Russ Lockwood | 25 Jul 2018 10:28 a.m. PST |
I copied and pasted my H'con 2018 report from my AAR (a PDF) here. No photos, just the text about games I umpired and played in, observations, and other items of interest. The full PDF ran to 23 pages, so I split it up depending on the topic. This is my recap of the HMGS Membership Meeting. --RL I had rejoined HMGS at Cold Wars, so I figured attending a membership meeting would be a good bucket list item. About 30 showed up for the 7pm meeting and HMGS needs 23 for a quorum. I will caution you that some of my notes and spellings may be suspect as I was scribbling as fast as I could, but are generally accurate. Decisions were based on member feedback. The move to online voting proved successful in terms of participation, with 637 voting out of the 2000+ members in 2017, up from 499 in 2016, 360 (or 316, I didn't quite hear) in 2015, and 354 in 2014. They presented a number of awards and recognitions for various efforts, such as Bill Rutherford, John Snead, James Curtis, Mitch Osborne, and Kathy Kelly for the Elections Committee that took a few years for that online process to be certified and accepted. Bob and Cleo Liebl were recognized for their newsletter dedication. The board decided against re-starting scholarship program and instead opted for a grant program to PTA-style organizations to fund afterschool miniatures in education activities. Then was an hour-long discussion about bylaw changes and membership regulations required by Maryland for non-profit entities. The goal is to clean up the discrepancies. I admit my eyes glazed over about the nuances, with a variety of parliamentary procedure questions (and answers) about a motion on the floor to put a re-write to a membership vote. The motion was defeated with six yea, more than 20 nays, and the rest abstentions, in large part because not a lot of folks understood the referendum texts and whether a re-write would be acceptable to Maryland. A new motion passed with only one no vote that would have HMGS lawyers research what the state wants and create the necessary bylaw restructuring for the membership to vote on.
HMGS Finances Overall, HMGS has $406,457 USD in assets, of which $396,397 USD is in cash. Current liabilities are $23,644. USD Cold Wars 2018 had 1890 attendees, up from 2017 numbers (which were not given), and made about $21,000 USD for HMGS, up from about $2,000 USD for Cold Wars 2017. Cold Wars 2019 will be at the Host with the theme of Mountain Warfare or Extreme Terrain -- not sure as both terms were bandied about. HMGS pays about $10,000 USD in table rentals at the Host -- money well spent. Historicon 2018 totals are not included in the above amounts, but someone up in the board whispered something about profit of about $50,000 USD -- in part because pre-registration was over 1700 people. HMGS is spending about $10,000 USD to change the logo and create closer branding between all three shows, plus do a promotional video and more marketing to attract more people to the hobby.
Future HMGS Shows Fall in 2018 and Cold Wars 2019 are at the Host. Historicon 2019 is at the downtown Lancaster Marriott and Convention Center. Fall in 2019 is at Valley Forge. Someone on the board mentioned that HMGS was looking at a 'southern' location for one of the shows, at which point a number of folks pointed out that the Fredericksburg shows dropped a third of Historicon attendees over the years. The board quickly added that any move would not be south of DC. Good luck on that. It's 440 miles by car (sez Google) from Boston to DC, versus 378 miles from Boston to Lancaster. The midpoint city between DC and Boston is Secaucus, NJ, which has its own traffic nightmare. FYI: Bill Gray's already studied the geography to death. Historicon 2019 The Historicon 2019 convention director gave a short description of the Lancaster Convention Center in downtown Lancaster, with an attached Marriott ($145 per night with free parking -- one car per room, otherwise, $7 USD per day) or you can stay three blocks away at Hotel Lancaster ($149 per night plus $12 USD day parking). The Host would have charged $149 USD per night. Presumed bonus: It's a Marriot. Presumed bonus on top of bonus: The hotel restaurant can't be worse than the host and plenty of restaurants within a couple blocks of the convention center sez my wife, who attended quilt shows there. |
