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Post by Erasmas on Apr 19, 2015 6:41:59 GMT
I have never heard of Empire Central, but I have been to Gerard's several times to shop. I have never gamed at a FLGS before... it has always been at people's houses, mainly my own over the past fifteen years.
But, I might have to swing by sometime and say hey!
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Post by dmdubbledee on May 19, 2015 14:24:30 GMT
Hi Everyone,
A really long time since I've been able to post anything (if you are considering developing epilepsy, permit me to recommend against it. . .) but am slowly getting back onto the forum--man I've missed a lot of amazing stuff! I just ran across this thread and while there hasn't been a post for about a month, I'm really hoping the idea hasn't gone dead--this would be such a blast. I had a few ideas about making this a possibility for the greatest number of people without breaking the bank. They are based on long experience conferencing as an academic, many of those years on a graduate student budget (I will never eat another lentil again). So cheap is key, but access is a very close second.
1. Begin with a single conference--a traveling craftcon will likely be prohibitively expensive. To keep our crafting heroes on the move across the U.S. and U.K. for a month would be a hard five figure proposition at a minimum, depending on the number/length of stops and modes of travel/accommodation (I presume you don't want to sleep side by side in the back of an 80's era minivan--there's something to be said for that, but it isn't good). Instead, use the kick-starter campaign to fund a single conference. If there is enough cash, it could be used to defray travel costs and/or even accommodation, for attendees. Accommodation costs will also be reduced with a group rate--the bigger, the better, and doubling up on rooms _really_ cuts down on costs, as well as billeting. I believe it both appropriate and normal that the "luminaries in the field" have all expenses paid. Pricing things out in advance of the k-campaign--not hard to do at all--would be essential, as another good perk might be waiving of the registration fee. I'd also go for a glue gun with dmscotty's logo hot glued to it.
2. Locate the conference as centrally as possible. I would suggest Toronto, Canada. Wait. What? But it makes sense. At the moment, American's are getting an extra twenty cents or so on the dollar in Canada (lowering your accommodation/entertainment costs even further). People using pounds or euros will get even more. And it also has direct flights to every major airport--and a lot of minor ones--in existence. I am making the assumption that the majority of the community is made up of Americans (being Canadian, I don't get to benefit from the juicy exchange rate. And no, I don't live in Toronto, though I used to--now I'm about 1500km away).
3. Another key for cheapness is to do this in "the off season." First or second week of November is pretty good time for cheap flights and cheap hotels in North America, and the weather hasn't turned yet (usually). It would be extremely difficult in this day and age to find a hotel with conference facilities that doesn't have half decent communications tech--we could Skype some sessions, have live Webinars, etc., for individuals who can't make it. They would likely pay a significantly reduced registration fee (but not nothing unless there's cash for that).
While this kind of undertaking requires a fair bit of planning and organization, it is entirely doable, and we are well within the timeline at this point to do a good job of it for Nov. 2016. The first GenCon had about 100 people, which I am certain craft con can pull off. I'm thinking there must be a few crafters from T.O. here--either members or enthusiastic lurkers--who could do a little footwork to find some cheap conference spaces, check out the space for suitability, get some advertising bucks from game shops, as well as local businesses who stand to benefit from our penchant for fast food and cheesies. We put a few of these conferences under our distressed belts, and we would then have the money to send the unholy trinity on a traveling fr- I mean, craft show, and have it documented for posterity. But a doc on the conference itself would also be quite a hoot.
Even if none of this works for people, I certainly hope some kind of craft con can become a reality, and that the idea is pursued.
Take care everybody,
dmdubbledee
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Post by thedmg on May 20, 2015 8:11:51 GMT
All very good info, thanks @dmdubbledee. The major cost is international flights. I am busy organising my wedding in Vegas and coordinating 18 people. Once in America travel is "relatively" cheap. The centralised con is a good idea, but my original concept of the "travelling con" is integrated into a documentary on the community and visiting where people actually live (or nearby). So it is to try and kill several goblins with one brick. The documentary is a record of the community that would be uploaded to the internet and copies could be part of the Kickstart campaign (like a $50 support level for instance). It makes for a more interesting insight into who the community is and where they are. The actual cost of 100 people travelling to a central venue is more than 2-3 people going to 10 places. Especially when incorporating costs of flights, hotels, etc. So when you consider those 2-3 people are crowd funded by the 100 it works out better, it would just need to be explained that way. 10 groups of 10 is a more intimate and interesting than 1 group of 100, everyone gets to meet everyone and spend some time together having a few beers, or in my case orange juices. However, I am sure the actual number is probably nearer 300 and quite possibly 500 people. I am also sure we can organise a host in each location for 2-3 people to stay in their house, bringing the costs WAY down. The type of meeting locations could be scout halls, church halls, basements, bars, community halls, prison cells, or even someone's living room It depends on numbers and having people on the ground in each location organising the leg of the event. So probably 2-3 days each in 10 locations. If a person of means wanted to follow the party part, or all of the way by road, rail or airplane they would be perfectly welcome to do so. In this scenario it is really 10 flights for 2-3 people plus 1 or 2 international return flights. Perfectly doable for under $15k Those who can't attend can follow the journey on the line, or receive the documentary or watch the documentary online when it is completed. I am pretty sure there would be some intresting footage of the personalities in this community
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Post by dmdubbledee on May 20, 2015 13:32:19 GMT
Congrats on the Wedding plans! A life of inutterable bliss awaits you.
I definitely agree that if the intimacy of small groups hanging out and getting to know each other better is the overriding concern, then your plan makes far more sense. The conference structure I describe is more about delivering information and getting large herds of cattle to moo in the same place than about socializing, and while there are ways to get around that with various tactics, it is clear to me now that it's not appropriate to the kind of close engagement with the community you are imagining. It may be worth keeping the centralized conference idea in a bag of holding somewhere though, as there might be some value to having one down the road.
