How to host a tabletop / traditional games mini-convention on a budget?
July 11, 2017 4:53 AM Subscribe
What are the minimum tools and tricks to have up one's sleeve when planning/running/cleaning up after/repeating a mini tabletop gaming (cards/boards/RPGs) con?
I'm looking for a core set of tools and skills and stuff to keep in mind to help the first of hopefully a series of mini-cons for card/board/RP games (not so much big scale miniature wargames, but maybe small skirmish games that can be kept quick and fun) get off the ground with a minimum of logistical effort, cost and stress.
Here's the basic thinking so far to help make it clear what I'm asking about.
Thinking to pay for a single big room (hall) with room for 8 tables of 8 by charging for tickets on a crowd-funding platform, with the expectation that any surplus (part of the hall fee is a refundable deposit) goes into making the tickets cheaper "next time round".
Ideally I want to avoid sponsorship, but anyone who wants to run demos and give away free stuff would be welcome.
The con would last 1 or 2 days of a single weekend, maybe divided into AM / PM slots with people invited to book a table for 1 slot each to lead their favourite game. Further players would get seats on a first-come basis.
Helpers: four or five responsible adults who agree to be there most of the time, help clean up, remind others of the community standards, etc. No unaccompanied minors, no food or drink inside the hall, and no running with scissors.
Marketing: I don't see a big need for marketing, it's a local thing and most interest has come from social networks informally. For a room of 30 - 60 people, local gaming groups are likely to fill the hall pretty quickly. But I'm looking at over a year lead time so that should be enough to ask around.
So: what have I forgotten to think about and what should I think better?
I'm looking for a core set of tools and skills and stuff to keep in mind to help the first of hopefully a series of mini-cons for card/board/RP games (not so much big scale miniature wargames, but maybe small skirmish games that can be kept quick and fun) get off the ground with a minimum of logistical effort, cost and stress.
Here's the basic thinking so far to help make it clear what I'm asking about.
Thinking to pay for a single big room (hall) with room for 8 tables of 8 by charging for tickets on a crowd-funding platform, with the expectation that any surplus (part of the hall fee is a refundable deposit) goes into making the tickets cheaper "next time round".
Ideally I want to avoid sponsorship, but anyone who wants to run demos and give away free stuff would be welcome.
The con would last 1 or 2 days of a single weekend, maybe divided into AM / PM slots with people invited to book a table for 1 slot each to lead their favourite game. Further players would get seats on a first-come basis.
Helpers: four or five responsible adults who agree to be there most of the time, help clean up, remind others of the community standards, etc. No unaccompanied minors, no food or drink inside the hall, and no running with scissors.
Marketing: I don't see a big need for marketing, it's a local thing and most interest has come from social networks informally. For a room of 30 - 60 people, local gaming groups are likely to fill the hall pretty quickly. But I'm looking at over a year lead time so that should be enough to ask around.
So: what have I forgotten to think about and what should I think better?
Make sure the rules and suchlike that you settle on are explained well in advance on the sign-up page, again in the confirmation email, again just before the event, again when people arrive, and again on flyers on the wall. Just so there's no "oh I didn't know that was a rule" nonsense.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:05 AM on July 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:05 AM on July 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
The ConRunner Wiki may be helpful, though you'll have to think about how to map some of their advice to your specific case depending on how "mini" your con is.
Have a meaningful anti-harassment policy. Make sure people know about it (including having a way to read it online before your event). Actually enforce it. Your con is not too small to need to worry about this.
Attend cons that don't suck. Volunteer at those which are bona-fide not-for-profit. Make a note of what works and what doesn't. Talk to other attendees about what did and did not work for them.
Leave enough time for setup and teardown. Make sure that you are really clear with your event space (as in: have a contract in writing) about the space you are getting, the times you'll have access to it and any extra stuff (like tables) you expect to get.
Do your attendees need power and/or Internet access? Sort this out with you event space, in advance, and get it into the contract.
Make sure registration is seamless, since everybody will have to interact with it at least once in a relatively short time frame. Do as much as possible in advance. Have a "plan B" if the computer is down or the printer breaks or Bob comes down with dysentery that morning.
posted by sourcequench at 1:13 PM on July 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Have a meaningful anti-harassment policy. Make sure people know about it (including having a way to read it online before your event). Actually enforce it. Your con is not too small to need to worry about this.
Attend cons that don't suck. Volunteer at those which are bona-fide not-for-profit. Make a note of what works and what doesn't. Talk to other attendees about what did and did not work for them.
Leave enough time for setup and teardown. Make sure that you are really clear with your event space (as in: have a contract in writing) about the space you are getting, the times you'll have access to it and any extra stuff (like tables) you expect to get.
Do your attendees need power and/or Internet access? Sort this out with you event space, in advance, and get it into the contract.
Make sure registration is seamless, since everybody will have to interact with it at least once in a relatively short time frame. Do as much as possible in advance. Have a "plan B" if the computer is down or the printer breaks or Bob comes down with dysentery that morning.
posted by sourcequench at 1:13 PM on July 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: It was really hard to pick a best answer.
All good advice.
In the end the whiteboard thing and the realism (people will break rules) won out.
posted by KMH at 1:45 AM on July 19, 2017
All good advice.
In the end the whiteboard thing and the realism (people will break rules) won out.
posted by KMH at 1:45 AM on July 19, 2017
« Older Does Chicago have an aversion to ice water? | Where should I go to make money to put my brother... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Where do people get food? Make sure you tell people how they can feed themselves (enough shops/restaurants/etc that they are not all descending on a single place). People WILL bring food and drink in because they won't want to interrupt the RPG or whatever - make sure your helpers are prepared to shepherd them back outside to eat and remind them of the rules. I sometimes go to a similar event with about 100 boardgamers held in a hotel - outside food is not allowed in (hotel food is OK) and this rule has been in place for 5 years and people STILL bring outside food in.
Have a whiteboard so people can write their names/games on - e.g. "we need 1 more person for Agricola at 1pm" or "Looking for a DM for a D&D 5e game" etc.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:03 AM on July 11, 2017 [1 favorite]