the biggest hassle about running a bigger event is hauling all our stuff back and forth to the hotel every day.  I could just leave it all under our HQ table, but there's nothing stopping someone walking away with one of our signs or a box of badge ribbons or a stack of our handouts or prizes.

I thought about getting a footlocker, locking it, and attaching it to our HQ table, but given the very reasonable terrorism concerns at a convention, I assume this would be a non-starter.

Is there anywhere on-site that a gaming group could stash stuff safely?  I've been working under the assumption that there is not, but I figure it couldn't hurt to ask.

It won't help for this year but you should look at the set-up NOVAG uses. Perhaps you could do something similar?

Like I said... no idea how much stuff you're trying to stash : )

If you have Amazon Prime you can even get some of them later this week well before the convention. 

I know GenCon rents giant security cages (measuring 30"d x 48"w x 64”h, with 2 or 3 internal
shelves).  So I don't know if they'd allow us to bring our own.

If anyone can speak to that I'd love to know.

Any group that has an HQ and/or dedicated event space is welcome to bring their own storage solution - many do. It's too late to arrange for that now, but just include that in your space request in the future. We need to know what you're using for storage and what the dimensions are, so we can update our floor plan, but as long as it fits and you have appropriate documentation that it's flame retardant, etc. it shouldn't be a problem.

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

Thanks for getting back to us Derek.  I know how busy you must be right now.

Just to be clear, it's too late for us to arrange to bring a footlocker that would fit under our HQ table this year?

And a big plastic tool chest or footlocker wouldn't be flame retardant I suppose, so we need something metal?

At least in Columbus, Ohio fire/flame retardant are highly technical terms found in the building codes. I'm sure that Derek or the ICC can provide more guidance, but it would not surprise me if they just want something that's not easily combustible. 

Which is a little ironic as a gaming convention is stuffed full of highly combustible paper, cardboard, and so forth. 

Yeah, but we get that Derek and GenCon are working with a ton of people and venues and agencies.  We want to make our part of the convention as smooth as possible for them.

If it'll fit under your HQ table, you're welcome to bring it, since that won't change the floor plan at all. And most commercial productions should be fine. Documentation is usually more important when folks build their own road cases or similar.

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

thanks Derek, you're the best!

I have put under request that my events be in the hotel we stay at, and the GenCon team has accommodated us both times {Way to go DEREK!} so if that is an option for next year I would go that route. 

Here's a photo of THE BOX.
https://stevegibsongames.wordpress.com/novag-events-at-gencon/2018-2/  (first picture on the page)

And I added some photos at the bottowm of this page of us assembling our storage box on the Wednesday before GenCon starts
https://wordpress.com/page/stevegibsongames.wordpress.com/931

We assemble it and store our stuff in it for the whole con (it has inward facing bolts and padlock). It helps that we run on the same tables for the whole event. We submit a special request each year for permission to use the box, and to get in for a few hours on Wednesday for setup. Derek and the GenCon events crew have been amazingly helpful each year.

Hope that helps give you some ideas.
Steve Gibson
Northern Virginia Gamers