2) Company/Game titles
3) Description of game
4) Similar to's, to help others direct or suggest

Can also:
Provide PDF for people to print themselves and get copies made up for people too (would help to have peeps say how many they would like, would help with printing guesstimation)

Edit - Nice ^_^ Replies at the same time ^_^
Yours sprung to mind, as its billed as darker as is Twilight~

[smokewolf]

Would you want even those people under someone else's booth such as The Forge table?

What I mean is, do you only want to list The Forge or each system offered under the Forge table individually?

[Keith Senkowski]

Hi,

I was thinking that the list should cover each individual system/product despite any booth sharing.  Maybe categorized by genre too?  That way it is an easy reference if I'm talking to someone about my game, which falls under a Horror/Conspiracy/Dark Fantasy type I can easily direct someone to the other things on the list that fall under that category.

Keith

[daMoose_Neo]

I would imagine prominant titles at the Forge, or even just a summarized list of everyone and one or two similarities would do the trick~
Idea after all is to direct people to the best titles for them, same thing the booth (ninjas? or is it monkeys?) do at the Forge~ This does the same thing, cept across the entire convention ^_^

[Keith Senkowski]

Hi,

So I don't really want to work today so I cooked up this little sample.  I think that the descriptions probably need to be cut down a bit (say one or two sentences).  However I think it could function well as a little catalog of Indie games that people can use.  Comments?

Keith

[smokewolf]

I like it. I had mentioned something like this before but only BTRC sent something to me. If anything it can serve as a cheat sheet for the booth monkeys.

[daMoose_Neo]

Kickin rad ^_^
Do agree though- descriptions would need to be cut *way* back, or even not have descriptions per title. Think like a restaurant menu:

Spagetti w/ meat sauce....................$7.95
All you can eat, with saled and breadsitcks

Idea: Genre's (as you suggested) with more generic intros intros, then titles/companies/booths

IE:

-=High Fantasy=-
Interested in the ages of high fantasy, of knights, dragons, wizards and more? Check out these great titles!

Title X (Similar to Title A) - RPG Company, booth 111
Title Y (Similar to Title B) - RPG Company, booth 222

-=Modern Fantasy=-
Prefer games on the mean streets of the cities of today or even the far future? These games are sure to do the trick!

Title Z (Similar to Title C) - RPG Company, booth 333
Title W (Similar to Title D) - RPG Company, booth 444

etc etc etc

Flipside also include a map of the 'con floor, highlight (wth a marker thats still transparanet or some kind of PC highlight) each of the booths featured on the tour.

How many titles are going to be at the Forge booth alone? Quite a few if I read correctly. And at each booth there is bound to be some kind of summary of the actual title, I know the Forge booth will have something no?
In my mind the Tour flier is a roadmap, shows the games, shows what they are in a nutshell, shows the way to the booth. Once at the booth, then the sales pitches fly~ </ $.02 >

[AdAstraGames]

I am willing to print this for GenCon, and bring it along, if we can get someone to underwrite the printing expenses.

I would suggest taking the PDF of the GenCon exhibitors map, and "layering over" it the information we've got, along with graying out all the booths that aren't "on the list".

That makes for an 11x17 sheet, black and white, would be about 6 cents per copy, single sided.

I would need an 11x17 file to work from, in PDF, a quantity, and the name(s) of who I should shake down for the printing fee.  

I would ask that my booth and products be listed on it...

Booth 1236.  Ad Astra Games/Final Sword Productions/Timeline Ltd

Products of Note:  
Attack Vector: Tactical (3-D Space Combat, No Scary Math)Psibertroopers (D6 Classic space opera sourcebook)
The Morrow Project (post holocaust roleplaying).
Traffic to direct to us:  Science fiction fans.

[daMoose_Neo]

I don't know about the greying out, as we're bound to have several titles and several companies. Forge booth alone has about 17 that I'm counting , myself with Final Twilight, your booth and three titles, and whom ever else signs on.
Two sided is likely going to be it, one for the map and one for the variety of titles there are bound to be.

[Keith Senkowski]

Hi,

I guess I had a slightly different idea since I pretty much thought I was going to just print up a bunch of copies here at work after hours.  I was thinking of 8.5 x 11 sheets stapled together with the last sheet being an 11 x 17 map folded back.  That way we could have a 1 sentence description and it don't cost nothing but my time and my company some paper and ink, which they let me use anyway.  However, I can work up a double-sided 11 x 17, but I'm not sure I could print those up.  Let me know.

Oh and I also need a list with booth numbers and stuff.

Keith

[AdAstraGames]

11x17 double sided is also quite doable; price goes up to 10 cents per copy.

Question is -- is anyone willing to organize to pay for this, and how many copies do we want?

[daMoose_Neo]

Well, Kieth can apperently do it for free (least to us)~
Stapled could work~
As we're going to have a few booths partaking, any *limit* to what you can print? I personally am expecting a little higher traffic- check booth #742 on the map- visable range of WotC (during the D&D 30th anniversary none the less), near the main entrance, near and end cap and facing an asile. Combine these with a rather attention grabbing booth I'm at least going to have a number of people stop. Can print my own, but just checking~

I was thinking of an event I went to a year back here in Michigan, Silverleaf, a Ren fair. Quite cool, very very large. They had done something similar, with a (cartoonish) map of the fair and a listing of everyone and their booths, with the noteable ones being noted on the map itself~

My personal thoughts behind a 1 sheet map is that its easier for the gamers to pick up and look at, less to fumble with (which I remember doing last year with the GC book and an arm load of merchendice!). With the one sheet tis just simple- look at the listings on the back, get the booth number, flip over and look for it on the map~
Designers call, just some rational behind it~

Me details is:
Neo Productions Unlimited, Booth #742, 'Final Twilight CG - Trinity Preview'