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?

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

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

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~

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?

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

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 ^_^

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

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.

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 >

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.

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.

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

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?

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'

Hi,

I like the one sheet idea too (now that I think more about it) and would be willing to put money towards it to get a two sided piece printed (meaning I like this idea and lets do it that way). I think at this point we need to have an idea of who is interested in being on it.

If I had more time I would work up a cartoony map, which would be cool, but I got too much going on at the home front to devote that kind of time to it.

So to summarize:

1. Need definative list of people willing to participate (with info).
2. Need to figure out number of copies.
3. Need to get cost.
4. Need to get it done.

Keith

Understood on the map, the official GC exhibit map was all I was thinking of for this~

I'll split cost on it, just collar me at GC to collect (Prolly end up printing some myself).
Question: How we going to nab other indy booths? We have 3 booths so far (me, Forge, AdAstra) and ballpark 21 titles.

Hi,

Well, I printed up the exhibitor list and I am going through the list and googling companies that I have no idea who they are and seeing if they look to be indie. If they do then I figured I would send them an email. I'll put together the list and post it here first though. If you have any other suggestions let me know.

What I was figuring is (for printing) that the best way to do this might be for each individual group (booth/company) to print them up on their own. When the PDF is done I can send out an email with a link and folks can download it and use it as they will. That way no one has to hunt anyone down for more than beer money or to play games.

Keith

If Keith can do it for free, even better...

I have access to a PoD facility as part of Ad Astra Games.

I was going to suggest running 1000 of them, divvied up a few hundred each in each booth on the show.

Hi,

Okay, so here is a list of companies I came up with. This is just based upon what is listed on the exhibitor list so I don't have any of the many companies for the Forge Booth outside the 4 bigs. Take a look and point out if any of them aren't really indie or if I missed someone. This is all based off of quick google searches via company name.

Ad Astra/Final Sword/Timeline
Adept Press/Driftwood Publishing/Ramshead Publishing/Burning Wheel
Apophis Consortium
Bastion Press
BBRACK Productions/DarkFuries Publishing
Black Dragon Press
Blood & Cardstock Games/Interactivities Ink/Firefly Games/Dogtown Games
Cheapass Games/Dead Ant Games
Visionary Entertainment Studios
Cloud Kingdom Games
Dragonlords, Inc
Dust bunny Games
EOS Press/Pagan Publishing
Face 2 Face Games/MonkeyGod Enterprises
Fast Forward Entertainment
Geeks Cubed
GoldLeaf Games
Infernal Funhouse Productions
Laughing Pan Productions
Neo Productions Unlimited
Pandahead Productions
Sanguine Productions
Smirk and Dagger Games
Z-man Games

Keith

Please consider adding Jason Blair's company, Key 20 Publishing. I believe Key 20 will be at booth #1312.

Fast Foward is not indie, they are the ones that got the RPG rights from Wizkids for the old FASA stuff who then started Fan Pro (or is allowing Fan Pro to use it, not sure there). But they are pretty big.

Consider Wicked Dead Brewing.

Hi,

Key 20 noted. Fast forward noted. Does Wicked Dead have their own booths. The list above is from the exhibitor list on the GenCon website and does not cover anyone not listed (like my own company which is a part of the Forge one).

Keith

I'm going to weigh a 'No' vote on Key 20 - they aren't developers so much as they are distributors~ They may have some indie stuff not featured elsewhere, but are they running demos? And how much of it is repeat business? (I KNOW I've seen Luke's BW there)

Bob Goat wrote:
What I was figuring is (for printing) that the best way to do this might be for each individual group (booth/company) to print them up on their own.

I haven't been following this thread closely enough to recognize the company requirements for this project.

That said, Key 20 Publishing is indeed an indie publisher. They publish Little Fears and Wyrd Is Bond. Jason Blair wrote both games, and he is the editorial leader/owner of the company.

Key 20 Distribution also distributes many indie games.

Also, as I understand it, they will be featuring indie games by Wicked Dead Brewing Company, aka Jared Sorensen & John Wick. I'm sure they'll be offering InSpectres, octaNe, Lacuna, and Enemy Gods.

