TravellerCon expansion
- Thread starter RossWinn
- Start date
I am just saying we do sort of have a meet up there; as far as the differences in price, Indy does that on purpose to be cheaper. Like when I lived in Cali, no way would anything be as cheap there. I admit Lancaster sounds pricey though.
casquilho
SOC-13
One of the cheapest Cons I ever went to in California was the small one held in San Luis Obispo. You could rent a room from the school dorms as it was Summer. LOL
It's a nice area, I had a friend who lived in Morro Bay. GenCon is really massive though, and Indy also hosts the Indy 500, which was also billed as the largest race; so it is kind of set up for renting hotel rooms already. San Francisco, the Convention Center and Concourse would be pressed to hold as much, I used to go to the Pacific Builders Conference there, I also went to San Diego Comic Con and I think that could hold a GenCon sized con. There is a smaller con in San Jose. I don't know the size of TravellerCon.
casquilho
SOC-13
Speaking of a UK Traveller Convention, did you see this post this morning:
www.travellerrpg.com
Travcon UK 2024 - Spaces available
British Isles Traveller Support are hosting a revived Travcon UK 2024 as we begin to emerge from jump after the COVID pandemic. This small residential con is held in Cambridgeshire just off the A1 (Sawtry/Alconbury) and generally attracts previous attendees in number. Note: limits on space and...
www.travellerrpg.com
Commander Truestar
SOC-13
I am a member of two Convention Committees, and have been for over a decade.
One of those, "Philcon" has been priced out of Philadelphia.
We have been running Philcon in Cherry Hill, NJ, because that location lets us use a proper modern full-service hotel and be close enough to transit.
Sadly, "close enough" mean we have rail lines that run to walking distance from stations.
Also, travelers coming to our site have to real with a switch from PA-based air and rail to NJ busses.
But, we had been thriving up until COVID.
We are making out come back and I've hired a GoH from the west coast for this year, for my track (Filk)
The other convention is "HelioSphere", which had been in Tarrytown, NY.
We lost our hotel there thanks to COVID, and have moved to Piscataway, NJ
That location allowed us to ally with a hotel which also needed to recover from the pandemic.
We also got off the pad quickly, bringing in GoH's who we could not afford right out of the box, which then drew more fans and raised our
funds more quickly.
As for TravellerCon, I attended the first event and had fun.
I planned to keep attending, but found myself "put into" a situation where I had registered for the convention and was trying to book a room at the "on-site hotel"
When I could not make contact with the hotel, I started reaching out to the Husband/Wife organizers....who would only say "Don't worry about it, they're good people."
As time closed toward the convention, and the Husband/wife continued to ignore the issue, one of the attendees happened to have a field service call. When he tried to stop by the hotel, he found it had been closed! Hearing that, I started urging the couple to book a different venue and they refused. By the time they realized they'd waited too long and could not put the event on that year, I had demanded my registration funds back and they'd begun actively bad-mouthing me on their social media.
So, the event continues, and I wish her well, since I understand her husband passed away.
But, if they want to grow, they are going to have to start thinking like a convention "serving customers" than making decisions based on "they're nice people". I enjoy spending time with all the fans who attend the conventions I help run. I have made many friends from the crowds we serve.
But I never make the mistake of pretending they're friends who will let me just fix a failure once I've taken their money.
I know they are my customers, and I must do my best to solve problems "before" they happen. And, to have a service available to resolve issues that could not be planned for.
One of those, "Philcon" has been priced out of Philadelphia.
We have been running Philcon in Cherry Hill, NJ, because that location lets us use a proper modern full-service hotel and be close enough to transit.
Sadly, "close enough" mean we have rail lines that run to walking distance from stations.
Also, travelers coming to our site have to real with a switch from PA-based air and rail to NJ busses.
But, we had been thriving up until COVID.
We are making out come back and I've hired a GoH from the west coast for this year, for my track (Filk)
The other convention is "HelioSphere", which had been in Tarrytown, NY.
We lost our hotel there thanks to COVID, and have moved to Piscataway, NJ
That location allowed us to ally with a hotel which also needed to recover from the pandemic.
