Postby Richard Hatch » November 1st, 2011, 11:58 pm
I think the critical factors in making such a venture a success are location, scheduling (time of year), cost and talent, not necessarily in that order. Talent shouldn't be a problem as just bringing in the columnists (Racherbaumer, Giobbi, Steinmeyer, Acer, Swiss, Regal, etc. - yeah, that includes you Dustin) would be a draw. Something topical like Marty Demarest updating his Erdnase research would likely get some buzz going. Location and cost are part of the same equation, I imagine. Lots of East Coast venues are expensive. I'm not a huge Las Vegas fan, but it sure is cheap at the moment. From a historical point of view, Los Angeles with the Larsen's home and the Magic Castle would make sense, but the cost might be a problem. The current publisher's fondness for Disney would suggest other possible venues, but again, cost would be an issue most likely. Summer seems to be the best time of year for such things in terms of getting a good turnout, but this summer you have IBM/SAM/FISM events to avoid. Here's a thought, how about having a convention that, like the magazine, goes to subscribers, i.e., moves around the country and perhaps the globe? A "GENII ON TOUR" kind of thing. That would bring it to smaller, less expensive venues, within striking distance of the larger population areas. Lifetime subscribers get to ride on the bus! Perhaps different cities would get a different line up, making each stop unique...