Gen Con 2014 (Aug 14-17) Friday night Gathering for Buffs™

[cdbd3rd]

It's time to start looking at Gen Con 2014 folks. (...and thanks to a bump on my 2013 thread that I hadn't gotten 2014 started off yet.)

Been getting preliminary emails from Gen Con folks with early reminders that pre-registration starts next month. I checked the GT Moto site, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN OUR SPACE THIS YEAR!!! WOOT! Somebody in city planning finally got a clue. Otoh, hotel taxes are going from 6% to 10%, so we'll be spending a little extra on our hotel bills this year.

Oh, and Jerry, hope ya don't mind me borrowing your tag line for our Friday party. Seemed appropriate since this is carrying on the tradition that used to be officially Turbine supported.

So anyway. Is still a little early for any real planning for August, but wanted to get the thread up as a bumpable reminder place over the next several months. The Friday night Gathering is pretty much an all-nighter from 8 PMish til they close where ever we invade, so is a come 'n go as ya please kinda thing. More here later as any plans come together.

Cheers!

[cdbd3rd]

Despite multi-year efforts to increase the total size of the housing block and a 13% growth of the room block this year alone, Gen Con’s housing block officially has sold out in less than a day.

To put this in timing perspective, last year, open rooms existed in the block through March 18. In 2013, housing took seven weeks to ultimately sell out. This year’s sellout of rooms with three or more consecutive nights happened in less than three hours with all other rooms selling out quickly thereafter.

Wow.

"Ya snooz, ya looz" certainly applies this year!

[TeacherSyn]

Being an Indy resident, here are some thoughts to help with the sold-out block situation.

Indy is home to (you guessed it) the Indianapolis 500, where we show every city for nearly 100 years how to move 250,000 people in and out of a small section of town in just a few hours. (And some people thought we couldn't host a Super Bowl. Right...) Because of the race, we have many hotels, just not necessarily as close to downtown to allow you to walk.

Use whatever hotel resources to search for hotels along our interstate system, specifically I-70 East/West, the I-465 loop around the city, and I-65 North/South. If you happen to drive to town, it should be very easy to get hotels within 3-10 miles of downtown. Flyers who are getting rental cars and have just yourself and 1-2 people might start with the hotels around the Indianapolis International Airport. Drivers should look to the airport area hotels and work yourselves east along I-70.

For larger groups that drive or have multiple cars, a favorite hotel that is VERY geek-compatible, being hosts to two annual local SF conventions, is the Indianapolis Marriott East, about 15 min east from downtown on a straight shot, directly next to I-70. It's been recently renovated. Plenty of restraurants nearby and a Starbucks, too. Right next door and sharing the same parking, also a Marriott hotel, is a La Quinta hotel with cheaper rates, with the bonus of being able to use the next door Marriott's pool and other resources if staying there.

I took in GenCon for a night last year, enjoying several inner celebrities in our fandom as well as meeting Tolero and Producer Glin. I hope to repeat this fun this summer.

[Jaggie]

A Jaggie should be at Gen-con this year. !

[Nklos]

I would vote for having it at the Sevrin bar again. That place was great and had great cocktails.

Have an event that overlaps with the usual party start time, but I also have two friends fighting to have me give up my spot to them for it. Let me see what I can get out of them so that I can spend more time with y'all.

[Samiusbot]

Looks like i am stealing this thread so i can start getting things in motion.

I am not sure if Lessah will be making it or not this year but i will be going and i might be the "guy with the turbine swag" to give away. I won't know for sure as turbine is great at the last minute sending of a guy to the con...

Anyway i am looking at a friday night get together maybe with Lessah and I or Tobril and I doing some kind of recorded show for those that can't make it.

Whatever bar works but with Geoff and Glinn not on the planed guest list (at the moment) i might have to buy my own drinks and that is a shame.

Please drop a reply her or via the show email or twitter so i can get a rough head count.

Thanks,

Samius

[Samiusbot]

I am looking at 9pm on Friday. Hows that?

[cdbd3rd]

I am looking at 9pm on Friday. Hows that?

Good a time as any. There's usually a few of us that gather early and start marking out a territory.

Although...


CD may not make it this year. Am in the midst of arranging a family vacation that's gonna drop about 2 weeks ahead of Gen Con, and probably won't have funding to do both. I am still contemplating an over-nighter road trip and maybe single-day romp thru the exhibit hall which I would absolutely arrange around Friday night, but...


...


...I am really really gonna try to make a road trip thing, even if I can't do a full-blown con visit this year.

[cdbd3rd]

Looks like i am stealing this thread so i can start getting things in motion. ...

Perfectly cool.

[merridyan]

Being an Indy resident, here are some thoughts to help with the sold-out block situation.

