"If You Could Change One Thing About Historicon..." Topic

> Move it anywhere, as long as it's a nice venue within shuttle-bus distance of an airport.

OR have the con staff add a shuttle bus from the airport to wherever the con is.

"The Host is a dump, you can spend all the money in the world and still not fix it."

Well reasoned.

TRU

Winston, you wrote "A past frequent GM in our group who doesn't do it anymore said tonight that the main reason he doesn't run Games anymore is because he is required to do it through Facebook. No simple on line game registration any more. Can only be Facebook, which he refuses to do."

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Can you explain. There's no Facebook registration of games. Online game submission is only on the Hcon part of the HMGS website.

Thanks,
Joby

Hey Joby, don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant!

I would allow attendees to sign up for multiple events each day, as long as they dont overlap.

I would have a national mini championship convenetion there. Anything, even something I dont play, just to have attendees and check things out.

I would punish GMs who dont put their game on. I've been to 5 HMGS conventions, and have had 6 cancelled games. That's a terrible ratio.

Have some showcase, or prestige games in the lobby or front. Have "come and playtest" ads on BGG, facebook, and others sites. With excellent terain, and well painted armies. Have a publisher run it all con. Let drop-in, non-registered attendees show up and play. Grow the hobby.

Have a better ticket system for events. Allow generic tickets to go to events. Make GMs collect and turn in, to get con rebates. Would be an easy way to track who is playing what games rather than looking via a mark 1 eyeball.

Sigh. Often a frequent critic of the cons/BoDs, I find myself going to their defense with some real head-scratching posts here – posts which make me wonder if the people posting even attend HMGS cons. Here goes –

"A past frequent GM in our group who doesn't do it anymore said tonight that the main reason he doesn't run Games anymore is because he is required to do it through Facebook."

Whaaaaaa??? Facebook? Or does he mean the YM site. HMGS does not use FB for anything officially related to registering games. Perhaps your friend was thinking of another convention. Or he had been drinking. :-)

"No simple on line game registration any more."

Not sure there ever was one.

"Can only be Facebook, which he refuses to do."

See above. :-)

"I would allow attendees to sign up for multiple events each day, as long as they dont overlap."

I believe they already do that now.

"I would have a national mini championship convenetion there. Anything, even something I dont play, just to have attendees and check things out."

Not sure what you mean by this. There are already plenty of tournament games and competitions going on – all kinds of ancients and FOW games. Do you mean something else?

"I would punish GMs who dont put their game on."

Like beatings? GMs are volunteers who actually get very little in return for all their hard work. Perhaps what the organization needs to do is start tracking the no-shows. To do that they must come up with a system that allows them to actively know what games are and are not taking place. Right now they rely on a passive system (the GM tells them or a disgruntled ticket holder tells them). GMs have lives too. Work and family demands come first. People get sick, etc. Determine who isn't coming and why (if you can). Look for patterns for repeat cancellations. About all they can do as of now. And beatings. :-)

"Have some showcase, or prestige games in the lobby or front."

Ummm, you are you attending HMGS conventions? They already have this and will with a return to the Host. That said, my own personal opinion is that I'm not sure gooning up the lobby outside the Distlefink with lots of games is a good idea. The lighting is so-so and perhaps instead the area could be used to set up a gaming area management desk and some tables for people to sit and eat, hang out, etc.

The front lobby by the check-in desk is more like a purgatory area for GMs than a bonus. It is often hot and always poorly lit. Maybe issue mining helmets with lights on the front so the players can see the games. The best lit area is the Lampeter room where the flea market and tournaments take place. Last time a CD tried to repurpose that room there was an open rebellion, torches, pitchforks, etc. It was ugly.

"Have "come and playtest" ads on BGG, facebook, and others sites. With excellent terain, and well painted armies. Have a publisher run it all con. Let drop-in, non-registered attendees show up and play. Grow the hobby."

I'm sorry but I'm having trouble deciphering this paragraph. There have been some playtest/demo games run in the dealer hall which is kind of cool, but they take up precious dealer space, so it is a trade-off at best. Maybe that's what you have in mind? :-)

"Have a better ticket system for events. Allow generic tickets to go to events. Make GMs collect and turn in, to get con rebates. Would be an easy way to track who is playing what games rather than looking via a mark 1 eyeball."