We also got off the pad quickly, bringing in GoH's who we could not afford right out of the box, which then drew more fans and raised our
funds more quickly.
As for TravellerCon, I attended the first event and had fun.
I planned to keep attending, but found myself "put into" a situation where I had registered for the convention and was trying to book a room at the "on-site hotel"
When I could not make contact with the hotel, I started reaching out to the Husband/Wife organizers....who would only say "Don't worry about it, they're good people."
As time closed toward the convention, and the Husband/wife continued to ignore the issue, one of the attendees happened to have a field service call. When he tried to stop by the hotel, he found it had been closed! Hearing that, I started urging the couple to book a different venue and they refused. By the time they realized they'd waited too long and could not put the event on that year, I had demanded my registration funds back and they'd begun actively bad-mouthing me on their social media.
So, the event continues, and I wish her well, since I understand her husband passed away.
But, if they want to grow, they are going to have to start thinking like a convention "serving customers" than making decisions based on "they're nice people". I enjoy spending time with all the fans who attend the conventions I help run. I have made many friends from the crowds we serve.
But I never make the mistake of pretending they're friends who will let me just fix a failure once I've taken their money.
I know they are my customers, and I must do my best to solve problems "before" they happen. And, to have a service available to resolve issues that could not be planned for.
I have watched Necronomicon in Tampa go from a vibrant SF and Gaming convention to barely hanging on due to poor management and planning.
There are many other cons that have disappeared and disbanded because of this.
If this continues a reasonable discussion about damage to the intellectual property and could result in a loss of permission to use that IP including the name.
I believe the organization has a solemn obligation to protect the name and trademark of Traveller as well as provide reasonable service to the community.
Commander Truestar
SOC-13
I'm not sure I understand your point?
"None of us" own, or claim to own, the IP for any form of the Traveller RPG.
Running or supporting a convention should never be considered to be a claim on those IP.
The survival of any given convention separates "the base IP of the game" from the "organization and management of an event" in which Traveller IP-based gaming and panel sessions are offered.
And, those sessions also do not make claims on IP ownership.
What any convention or similar event "must do" is offer events which can be commercially trusted and provide chances to share, enjoy and learn from participation in the sessions provided by that event.
When I take part in the running of any convention I am part of, I want those attending to have fun.
I want them to be able to participate and possibly see their "average participation" grow because my event provided increased personal interest.
I have to admit, this also depends on factors outside the control of our convention committees.
Those range from expenses outside our attendee's "convention costs", medical issues, etc....
But, my point, per what was quoted:
"But I never make the mistake of pretending they're friends who will let me just fix a failure once I've taken their money."
...is that those running conventions "must" treat the event like a business, and "actually serve" their customers.
Where you pretend 'we're all just a group of friends and can manage failures informally' goes out the window when you are billing those "friends" financially.
The minute you are billing people for a service, it becomes a business and must treated that way
at C3 Con in Corvallis Community Center two years ago, I ran a CT Char Gen...and part of Shadows...
I have been considering repeating it. I just submitted a 3 hour slot for Shadows - the only DA I can complete in that time-block. That's feb 15-16... 2025...
C3 GameCon
Get your tickets in advance for two days of cosplay, RPGs, fanart and more atC3 Corvallis Community Center
They don't just go there, they RUN it. If anyone wants to help, either at TravellerCon or WinterWar or any other con, please do. If you want a Traveller convention closer to you, then go ahead and run it. There's no exclusivity.
slayman
SOC-1
Getting ready to go for my second time. I love that it is small. I like the guys that are there too.
slayman
SOC-1
Or anyone who wants to put on a Travellercon can. There is room in the world for more conventions. These folks create this conference when no one else would and often use a good amount of their funds to make sure it happens. If there are thousands of other fans being inconvenienced then there is plenty of opportunity for more players in the Traveller Convention market.
