Okay, over the weekend I bought twenty steel folding chairs. They're beige-grey. They were $9.99 each, plus tax. Tom will bring them to GenCon. He'll also store them in his basement and bring them again next year. This represents a substantial cost savings over the $25/chair rental we'd otherwise be paying.

Here's the plan. With first dibs to anyone who's participated in the booth (as a designer, selling a game, or as a booth ninja) for two years, the chairs are available for sponsorship. I'll get some paint, and stencil the names of sponsors onto the chairs.

I'm enthused about this project. I think the names on the chairs represent sales opportunities, whether that's selling product ("Who's Vincent Baker?"), or selling "The Forge as community" ("Who's Mike Holmes?").

So, if your name is on the list below, you're pre-screened for having first dibs. In a week or so, I'll tally up how many chairs remain un-sponsored, and open it up to wider participation (probably to anyone else who has sold a game at the booth at one time or another).

Ron Edwards
Clinton R. Nixon
Mike Holmes
Gordon Landis
Paul Czege
Danielle
Julie
Matt Gwinn
Scott Knipe
Tom Fitch
Matt Snyder
Ralph Mazza
Andy Kitkowski
Michael S. Miller
Luke Crane
Greg Porter
Jürgen Mayer
Vincent Baker
Matt Wilson
Jake Norwood

So, if you're on the list, PayPal $11.00 (chair price, plus tax, plus most of the PayPal fee) to me at paul (at) halfmeme.com. And tell me how you want your name to appear. (Also, I'm arbitrarily limiting this to person names, rather than company names. Build your brand some other way. I want this to be about The Forge as a community.)

Paul

p.s. I put the above list together pretty quickly, and probably did miss a couple of folks who belong on it because of two or more years of participation at the booth. If this is you, and you want to sponsor a chair, shoot me an email.

i'm in. Can I get my name in Dark Red or Dark Orange?

-L

Sweet!

I just have to say that I think this is a great idea and I'm in. It's a great way for people to show their support for the booth and it saves the booth $500 a year.

Thanks Paul for taking the initiative to do what people have been talking about for the past 2 years.

,Matt Gwinn

Luke,

i'm in. Can I get my name in Dark Red or Dark Orange?

As much as I'd like to, no. Danielle and I are planning a wedding, and with everything else I've got going on (including her sister's wedding halfway across the country the weekend before GenCon) I barely have time for this chair project as it is. I can't take color requests. I'll pick a nice color. It'll be the same for everyone.

Paul

Also, I think it might be a nifty idea to sponsor a chair but request that, instead of your own name, have something else (BRIEF!!!!) written on it, Like the names of games, or slogans.

Like:

PRIME TIME ADVENTURES

THE GM IS NOT GOD

STORY FIRST!

SMALL PRESS DISCO INFERNO

etc

Hey Andy,

A cool idea. But what I'm wanting for this project is "The Forge as communal endeavor." Hence, all people names, not company names, or a combination of company and people names.

Paul

Alrighty, here's who I have so far:

Matt Snyder
Clinton R. Nixon
Gordon C. Landis
Julie
Luke
Matt Wilson
Ralph Mazza
Matt Gwinn
Vincent Baker
Paul Czege
Danielle
Michael S. Miller
Mike Holmes
Ron Edwards

That's fourteen names. If you sent me money, and your name isn't on the list, get in touch.

With six unclaimed chairs, I'm opening it up at this point to anyone who's participated in the booth at least one time (as a designer, selling a game, or as a booth ninja). Email me at paul (at) halfmeme.com if you're interested, and I'll give you a go ahead on the PayPal payment.

Paul

Four chairs remain unclaimed. So I'm opening it up to anyone who feels strongly enough about the mission of The Forge that they want to sponsor a chair. Email me at paul (at) halfmeme.com if you're interested, and I'll give you a go ahead on the PayPal payment.

Paul

Sold out! Thanks everyone.

Paul

Damn, that's what you get for going on holiday. I would have liked to sponsor one of these. Next year, get more chairs!