GMs turning tickets back in for cash is a bad idea and already long been tried and discarded. It invites fraud (cash handling) and the problem was getting everyone at the same place at the same time. No-go idea there. As a GM I would be happy to report ticket attendance after, but there is no place of system to collect such data. Goes to the lack of game management at the cons.

No, you can only prereg for one game a day.

And there are tourneys, but I would like more championships or similar. Seems like Adepticon has a lot of varied National Tournies, would like some to come to HCon.

And by punish i mean repeated offenders shouldnt be allowed to put on games. I brought a friend along to Fall In and both his Saturday and Friday game were cancelled. He was not impressed, especially with no announcement or anyone letting him know. He was at the table and waited, and when no one came he figured it out. Since the other games had already started for that hour, he had nothing to do. Needless to say he probally isnt coming back.

If it's a purgatory, make it a heaven. There needs to be something for press and cool social media posts. Either adapt or go way of the dinosaur. And i think the lobby of the hotel is where the non-ticketed playtest should be. Simple rulesets. Nice battlefield. Let people come and experience the hobby.

I agree, just some form of better game management.

How about getting Historicon off the I-95 corridor so folks can use less congested roadways to access the convention? Someplace like the Pittsburgh area seems reasonable. A lot easier to drive across PA, or up and down a roadway like I-81, than up and down I-95.

You would still have CW and FI to place right along I-95. Maybe a revised geographic setup would help FI to grow.

My two cents worth.

"No, you can only prereg for one game a day."

Yes, but once on site they allow you to take tickets for more than one game. Allowing additional prereg would only be adding fuel to the fire. There are problems with the entire process – perhaps significant. Until HMGS gets a handle on the situation, expanding a problematic program doesn't seem wise.

The same goes with punishing anyone. Until HMGS gets a handle on the situation, they really can't do anything – at least without any facts in hand.

These problems stretch over all the cons. Convention Directors are only responsible for their own con and reporting problems up. Where have the ConOps been all these years fixing these known problems? Not that they have any written job descriptions and duties that I am aware of. Hard to hold anyone accountable when they have no formal job duties. Too much time has been spent on the entire BoD focusing on "where in the world is Historicon" questions.

In regards to social media posts – I agree. There has been some discussion about that on the official yahoo site for members – which has less than 10% of the membership on the group. Many don't read the newsletter, or even know about it. And apparently the $300 USDk in the bank is not enough to go out and hire a professional photographer to post picture to social media in near-real time. Perhaps they can find a volunteer, but good luck depending on that long-term as the last one was treated rather poorly.

In regards to the games you suggest – HMGS does nothing to encourage or plan for games run with specific rules sets. What I see at the cons are a lot of home brewed rules – many that I am admittedly hesitant to waste my time on as they are not published and often open to very wide interpretation by the GM who created them. In short, not something that really grows the hobby as they are not commercially available. They only entertain the masses for a few hours at best. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me to feature such games for the stated reasons, but then again, not much does as I get older. :-(

Most homebrew rulesets are a joke, Unfortunately. Makes the truly innovative ones lost in the noise. I honestly could care less where a convention is at, and more what it has. People dont travel to Gencon because it's close. They travel because it has substance. And Gencon is a nightmare to attend. Have to be on the net within 15 mins of hotels being offered to get an incredibly expensive room. Have to pay to park. 55 bucks a day. Is miniature gaming even close in popularity to table and other things featured at Gencon? NO. But making it a convention worth attending and people will talk less about the extra 50 minute drive and more about the awesome game they attended, etc. I've been a HMGS member for 3 years and didnt even know there was a Yahoo site.

I think you said it all. :-)

Commenting as a dealer mostly. I would love to be able to shop (BUYING and SELLING) as much as possible… Which, as a dealer, I am presently unable to do, since the flea markets coincide exactly with the dealer area times. Personally, I love the Flea Markets, aka Wally's Basement, but as a dealer, I do not understand why they are being run in direct competition with us. At 10 o'clock, the dealer area is basically empty, as people throng to Wally's. Same at 2:00 pm., and usually for an hour both times.

To me, the easiest solution to benefit everyone is to have the dealer area open during the daytime, and then the flea markets open up at nighttime. The one thing that a convention like this is best for is to allow customers to see before they buy, something you cannot do on the internet. I personally believe that convention directors should do everything in their powers to keep the dealers happy, and this would satisfy a lot of them based on my discussions.

……but as a dealer, I do not understand why they are being run in direct competition with us.

