Official Gen Con cancellation questions
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Posted by cmegus pchgargoyle12
#151

pchgargoyle12 wrote:
in 1993 GenCon teamed up with Origins, to keep the convention from cancelling, WHY NOT do anything and everything possible to keep GenCon going? online convention give me a break. people look forward to this all year, states are relaxing restrictions - vacations have been set, now with 70+ days to go - Oh lets cancel with things getting back to normal.  

The second stage of grief...

Know that many of us, including myself, feel the same way... I felt the same way when they cancelled Gary Con.

Posted by squirecam pchgargoyle12
#152

I don’t think an Origins/Gencon mix would work, because Columbus does not have the downtown hotel space that Indy has. And if you didn’t need that space, then the convention is too small to make it worth the risk to Gencon.

Posted by vulcanspock pchgargoyle12
#153

pchgargoyle12 wrote:
in 1993 GenCon teamed up with Origins, to keep the convention from cancelling, WHY NOT do anything and everything possible to keep GenCon going? online convention give me a break. people look forward to this all year, states are relaxing restrictions - vacations have been set, now with 70+ days to go - Oh lets cancel with things getting back to normal.  

gen con has to balance this opinion and the opinion of all those who were shouting that they couldnt believe it hadnt been canceled yet.  they truly cannot win

lets pretend it was up to gen con and wouldnt be stopped by the city and state.  that still doesnt change the fact that we already knew exhibitors, event hosts and attendees had canceled.  heck you could get a downtown hotel.  and that was best case because many people were waiting but planning to probably cancel.  its not gen con.  its the rest of the world.  
 

Posted by kor
#154

There are 7 pages of posts, so please forgive me if this question has already been addressed previously.

I chose to cancel my hotel and GenCon badge 1 month ago as there was no way I was travelling outside my country during a pandemic and prior to a vaccine.  Since I had originally booked my hotel through the housing portal, am I now eligible to get my $50 back that was withheld?
 

Posted by kd8esu squirecam
#155

squirecam wrote:
I don’t think an Origins/Gencon mix would work, because Columbus does not have the downtown hotel space that Indy has. And if you didn’t need that space, then the convention is too small to make it worth the risk to Gencon.
You mean "officially," right.

It's already starting to sound like, unofficially, at least part of Gen Con's fan traditions will be transplanted to Origins.

Here's the kicker when it comes to Origins 2020, though:  Columbus is a HUGE College Football city and that Saturday is a home game against Iowa.  That means the Arena District and Short North will be more occupied with an important game for the Big Ten than a couple of thousand of nerds.  Make sure whatever you want to do isn't relying upon Columbus being like Indianapolis, because Football is top priority for the city (and the state for that matter).

Posted by mikeboozer kor
#156

kor wrote:
There are 7 pages of posts, so please forgive me if this question has already been addressed previously.
I chose to cancel my hotel and GenCon badge 1 month ago as there was no way I was travelling outside my country during a pandemic and prior to a vaccine.  Since I had originally booked my hotel through the housing portal, am I now eligible to get my $50 back that was withheld?
 

The housing fee is being retroactively refunded back to attendees who cancelled on or after May 1st.
Anyone who cancelled before that date is not eligible. 

Mike

Posted by dotificus matthias9
#157

matthias9 wrote:
This whole situation has made me stop and evaluate the importance of Gen Con to me.
At age 18, I squeezed into the tiny backseat of a Chevette with another gamer for an arduous 350 mile drive to Gen Con 1986 in Milwaukee.  I've never looked back.  Since then, I have not missed attending a single one.  This year would have been my 35th in a row.
To some, going to a game convention is a brief getaway like a state fair or a renaissance festival.  To me, Gen Con is a lot more than that. It's an opportunity to game, yes.  But it also represents an annual tradition with my friends.  It's a week I don't have to be a dad.  I don't have to manage a worksite.  I catch up with friends, go out to eat a lot, learn a few new games.  It really frames my year to a large extent. 
My weekly gaming group keeps track of sessions, who played, what game was played, who won, what was the most popular game of the year, etc.  In that calculus, our game year isn't January to December, instead the year is from Gen Con to Gen Con. 
Looking back on past Gen Cons, some memorable highlights for me are:

  • Meeting friends at the convention that I still maintain to this day.  One friend from another city hosted me overnight while I was there weekly for grad school
  • 1993; the watershed moment of discovering Magic: the Gathering early
  • Winning the Gen Con Diplomacy Tournament
  • A game of Illuminati where 3 of us colluded in advance and pretended we didn't know each other as we sat down at the table (we felt this was fully in the spirit of this game).  When it was down to us and one other player and he realized the situation, he threatened that he better not see me on the street when he was in his car. 
  • Hotel gaming together late Sunday night every year before long Monday drive.  Having Arkham Horror on the verge of success and then drawing the "Nothing Can Save you Now" card.
  • Hilarious moments in Are You a Werewolf
  • Success (or failure) with my friends in True Dungeon or Escape Rooms
  • Driving the entirely wrong direction the day after Gen Con 2017 in order to go see the total solar eclipse in Carbondale, IL

In short, Gen Con is important to me.  My only regret is that I didn't take more photos along the way.  Losing it this year is necessary, but still a gut punch. Thanks to all who put it on or help support it.  We'll be back.
Lastly, I've never read the forums here as thoroughly as I have this spring.  Shout-out to the relentless positivity of so many of you including memorable posts by deathdwarf, lehane, tinabear81 and many, many more.  Too many to list.  I'd buy you a drink if I could get within 6ft.  See you in 2021.
 


Thanks so much for posting this. It made me smile, think of friends old and new, and look forward to Gen Con 2021 even moar! 

Posted by urielblue mikeboozer
#158

mikeboozer wrote:
kor wrote:
There are 7 pages of posts, so please forgive me if this question has already been addressed previously.
I chose to cancel my hotel and GenCon badge 1 month ago as there was no way I was travelling outside my country during a pandemic and prior to a vaccine.  Since I had originally booked my hotel through the housing portal, am I now eligible to get my $50 back that was withheld?

The housing fee is being retroactively refunded back to attendees who cancelled on or after May 1st.
Anyone who cancelled before that date is not eligible. Mike
Mike, do we actively have to do anything to avoid the $50 fee/get it refuned? I'm just going to let you folks roll my badge fee towards 2021, but am unsure of the hotel rules. Thanks in advance, -Ron

Posted by mikeboozer urielblue
#159

uriel-393 wrote:
mikeboozer wrote:
kor wrote:
There are 7 pages of posts, so please forgive me if this question has already been addressed previously.
I chose to cancel my hotel and GenCon badge 1 month ago as there was no way I was travelling outside my country during a pandemic and prior to a vaccine.  Since I had originally booked my hotel through the housing portal, am I now eligible to get my $50 back that was withheld?

The housing fee is being retroactively refunded back to attendees who cancelled on or after May 1st.
Anyone who cancelled before that date is not eligible. Mike
Mike, do we actively have to do anything to avoid the $50 fee/get it refuned? I'm just going to let you folks roll my badge fee towards 2021, but am unsure of the hotel rules. Thanks in advance, -Ron

You do not.

Everyone who had a hotel still in the system are havng them cancelled and notifications should go out soon.

You will not be charged a fee for it.

Anyone who cancelled on or after May 1st will have their fee returned.

Mike

Posted by cmegus
#160

I got the hotel email conformation of cancellation.

And I am sad...

