Man, my crew and I just lost at the Hotel hunger games, and unless something miraculous pops up, looks like we'll be offsite again this year. I would have absolutely have no problem staying offsite except for the fact that we're consignment store junkies and buy oodles of games which we then return to our room, drop off, then go back in for more. Sometimes several times a day. So if Gencon would provide a "Room of Holding" or such where you could pay to securely store your stuff for the day, that WOULD BE AMAZING. I'd easily pay a reasonable fee for such a service. It would reduce the number of people trying to reserve downtown rooms for just this reason (there's a lot of us), and cut down on the people carrying huge game backpack whacking people in the head being toted through the halls. Anyone else think this would be a great idea?

I mean it sounds like a good idea, but I am not sure how big such a room would have to be to serve a potential 70,000 attendees.  I mean they ripped out the storage lockers decades ago for security reasons, I imagine if anyone had the ability to create an alternative it would have happened by now. 

I am very sympathetic to your problems though since I fondly remember my own days running back to the room with my Auction/Store stuff in the middle of the day before I started volunteering and then could just leave my stuff until the end of the day...and...hey, wanna volunteer?  ☺️

Will you have a car, or are you flying in and then Ubering to the con each day? There are plenty of garages/lots around. 

I'm lucky enough that I only live 2 hours away, so we drive in, and then park next to the convention center, so any purchases can be quickly ran outside. This is even quicker/closer than our "connected" hotel we had one year, SpringHill Suites

Wonder if people trust others enough to rent out the bed of a truck lol...(it has a tonneau cover)

YEah, we fly in, so no car, so the parking and storing in a car option isn't viable. 5 days car rental+insurance+parking is waaaaay more expensive than a daily lyft drive in and out. Nor is dropping stuff off to using the shipping kiosk. Too many games. We come home with a total of over 300lbs of games we each shove into our free two checked bags on the way home. Shipping cost is immense in comparison. That's money we could spend on board games!

Oh, yea car rental would definitively be a waste when there's games to be bought!

We also thought about why there's not a room/space for people to drop off purchases almost like a coat check. Give a big ballroom in of the hotels, and have a bunch of numbered tables. Then just make everyone fill out an itemized list, like how the game library does for game pieces. As quarex mentioned, not being able to serve all 70,000 attendees, just sell tickets. Most events sell out, and you'll never be able to appease everyone. 

Again, easier typed, and actually pulling it off. The logistics would be a nightmare! 

It would be a logistics nightmare. That said we like the feedback and it is something that can be discussed for the future.

Mike

Just out of curiosity mcaramb, how much would you/your crew think would be a reasonable amount you would pay to have somewhere to drop off your purchases? 

Just goofing around and thinking aloud, since work is slow today, but looking at the GenCon map, not sure if anything is held in some of the upper rooms of the Hyatt Regency, although small, it may be a good start. 

Also, I think if one of the game carrier bag companies got in on it they could run the room and offer to sell bags to keep people's items more organized. Then just have the room filled with tables with. Alternative to tables is to have boxes for everyone and the just tape it up. This may eliminate the need to have an actual itemized list, and could make pick up easier. 

Actually, if you forced people to box up their items, and have an assembly area with boxes and tape, and then they just check the box in, that way you don't need the tables and just a big space where you could potentially stack boxes. Maybe a separate area for more fragile items.

Then you have to deal with people picking up their items. Any box that is not picked up each night will be given to the mystery box booth to sell for charity! 

Now just need a shit ton of cardboard and tape, and to add a floor to the ICC!

I'd guess about $10-$15/day?

My nightmare scenario vision of this actually being implemented is that it goes great the first year, and the second year so many people factor it into their plans as "must-do" that they run out of space on the first day and deal with hundreds of angry people the rest of the time

Curious about this room of holding.  Although I do think Gen Con could handle it logistically (they have a very talented staff), it probably does not make economic sense after crunching numbers for space/staffing.  But what if a group of Con Goers who happen to have rooms downtown banded together and used their rooms as a rooms of holding.  I believe most people like myself just use their room for a bed at night and shower in morning.  So have hours be 10am - 8pm, earlier Sunday.  Hire a few trusted individuals that would staff said rooms (meet person at room via text, inventory drop off, give paper tickets like coat check, lounge and watch free HBO while awaiting next text).  Most times I would think this would be crazy trusting strangers in your room, but then I look over forums where people are willing to share rooms with strangers because the gaming community is usually an open honest community.

So I guess I'm curious how many rooms would be needed to sustain this program; how many people would be needed to staff said program; and what would be a fair compensation for access to room and individuals working it.  This is just a spur of the moment thought experiment that has not been fully vetted. But that's what forums are for is to show the many, many pitfalls of any brainstorm concepts.  As a precursor let it be said that my feelings will not be hurt in anyway on feedback and I will not attempt to reply with solutions to any feedback.  This a merely a thought experiment that may or may not lead to better ones down the road.

What do you do about the guy who buys $5000 worth of stuff, gives it to you to hold on to, and then has a family emergency where he has to fly across the country without letting you know? Would you take his stuff with you after the con, or leave it in the room?

What happens when he gets in touch with you a month later and wants his stuff?

What happens when he sues you? Your defense attorney will eat all the profit you made from your room of holding.
 

Ya'll laugh but remember those BEAUTIFUL storage lockers that were in the ICC up until Super Bowl 46 when the FBI mandated that they be removed due to a terrorist risk.

I use to go downtown the week before and grab about 20 of them

I feel you man! I had a nice little revenue stream going for years. It paid for beers and a few games every year. 

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