Best of luck with this--I certainly hope you end up somewhere close enough for me to come and meet you guys! I'm in New Brunswick, Canada, so if you end up in Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont or thereabouts, I'll definitely make the drive!
Take care,
dmdubbledee
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Post by halloweenville on May 20, 2015 14:05:41 GMT
I'm on Board I'd Be Willing to Do a BBQ get together, My Garage is being turned into a Game Room so there will be a nice place to play, All I can Say is GOOD PEOPLE + GOOD FOOD = GOOD TIMES! Upstate New York to my left, New Hampshire and the rest of New England to my Right. Either way I Defiantly Want a Copy of the Documentary.
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Post by thedmg on May 21, 2015 3:48:14 GMT
I'm on Board I'd Be Willing to Do a BBQ get together, My Garage is being turned into a Game Room so there will be a nice place to play, All I can Say is GOOD PEOPLE + GOOD FOOD = GOOD TIMES! Upstate New York to my left, New Hampshire and the rest of New England to my Right. Either way I Defiantly Want a Copy of the Documentary. That's the whole idea. Big 'ol craftin' BBQ! Gaming and good times
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Post by DnDPaladin on May 21, 2015 7:33:47 GMT
if people have been able to make 35k dollars for a soup off kickstarter, i think you guys can easily reach the desired goal to create a craftcon.
the only thing that is bad though is that im in canada 8(
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Post by halloweenville on May 21, 2015 10:53:02 GMT
if people have been able to make 35k dollars for a soup off kickstarter, i think you guys can easily reach the desired goal to create a craftcon. the only thing that is bad though is that im in canada 8( What part of Canada cause I'm only 45 minutes from the Border here in Vermont... I'm almost a central location for this area LOL!
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2015 3:47:21 GMT
While I think this is a great idea, I will not be travelling with Scotty and Gareth, I'll get to Gencon one day, probably, but not next year
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Post by thedmg on May 22, 2015 5:15:53 GMT
That is unfortunate, but if you change your mind you are always welcome
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Post by DnDPaladin on May 22, 2015 8:38:48 GMT
im 5 hour drive from the maine. so forget me.
then again i have never really tryed to get there as i dont have a passport either. but about 3 and a half hour i see the green panel saying maine ---> so i dont know how far it really is once i get to that point.im guessing about 5 hour drive to the border.
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Post by halloweenville on May 22, 2015 11:09:00 GMT
im 5 hour drive from the maine. so forget me. then again i have never really tryed to get there as i dont have a passport either. but about 3 and a half hour i see the green panel saying maine ---> so i dont know how far it really is once i get to that point.im guessing about 5 hour drive to the border. That would be quite a drive, I know What it's like I use to drive 6 hours to Newark New Jersey Every Year to Pick up my son from the airport because the airlines would only let unaccompanied Minors 10 and under fly on Connecting flights and the only direct flights the were available were from Nebraska to Newark, so glad He's older now and we don't have to make that drive anymore....
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Post by dmdubbledee on May 22, 2015 16:48:10 GMT
I can drive a 12 hour day to get to the cottage back in Ontario--I would definitely do a 6-hour drive if the stars align (my wife is very supportive of my new hobby, as it reduced my online poker habit to nil ). Not sure where you are in Vermont, but it's 8 hours to Montreal from here, so it can't be more than that. Whatever the case may be, it sounds like a good starting point for the cross-country trek.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2015 1:18:11 GMT
if people have been able to make 35k dollars for a soup off kickstarter, i think you guys can easily reach the desired goal to create a craftcon. the only thing that is bad though is that im in canada 8( What part of Canada cause I'm only 45 minutes from the Border here in Vermont... I'm almost a central location for this area LOL! I think you're on to something here. I'd be willing to make the drive to Vermont.
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Post by halloweenville on May 24, 2015 2:05:25 GMT
What part of Canada cause I'm only 45 minutes from the Border here in Vermont... I'm almost a central location for this area LOL! I think you're on to something here. I'd be willing to make the drive to Vermont. Your welcome anytime you want! I'm Looking forward to BBQ-ing for everyone I'm Thinking a couple Smoked pulled pork Roasts With Our Homemade BBQ Sauce! I'd do Ribs too if I can Afford it, Hope we can make it happen guys!
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Post by runningwolf on May 24, 2015 3:23:07 GMT
cool idea. I wish the one game place in Erie, Pa was bigger. I get the feeling that you guys doing a demo type thing there would go over pretty well. The folks working there awesome people who love to game.
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Post by dmdubbledee on May 24, 2015 22:29:04 GMT
*mouth starts watering over succulent bbqed viands, tries to maintain dignity whilst describing to noble wife, fails*
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Post by halloweenville on May 25, 2015 15:39:59 GMT
*mouth starts watering over succulent bbqed viands, tries to maintain dignity whilst describing to noble wife, fails* BBQ and Smoked Meats Is a Summer long Event for Me, Homemade rubs and Sauces Everything From Sweet to Spicy, Going to be Upgrading My Equipment next summer so I'll Be Able To Cook Tons Of Food a Once... I have Bibs and wet naps In hand...lol
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Post by thedmg on May 26, 2015 0:32:11 GMT
Mmmm BBQ. In South Africa we call it a "braai" (pronounced "br-eye") - a national past time just like biltong and boerewors!
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Post by halloweenville on May 27, 2015 1:15:19 GMT
Mmmm BBQ. In South Africa we call it a "braai" (pronounced "br-eye") - a national past time just like biltong and boerewors! cool!
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