Nathan Caroland
01-21-2006, 08:35 AM
Alright, so I have been thinking for the last couple of months, that should things go well, that I would start taking Wyrd on to some of the conventions, do some mingling, pimp the product, and in general try and up the interest for Wyrd in general.
I need to get on the ball it seems as registration packets are already going out to some of the largest conventions in the United States, booths are being chosen, events planned, etc. Heck, I just realized this morning that I'm ten days too late already for the early bird prices for a convention that is six months away (grumble).
So the question is, how many of you go to conventions? Do you go for gaming, miniatures, to mingle or to you staunchly stay away from the places? What sort of purchases do you make while there - do you horde your money and do a huge blowout of 'I got to have this' or is it really something that you pick up one or two things, raise your eyebrow appreciatively at a few things and move along keeping your wallet safe from the convention mauling?
The prices aren't too bad for some of these conventions, others are outright amazing (am I funding a mission to mars all the sudden?). On top of all this I myself have to take into account of getting to the destination (odds are driving), getting a few days off from my bread and butter job (say for instance, if I go to Origins, I would have to take off atleast 3 days of work, if not 4), finding someone to man the booth with/for me (I would say the wife, but she might not be too keen on the idea, and then of course, there are my kids to think about), hotels (and if its not me and the wife, someone needs to be damn comfortable sharing a room!), feeding ourselves .. blah blah.
Then, lets say I do go to the convention - what all is needed would you say? Off hand I would say product (heh), a banner to place up high, banner at the table, product information, buisness cards, display pieces (which of course means I would need a display cabinet - any ideas there?). I'm going to assume I'll actually have chairs and a table provided for my booth expenses but you know what they say about assuming anything.
How about the product, would you, as a customer be just as happy looking over everything in a display cabinet and then saying 'gimme one of those, and those, and that' and then getting them in little baggies like we ship them out now, or would you expect something more upscale like blisters and clamshells with inserts and artwork? I can of course do all that, but frankly, that's extra costs, quite a bit. Do I keep everything behind the counter so to speak or do I put up a cabinet for folks can paw them and then bring them over to be purchased? This last one doesn't really suite me too well as, frankly, I was a damn good shoplifter when I was a kid (yes, I know, FF was a bastard thief and did more than his fair time in juvie and detention centers - sorry, I'm rehabilitated, honest) and can see product disapearing in droves, even when you have two other individuals there to help out - one securing the product, one pimping the product and one taking money.
Then it comes down to taking money. Right now we're Paypal only, but obviously that's not going to work out at a convention. Cash is the #1 source of course, but then do I go ahead and splurg and do Credit Cards too? Am I that much more likely to get sales (I'm thinking I am) if I have that ability? Checks - uhh .. probably not, as forgive me, there are some crooked bastards out there, but for you convention goer's, is this a norm or do most say Cash or CC?
Then it comes down to security. I've heard some horror stories where cash boxes have been stolen, whole product displays kidnapped, etc. The LAST thing I would want, much less could afford, would be some crazy bastard stealing making off with a thousand miniatures and me sitting there going 'huh'? Cash is easy enough to guard I think with a box, lock and chain and mainly my big ass sitting on it. Product though, conventions mainly handle security (heh - ok, I stopped laughing long enough to finish this now) or is it something you bundle up at the end of the day and truck it out with you, putting it in the hotel or a secured vehicle (which of course, a determined individual could get to anyhow, but really, I'm being just a tad paranoid as this isn't a New Orleans free for all).
Then we have events and sponsoring that is available. I was talking to Airhead the other day and he was discussing how he does Paint and Takes at all these conventions (the man goes to more of them than I could imagine!) and I sort of liked the idea of doing one of those and might end up doing something like that at DragonCon here in Atlanta later this year. Of course, we figured out that there would basically need to be about 200 free miniatures provided for this, paint sets, small prizes, advertising whatnots and of course the cost of doing the convention itself, which would put me in for a sizeable chunk as well.
So - I'm getting a bit of 'sticker shock' on some of this stuff, and I see my wallet crying for mercy at the moment, but at the same time, I can't help but think it would be a good thing to get the product out and known and hopefully it will help Wyrd grow and expand. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Wyrd to become a Reaper or Privateer Press, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind it in the least and I know these folks got their start small as well and I figure if its worth doing, do it right. At the same time, I don't want to put out $2000USD just to break even or come home broke.