So, yes, Key 20 is an indie publisher of its own products. I don't know whether they will be running demos. Ask

Hello,

I'll be going over the list, because ... I gotta be blunt ... we have use to the Forge definition of "independent" if this map is to be given out at the booth. And frankly, it's not going to be easy, and I'll be drawing harsh lines that will please no one.

Give me a couple of days, though. Some of this will require inqujring. Keith, if you're already emailing people, let's coordinate on what you should be asking them.

Best,
Ron

Ron,

I wanted to have a list first that is agreed upon by the folks here before I started to contact folks. As it stands right now I plan on makingh it a two sided 11x17 with the map on one side and company info on the other. I'm going to liven the map up a bit too to make it stand out from the convention map everyone else will have. Once we have a definative list I'll need a day to work up the mock for all to check out.

As far as distribution/printing, I like the idea of making it the participant's option to print there own. I'm going to try and print up at least 500 for the Forge booth.

Keith

Normally, when I take on a print job, I ask for half up front, half on delivery.

There's no way you folks could get me half up front in a sensible time frame.

I am quite willing to print these up and can do it on short turnaround if Keith can't do it...but I do need to make sure that the cost is spread out to something beyond my own company.

My essential plan was to boil down the exhibitors hall plan (in PDF on the GenCon website) into an 11x17, load it into photoshop, slap another layer on top of it, fill it with white, set it to 50% transparency, and delete the sections covering the relevant booths (thus, you get a map just like the one the attendees have, with all the other booths grayed out.

On the reverse, I'd try (if there was space) to do two lists:

One list by genre (Science fiction: Attack Vector: Tactical, Ad Astra Games, booth 1236)

One list by publisher: Ad Astra Games, booth 1236

Behemoth3 is going to be among the companies at the Forge booth:

Masters and Minions, Behemoth3, Inc., booth 1141.

I'd be delighted if B3's Masters and Minions were listed as Fantasy (or Heroic Fantasy, or Classic Fantasy, or whatever), but I'm insanely paranoid about using other companies' trademarks without permission, so I think the listing by genre is better than direct comparison to other games.

I'd prefer to print and bring some myself than to chip in to a common fund for doing these.

Oh, and I gather that the car battery laptop power trick requires an inverter, available from Radio Shack for about $40, but I'll have to see if I can dig up the place where I saw that.

Matt Snyder wrote: So, yes, Key 20 is an indie publisher of its own products. I don't know whether they will be running demos. Ask

Hi,

So is there any word on a final list. I know everyone is crazy busy, but the sooner I get a list the sooner I can get it done. Which needs to be sooner rather than later because later is just too late.

Keith

Hi Keith,

If you need to go to a Plan B, here's what I suggest.

Print out the exhibit hall map, and wait until you arrive at GenCon. Make copies of the map on white paper, and then, on Thursday, we'll take some time to scope out publishers who qualify.

We'll make 50-100 copies at any photocopy shop, then mark'em with a highlighter. Then we'll pass them out Friday through Sunday.

Real easy, low-effort, high-impact, without a lot of frenzy and urgency.

Best,
Ron

Keith, if you don't have anyone on the list by Friday, I'd recommend going with what you have.

I'd love to run off about 200 of these to give out at my booth.

Ditto, sooner the better~
BTW, I can run off some reletivly cheap B/W copies on 8x11~ Found out we carry $3 black ink cart. refills at WalMart :D So its cheap for me to run stuff off for B/W handouts :D

Hi,

But Ron I want to make it pretty...

Here is what I am thinking. As I laid (layed?) in the map to fit on an Tabloid sized piece of paper and there is a nice space to list the companies. That said, you cheeky bastards, I want approval or screw that noise on the list I posted elsewhere. Otherwise I'm just going to have a chimp throw darts at a dart board and use those results as the booths I choose.

"12+20... Chimp says booth 1220 Keith," says cronie.

"Bastards don't want to give me a list then I'll give'em a list," mumbles Keith.

Keith

Hi,

Okay, since I don't feel like doing my real job today I worked up another mock for the thing. Right now I have things organized by booth number but we can go genre too (via individual products). I think that might work better as the Forge booth looks kinda silly. Also I have not hilighted the booths on the map yet. I wanted to wait until I got some feedback. Remember I have a chimp with a dartboard and I am not afraid to use it.