79thPA | 25 Jul 2018 12:21 p.m. PST |
Almost 400K in cash? Wow. |
Russ Lockwood | 25 Jul 2018 12:45 p.m. PST |
Yes, that's what the handout says. Of the $396,397 USD in "cash," $103,458 USD is in a CD, $189,607 USD is under 'operating' (cash account of some sort, me thinks), about $90,000 USD in PayPal accounts, and the rest in checking, money market, and other small accts. The other pages in the handout offer more line by line details about Cold Wars and HMGS. It's probably on the website somewhere for member access. |
Bobgnar | 25 Jul 2018 1:18 p.m. PST |
Profit for Cold Wars, 2017 = 2,000; 2018 = $2,100 USD! Ten times difference, how is that possible? 10 times more people? If the cost of Tables is $10,000 USD, then there was a loss of at least $8,000 USD for CW 2017. Too bad they cannot lower the admission cost, instead of spending $10,000 USD on a logo change. I do not believe that any central government spending will help increase the number of people interested in miniatures gaming enough to attend a convention. Recruitment is best done my individual people in their local area. How about giving a first time attendee a FREE pass to one convention, so they can see how much fun it is. |
robert piepenbrink | 25 Jul 2018 2:48 p.m. PST |
Bobgnar, if someone doesn't deduct your expenses from your income before calculating profit, you need to shoot the accountant. "Profit" is not the same as "income." What you're observing there is fixed costs. Here's the grossly over-simplified version. If HMGS pays $10,000 USD for table rentals, and charges $25 USD per person, it takes them 400 attendees to break even. The next 80 gives the convention an income of $12,000 USD and so a $2,000 USD profit, and 1,200 attendees would be a profit of $20,000. USD See me after class, and we'll do gross vs net profit and unit costs, which in this case does NOT mean a points system. |
Lord Hollier | 25 Jul 2018 3:55 p.m. PST |
2019 Convention Themes: The three convention directors got together and agreed on an overarching theme for all three 2019 conventions – Extreme Terrain. Cold Wars is Mountain Warfare – yes, it's cold in them mountains. Historicon will be Jungle Conflicts – I told the CD we need to turn off the AC in the LCC!! ;-)) Fall In! was left with Desert Engagements – because … Oh! I don't know, you make something up!! We hope to see you at all three conventions in 2019. John Hollier HMGS, Inc Board of Directors Dir., Marketing and Communications |
47Ronin | 25 Jul 2018 4:42 p.m. PST |
Thanks for sharing your report, Russ. Great choice of themes for 2019, Lord Hollier. As far as HMGS' finances go, the numbers speak for themselves. It's amazing what you can do when you're not paying for legal fees, settlement costs and expensive venues. Now the issue for HMGS is whether (and how) to spend some of the funds that have been accumulated. I'm sure there will be plenty of suggestions. Stay tuned. |
Russ Lockwood | 25 Jul 2018 8:06 p.m. PST |
>all three 2019 conventions – Extreme Terrain. Ah. That's why I heard both terms for Cold Wars. Thanks for clarifying. |
vagamer63 | 25 Jul 2018 9:01 p.m. PST |
I rather doubt they will find an affordable location around the northern half of the D.C. area. Nor one that would offer the space requirements that the shows now require. Two of the main reasons that Historicon was moved away from the District area so many years ago. |
capncarp | 25 Jul 2018 9:22 p.m. PST |
"Fall In! was left with Desert Engagements – because … Oh! I don't know, you make something up!!" Because….it's a dry heat? |
Bobgnar | 25 Jul 2018 10:13 p.m. PST |
Robert, now I see. In 2017 there were 480 attendees and in 2018 there were 1200 attendees. I wonder why such a big increase? |
The Bibliophile | 26 Jul 2018 8:40 p.m. PST |
There is a great abundance of rentable space in the Washington, DC metro area that would easily meet Historicon's space requirements. With close to a half million dollar war chest and the shows seemingly bringing in even more profits, I can't understan why spending a bit more money to host a show in a far mire appealing location like our nation's capital wouldn't be a very worthy consideration. |