G

 

Posted by quarex kd8esu
#161

kd8esu wrote:
squirecam wrote:
I don’t think an Origins/Gencon mix would work, because Columbus does not have the downtown hotel space that Indy has. And if you didn’t need that space, then the convention is too small to make it worth the risk to Gencon.
You mean "officially," right.It's already starting to sound like, unofficially, at least part of Gen Con's fan traditions will be transplanted to Origins.
I think you will find Origins, if it actually happens in October, is not going to look much like Origins.  I think best-case scenario is it looking like Origins 1985 or something, which I freely admit is not all bad.  Though yes, we never know.  If by August outbreaks are profoundly sporadic and unusual and only occurring where people are being reckless, maybe you could have something resembling a convention?  I doubt I would be comfortable risking anything in 2020, personally, now that The Only Thing Worth Travelling For is off.

Posted by squirecam quarex
#162

quarex wrote:
kd8esu wrote:
squirecam wrote:
I don’t think an Origins/Gencon mix would work, because Columbus does not have the downtown hotel space that Indy has. And if you didn’t need that space, then the convention is too small to make it worth the risk to Gencon.
You mean "officially," right.It's already starting to sound like, unofficially, at least part of Gen Con's fan traditions will be transplanted to Origins.
I think you will find Origins, if it actually happens in October, is not going to look much like Origins.  I think best-case scenario is it looking like Origins 1985 or something, which I freely admit is not all bad.  Though yes, we never know.  If by August outbreaks are profoundly sporadic and unusual and only occurring where people are being reckless, maybe you could have something resembling a convention?  I doubt I would be comfortable risking anything in 2020, personally, now that The Only Thing Worth Travelling For is off.
No one knows what things will look like in October. But there is no reason for Gencon to risk investing with Origins in any official capacity.

I hope that Origins goes on in October and is highly successful though.

Origins online will happen before Gencon online. That too will give us an idea on participation rates and any platform issues/problems.

Posted by rutherfordr
#163

The email message from Gen Con said:
You can donate the cost of your badge to help us weather the storm and come back strong for Gen Con 2021. Email [email protected] between May 26 and July 29 and include your name and Gen Con ID number if you'd like to pursue this option.

A sincere question: would this really make a difference to the Gen Con staff?
 

Posted by grellden rutherfordr
#164

I rutherfordr wrote:
The email message from Gen Con said:
You can donate the cost of your badge to help us weather the storm and come back strong for Gen Con 2021. Email [email protected] between May 26 and July 29 and include your name and Gen Con ID number if you'd like to pursue this option.

A sincere question: would this really make a difference to the Gen Con staff?
 

I have zero knowledge of the status of Gen Cons cash reserves or operating costs, I however know that this will be a full year of zero income while maintaining all standard operating costs. Even worse sunken costs that will not be able to be recovered are already gone.

I work in a small company and have been hit hard by a business down turn, having cash reserves to operate on is very important just for day to day operations, just to keep the lights on.

I'm hoping there will be Gen Con branded items going up for sale, like maybe the Crystal Caste Dice sets, and the shirts and items from OffWorld designs. These are not sold by Gen Con but the movement of them should ( I suspect) help with keeping licensing fees going.

Gen Con is a huge event, but it's still only a small company.

If you can help with a purchase of their Brand or are willing to let your badge sit in the system credits for a year, it will help.

At the end of it what I'm trying to say is every bit helps.

I hope everyone out there stays safe, and that next year we have such a huge con that this will fade back in to a bad dream. 

Much love to all the staff, workers and attendees of Gen Con.

Game On 2021!

 

Posted by quarex
#165

Yeah, and they just hired some number of additional contractors this year to help with the event catalog, so likely this year actually had higher payroll than previous years, compounding the issue.

Posted by mikeboozer rutherfordr
#166

rutherfordr wrote:
The email message from Gen Con said:
You can donate the cost of your badge to help us weather the storm and come back strong for Gen Con 2021. Email [email protected] between May 26 and July 29 and include your name and Gen Con ID number if you'd like to pursue this option.

A sincere question: would this really make a difference to the Gen Con staff?
 

We would not have made it an option otherwise.