And I don't understand why you think they are in competition. Just because a lot of people may leave the vendor hall, doesn't mean they haven't bought stuff from the vendors. In my case, I do 99% of all my intended shopping in the first hour that the dealer hall is open. I may then disappear when the flea market opens but that is my discretionary, impulse buying only. The two venues are not in competition for the same dollars.

I do agree with keeping the dealers happy. I'm not sure your solution is adequate.

Some folks have this all wrong because the flea market has such limited hours, members have to focus on getting to it when those small windows of time allow. So instead of this continual yearly noise of trying to shut it down, let's increase the hours, that way everyone can hit it at their convenience.
I've also said before Fredericksburg was great but it not viable… let it go.

To me, the easiest solution to benefit everyone is to have the dealer area open during the daytime, and then the flea markets open up at nighttime.

That's a true statement….for you. Of course all this does is create a dilemma for GMs and the attendees playing games in the evening. Next you'll hear the GMs screaming about players deserting the game in the middle of it. And you'll hear the complaints of gamers forced into a conflict for their time [I suspect the games will suffer, as flea market access is more limited in time and selection].

Sometimes OUR choices [like attending as a dealer] limits what we have as options. So, try getting a trusted friend/family member to work the booth while you go shopping and rotate.

Actually, all the Cons could have "stomach cut outs" in the tables so there's more room to walk between the tables during games.

Or maybe that's just not logistically feasible…

RE: Some folks have this all wrong because the flea market has such limited hours, members have to focus on getting to it when those small windows of time allow. So instead of this continual yearly noise of trying to shut it down, let's increase the hours, that way everyone can hit it at their convenience.

Sorry, gonna disagree with you here. On Friday, Vendors open from noon til 6, with the flea market open 50% of that time. On Saturday, we are open from 9 until 6, with flea markets open two thirds of that time.

So anyone who says that Wally's does not have an impact on the dealer area has clearly not spoken to the same dealers I have.

So going to the flea market and spending money are two different things. I always go to at least one of the flea markets, but I don't always spend money there. It is an impulse buy situation. Unlike the dealer area where I always spend money, but often have a shopping list of things. The funny thing is, often times I don't find what I am looking for in the dealer hall.

Quit worrying about the attendance or drop in attendance at the dealer hall. We all make it there at some point and most of us spend money there. IIRC, the flea market opening has been pushed back by an hour so as to give the dealers a leg up on the attendees. Even if people leave, you know they are coming back.

At this point in my life I bu very little at either. I go to the dealer hall for specific items that I know a particular vender will have. In the flea market you pretty much have to throw it at me for me to take it and both take away from gaming.

So anyone who says that Wally's does not have an impact on the dealer area has clearly not spoken to the same dealers I have.

With all respect, all they can tell you that there are less bodies in the vendor hall.

+1 to dapeters and Bowman. Agree with both.

I find myself buying virtually nothing these days from the flea market. I go, but just to look and that's about it.

I do find it odd that at the last con there were so few hobby supplies like paint, brushes, etc.

The last Flea Market a fellow was selling 28mm Foundry/Crusader Saxons. I bought 24 plus command for another Hail Caesar unit. But generally, it is hit and (mostly) miss. It's because I have only a few things on the go and am looking for very specific items.

That is why most of my buying is in the Vendor Hall. I know what I want/need, I have already pre-ordered the items and I buy everything in a very short time. My not being in the Vendor Hall once the Flea Market opens doesn't mean my purchases are switching location.

I do find it odd that at the last con there were so few hobby supplies like paint, brushes, etc.

Imagine someone selling W + N No.7 brushes at a con.

RE: Some folks have this all wrong because the flea market has such limited hours, members have to focus on getting to it when those small windows of time allow. So instead of this continual yearly noise of trying to shut it down, let's increase the hours, that way everyone can hit it at their convenience.

Sorry, gonna disagree with you here. On Friday, Vendors open from noon til 6, with the flea market open 50% of that time. On Saturday, we are open from 9 until 6, with flea markets open two thirds of that time.

So anyone who says that Wally's does not have an impact on the dealer area has clearly not spoken to the same dealers I have.

I too think expanding the hours of flea market availability may in fact lead to a new and less stressful paradigm for sales at our cons. Counterintuitive, I know. I'll get to that in a moment.

But I want to respond to the nature of any analysis directed at hours of availability of "shopping" at the convention.

