Hrm. On the Gen Con website, there are no live links for info for getting a booth in 2008. However, on the forums, there's a thread about the apparently crazy price hikes here. Do you need to be on some mailing list that I don't know about to get this information? Is there anyone out there that could forward it to me (n-dot-d-dot-paoletta-at-gmail-dot-com)?

Cuz it's info I'd dearly like to see.

Hi Nathan,

The exhibitor information was just emailed out to former exhibitors. I confess I haven't gone over it carefully yet, as certain things are keeping me occupied. Anyone who's received it, please feel free to step into the breach here. However, I would very much appreciate it if people who haven't seen official GenCon material keep their devil-uses-idle fingers away from the keyboard. This isn't a place for rumor mills.

Best, Ron

OK, I felt responsible and went to look at my emails. Here's my current understanding.

1. The early priority rate has been replaced by something called "rebooking," which is apparently limited to former exhibitors. That's good news for the Forge booth - the reduced rate for rebooking actually makes the space a bit cheaper than last year. On the other hand, there is a new sharing cost which seems to recoup that, so I think we're sort of where we started. Could be worse.

2. The pricing is now all done by footage: $13 per foot for rebooking, $16 per foot otherwise, $11 per foot for entrepeneurs (first-year only, small booth only).

3. Rebooking is only available February 4-22.

The anxiety at that linked discussion seems to arise from one person freaking out over a mis-reading.

It seems as if people who are starting in a small booth and people who've been there before are both in good shape, for the latter as long as they sign up during February. People who are sharing space should really try to do this, as the price hike for sharing is a highly significant feature for many independent companies.

The people who will pay the $16 rate (ouch!!) will be those who want to start out at GenCon in a bigger space, and those who are returning but can't get their act together in time to submit by February 22.

All of the above subject to the usual limitations of my understanding, i.e., stuff I may have read but not understood in some way.

Best, Ron

Heya,

Well, the nice thing about the new system, Ron, is that you and Brennan can really tailor the size of the booth to fit your needs.  Felt like you needed an extra 10 square feet for stock?  No problem!  Just add that in.  It'll be interesting to see if this practice is continued after this year.  If companies start selecting so many bizaar booth sizes that it starts messing with the aisles, I can see it being discontinued and a return to the old ways.  Anyhow, the ability to customize the booth size seems to favor vendors like the Forge participants.

Peace,

-Troy

Ron, when would you expect to make an announcement regarding the Forge booth eligibility? More than ever, given the punitive effect of missing the early deadline, we will have to scramble to make other arrangements if we are unwilling or unable to participate in the Forge booth this year. (For the record, I'd like to participate, but I don't believe I would qualify under last year's guidelines.)

Troy, it's certainly not clear, but from my reading of the packet, I don't think you can actually request odd sizes like 110 square feet. I think all of the booth configurations are still the same; it's just a streamlined pricing formula.

On a related note, event submission begins on February 3rd, and they made a big deal of how the ongoing construction at the convention center cut down on the availability and desirability of event space and how it will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Something to think about.

Brennan and I are still figuring out the financial bits about GenCon 2008. I will post our conclusions in a new thread in good time, well before the exhibitor registration starts. I'd like to do it by the 31st at the latest.

Best, Ron

Thanks Ron (and everyone else). The booth sharing thing is understandable but sucky, especially compared to the fee structure from last year!

My main remaining concern is whether companies that have been part of the Forge booth count as returning exhibitors or not. I assume so, but you know what happens when one assumes. I suppose I will send an email and see what I can find out.

Nathan,

No, you would not count as an exhibitor.  If your name has not been the one attached to the space, you are not the exhibitor.

Adept Press is, flat out, the exhibitor every year.  There may be a grey area that applies to other primary sponsors, but for anyone else, definitely not.

thanks,

James

Thanks James.

I bet you'll qualify for the entrepreneur rate at least.