Forge booth: Posters, etc.

[btrc]

A few questions regarding booth organization, etc.

1) How much space (dimensions, please) do we have for posters and other self-promotion?
2) Should we each start saving up our grocery bags so we have something to put purchases in?
3) Are we going to do our own "bag stuffing"? As long as someone has made a booth purchase, seems like we might give them something else to look at when they get back to their room.
4) My laptop has a long cord, so the power inverter can be close to the cash register in case it has a short cord. Anyone else sucking at the power teat needs to keep cord length in mind (i.e. bring an extension if you think you will need it).
5) Do we need to submit a "stock list" with prices to someone so the cash register can be programmed? Along those lines, can the register handle discounts/coupons or other one-shot alterations to prices?
6) Does someone have a flip chart or other large-format means of announcing demos, events, prizes, whatever?

I'm sure this will generate more questions, so as GC-day draws nearer, hopefully we'll have all these things figured out.

7) If any main/secondary or booth monkey wishes to send me a personal picture that can be cropped to a 5:4 landscape ratio, I will make that picture into a custom Infinite Armies card and bring it with me (provided you get me the pic in the next week or so).

Greg Porter
BTRC

[Ron Edwards]

Hiya,

1) How much space (dimensions, please) do we have for posters and other self-promotion?

I don't know. Every year, this has been a big pain in the ass. My hope this year is to string the banner across the top using some stick-up metal poles, and the con-furniture people are equipped with stuff to do it. I haven't organized it as quickly as I'd like and I'm currently swamped. I anticipate fucking disaster unless I do this.

If one of the other primary sponsors wants to contact Geo E. Fern and get two rods we can project vertically upwards from the endpoles, then I think the expertise of people like Jasper can kick in to get that big Forge banner up and above the booth, rather than taking up curtain space.

2) Should we each start saving up our grocery bags so we have something to put purchases in?

I deputize you to look into this matter and arrive at a conclusion that the rest of us must follow.

3) Are we going to do our own "bag stuffing"? As long as someone has made a booth purchase, seems like we might give them something else to look at when they get back to their room.

My own take on this is that people routinely throw away everything that they did not actually pick out for purchase themselves. I think most bag stuffing occurs because it makes the people doing it (not the customer) feel good. However, I am open to dialogue about this.

4) My laptop has a long cord, so the power inverter can be close to the cash register in case it has a short cord. Anyone else sucking at the power teat needs to keep cord length in mind (i.e. bring an extension if you think you will need it).

Good call; pay attention, people. If you don't reach, then you don't. If you want to bring an extension for general use, then say so.

5) Do we need to submit a "stock list" with prices to someone so the cash register can be programmed? Along those lines, can the register handle discounts/coupons or other one-shot alterations to prices?

YES. This is a big deal and needs to be covered in the next couple of weeks.

6) Does someone have a flip chart or other large-format means of announcing demos, events, prizes, whatever?

If anyone does, please speak up.

Best,
Ron

[LordSmerf]

I'm not actually officially affiliated with the booth or anything, but if you guys want an extension cord or two I have a whole box of those cheap ones in storage that I picked up on the cheap.  I've got no problem with just giving them to someone.  However I won't be arriving until Thursday afternoon...

Thomas

[Keith Senkowski]

I have a big dry erase board I could lug down for the demo announcing purposes.  Problem is standing it up as I don't have any sort of stand.

Keith

[TonyLB]

5) Do we need to submit a "stock list" with prices to someone so the cash register can be programmed? Along those lines, can the register handle discounts/coupons or other one-shot alterations to prices?

YES. This is a big deal and needs to be covered in the next couple of weeks.

I'm on it.

[btrc]

2) Should we each start saving up our grocery bags so we have something to put purchases in?

I deputize you to look into this matter and arrive at a conclusion that the rest of us must follow.

In my newly deputized position as "bag man", I have thought long and hard on this matter, and after careful consultation with my cats, I have decided that yes, we should all start saving plastic bags to bring to GenCon. Preferably the type with handles, and if you have any of the decent department store variety lying about, bring them too. If we end up with too many, that's what trash cans are for.

Bags should be free of incriminating or embarassing receipts and leftover bits of produce from last month's shopping, and should be of sufficient size and strength to hold a few 8.5 x 11 products without tearing. Basic common-sense stuff.

Thus sayeth I,

Greg Porter
BTRC guy

[Matt Gwinn]

I do not feel comfortable using recycled bags at the booth.  Just feels kind of cheep to me.

So, I am volunteering to purchase bags for the booth.
I figure we had 360 sales last year, so 500 bags should be plenty.

These are the ones I'm looking at (12" x 3" x 18")

http://www.midatlanticpackaging.com/browse.cfm?id=161&start=26

Anyone have a color preference?

,Matt

[Jasper the Mimbo]

I've got a medium sized dry erase board that could be easily hung on any available beam or shelf with a couple of screws. (I assume someone will have a screw gun.) Should I bring it, or is this covered.
For the large dry erase board mentioned in an earlier post, does anyone have a collapsable artist's easle? If not, I could probable hang it, too, as long as there is something sturdy to attach it to. Another thought would be to hang it from one the handy metal rods that Ron mentioned for the posters . Should be sturdy enough at one of the corner joists.

[Allan]

I've got a collapsible easel.

It's small, it wouuld work on a table, not on the floor.  Might be a waste of valuable table space.

[Paul Czege]

Hey Matt,

Way cheaper here:

http://www.aplasticbag.com/items.asp?Cc=PROMOTN5&iTpStatus=0&Tp=&Bc=

Paul

[Luke]

there is no place to hang anything. dry erase boards or signs would have to be freestanding. we've found such signage to be pretty ineffectual in the past.

-L

[Jasper the Mimbo]

Using a white board as a way to let people know when the next demos are starting is ineffective? Hmm.
Last year I saw two other booths use them, and it seemed to work. I think the key would be putting them somewhere easily seen and writing in something that catches the eye, like big red block letters. If it's been tried and failed in the past though, maybe we don't want to waste space and time. I know last year not only were we bombarded with questions about when demos were starting, but often the booth staff didn't really know themselves, without asking around. I just think it would be nice to have a reference point for everyone. If the folks in charge don't think it's nessesary...

[daMoose_Neo]

Are we scheduling demos then?
I've been under the assumption that we have three folks who want to play, grab a table.

[Jasper the Mimbo]

It's not really scheduling. You decide you want to do a demo in fifteen minutes, you put it up and see who's interested. This also lets the booth monkeys know what to push. It's easy to push a game on someone if the author will be running it in just a few minutes. The way I saw it done was to write up, for example:

Scorcerer Demo Starting At 3:40

Short and simple, erase when no longer valid, post the next one when needed.

There is still the question of if this is even worth the effort. I think we should have a board, and people that want to use it can. If no one's interested we take it away, but there's no harm in trying.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Way cheaper here:

http://www.aplasticbag.com/items.asp?Cc=PROMOTN5&iTpStatus=0&Tp=&Bc=

I know I'm leaping into the conversation late here, but I think clear bags would probably do us well. That way, folks see what we're selling. They'll do advertizing for us.

... on the other hand, I can't seem to find any. Can anyone else?