The floor is open for discussion, cause I'm certainly damn curious.
Oh, and does anyone have a few thousand they could float me?
:D
I need to get on the ball it seems as registration packets are already going out to some of the largest conventions in the United States, booths are being chosen, events planned, etc. Heck, I just realized this morning that I'm ten days too late already for the early bird prices for a convention that is six months away (grumble).
So the question is, how many of you go to conventions? Do you go for gaming, miniatures, to mingle or to you staunchly stay away from the places? What sort of purchases do you make while there - do you horde your money and do a huge blowout of 'I got to have this' or is it really something that you pick up one or two things, raise your eyebrow appreciatively at a few things and move along keeping your wallet safe from the convention mauling?
The prices aren't too bad for some of these conventions, others are outright amazing (am I funding a mission to mars all the sudden?). On top of all this I myself have to take into account of getting to the destination (odds are driving), getting a few days off from my bread and butter job (say for instance, if I go to Origins, I would have to take off atleast 3 days of work, if not 4), finding someone to man the booth with/for me (I would say the wife, but she might not be too keen on the idea, and then of course, there are my kids to think about), hotels (and if its not me and the wife, someone needs to be damn comfortable sharing a room!), feeding ourselves .. blah blah.
Then, lets say I do go to the convention - what all is needed would you say? Off hand I would say product (heh), a banner to place up high, banner at the table, product information, buisness cards, display pieces (which of course means I would need a display cabinet - any ideas there?). I'm going to assume I'll actually have chairs and a table provided for my booth expenses but you know what they say about assuming anything.
How about the product, would you, as a customer be just as happy looking over everything in a display cabinet and then saying 'gimme one of those, and those, and that' and then getting them in little baggies like we ship them out now, or would you expect something more upscale like blisters and clamshells with inserts and artwork? I can of course do all that, but frankly, that's extra costs, quite a bit. Do I keep everything behind the counter so to speak or do I put up a cabinet for folks can paw them and then bring them over to be purchased? This last one doesn't really suite me too well as, frankly, I was a damn good shoplifter when I was a kid (yes, I know, FF was a bastard thief and did more than his fair time in juvie and detention centers - sorry, I'm rehabilitated, honest) and can see product disapearing in droves, even when you have two other individuals there to help out - one securing the product, one pimping the product and one taking money.
Then it comes down to taking money. Right now we're Paypal only, but obviously that's not going to work out at a convention. Cash is the #1 source of course, but then do I go ahead and splurg and do Credit Cards too? Am I that much more likely to get sales (I'm thinking I am) if I have that ability? Checks - uhh .. probably not, as forgive me, there are some crooked bastards out there, but for you convention goer's, is this a norm or do most say Cash or CC?
Then it comes down to security. I've heard some horror stories where cash boxes have been stolen, whole product displays kidnapped, etc. The LAST thing I would want, much less could afford, would be some crazy bastard stealing making off with a thousand miniatures and me sitting there going 'huh'? Cash is easy enough to guard I think with a box, lock and chain and mainly my big ass sitting on it. Product though, conventions mainly handle security (heh - ok, I stopped laughing long enough to finish this now) or is it something you bundle up at the end of the day and truck it out with you, putting it in the hotel or a secured vehicle (which of course, a determined individual could get to anyhow, but really, I'm being just a tad paranoid as this isn't a New Orleans free for all).
Then we have events and sponsoring that is available. I was talking to Airhead the other day and he was discussing how he does Paint and Takes at all these conventions (the man goes to more of them than I could imagine!) and I sort of liked the idea of doing one of those and might end up doing something like that at DragonCon here in Atlanta later this year. Of course, we figured out that there would basically need to be about 200 free miniatures provided for this, paint sets, small prizes, advertising whatnots and of course the cost of doing the convention itself, which would put me in for a sizeable chunk as well.
So - I'm getting a bit of 'sticker shock' on some of this stuff, and I see my wallet crying for mercy at the moment, but at the same time, I can't help but think it would be a good thing to get the product out and known and hopefully it will help Wyrd grow and expand. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect Wyrd to become a Reaper or Privateer Press, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind it in the least and I know these folks got their start small as well and I figure if its worth doing, do it right. At the same time, I don't want to put out $2000USD just to break even or come home broke.
The floor is open for discussion, cause I'm certainly damn curious.
Oh, and does anyone have a few thousand they could float me?
:D