Jump to content

Kerbal-Kon 2015: Can We Make It Happen?

BagelRabbit

By BagelRabbit
in The Lounge

 Share

Recommended Posts

BagelRabbit

BagelRabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Well I've got heartland event center pricing.

3,250$ per day for a convention.

If we have a two-day event with 500 people attending, the ticket cost comes out to roughly $13. Maybe a one-day pass could be $10 and a two-day pass could be $15? (I want to be able to break even here.)

Do you know what the capacity of the convention center is, and whether they have any free spots without any events come early August? This is looking quite exciting.

-Upsilon

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kenbobo

kenbobo

Posted
Posted
If we have a two-day event with 500 people attending, the ticket cost comes out to roughly $13. Maybe a one-day pass could be $10 and a two-day pass could be $15? (I want to be able to break even here.)

Do you know what the capacity of the convention center is, and whether they have any free spots without any events come early August? This is looking quite exciting.

-Upsilon

PM me for more info. I don't want to be giving out so much information publicly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Robotengineer

Robotengineer

Posted
Posted
If we have a two-day event with 500 people attending, the ticket cost comes out to roughly $13. Maybe a one-day pass could be $10 and a two-day pass could be $15? (I want to be able to break even here.)

Do you know what the capacity of the convention center is, and whether they have any free spots without any events come early August? This is looking quite exciting.

-Upsilon

Checkout the website, they have an event calendar. http://heartlandeventscenter.com/main-menu/calendar?month=aug&yr=2015

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FireFaced

FireFaced

Posted
Posted (edited)

Why must the only viable weekend be my brother's birthday? Well, you could do July 25-26.

EDIT: Nebraska? I already went on an expensive trip to FL, and this? There goes my chance of going to KerbalKon if it's there.

Edited by FireFaced
Link to comment
Share on other sites
BagelRabbit

BagelRabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
Here are some other convention centers in the midwest.

- - - Updated - - -

What about August 7th-9th?

How expensive is the Cox center in Tulsa? It might be nice to host the convention in a larger city with better airport access, especially if we're expecting international guests. Picking a convention in a more populated spot might result in more media coverage as well, which would be nice if we're trying to get more people hooked on KSP. Finally, Muscogee is only a few miles from Tulsa, and I've always wanted to meet some Okies from Muscogee :)

Going to Oklahoma would actually be quite convenient for me, at least. I'm not sure about others (though that general Midwestern region did receive the second-highest number of votes on your poll).

Once again, though, it's important to consider the cost of the venue and the number of people likely to attend. The Tulsa spot has more than enough room to accomodate us, so it will probably be cheaper to only rent part of the building.

August 7-9 would be good. It does, however, mean that we only have a month left to create our plans...

-Upsilon

Edited by UpsilonAerospace
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Robotengineer

Robotengineer

Posted
Posted

Lol, I sent them an email and they haven't gotten back to me, the request form had a crap-ton of requirements, half of which I didn't fill out. (Something about insurance things?) I may just call them.

This might be sacrilege, but should we get the reddit community involved too? Or just hope we can get some recognition from Squad if this actually starts to fall in place?

Okies from Muscogee... No comment. :)

- - - Updated - - -

I wouldn't give much weight to the straw poll, only 55 people voted, and Antarctica is currently the fourth place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BagelRabbit

BagelRabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Lol, I sent them an email and they haven't gotten back to me, the request form had a crap-ton of requirements, half of which I didn't fill out. (Something about insurance things?) I may just call them.

This might be sacrilege, but should we get the reddit community involved too? Or just hope we can get some recognition from Squad if this actually starts to fall in place?

Okies from Muscogee... No comment. :)

There are some requirements that may be beyond the dominion of a bunch of Forum-goers, insurance being one of them. (If we damage the property, which we almost certainly won't, they don't want to pay for repairs is basically what it boils down to.) If we are to organize our own convention, we must either piggyback off of another convention (as was my original plan) or figure out how to deal with the requirements that the convention center asks for.

