YOUR Input Needed for Genii Convention

[Richard Kaufman]

Folks, I'm trying to decide whether to do another raffle at this year's Genii convention.

At the first convention, the raffle was badly organized (by me) and so I'm thinking of trying something different this time.

I'm assuming, first, that everyone likes to get free stuff.

So what is your general thinking about doing a 30-minute raffle on opening (Wednesday) night where we give away 100 items in 30 minutes. About 3 items a minute.

Do you think it's a drag to sit in the audience while 100 items are given away?

I need YOUR opinions so fire away!

[PickaCard]

It's not a drag if I win

Seriously, yes it is.

I would prefer to have a raffle ticket and swing by to pick up the prize during a break.

Thanks for being so generous. It will be a blast.

[mrgoat]

Dull. And *if* you win, the chances of you getting anything that would be of use or interest to you are slim.

At the recent session convention, someone one about $500 worth of stuff from murphy's. Then continued to give it all away to people all weekend.

[Ian Kendall]

One thing I noticed at the Bash was that the likelihood of getting something from the Swag box depended a lot on where you were sitting. People at the back of the room didn't have a chance.

[erdnasephile]

I second PickaCard's notion: i.e., it would be nice to not have a rule that you have to be physically present at the time of the drawing to win. (They did that at IBM/SAM, and I and others ended up wasting time just standing around waiting for numbers to be called).

If being present is mandatory, another option would be to have a raffle at each session. That way the raffle prizes could be targeted to the presumed interests of those who will be at that session. For example, raffle off the close-up stuff just before one of the close-up lectures. The more sessions you attend, the more stuff you have the potential of winning.

I also think it's a little bit of a bummer when someone with a dealer's booth or a convention organizer wins a prize. I know they probably enjoy it (and certainly deserve to play), but it always feels a little like "the management" won a prize when they do.

[AJM]

I won't be there on the Wednesday evening - then, again, I never win anything.

[brianarudolph]

Here are a few thoughts in no particular order:

- in general, the raffle is good idea (most people love the chance to win cool stuff)
- I like the idea of having a raffle of a few prizes at each session (and of prizes reasonably pertaining to each particular session) So give away some Dani DaOrtiz stuff, Fat Brothers stuff, Juan Tamariz stuff, etc. at Dani's session for example. Give away Max Maven stuff, mentaiism books and effects at a Max Maven session, etc. In these cases, you have to be present to win.
- I'd like to see a special raffle of the "big prizes" e.g., a Losander table, a $1000 gift certificate to the dealer's room, a lifetime subscription to Genii, etc. and I think it's reasonable to require attendance at a such an event. But also be sure that any grand prize drawing is held a time when most attendees are likely to be in attendance and not at some other event (so hold the big raffle during an evening show, for example.)
- For the smaller prizes, it might be nice to offer a choice of the items in that particular raffle session. So if you're raffling off prizes A, B, C, and D, the first name drawn gets to pick which of A, B, C, or D they want. I know that on a few occasions during the Genii Bash raffles, I was hoping my name would NOT be drawn for a prize that I already owned. (Of course and as usual, I didn't win anything anyway, so I really had nothing to worry about.) To preserve the choice aspect during the bulk of the convention, perhaps you would have (for example) six prizes in the current drawing's prize pool, but only draw five names - thereby ensuring that the person who's name is drawn last will still get a choice of two prizes. The left-over prize could then be put into a "raffle leftovers" bag and the whole thing given away as another prize at the "big prizes" raffle.
- At the same time, why couldn't there also be an hourly raffle in the dealer's room of a designated prize (no choice on the winner's part) but you would not need to be present to win either. Just be sure to check the winner's board in the dealer's room periodically to see if you've won anything. All such prizes must be claimed before the dealers final closing time on the last day.

[erdnasephile]

I like Brian's ideas.

How about this: For the dealer's room auctions, how about you get 1 raffle ticket for every $10 you spend in the dealer's room. The dealer's themselves would issue the tickets. Every couple of hours, the tickets all get rounded up and the raffle occurs in the dealer's room. In this way, the raffles might encourage the attendees to spend more with the dealers, and the dealers might be willing to donate more stuff since they could potentially benefit from the raffle.

[lybrary]

Hey, or do like 30 minutes in the dealers room where everything is free! You simply take what you like. I can tell you one thing: There wouldn't be any problems with attendance

[mrgoat]

Hey, or do like 30 minutes in the dealers room where everything is free! You simply take what you like. I can tell you one thing: There wouldn't be any problems with attendance

[IanLand]

Have you considered a meat raffle?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_raffle

[Bill Marquardt]

No. I would not enjoy sitting or standing in an audience for as long as it would take to give away 100 items, unless there was an open free bar.

Going along with some suggestions already given, how about having the drawings spaced out, no attendance required, and the winning ticket numbers posted on a conspicuous board in the dealers room? Prizes unclaimed by the end of the convention could then be raffled off in the traditional manner, attendance required, to those who wish to remain.

It probably wouldn't affect anyway me because all I ever win are those little celluloid mood-predicting fish.