I assert that the complaint of overlap or relative length of both markets is not the important element. It's what is being offered in both markets that is mainly driving consumer behavior.

It's like comparing a Macy's department store with a neighborhood garage sale. People go to the garage sale not knowing exactly what might be offered. But its likely its something they might also find a similar product at a Macy's.

Our shoppers flood to the flea market because its anticipated, unlike the commercial vendor, that items they may desire might be "one ofs" vice a whole pegboard of same product. Also, it's there that one might find that long unavailable game or miniature. It's inevitable, then IMO, that a new market opening up, with a treasure hunt-like element, limited quantities, and USUALLY but not always, value pricing is a natural draw from the already operating and still operating commercial sales floor.

Fact is, in my experience on both sides of the markets, my flea market sales are weighted within that first hour of the flea market and a bit of the bump near the end.

While sellers typically keep records of their sales. I wonder if anyone has investigated "when" those sales occur. Ditto. The dealer area.

Perhaps starting to understand the dynamics of these two markets…might help us appreciate just how they interact.

Now, given the flea markets [and dari Buck does not note that the total hours of the flea markets consists of 2 sessions/day…meaning there is an influx of unique product 4-5 times/con driving consumer behavior. The dealer area, assuming all are in place at the initial opening, offer the same product across the entire dealer market hours.

Sooooo….it behooves me to be in the initial rush of each flea market to see what unique items there might be….I can always go back to the dealer [in most cases] for those things I would expect to find across the convention shopping hours.

rmcaras

rmcaras makes entirely too much sense here. He should be banned before this sort of thing starts to spread.

[sarc/]

B

I will endure a self-imposed ban from this thread…;-)

Just right after these important announcements…;-)

But seriously, one of the things we consistently do in examining what we suppose are weaknesses, issues or, areas we can improve, is to ACCEPT and just take for granted our existing conditions and try to extrapolate "improvements" from that point.

Vice stepping back, turning everything on its head and trying to understand what might happen "if".

A good example might be, IMO, how computers developed….over time one firm, IBM became the monopolistic player in the game…improvements in the role computers could play in society, especially by others non-IBM wanna be competitors were incremental and limited in scope and application [ie, commercial, industrial uses only].

So, rather than try to out-IBM IBM, some savvy competitors changed "the game" and voila….personal computers were born!

An entirely different product, new markets, new uses, scope etc etc…AND yet now ubiquitous even in commercial and industrial environments. [Imagine NFL teams huddling around IBM mainframes and CRT on the sidelines vice the wireless iPads and digital tablets they use today to study previous formations and plays in nearly real-time].

Soooo, what are the systems in play in our convention [pre-convention, convention and post-convention??

- what data gathering, analysis, continuous improvement, learning curve opportunities, strategic planning might occur IF there was a desire?

Our conventions are fraught with opportunities. The interplay of the flea market and dealer systems being just one.

Want to minimize the "abandoned dealer hall" syndrome? Maybe it's as simple as opening the flea market 1-2 hours BEFORE the dealer's hall [and it gives those efficient dealers an hour or so to peruse the flea market during the same fertile offering time as the rest of the attendees].

Thinking out loud….perhaps you have some other ideas too?

Now if there were only an organized place to deposit same?

RE: perhaps you have some other ideas too?

Well, I tried, but got roundly shot down.

So then move the opening of the flea market back to 0900 and be done with trying to please everyone by the staggered start times. The unintended consequence of delaying the opening of the flea market is to have many of the people leave the dealer area.

Or, as I suggested, move the flea market to never coincide with the dealer area. for some reason, no one likes that idea, EXCEPT most of the dealers that I talk to. But what do they know!?

Sigh.

Daribuck

It is predicated on the idea if that darned flea market just wasn't there then attendees would spend more money and time in the dealer hall. Not sure that logic holds together.

I would also suggest that the dealer situation has been made a bit more challenging with the reworking of the old tennis barn and its new entrance. Not sure if that is going to change, but I hope it will as that is a bit of a hike now (up hill both ways LOL) and will be more challenging in any weather.

I recall when the dealer hall used to be in the Lampeter room. I have no idea where the tournaments were then, if even there at all. Funny too as one of the knocks against the Ike was the distance from the hotel to the dealer area.

Or, as I suggested, move the flea market to never coincide with the dealer area. for some reason, no one likes that idea, EXCEPT most of the dealers that I talk to. But what do they know!?

