I have a quck question on timing. Considering the event submission is open on 1/6, say you register your events on that day with the amount of player hours needed to qualify for a badge. Would it be safe to say you would get your GM badge in time to register for a hotel on the 1/24? Is it normal to instead buy a badge on 1/22 to register for the hotel, then seek reimbursement at a later time?

Thank you

Unfortunately, you usually can't request GM Badges until May. Your events won't really even get looked at until February. So, most GMs who want to use the housing block have to buy a badge before the housing block opens and request a refund after they get their GM Badge.

The process for requesting a refund after qualifying for a GM badge is quite simple.  I always buy a badge ahead of time to get access to the housing block and then request a refund in May.

GM badges are not distributed until events are active, which happens much later in the year, usually around April/May, shortly before event registration opens up.

If you need a badge for any reason (suc as reserving a hotel room) prior to getting your GM badge, just buy a normal attendee badge. Once you get your GM badge, you can request a refund.

As long as you request a refund for your GM badge before we start printing badges (usually in June), we can refund you very quickly & easily online. If you request after your badge is printed, you'll need to bring your attendee badge to GM HQ by the Thursday of the convention and we'll refund you after we get back in the office.

Let me know if you have any questions.

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

Derek,

Do you only refund hotel blocks? If I find an AirBNB for less than your hotel block and I qualify for hotel reimbursement based on my events, would I qualify for 1/4 reimbursement? 

I can't see staying onsite with 3 other gamers crammed in a double-King room :) Maybe in my early 20s but not anymore, haha./

We only reimburse within the block, sorry. I actually just reviewed this with housing to confirm what flexibility we have (it's none).

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

had an issue a few years back with Origins as the card i used to buy the badge initially had been hacked, and my bank had issued me a new card just prior to the con, so when they went to refund it, they had issues getting it back on my card.

Badges are usually allocated the week of event reg.  For instance last year our allocation was 5/11/15 and reg started 5/17/15.

The dealine this year to request badges and hotel reimbursement is 5/15/16 per the EHP (same day as reg, so I'd suggest requesting badges a good deal earlier!).

That's the deadline to request a room in the GM block, not for hotel reimbursement, to be clear. The deadline for hotel reimbursement is 2 weeks after the convention, so if you have your own room and need a refund, you can deal with that onsite or shortly after the convention.

Just make sure to turn in all of your tickets properly and keep a copy of the hotel bill (with your name printed on it by the hotel).

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

Yes that is an important point.  I believe too that for hotel reimbursement of your own room, that room has to be in the Gen Con block (so not Homewood Suites for instance as I think they are still outside the block). 

Yup. It's called out in the Event Host Policy, as well. It's gotta be in the housing block to be eligible for reimbursement.

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

Do we have to by a four day badge to be able to get into housing or can we just buy a one day badge?

Not usually but this year every penny counts unfortunately.

I do not believe there is a restriction on a 1-day badge vs a 4-day (I didn't encounter one during testing, certainly), but we're getting outside of actual EO or GM questions, so for the official answer you'll want to refer to the housing details and email [email protected] if you still have any questions.

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Derek Guder
Event Manager
Ge Con LLC

Thanks Derek!

Hi Derek,

i hope I'm not being dense here.  In this thread you noted that hotel reimbursement is only for gencon block of hotels right?

What if you weren't able to secure a hotel room from the lottery?

Specifically, this would be a Crowne Plaze room I would be in, but not within the gencon block.

thanks!

Nope, the EHP clearly states that only rooms that are booked IN the Gen Con hotel block are eligible for reimbursement.

Wouldn't it therefore be fair to give GMs first dibs to the hotel block or am I missing something?