[Ian Kendall]

Here's an idea that would require a tad more IT, but would be fun to do;

Each registration ID has a QR code printed on it. Whenever people arrive at a lecture, then scan their ID at the door. During the lecture, a number of prizes are randomly chosen, and can be picked up at the end of the lecture. Also, this would provide some good data as to which lectures were popular, which were not, and whether people went to all, most or some of them (as an aside, at the end of an Astronomy course in Uni I was asked if I had attended all, most or some of the lectures. I answered 'Almost some')

[brianarudolph]

I like Brian's ideas.

How about this: For the dealer's room auctions, how about you get 1 raffle ticket for every $10 you spend in the dealer's room. The dealer's themselves would issue the tickets. Every couple of hours, the tickets all get rounded up and the raffle occurs in the dealer's room. In this way, the raffles might encourage the attendees to spend more with the dealers, and the dealers might be willing to donate more stuff since they could potentially benefit from the raffle.

They did this at Magi-Fest this past week in Columbus with a $20 spend per ticket. The only problem from my perspective was that everyone I asked gave me a different answer about when and where the drawing was to be held, so I ultimately wasn't present when it happened.

I think it could easily work in the dealer's room at the Genii Convention. But I'll add a few comments for consideration again too:

- attendee is responsible for filling out tickets with their name and depositing them into the drawing barrel
- all unselected tickets carry over from drawing to drawing (so get a BIG barrel and/or use small tickets) so no one's tickets from purchases are ever "wasted"
- need not be present to win (again, check the winner's board periodically and be sure to claim your prize before the dealers close permanently)
- one prize per person (so keep drawing until a new name is added to the winner's board so that Marvin and his Magnificent Moneybags doesn't win the bulk of the prizes.)

For the regular raffles at the sessions, a separate batch of tickets and barrel is used; there are no tickets deposited by the attendees: each registrant has their name entered exactly once. As names are drawn and prizes claimed, that name is removed from the barrel. This again ensures that each attendee can win at most one session prize. After all prizes for that session are claimed, any names drawn for a session prize not attending that session are returned to the barrel so as to be eligible for a prize at another session. So choosing not to attend a particular session doesn't penalize you in the rest of the raffle either if your name happened to be drawn.

Finally, everyone's name is entered again exactly once for the "big prizes" drawing. That way everyone has an equal chance at a big prize and no one is eliminated from a chance at winning a big prize because they won a smaller prize earlier in the convention either.

[IrishMagicNews]

For what is is worth - at Shenanigans this year we went out and bought an iPad mini.

We sold tickets for the one raffle prize at €10 each. We more then covered the cost of the iPad, it was a great prize for someone to bring home. It also had the bonus effect of not having to sit through a more often times then not boring raffle and added some much needed funds to our coffers.

B

[KHC]

Rich:

I attend medical meetings and one of the ways of getting people into the "vendors room", so that company reps can unload their sales pitch to the doctors with the latest technology/medications is to hold a raffle at least 1-2 times during the day. The raffle tickets must be obtained from the vendors themselves forcing attendees to their booths. Prizes offered can only be won if one is present at the time in the vendors room. If they are not present, another ticket is drawn until someone present acknowledges a win.

So in the place of the "vendors room", think of the "dealers room". This will bring more people into the dealers room, making dealers happy and making those winners that are present happy. Waiting around in the dealers room is not as tedious as just waiting around for 30 min in some reception hall...and hopefully people are purchasing, while waiting for the raffle

[NYCJoePItt]

I'm not sure where these suggestions turned from a free raffle at the opening session to having to make purchases in the dealers room, but here are my thoughts.

I do like to see some free prizes being given away at the opening session, it can set a good tone for the get together and it is exciting. The chaos that broke out last time should be avoided. Perhaps, give away 3 prizes at opening session, a small, medium, and large. And you do have to be present to win.

Then split up some smaller additional prizes in a random drawing, no need to be present to win. Have the winners tweeted out, or posted on a public board, or will you have an app this year? You could do some each day of the conference, or keep it simple and put it out the first day. Spread the love around. They can collect their prize at the registration desk, etc.

This way you have some excitement at opening session and also a fair shot for anyone else to win something if they miss opening session.

[Bill Marquardt]

Yes, I would hope that the raffle tickets are not acquired by purchasing things from the dealers room. Each conventioneer should have one chance to win a prize. The raffle should be free as a reward for attending.

By putting a winners board in the dealers room, attendees will be encouraged to enter and browse the wares. Those are my thoughts. I did not attend the last bash, but I do have my reservation for the upcoming one.

[Bill Mullins]

The dealer's room at the last Bash was so crowded at times you couldn't turn around or get up and down the aisles. The next one shouldn't need something to push more people in there.

[keeper]

I like the idea of the winning numbers being posted somewhere to pick up the prizes (registration?) so people do not have to be present.

The dealer room idea is a nice addition but should be a perk for those that purchase something not a punishment for those that don't so it would be best to separate it from the main drawing.

If you do not want to burden registration with people picking up prizes a alternative method would be to have drawings at the start of every event for 5-10 things. It can be scheduled 5 minutes before each event. This does not take away from the lecture/show time and also is incentive for registrants to arrive on time or early for each event which helps keep things on schedule.