vagamer63 | 26 Jul 2018 9:41 p.m. PST |
Bibliophile, If what you say was true then several of those locations would be on the HMGS list of possible locations, which thus far they do not appear! You also, don't seem to have a total understanding of the purpose of having a "War Chest" on hand as it isn't a zero sum game! Part of that War Chest is held in reserve for sound financial purposes. Next time you're at a show attend a membership meeting and ask a BOD Member to explain it to you in a concise way. |
Grumble87106 | 27 Jul 2018 4:33 p.m. PST |
"Fall In! was left with Desert Engagements – because … Oh! I don't know, you make something up!!" Because….it's a dry heat? Because I have been gaming North Africa WW2 since 1966, I plan to run 3,000 games at Fall-In! 2019. The rest of you will just have to find another venue. |
TSD101 | 27 Jul 2018 6:00 p.m. PST |
because pre-registration was over 1700 people. We really need those total attendance numbers in a timely manner to compare it to the last year at Fredericksburg |
Colonel Bill | 28 Jul 2018 10:06 a.m. PST |
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Grumble87106 | 28 Jul 2018 10:43 a.m. PST |
Dumb question number 476. What was the logic of moving back to the Valley Forge (Convention Center I assume) site? And the answer is…. |
47Ronin | 28 Jul 2018 1:05 p.m. PST |
Not an official answer from an official HMGS spokesperson, but some of the factors behind moving an HMGS convention to Valley Forge included the following: available space in the VF hotel ballrooms to replace the floorspace lost to the Casino, including plenty of club rooms; MUCH better food options than the Host, including a 200+ seat Food Court with choices including Asian, American and Italian food, along with multiple bars where they don't run out of beer or close at 11pm; hotel room rates that were comparable to, if not better than, the Host; a desire to diversify the locations where HMGS conventions were held, in case the Host became unavailable as the result of a future sale; Valley Forge completed its renovations 6 years ago, as opposed to the Host, where those renovations are ongoing with no end in sight; and overall price increases at the Host made Valley Forge an equal, if not less expensive, option for HMGS. Plus, plenty of members and gamers liked Valley Forge from the two years that Historicon was there. Like I said, you can ask for an official response the next time you go to an HMGS membership meeting. Given what we saw of the Host at Historicon, some of us wish that more cons had been moved to Valley Forge sooner. I suspect that Cold Wars 2019 will still see construction and/or inadequate food at the Host, neither of which will be a problem at Valley Forge. |
Colonel Bill | 28 Jul 2018 3:21 p.m. PST |
Yes, but they forgot the three reasons not to move there: a. King of Prussia Mall b. Wives c. Fuse a. and b. My wife all of a sudden says she regrets not going to a con and now wants to make it up to me. Seriously. Not kidding. Bill |
PJ ONeill | 28 Jul 2018 9:36 p.m. PST |
Thanks 47, I'm sure there are more pros-and-cons, but I was one of the ones that liked it there. |
rmcaras | 29 Jul 2018 6:42 a.m. PST |
Bill, someone has to take on the considerable task of keeping you in line. Paula is well suited for the job! |
Double G | 29 Jul 2018 8:34 a.m. PST |
Thanks for posting 47Ronin. The bottom line is the Host is a mess right now, it's been a mess for 7 months with no end in sight. What Fall In will be like is anyones guess, but I have a good idea. I don't even want to think about Cold Wars 2019 in the event of a snow storm or having snow on the ground; all of the parking in the grass alongside the access road on both sides would be problematic, so where are we all supposed to then park?
Not to mention if it is cold outside/snowy, who's going to want to hump down and more importantly, up the hill back and forth to the dealer hall? Valley Forge is a much better option for all the reasons you stated. Again, I don't see the Host as a viable location even after the renovations are done; they appear to be moving further and further away from a convention center and closer to a banquet/wedding facility.
If they can't provide what HMGS needs, it's time to move on.