Thousands of other players should fuel a market where there could be a West Coast, Central, and East Coast convention. I highly doubt that Marc only allows one convention to exist, or creates a single license ecosystem. I would love to see more than one. I may even go to more than one, or I might just continue to drive from Richmond, VA to Lancaster, PA because I love the game and the people I get to play it with.
slayman
SOC-1
If it moved my vote would be for Baltimore. Although I'm perfectly happy to drive from Richmond, VA to Lancaster, PA for the people I get a chance to play with.Just curious, how would Mongoose take over the Travellercon? Isn't it a third party team running it?
Does Mongoose even want to buy it and get into the convention running business?
And if it is going to move, why pick Philadelphia? What makes Philadelphia the best choice in the whole Eastern Seaboard for conventions?
Just this conversation gives me lots of questions, sorry.
Hairy Jim DeGriz
SOC-12
GENCON 2024 had 71,000 attendees. Travellercon/USA 2023 had less than one hundred and fifty. Travellercon/USA is a labor of love, run by volunteers, who have invested their time and energy for more than 16 years to keep a small outpost, a beacon of Travellerdom, running at the class D starport that Lancaster, Pennsylvania resembles. I’ll be attending for the third consecutive year.
It is not what you think it is, and I think you might be disappointed if you attended. If you can do something better, there is nothing stopping you, or anyone else who wants to organize a local Traveller themed convention.
https://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/threads/keith-frye-memorial-bundle.123930/
https://www.travellerrpg.com/threads/keith-frye-benefit-game.43143/#post-646913
https://zhodani.space/amberzone/notorious/lancaster-subsector/
It is not what you think it is, and I think you might be disappointed if you attended. If you can do something better, there is nothing stopping you, or anyone else who wants to organize a local Traveller themed convention.
https://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/threads/keith-frye-memorial-bundle.123930/
https://www.travellerrpg.com/threads/keith-frye-benefit-game.43143/#post-646913
https://zhodani.space/amberzone/notorious/lancaster-subsector/
Commander Truestar
SOC-13
In the end, there are several options:
1) If you like or feel you would like the "existing" conventions......attend and support them
2) If you suffer from travel or other "distance" issues......Start gathering people interested in your area and start a convention.
(WARNING: All the conventions I have or do currently worked in are "all volunteer"....you will need to raise the money and back the contracts
signed by your convention with organizations like hotels.)
3) If you suffer from financial issues.....start with small events that are fund raisers "towards" a future event.....I was part of a group that had four "one
day - one room" events which helped us raise money to boot strap a "full weekend, hotel-based" convention
4) If you can't do it "in a location" near you....do it On Line
When COVID shut down Face to face events, a guy in Denver I now work with developed a format to hold weekend-long events on Zoom.
We started with a "6-events a year" full weekend format until face to face events came back
And we now use a "four times a year - Full weekends" format because people who can't travel beg us to keep going.
In the end....if you want a Convention and you feel you can't attend an existing convention for any given reason.....Start one of your own.
IMO, if you wanted to start a "TravellerCon -Terra" using Zoom, Roll20 or other means.....you would likely get support from the existing conventions
so long as you cut them in for the advertising:
IE: Hi and welcome to TravellerCon -Terra, brought to you not only by our convention committee, but also TravellerConUK, WinterWar, etc...
One thing is certain.
If you sit at your keyboard and complain without acting....you will end up just sitting at your keyboard and complaining
As for me?
As stated, I am part of two face to face events and half of a pair who run four full-weekend virtual events....
AND a monthly on-line(via Zoom) Traveller campaign
So, my wife would kill me
1) If you like or feel you would like the "existing" conventions......attend and support them
2) If you suffer from travel or other "distance" issues......Start gathering people interested in your area and start a convention.
(WARNING: All the conventions I have or do currently worked in are "all volunteer"....you will need to raise the money and back the contracts
signed by your convention with organizations like hotels.)
3) If you suffer from financial issues.....start with small events that are fund raisers "towards" a future event.....I was part of a group that had four "one
day - one room" events which helped us raise money to boot strap a "full weekend, hotel-based" convention
4) If you can't do it "in a location" near you....do it On Line
When COVID shut down Face to face events, a guy in Denver I now work with developed a format to hold weekend-long events on Zoom.
