SFR, Inc.

[dutchjohn]

So what if I got the idea of spending time and money to get a booth at a local game con.

2 tables and 2 or 3 people explaining stuff. It is well attended however it really is manned by the big dutch game distributors. and maybe run a dutch open.

what would be the bare minimum of product to get for a 2 day show.

What if we did that under the SFR flag as well....(I am not talking about Spiel in Essen which is quite expensive however if SFR had a booth there I would give it a full support for the build up and support during the show.)

I am talking about spellenspektakel in Eindhoven after Spiel.

anyway curious and seriously interested in doing something like this someday soon.

Maybe I even get Drachenwurfel as far to help or Dial F for Funky.

this KS has all of us pumped
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tumble tumble little dice, look at that I'll strike you twice

[cliffwiggs]

I'm excited that you are excited about conventions!

They are a great way to get exposure to other players.

Conventions are a funny beast.

One way to go is to just do demos and point people towards an online store. A demo table at a con usually doesn't cost too much, but travel/food/hotel adds up fast.

Another way is to sell product at the convention to help offset the costs above, but they usually charge you more to be able to sell stuff.

The trick is to balance the two. Is there enough interest to sell product or not?

I've done well at smaller conventions and i've lost money at smaller conventions too.
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Multiplayer Champion Gencon11/Battlefest Champion(tied) GenCon10/World Champion GenCon07/National Champion Origins05/Intermediate Champion GenCon02/Novice Champion Origins99

[ddicerc]

The con costs make the biggest difference. If you would attend and get room/food/etc. already, that cost is built-in to your visit. If you wouldn't, that will likely eat all of your earnings and then some.

I've run (along with Dan Burkley) a demo table and events at a regional con about 45 minutes from my house. I commute (cuts down on expenses), and because we run constant demos and events we are not charged for a table, AND we are allowed to sell merchandise. I'll do about $400-500 worth of sales that weekend, which can be supplemented with sealed events that generate a few dollars extra. The con caters to indie gaming, with a lot of RPGs and board games, and has attendance of around 600-800 or so. We are the majority of their collectible gaming events (there was one Magic event besides us). One other factor that makes this doable is that this con feeds its gamemasters/exhibitors/demo teams for free, and provides free snacks for all. (So if anyone ever hears of a Double Exposure event near them, please sign up to do events there! It will be worth your while.) Not having to buy food cuts down on expenses, obviously. (BTW, if anyone would like to help at one of the DEX cons, let me know.)

Most cons are not so generous. A lot depends on your sales potential- are there players who will come and spend big amounts for merchandise? If you can do more sales than I do, you can make it work. I do offer convention discounts, generally about 20% on boxed stock, but that's because my other (lack of) expenses allows me to do so. Players will spend full price; I'm just up against a number of indie companies that discount.

You will want some help. I am fortunate in that I usually have one or two experienced Dragon Dice demoers/event judges living at my house available to me. (One wasn't available this year due to the birth of a next generation DRagon Dicer.) Raising your own volunteers isn't feasible for everybody (although Chuck and Cliff have also done it). Depending on the events you run, you'll need at least two people at all times-one for demos, one for events.

SFR graciously allows me to officially represent the company at DEXCON (then again, I am a board member), which helps with recognition. I can't speak officially for the company, but I would imagine you could get some official backing if you chose to do an event.

One hint: run lots of Novice events. Once someone demos, get them to a tournament game, even if its only 2-player. Give them a small prize (preferably dice they might want to supplement with purchases). Give participants a 10% off coupon for a Starter Set. Encourage them to buy and get them hooked. (I'm starting to sound like a streetcorner dealer.)

Good luck!
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Steve "DDice" Braun
The Diceman's Gaming Pages: http://ddicerc.weebly.com
2014-2015 U.S. National Champion
(Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...)