Mike

Posted by rich matthias9
#167

matthias9 wrote:
This whole situation has made me stop and evaluate the importance of Gen Con to me.
At age 18, I squeezed into the tiny backseat of a Chevette with another gamer for an arduous 350 mile drive to Gen Con 1986 in Milwaukee.  I've never looked back.  Since then, I have not missed attending a single one.  This year would have been my 35th in a row.
To some, going to a game convention is a brief getaway like a state fair or a renaissance festival.  To me, Gen Con is a lot more than that. It's an opportunity to game, yes.  But it also represents an annual tradition with my friends.  It's a week I don't have to be a dad.  I don't have to manage a worksite.  I catch up with friends, go out to eat a lot, learn a few new games.  It really frames my year to a large extent. 
My weekly gaming group keeps track of sessions, who played, what game was played, who won, what was the most popular game of the year, etc.  In that calculus, our game year isn't January to December, instead the year is from Gen Con to Gen Con. 
Looking back on past Gen Cons, some memorable highlights for me are:

  • Meeting friends at the convention that I still maintain to this day.  One friend from another city hosted me overnight while I was there weekly for grad school
  • 1993; the watershed moment of discovering Magic: the Gathering early
  • Winning the Gen Con Diplomacy Tournament
  • A game of Illuminati where 3 of us colluded in advance and pretended we didn't know each other as we sat down at the table (we felt this was fully in the spirit of this game).  When it was down to us and one other player and he realized the situation, he threatened that he better not see me on the street when he was in his car. 
  • Hotel gaming together late Sunday night every year before long Monday drive.  Having Arkham Horror on the verge of success and then drawing the "Nothing Can Save you Now" card.
  • Hilarious moments in Are You a Werewolf
  • Success (or failure) with my friends in True Dungeon or Escape Rooms
  • Driving the entirely wrong direction the day after Gen Con 2017 in order to go see the total solar eclipse in Carbondale, IL

In short, Gen Con is important to me.  My only regret is that I didn't take more photos along the way.  Losing it this year is necessary, but still a gut punch. Thanks to all who put it on or help support it.  We'll be back.
Lastly, I've never read the forums here as thoroughly as I have this spring.  Shout-out to the relentless positivity of so many of you including memorable posts by deathdwarf, lehane, tinabear81 and many, many more.  Too many to list.  I'd buy you a drink if I could get within 6ft.  See you in 2021.

I hear ya. This year would have been my 37th Gencon without a miss. You really nailed it  as to what Gencon is ultimately all about. 

Posted by rfsullivan
#168

Hello,

First and foremost, a big thank you to all the GenCon staff. I imagine the past few months have been hell, stuck with a scenario with no winning moves and a chronic shortage of information. This would have been my second year, and I've got high hopes for 2021.

A question related to the merchandise sale link that has been posted up. It looks like there is a selection of current year items, as well as a selection of discounted items from prior years. Does the con itself get an equal taste of the action on those discounted items, or does the con's cut reduced? If I spend $50 of 2019/2018 gear, is that the same as buying $50 worth of 2020 gear in terms of cash in the con's pocket?

Posted by deathdwarf rutherfordr
#169

rutherfordr wrote:
The email message from Gen Con said:
You can donate the cost of your badge to help us weather the storm and come back strong for Gen Con 2021. Email [email protected] between May 26 and July 29 and include your name and Gen Con ID number if you'd like to pursue this option.


Thanks, I was looking for this information!

 

Posted by eternusiv pchgargoyle12
#170


1993 Con size was small enough to pull that off.   Not anymore.  In 2020, they made the right call to cancel, IMHO, based on the science and logistics.  Further, we don't understand the lease situation on this side of the forums.

I hope people give the Online convention a shot, and help us make some history.  

I look at it the opposite way: Gen Con is doing everything they can under the current climate, to bring us together, by organizing online events.  Travel alone poses a risk for many who attend the conventions, and moving the Con to a new city raises a million more issues...and it looks like Origins cancelled 2020 anyway, so...

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