We started with a "6-events a year" full weekend format until face to face events came back
And we now use a "four times a year - Full weekends" format because people who can't travel beg us to keep going.
In the end....if you want a Convention and you feel you can't attend an existing convention for any given reason.....Start one of your own.
IMO, if you wanted to start a "TravellerCon -Terra" using Zoom, Roll20 or other means.....you would likely get support from the existing conventions
so long as you cut them in for the advertising:
IE: Hi and welcome to TravellerCon -Terra, brought to you not only by our convention committee, but also TravellerConUK, WinterWar, etc...
One thing is certain.
If you sit at your keyboard and complain without acting....you will end up just sitting at your keyboard and complaining
As for me?
As stated, I am part of two face to face events and half of a pair who run four full-weekend virtual events....
AND a monthly on-line(via Zoom) Traveller campaign
So, my wife would kill me
Well down here in SoCal, there's a group, StrategiCon, that runs three conventions a year. Presidents Day, Memorial Day (I think) and Labor Day. They use a hotel next to LAX.
Glancing at the Labor day schedule, they had over 800 events, 200ish were RPG. Of those, there was a single Intro to Traveller event.
I used to go to these, I haven't been in probably almost 30 years. But we had fun at the time.
If anyone is inclined to start a small Traveller event, I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate you. You can sponsor several games, you could show up ad hoc and grab a chunk of their enormous open gaming rooms.
Looking at the events, I would not recognize the place. They all seem to be basic gaming sessions. In the past, they ran several tournaments. I don't see many of those here (but I could be reading it wrong). Naturally, my self and my friends would usually participate in the SFB tournament.
I did use to GM dungeons for them back in the day. They had a series of dungeons that ran from convention to convention, the characters would carry over. I had the same party for several conventions, and that was a blast.
Glancing at the Labor day schedule, they had over 800 events, 200ish were RPG. Of those, there was a single Intro to Traveller event.
I used to go to these, I haven't been in probably almost 30 years. But we had fun at the time.
If anyone is inclined to start a small Traveller event, I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate you. You can sponsor several games, you could show up ad hoc and grab a chunk of their enormous open gaming rooms.
Looking at the events, I would not recognize the place. They all seem to be basic gaming sessions. In the past, they ran several tournaments. I don't see many of those here (but I could be reading it wrong). Naturally, my self and my friends would usually participate in the SFB tournament.
I did use to GM dungeons for them back in the day. They had a series of dungeons that ran from convention to convention, the characters would carry over. I had the same party for several conventions, and that was a blast.
Hairy Jim DeGriz
SOC-12
Adventurer's League and Pathfinder/Starfinder Society are officially sanctioned programs for D&D and Pathfinder respectively. I have no idea how to join either, but as I understand it, GMs are given adventures developed specifically for conventions. I believe it is also used to playtest for later publication. Load me up with a one or two Traveller scenarios, some marketing material, and I'd be happy to show the Sunburst, and referee at more conventions in the mid-Atlantic region.
casquilho
SOC-13
Back when Rocky and team ran StrategiCon in the 80's it was a great set of conventions. By the 90's the dealers were making the calls more than the board. StrategiCon changed. The focus changed and then once the folks up in SFO bought it from Rocky and Co it really changed. I have not been back sense the early 2000's. I do not even think of them which is sad. You do bring up an interesting thought, how are they run now.
Mrs. Moped is a Strategicon regular, on the board-game side. I did a couple of Classic Traveller sessions over the years (as a player) in the Before Times. Haven't been since, though Mrs. M. very much has.
I keep thinking I ought to roll my own scenario sometime for a convention, just to see if I can pull it off. I'd probably run it under Classic if I did*, which may or may not limit the size of the player pool.
This may be off topic then? Does the fact I borrow bits from MgT make it semi-topical at least?
-----------------
*Edit to add: for familiarity, and perhaps for that old-timey feel from using period-consistent materials (old little black book format adventures, deck plans, etc. Don't have a minis collection so I can't go that far with the theme).
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