Getting the Reddit crowd involved wouldn't be sacrilege at all! We need as many hands on deck as possible. While I don't have a Reddit account, it would be nice if someone could briefly explain what's going on over here and include a link...

...Oh, and at the risk of violating both Rule 2.2f and 3.4 (sorry, moderators! I hope you understand that this content is neither very private information nor intending to refuse to abide by staff decisions. And yes, I have the Rules practically memorized by now...), here's an excerpt from a PM that Kasper sent me regarding this convention:

I'm afraid we won't endorse this officially, which is mostly down to a question of liability. We exert no control whatsoever, but by endorsing the event we could be held liable if something were to go wrong.

In my opinion, this is a bit disappointing but not unreasonable. This means, however, that we are on our own. In other words, we must do our own marketing... which also means that it is in our best interest to come up with a convention location ASAP.

I still think we can pull this off, but it ain't gon' be easy, folks...

-Upsilon

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BagelRabbit

BagelRabbit

Posted
  • Author
Posted
If Squad isn't willing to endorse, why would a smaller con be willing to let us piggyback if it might be a liability? Perhaps somebody could ask Max what he thinks about it on SquadCast tonight?

Basically, here's the scoop.

Any organization worth its salt knows that your average gaming convention is fun, informative, and safe. They also realize, however, that there is a tiny possibility that something may go wrong. A con participant might have some medical problem or a certain food and beverage stand could give a couple of people food poisoning, for example. Less likely but still within the realm of possibility: someone breaking bones falling down stairs or setting off a fire alarm. These sorts of things are unpredictable and can occur even if we do everything right, but they can make for bad press. And as Kasper said, he doesn't want SQUAD to be liable for the problems, for obvious reasons.

This is also another reason why conventions need insurance, by the way.

Tl;dr: SQUAD isn't really willing to support a bunch of unofficial Forum-goers in their efforts to create a con, because a lot could go wrong and they don't want to be considered responsible for any mishaps.

Now, if a preexisting con agrees to take us in, they understand that these sorts of things happen. They already have the infrastructure (and the insurance) to withstand such problems. More importantly, they view the convention as a time for people to get together and have fun, not as a risk for liability that makes them hesitant. (I'm not saying that SQUAD's making a bad decision here... in fact, I think they're quite shrewd. It would be more fun if they supported our efforts to create a Kerbal-Kon though.)

The more I think about it, the more I think choosing a preexisting con might be the better choice. I'm just not sure.

-Upsilon

Link to comment
Share on other sites
StrandedonEarth

StrandedonEarth

Posted
Posted

Regrettably, the farthest I could go for a Kon is Seattle, and even that's a stretch right now. Hopefully one year. Have fun wherever you guys end up, I still say FlightSimCon is your best bet, KSP would fit right in. I'm sure some players could even bring their simpits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
basic.syntax

basic.syntax

Posted
Posted

I agree that appearing at an already established convention is the best choice. But if it's looking like existing conventions are booked up (The larger the convention, the more likely they started selling tickets and planning space for events right after the last one ended) then the options for "This Summer" are reduced to organizing your own (work), or, player-hosted regional gatherings (less work.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
moronwrocket

moronwrocket

Posted
Posted

Some thoughts.

Hutchinson, KS has the amazing Cosmosphere. Been to the Air and Space museum and this, and I'd rank this better for space stuff, to be honest. Has a treasure trove of Russian artifacts as well as the Apollo 13 command module and Liberty Bell 7. They offer facility rentals for their lobby, observation deck, and board room. If the Kon is held anywhere within driving distance, it is well worth a visit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Cosmosphere_and_Space_Center

Also, another consideration is JPL is having their Open House this fall October 10th and 11th. Hotel prices are CA crazy, but being able to visit JPL during open house is unforgettable. Got to see Curiosity's test rig a few years ago, along with the MER sister rover they used for testing.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/open-house.php

Considering how small the convention is likely to be this year, setting up at a hotel and renting their ballroom might be workable.

Gotta have a multiplayer server, too. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...