GenCon 2004 Indie Booth Tour

Keith

Definitely stay with organized by booth number. Its a map with booth numbers on it after all.

Looks pretty cool.

looks good.

You might key the legend on the left and put the key (letters or numbers) at the proper locations on the map.

Make it a lot easier to find shtuff.

-L

Hey Keith,

With the available column space, any reason you didn't separate publishers with line breaks, rather than commas?

Paul

Hi,

I was thinking of just hilighting the booths, but a key and hilighting probably would work better.

I didn't spread them out more because I didn't know if there was anymore to be added to the list. Are there any I should add to the list?

Keith

Hey, just noticed this thread - it's a great idea, because I'm sure it will have more companies listed than I will notice on the map myself.

For my information:
Technicraft, Booth 1303
Product Line: Pax Draconis (Science Fiction)
Also carrying products by Deep7: Red Dwarf (Science Fiction), Arrowflight (Fantasy) and 1PG RPGs (various genre).

Deep7 will not be listed as attending GenCon (since they're not), but they are also an indie publisher and we're carrying their products to help out.

Also, I will have a laptop with all my design software and a portable printer (8.5x11 only though). If there are any needs for on-site design work, I can probably help out.

Keith, I recommend that you post a public deadline for entry on this, and stick with it.

Will there be anything printed on the back?

Does the GPA's multi-booth count for this?

Hi, I've only posted once before but I'm a big Forge follower.

My name is Gary Pratt and I own Goldleaf Games. I also wrote and designed our one and only product (for now) Code of Unaris - Chat Roleplaying. I think I qualify as an indy publisher and would love to be on your handout. Booth 1341. If I don't qualify, no problem. Like I said. I've followed this place for about a year and have gotten quite a lot out of reading all the threads.

Stop by and say "hi" either way.

Thanks,
Gary

www.goldleafgames.com

AdAstraGames wrote: Keith, I recommend that you post a public deadline for entry on this, and stick with it.

Will there be anything printed on the back?

Does the GPA's multi-booth count for this?

Hi,

Okay, deadline is past. Here is the proof. It is dummied down to web standards for your pleasure. Comment, comment, comment until Tuesday at 5 pm. After that I will be printing up as many as I can and a print ready version will be posted for folks to print on their own.

Indie Booth Tour

Keith

Looks good, I like the bolded booth numbers. Works well I think.

My only comment is that perhaps instead of Alphabetically for the Forge booth they companies should be first sorted by tiers. With such a long list that people will be reading at a glance, it strikes me that purhaps the larger $ sponsors should be at the top.

But I'm admittedly biased about that

Ralph,

I got no problem with the tiered listing. I know who the big 4 are and I know where I am, but I don't know where everyone else is. So if the consensus is to change it I'm down as long as I get a list.

Keith

*Minor correction to your handout--I believe it's 93 Games Studio rather than 93 Game Studio.

Here's the list, culled from [GenCon 2004] The folks who'll be there

Adept Press
Burning Wheel
Driftwood Publishing
Ramshead Publishing

Behemoth3
Chimera Creative
Digital Alchemy
Half Meme Press
Lumpley Games

93 Games Studio
Bob Goat Press
BTRC
Custom-Built Games
Dog-Eared Designs
Incarnadine Entertainment
Twisted Confessions

I don't know where to put No Press. It doesn't seem to fit into any of the buy-in categories.

Julie

Hey, Keith. Thanks for doing this! Two minor things:

1) lose the period after "Twisted Confessions" No body else has one.

2) It's Incarnadine Press, not Incarnadine Entertainment. (Not your mistake, it was Ron's originally, and subsequently mine, for leaving it go uncorrected.)

jrs wrote: *Minor correction to your handout--I believe it's 93 Games Studio rather than 93 Game Studio.Julie

Ad Astra Games
Final Sword Productions (not Final Sword)
Timeline Ltd.

Any chance the Upper Deck and Wizards of the Coast bits can be grayed out? They're more prominent than anything else on the sheet.

Hi All,

Thanks for all the input. I have made said changes and posted them to my server. I am going to try and print out at least 100 copies tonight.

Here is the web version

Here is the print version

Keith