"Conventions and Holidays" Topic

I'm curious how other people prioritize game convention attendance versus family or work considerations for recognized holidays.

For example, my no show list would include Mother's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

Easter, July 4th, Memorial Day, and Labor Day weekends are days I could possibly go to a convention, but they're less likely due to family trips or competing social events.

On the periphery are holidays that it wouldn't matter so much. I wouldn't be missed at home for a convention around Columbus Day weekend.

Do you have holidays that totally or possibly prevent your attendance at a game convention?

I'm guessing you don't get seven week's paid leave per annum in the Land of the Free?

SEVEN WEEKS???? I was once up to three.

Most people are lucky to get 2 or 3 weeks paid vacation. When it comes to paid leave in the USA the Calvanist philosophy prevails.

I have 3 small daughters and have been married for 15 years. It always amazes me when conventions are on family holiday weekends like Memorial Day and 4th of July. One of my favorite local Cons is on Memorial Day weekend every year, I try to hit it every other year, but sometimes it's just not fair to the family to go play toy soldiers instead of hanging with the family. So normally I skip the Conventions on holidays.

Ed G.

I can pretty much agree with the list you used except that I would happily play on Halloween and New Year's Day also.

The days of me not being able to function after the previous night's festivities are behind me.

@CS- If I had 7 weeks, I'd be doing several overseas conventions and would have a lot more armies painted.

I neglected to mention that I also have a child in school now. Thus my already limited vacation time is tapped for extra days for when school is closed on election day, or a number of teacher conference and training days. I'm burning 3 days just this week for school closure, which mentally crosses off a potential 4 day convention somewhere.

In the UK from 5 weeks to 7 weeks plus 7 Bank holiday all paid is the norm
Also our shows are over the weekend so you can pop in for 1/2 day over fathers day or mothering Sunday and keep all happy well most of the time
When my kids wear younger i could take them as well so mum would get a brake .now they take me and mum still gets a brake

In the Netherlands it's 4-6 weeks paid vacation, with an extra month's vacation pay paid end of May. Plus a bunch of extra holidays, what the Brits would call bank holidays.

Holidays where the family gathers are out 9 christmas , Easter , thanksgiving) large outing days 4th July ( USA) are not good . Halloween is good ( just got back from chiller monster , horror Sci Fi convention) . Holidays are though generally bad somebody always has plans .

Ming31- I try to go to Chiller when I can, but it being right on Halloween this year made it too difficult. I skipped Friday to run a zombie game I'd promised for a local store, and missed out on Saturday due to kids Trick or Treating responsibilities and an evening party. No big deal. There's always the spring show as an option.

@ you guys in Europe. I envy your time.

I like to keep the equinoxes and the Major High Days occurring between them free. Got to go dance naked with the coven, you know.

Allen

Having a young one, scheduling a con on the weekend of just about any holiday is a non-starter for me. Even before I started a family, I would have thought twice about attending.

Labor Day, maybe President's weekend would be an option to play, but the rest are mostly off limits.

Allen, I guess your coven is a lot better looking than mine. I go to cons to escape all that naked dancing. Gives me shivers just to think about it. I have to go wash my brain now. Thanks!

I have had a convention in Florida on Mother's Day. Attendance was OK.

I also had a large convention in Georgia on Easter but I inisisted on leaving on Saturday.

Easter is a NO Convention holiday for me.

Many shows are tied into holidays such as Memorial DAy (Nashcon), ML King Day (often Siege-Augusta), several have been held on Father's Day, Columbus day, labor Day.

Holiday importance varies nationwide. Some private companies make their employees work on holidays that many people do not work. She did not get Columbus Day, nor President's Day and will not get Veteran's Day.

My son works as a public school teacher and did not get Columbus Day off but did get the Talladega Race days (Friday and Monday) off due to the dangers of the children and school buses with the crowds of people in the area.
As a consultant, if i do not work I do not get paid. There is no holiday pay for me on any of them. So the day off has no meaning for me.

With most of my family living more than 1000 miles away, I think Thanksgiving (w/wife's family), Christmas (w/my family) and New Year's (wife & I finally have a holiday to ourselves), are the only ones I wouldn't attend a convention on.

I actually like conventions on long weekends, as that Monday is nice for catching up on all the household stuff I didn't do Saturday and Sunday. I am disappointed that the Siege of Augusta doesn't seem to be on the King holiday weekend any more.

When the Old Dominion Military Society picked the weekend for the Williamsburg Muster, we looked at what events would have conflicted with our own event.

We chose the first weekend in February as it interfered with no con or holiday (Valentine's was the next week)at the time. It was also at the time of the year in our tourist area where hotel rooms are cheaper. The only thing we had to worry about is the weather, which isn't as rough as up north. Our cons weather was beautiful this year.

After we had scheduled though, we found out that Little Wars was scheduled for the same weekend. We felt though that our con would not effect Little Wars as it is in Illinois and we are in Virginia.

Our con had almost 300 attendees and 12 vendors. Attendees came from as far north as New York and as far south as South Carolina.

We expect more attendees this year and we have 19 vendors.

So if you are free the first weekend in February, begin your campaign season at the Williamsburg Muster.

link

Justin
Williamsburg Muster secretary

I'm only unavailable Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not having any children and an easy going girlfriend help a bit.

The Mid-Ohio Comicon was traditionally held during the Friday-Sunday after Thanksgiving in Columbus.

The first day of gun season for deer is… the day after Thanksgiving.

I could never wrap my head around the thinking that went into scheduling a convention during that weekend. Even non-hunters get shafted that weekend because aside from Christmas, that's the weekend of the year in which the most vacation days are taken around here and guilt trips are issued for those who would like to have that weekend off desiring to send Bambi's parents to the processor.

I normally enjoy grinding my teeth when some event is scheduled during a holiday weekend, be it a convention or some nuisance event like a child's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Holidays are for family.

Holidays are for family. Although perhaps Presidents day, Columbus Day or MLK as they are not paid at my work. (though i do get more than 4 weeks paid – and I live stateside)

Not sure if I would go to a multi-day con on a holiday weekend, probably depends what holiday. Our group has gamed on specific days related to holidays for many years now, so much that we have given some of them names. I host gaming on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, another member hosts on Black Friday, a third member hosts on New Years day, and a fourth on the Saturday between Christmas and New Years.

Holidays are for family. Except a few and in particular Veterans Day. I could always go to Fall-In! even if it was on that holiday. Otherwise, I don't go. Example: Fall-In! 2010 ends on Halloween.

@ You US Guys – sorry to hear you don,t get that much holiday,always believed you were on holiday most of the time as watched National Lampoons vacation Holiday flicks in the past and they gave this impression.

I get 28 days holiday including Bank Hols but actually always feel like its not enough especially as I work Full time and Run the family business as well,I,m always getting told off by wife about doing a show/Convention on Fathers day but you have to attend the events that pay the bills!
My Favourite event is a little one which takes place on the UK South Coast at Eastbourne near Brighton which is held inside an old Napoleonic fortress right on the beach,We set up our Stand in the Courtyard right in the centre of the fort then as the sun shines we take turns to go and relax on the Battlements watching the waves rippleing in.Great venue and very nice people.