Rules of Ron, Gaming Convention edition

Ron’s Rules of Coordinating Convention Gaming

Part 1

1 – DO NOT treat all games the same. Do not be a cookie cutter convention. Most RPGers like it a certain way, while boardgamers like it totally different. Etc. This is the mindset of a big tent gaming con.

2 – Games like Magic The Gathering and Warhammer 40k are a different breed of gamer. In most cases, that is ALL they do. And to get them to turn out, you have to have something big.

3 – If anyone asks to be a Special Guest or Convention Guest, they asking for more than a free badge. Jeff only offered a free badge and hoped they would run at least one game for the attendees.

4 – Always side on what is the best experience for the attendee. They are giving you money, don’t let your biases cloud your judgement.

5 – Don’t let any GM or organizer bully you into getting you free stuff – hotel rooms, prize support, etc. They are not entitled for anything.

6 – If you can’t handle a specific aspect of gaming, be it organized play, play to win, or something like that, look for a coordinator. If they bring in enough people – 60 or more, for example – you may want to consider a hotel room for them. When the PFS D&D AL were at their peak, Jeff supplied a single room for the coordinators to share.

7 – Things change for everyone. Never assume special attendees – like crafters, etc – that came lasts year will come again. Always check up them to see if they are returning so they can put the con back on the radar. Treat every year as if it is the first year.

8 – Keep tabs on the industry as best you can, watch what is big at Gen Con and Origins, watch for the big Kickstarters, just keep your ear to the industry (all aspects) as best you can.

9 – Always keep an aspect of the con your pet project. It will be what drives you most of all. Crafting, Miniatures, etc. Anything you are most passionate about will only make the con better.

10 – Keep the balance. Keep about the same amount of RPGs and non-RPGs in the con. We worked hard to lose the label “RPG con” and let Board games grow.

Ron’s Rules of Coordinating Convention Gaming

Part 2

1 – The early you start planning, the less you have to worry about as the con grows near. The last few weeks before the con are going to be crazy anyway, so they more you do ahead of time, the less you have slip through the cracks. Attendees NOTICE these details on both side. They remember them longer if they make the experience less than expected.

2 – Part 1, Rule #7 addendum – This applies to your organized play coordinators also. Contact them EARLY. For the November event, I would contact them late July or early August. Others that need to be poked are Empire Games, NOG and any other featured group that has been with us for a while. This list may grow over time.

3 – 3 months out from the convention, try to spend some time each day checking on things related to the con – social media, email, etc. This is crunch time and the con needs to be responsive.

4 – Promote your lesser known games and your game designer demos. These Game Designers travel to a lot of conventions and giving them a good impression will help spread the word. If they have a bad experience, you know that will have a stronger negative effect, also. People do remember the good stuff as much as the bad stuff.

5 – Check TTE every day or at least every other day for Game Submissions and get them scheduled as soon as possible. These GMs are waiting to get their badge to sign in early AND the more games on the schedule you have, the better you look, the wider the appeal, the more attendees you get. Don’t let the list get too long because doing a tone of games can produce mistakes.