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[varagon]

I represent Gorilla Con, a small convention in the midwest (Southeast KS to be exact).  We plan on hosting Gorilacon 3 in March 2006, and wonder if anyone had any opinions in regards to this question: lWhat are some unique ideas that can be shared and used to help increase convention attendance and make a draw from a larger radius beyond the convention location? 

Thanks,

Bob Nolan
SEKGG/Gorilla Con Admin
http://sekgg.org
admin@sekgg.org
gorillacon@sekgg.org

[GJSchaller]

Beyond the normal advertising push thing, specific events that people will travel for work well.

When I was a Wargamer, and ran Clan War events, people would travel fairly long distances to play in some of the Tournaments I ran.  Granted, the game was not highly popular, but it meant that when a sanctioned tourney did happen, people came a lot further for them.

The Double Exposure NCC is a way of doing this, of course - the trick is to get word out to those groups that are ceneted on the product, not the location.  That is, get word out on the mailing list for Game X, as opposed to just the stores in Town Y.  With a focus group, like a game's mailing list, you will be reaching people who you know are interested in what you're selling, instead of just random shoppers.

No one avenue will do the trick, but the more you find, the better off you'll be. 

[Avie]

Hi, Bob.

We send out a LOT of personal email inviting people out to play with us.  We send people to other conventions with promotional material.  We do a lot of schmoozing, and in the very early days, Vinny spent a LOT of time traveling to area game stores and making friends with people. 

Most of our efforts are very grass-roots.  Make friends, get those friends to bring their friends.

As you build name recognition, that snowball is a little easier to propogate. (some day, the world shall make me pay for my metaphor mixing, I'm sure.)

Contacting game clubs, college groups, youth groups, etc is our next big push.  We've dabbled at it in the past, but as other projects gather enough steam to move forward on their own, we figure there are plenty of college kids who like to game, so we should be finding them and telling them about us.

--Av

[Horace]

Contacting game clubs, college groups, youth groups, etc is our next big push.  We've dabbled at it in the past, but as other projects gather enough steam to move forward on their own, we figure there are plenty of college kids who like to game, so we should be finding them and telling them about us.

--Av

Dont forget Military bases.
I first learned to play D&D (pre 1st edition) While in the Corps.

Brian

[Frigemall]

Dont forget Military bases.
I first learned to play D&D (pre 1st edition) While in the Corps.

Brian

So we have the corps to blame. Another reason for me to have a rivalry with the Marines. GO ARMY!

[Alf Cunha]

So we have the corps to blame. Another reason for me to have a rivalry with the Marines. GO ARMY!


**  Yeah, you can blame the army for my rp'ing

Alf (and Val and Seb)

[Julie]

*laugh* Things never do change... When John packed for his deployment, he included his D&D Players Handbook and DM's Guide! Somehow I do not think they were standard military issue! 

Julie

[Sinkuu]

oh, COME ON, Julie... we ALL know he'd go nuts without SOME gaming to keep him from being bored...

[TonyDiGerolamo]

Colleges, colleges, colleges.

Make sure you flyer and tell the colleges.  For start up cons, you might consider free or deeply discounted
passes to newbies or college students.  In the early days, you just want bodies, lots and lots.  Guests don't
hurt either if you have the budget for them.  I've never been to Kansas....  Hmmmm.

-Tony D
www.thefixsite.com

[Denn]

Nice ta see ya here, Tony.

Maybe send out to high schools with Drama and Theater classes. Cons and LARPs would be a good field trip for them. Luckily I might just get my Drama teacher to bring the class to Dreamation for a field trip. She did seem really into the idea.