Indy is home to (you guessed it) the Indianapolis 500, where we show every city for nearly 100 years how to move 250,000 people in and out of a small section of town in just a few hours. (And some people thought we couldn't host a Super Bowl. Right...) Because of the race, we have many hotels, just not necessarily as close to downtown to allow you to walk.

Use whatever hotel resources to search for hotels along our interstate system, specifically I-70 East/West, the I-465 loop around the city, and I-65 North/South. If you happen to drive to town, it should be very easy to get hotels within 3-10 miles of downtown. Flyers who are getting rental cars and have just yourself and 1-2 people might start with the hotels around the Indianapolis International Airport. Drivers should look to the airport area hotels and work yourselves east along I-70.

For larger groups that drive or have multiple cars, a favorite hotel that is VERY geek-compatible, being hosts to two annual local SF conventions, is the Indianapolis Marriott East, about 15 min east from downtown on a straight shot, directly next to I-70. It's been recently renovated. Plenty of restraurants nearby and a Starbucks, too. Right next door and sharing the same parking, also a Marriott hotel, is a La Quinta hotel with cheaper rates, with the bonus of being able to use the next door Marriott's pool and other resources if staying there.

I took in GenCon for a night last year, enjoying several inner celebrities in our fandom as well as meeting Tolero and Producer Glin. I hope to repeat this fun this summer.

How is the parking, if I were to drive a rental car? Plenty available?

[cdbd3rd]

How is the parking, if I were to drive a rental car? Plenty available?

If you get downtown very early, it's not too hard to find a good spot reasonably priced.

Last year I found a 24-hour garage about 5-6 blocks from city center for ~$10.


Helpful link: http://www.indydt.com/parking.cfm

[Nklos]

Huh. Just noticed my last post never posted. I'll be there with Jaggie. Not sure if I'll be there at 9 or 11 though. Going to suggest we do the Sevrin Bar again.

[TeacherSyn]

If you get downtown very early, it's not too hard to find a good spot reasonably priced.

Last year I found a 24-hour garage about 5-6 blocks from city center for ~$10.


Helpful link: http://www.indydt.com/parking.cfm

Downtown parking turned quite draconian in pricing once our first Super Bowl came through. Unfortunately that pricing hasn't changed and now you have to pay for Saturday parking.

Still, there are a few deals to be had in some garages and a few side streets if you look about.

[cdbd3rd]

Downtown parking turned quite draconian in pricing once our first Super Bowl came through. Unfortunately that pricing hasn't changed and now you have to pay for Saturday parking.

Still, there are a few deals to be had in some garages and a few side streets if you look about.

I'd say it could be a golden opportunity for some enterprising Indy native(s) to rent out yard space to their fellow gamers for a nominal fee. (or TP codes)

[Cordovan]

Depending on your willingness to walk, at least as of a few years ago there was a surface lot near the Indianapolis/Marion County Building that was $5 a day. Yeah, you have to walk 5-6 blocks, but it was a great deal.

[Grimlock]

Will be there, as will the 10+ other gamers I know from the KC area again this year. We do Vampire larp every year, which starts around 7pm Thursday-Saturday so I will likely not be able to be there. Our drinking starts after those games let out - around midnight/1:00am.

[TeacherSyn]

I'd say it could be a golden opportunity for some enterprising Indy native(s) to rent out yard space to their fellow gamers for a nominal fee. (or TP codes)

If I lived anywhere remotely close to downtown...or had a yard...I'd make the offer.

[Plantman81]

Downtown parking turned quite draconian in pricing once our first Super Bowl came through. Unfortunately that pricing hasn't changed and now you have to pay for Saturday parking.

Still, there are a few deals to be had in some garages and a few side streets if you look about.

There are some good deals to be had, but not enough to go around. While this link: http://www.indydt.com/interactivemap.cfm shows parking in the area, many of the rates given will be raised to event rates for that weekend. If memory serves me well, I believe the open air lot at Meridian and South Streets, across from the Slippery Noodle will still have reasonable rates. There are no in/out privileges, but one flat fee covers all day.

[Plantman81]

If I lived anywhere remotely close to downtown...or had a yard...I'd make the offer.

I live in the Fountain Square neighborhood. ( http://www.discoverfountainsquare.com/ ) There is a free vacant lot across from my house. Some people could meet there and either carpool or walk (about 25-30 minutes, yeah, I know) or share a cab (about $7 to get downtown)

Here is the map link from the Fountain Sq link above: http://www.discoverfountainsquare.co...05-06-15-24-54 . The lot is basically at Pleasant and Laurel Streets. PM me if you like.

There are also some other free lots in the FS neighborhood. People would have the same options.

[Lessah]

I am looking at 9pm on Friday. Hows that?

Is this really going to be 9PM Friday? *goes to change Werewolf tickets*