And make it more difficult for day trippers to get both? No thanks. What does it matter? There is always a monstrous line waiting to get in the dealer hall at noon Friday. That's before any flea market.

85% of the dealers I have no interest in and get some cursory glances and I move in and buy what I want/need in short order and then I'm gone. Being the only thing open isn't going to make me or many others spend more time in there than we need. It will just change our gaming habits.

I don't get what is so hard to understand about this.

So then move the opening of the flea market back to 0900 and be done with trying to please everyone by the staggered start times. The unintended consequence of delaying the opening of the flea market is to have many of the people leave the dealer area.

Not sure if this response was to my post [perhaps, quote THE post you are responding too? Its not hard to copy it with the formatting to show its a copied quote].

BUT.

IF it was…no, NOT concurrent start times, but the flea market opens PRIOR [I suggest 1 – 1.5 hour, based upon my experience as a flea marketeer] to the dealer sales floor.

No Solomon's or Hobson's choice. BUT, life is all about choices.

Have the dealers carry historical minis. That was the consensus of our group when we discussed this at a game on Sunday. We're mainly 10mm gamers and don't need any ACW and can get Old Glory by mail. The flea market is usally the only place that has anything I want. Of course, because of that I haven't been in 3 years.
Oh, and I live south of Fredericksburg, so it wasn't the location.

I've only made one purchase from the flea market in 10 years. Someone was selling copplestone figures at half the price of new figures. Mainly I don't buy due to issues transporting home plus I just don't find that much worth while.

Dealer area is another issue entirely. I go for good games and a major shopping spree in the dealer hall.

One thing to fix, is to bring back the large number of dealers. We've lost too many over the years.

……….EXCEPT most of the dealers that I talk to. But what do they know!?

Daribuck, HG wrote, "It is predicated on the idea if that darned flea market just wasn't there then attendees would spend more money and time in the dealer hall. Not sure that logic holds together."

Read it, read it again and then address the point made. This has been put forward on this thread many times already. Just because the bodies empty out of the vendor hall, doesn't mean people aren't spending money at the vendors.

Dealers are critical to a cons success. Do not charge them a fee to bring their merchandise.

Lol! When I suggested that the BOD offset the cost to the dealers, using the HMGS surplus war chest, I got grief from a vendor. He didn't want the "charity".

Yes the reason the Dealer Hall is not as busy is simply that the hours of the Flea Market are so limited, everybody wants to go and gaze or gawk at the stuff folks have drag in weather one does or does not have any intent on buying stuff.

I have gone to three HMGS conventions. I have spent, along with my accompanying father, about 1000 bucks across all three conventions. I spent WAY more on impulse buys in the vendor hall than the flea. Yes, I browse the flea every session, usually twice. But what I buy is never very much (I dont typically carry a lot of cash) and is usually something the Vendor hall has unavaliable anyway. Old terrain and painted skirmish minis (Like Cowboys) are usually the choices. Last Fall in, we bought the rules ships mat and other accompanying stuff for black smoke and blue water for about 200 bucks. Also bought a ton of Rubicon models, a scott, 3 bikes, and other goodies. Cold wars before that we both over 200 bucks of bolt action stuff we had no intention of getting. Etc Etc Etc. My Vendor impulse buying is in no way reduced by the flea. My vendor hall attendance is however.

I have gone to most Historians, and the other two "eastern" conventions. I go through the dealers' area and the flea markets. The gaming gets in the way so I have to fit the shopping between games. I would like to see both open longer.

Once the dealers are there and set up it seems to me they should be given opportunities for more sales. Extend time to 7 or even 8. This is gaming down time. Likewise the FM.

HMGS might provide some volunteer staff to watch the dealer booths of one person operations, so that person could attend a game.

Maybe go the other way. Have no games between 4-6 to allow for shopping.

What makes you think it's a NATIONAL convention?
It's run by HMGS EAST. It's not run by HMGS Las Vegas ir HMGS Wisconsin.
All you are saying by demanding that Historicon move to your area is that the local talent are incapable of running a convention.

Newsflash Cowboy, there ain't no HMGS. Hasn't been for years. It only exist in the mind of the so called HMGS East members and the Board of Directors. HMGS East, whether you like or not, IS the defacto National Convention.

There are dues paying members of HMGS East all over the country and overseas. This is not the little group made up in somebody's basement anymore. You now have a national audience and membership. You should serve them or limit your membership to the east coast.

