"Planning for 2010 H'Con" Topic

Thought there were enough negative threads so perhaps some could share what they are doing to help there own personal success in Baltimore. And please if you are just going to bitch try to stay off this one. Perhaps we can learn from what we are doing and or planning.

As a vendor here is what we are doing:

Myself and three other vendors(plus one flee market guy) I buddy up with for expense purposes have a plan. Two of us are gathering info on hotel options- anything from just walking distance to the con and or airport/shuttle. Which ones have breakfast(and what it is) and are happy hour included. For instance at Gencon our place has both included. Our entire crew eats both for FREE. Pretty cool and a nice savings.

I am in charge of gathering as much booth/convention hall info as possible.

Our plan is to take Saturday night at Fall In and not game. We are going to dinner to add together whatever has been made available by then along with our hotel options.

Now I will not name names but one of the vendors in our group likes to hit the beer pretty hard especially Saturday night and is already looking forward to Baltimore(loves it) so he could care less. However we made DALE promise he would listen and be sober(as much as DALE can be) Saturday night.

At this meeting of the minds we will formulate the most affordable way to appoach this move(we are a bunch of cheap you know whats) so that it is successful to all in our group.

I just thought this might be worth sharing.

Jim Fox
Iron Wind Metals

Also as a public announcement I wanted to warn people of this for any future cons at Lancaster. At H'con I like to take my wife out to two nice dinners. I made the mistake of taking her to the Host prime rib buffet. Possibly the most dissapointing meal we have ever had. They were out of meat for about 30 minutes and when they did serve it it was
raw- unedible raw. They also had no dessert table- gone- no dessert at all. I just pulled the reciept for two $51.66 USD which included a $3.00 USD tip. Yes I tip by service and meal.

However we also ate across the street at Olive & Jasmine Asian Bistro. Now that was a meal worth remembering- I do not know how to describe it any better. Serioulsy give them a try. Bill for 2 $49.95 USD which included a $7.00 USD tip and it was worth every penny thus the tip.

I like my prime rib pretty raw. If it can still be milked it is pretty good, I think.

I actually haven't made any plans for it yet. I still have to figure out how Fall In is going to go. I'm working on a Carlist Wars game to run at that at the demo table in front of the booth. That should be fun.

That is one of my favourite things about Fall In, the space. There is a ton of space there and I can have a gaming table set up in front of my booth and I can game and watch my table at the same time.

Big difference between raw and food poisoning…..

Yes, planning on attending. We will see if the plan "survives the first shot".

Rare meat, "pull the horns off, drag it across the coals, and serve it". (With a good bottle of 90 proof bourbon on the side).

"It don't get much better".

:-)

foxfoxfox

Jim, did you take a look at the B5 demo decals I dropped of with you at Hcon?

Don

OK, staying off this one.

here's to rare beef!

Don,

yes- problem is the contract is up and they are now only selling left over stock- really sucks. I think we need to get together on stuff for the new ship line. Are you going to Gencon?

Jim

There are some excellent "family style" restaurants a short drive from the Host. "Good 'N Plenty Restaurant" comes to mind. I don't get away from the site much and enjoy the Pig Roast at the Host.

I'll second your recommendation for Olive & Jasmine Asian Bistro…ate there twice at Cold Wars, mainly because it was in walking distance. Our club tradition is to go to Tony Wang's on the night before the convention starts…and we load up on our adult beverages at the beer venue next door. We've been doing that since East took up at the Host, but several of us have become disenchanted with Tony's over the years and decided to try the Asian Bistro…I'll go back this Cold Wars.

Since this thread deals with both aisan food and Baltimore let me pass along a story from the recent Historicon…we did go to Tony's on Wednesday evening and as I was paying my bill at the cash register the Manager asked if I was in town for the miniatures convention, to which I said yes. Apparently word of the move to Baltimore has gotten around since he then shook his head and asked if the convention was moving next year, to which I said yes. He looked down and still shaking his head said, "very dangerous place".

Take that for whatever its worth.

db

Gee, another hijacked thread. Go figure.

Anyway, back on topic. While I have no definite plans for Historicon 2010, other than I'm going to attend (maybe 3 days), I may very well run a game or two, perhaps Sam Mustafa's new Napoleonics rules. It would be great to get a club room for NJ gamers and run a bunch of games. I am looking forward to seeing the new facilities. I think it will be a success, despite the loud few who poo-poo the BCC.

Its "pooh-pooh the BCC" thank you very much.

Jim (foxfoxfox),
Do you plan on sharing here your findings?
Tom

garryowen,

I can-

Most I think we will all know as it comes out but anything that my group finds out that may not be out there we will be happy to pass along.

Jim

Jim,

I'm not going to be able to make it to Gen Con this year. I have to play Navy that weekend.

If you have a picture of the symbol for on top of the ships and a list of names. I can put something together for you.

I've always liked the hall pig at the Host, but the dinner buffet is so not worth it.

Don

Try getting a good meal in Baltimore if you hate seafood.

FYI, for non-seafood lovers like myself, a quick recon of the area around the Convention Center in Baltimore reveals the following:

Burgers, wings, etc. at the Hooters and the ESPN Zone at the Inner Harbor;

Pasta and Eggplant parm until 2am in Little Italy;

One Sheraton has a Morton's Steakhouse; the other Sheraton has a Shula's Steakhouse, with its own private dinning room which can be reserved for small groups.

If you like seafood, I recall that they serve Maryland crab in the shell on torn paper bags as a tablecloth. You get your own wooden mallet to break them up.

Watch how fast you forget the pig in the lobby of the Host.

Nice work 47Ronin

Thanks, foxfoxfox. For reasons unrelated to the BCC move, my annual college reunion/fantasy football draft will probably be held in Baltimore in Sept. I'll report back after that with more details of the area, including travel and food options. I may also go to the Game Day. I attended the Origins in Baltimore some 20 years ago (before the baseball stadium was built) and had a good time but the area has changed plenty since then.