Until that mentality of east coast only conventions but we will be happy to take your money, isn't changed the hobby is not going to grow as it should. Isn't that part of the point? To grow the hobby.

"There are dues paying members of HMGS East all over the country and overseas. This is not the little group made up in somebody's basement anymore. You now have a national audience and membership. You should serve them or limit your membership to the east coast."

If you apply this logic to a successful and growing convention like Adepticon in Ohio, those organizers need to consider uprooting their convention now to accommodate its growing national/international clientele.
Who they draw and from where should not dictate that they leave their area of support IMHO.

TRU

You now have a national audience and membership. You should serve them or limit your membership to the east coast.

Apparently HMGS is serving them, otherwise they would not have joined.

Why would you deny free association of any individual [regardless where they reside] from joining ANY organization they feel like joining?

Do you think they are incapable of deciding what is in their own best interest?

You should serve them or limit your membership to the east coast.

Oh believe me, plenty of us are all for returning the name to HMGS East and defining the geographical area of operation. I get very tired of these arguments about "national" conventions and "take it to the next level."

HMGS has always primarily served the VA/MD/DC/PA area. Other areas have their own branches. HMGS South. HMGS Mid South. HMGS Midwest.

Instead of people trying to hijack this convention, grow your own way out wherever you are.

Alright so this topic got High jacked just like the others. (Why do you have to pick on PA? LOL)

I know Joby (Historicon Director is monitoring) So I will answer the question, "If you can change One thing about Historicon, what would it be?"

I am going for Pie in the Sky, so I will say that if Historicon is supposed to be our Big Convention for what we do, can we get a bigger range of Products in the Vendor Hall?

I would love to see Grand Manor, Perry Miniatures, Redoubt and other English Companies either come or ship product to "an agent like Brigade Games, Old Glory, On Military Matters, etc" to sell at Historicon for them?

If I can buy product from over seas, they should be able to send it to our show, Right?

Or how about making our Membership worth something?

Lets say we have 1500 members x $25 USD = $37,500 USD a year. So what if you got one Convention free? (A $20 USD value for early reg) Well its not free, but you would get $20 USD in vendor dollars in exchange at Registration. Now you could pick which show, if you only attend one then fine, that your show. So over the course of a year you would infuse $30,000 USD into the Vendor hall to support the vendors. So thats 1500 x $5 USD + $7,500 USD for HMGS and anyone who cant attend a convention forfiets their $20 USD back to the Kitty. HMGS still makes some money out of the deal.With the HMGS Bank growing every year, this program pays for itself and will make Vendors and Membership happy.

Ok, Ok so I expanded the topic past Historicon, but its a good plan to give back to the Vendors and Membership.

Looking forward to Next years Convention season.

Alright so this topic got High jacked just like the others.

It did?

I would love to see Grand Manor, Perry Miniatures, Redoubt and other English Companies either come or ship product to "an agent like Brigade Games, Old Glory, On Military Matters, etc" to sell at Historicon for them?

I would like that too, but I don't see how that has anything to do with HMGS or Historicon. This depends on someone's business decision in acquiring the distribution rights to the companies in question, doesn't it?

An example: Old Glory used to carry Crusader and now they don't. We can assume both decisions were financial ones, done by the owners of Old Glory, with the best interests of their company in mind. What would those running Historicon be expected to do in this case?

It has lots to do with Historicon. The venders have become "stale". Same guys with the same stuff. So why go to the convention. Maybe it's time to rotate venders and not allow the same one's at all conventions. Of course, you have to have others who want to come.

The venders have become "stale"

I'm not sure I agree with that. I always find stuff to buy at Old Glory, Brigade Games, Badger Games, Age of Glory, etc. It's normally not what they have – it's how angry my wallet gets when I drop by the vendor hall.

Maybe it's time to rotate venders and not allow the same one's at all conventions

Huh?? The vendors have supported the conventions. Would it be good business for us to tell the vendors they can only come and support certain conventions? I think not.

I think there are other ways we can improve the convention without picking on the vendors.

I kind of get what he is saying. I think the number of vendors carrying figures has shrunk over the years, but I'm not sure how you bring any of them back as that is a business decision.

I had heard that the BoD was discussing the idea of paying for some of the UK figure manufacturers to come over, but that seems kind of extreme to me as that is a one-off option and likely few attendees would be interested.