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Der Alte Fritz | 29 Jul 2018 10:06 a.m. PST |
@Robert P. : Profit and income (specifically "net income") are the same thing, that is, the bottom line. Revenue or sales are what you take in from admissions and dealers. You are invited to see me after class. |
TSD101 | 29 Jul 2018 11:11 a.m. PST |
a. King of Prussia Mallb. Wives c. Fuse a. and b., And yet Lancaster has all those outlets and shops and yet they're not a problem? Okay. |
47Ronin | 29 Jul 2018 2:16 p.m. PST |
I forgot about the KoP Mall, Colonel Bill. I agree with you. The Mall made conventions at VF very spouse and family friendly. The overall attendance numbers reflected that for the two years that HMGS was there. I'm sure the same will be true of Fall In 2019. Who doesn't like a chance to go mall shopping a month before the holidays? Speaking of spouses, HMGS and the Host are starting to act like a long time couple that knows their relationship is coming to an end. In the eyes of many in HMGS, the Host isn't as "pretty" as it used to be. Much of the charm of the place is long gone for many attendees. I'm sure the new Host ownership isn't exactly in love with some of the habits displayed by HMGS members. Once their makeover is complete, they think they can do better in the relationship department. As Double G says, it may be time for both sides to move on. We'll see. |
Double G | 29 Jul 2018 3:11 p.m. PST |
"Speaking of spouses, HMGS and the Host are starting to act like a long time couple that knows their relationship is coming to an end. In the eyes of many in HMGS, the Host isn't as "pretty" as it used to be. Much of the charm of the place is long gone for many attendees. I'm sure the new Host ownership isn't exactly in love with some of the habits displayed by HMGS members. Once their makeover is complete, they think they can do better in the relationship department." This is spot on. The fact that the Host is now pulling the "No outside coolers are allowed on the premises" when they had to shitcan the downstairs serving station due to having to put games in that area and having one person working the bar who could have given a less about the patrons tells you all you need to know about where their mindset is at. They no longer want us; that is just example #1. The restaurant being closed and the food choices in the dealer hall being one step above prison food are more examples; you'd think they'd take advantage of having a captive audience, they lost a good chunk of change by being indifferent to food and drinks. They've lost that loving feeling with HMGS. |
kayjay | 29 Jul 2018 5:29 p.m. PST |
@Bobgmar – 480 attendees ? maybe in 1986… HCON numbers My estimate based on cars and parking and looking at this for 7 years is ~2400 few per cent more than FEC last year, not Dave's 4000 or even the hoped for 3600. And this with the Perrys and SPI crowd. We had the same effect with the astronaut at HCON 2013 which drew 2800 people. |
TheKing30 | 30 Jul 2018 3:44 a.m. PST |
HCON numbers My estimate based on cars and parking and looking at this for 7 years is ~2400 few per cent more than FEC last year, not Dave's 4000 or even the hoped for 3600. And this with the Perrys and SPI crowd. We had the same effect with the astronaut at HCON 2013 which drew 2800 people. What's not being mentioned is this…. 1) The attendance increased from the FCC (It felt like more than 2400 but we'll wait for the official numbers to come out). Any time we've moved a convention we've lost attendees. This is the first time the convention moved and we've gained attendees. 2) Cost. The Host was much cheaper than the FCC. What did we make at Historicon while it was at the FCC? A few thousand – tops? What was the profit at the Host? 3) The Host wasn't supposed to be the site of Historicon. Originally it was supposed to be in New Jersey but that place was sold to be converted to a data center. This move back to PA definitely had more pros than cons associated with it. My hat is off to the Board for a job well done. |
historygamer | 30 Jul 2018 5:18 a.m. PST |
Might I suggest that for the next two conventions at the Host than HMGS engage the services of a limo company and hire a shuttle bus to go from the front of the hotel down to the dealer hall, and back. Run it starting at 0900 and end a half hour after the dealer hall closes (5 or 6pm?). |
Rotundo | 30 Jul 2018 7:53 a.m. PST |
Historygamer, I do not always agree with you but here I most certainly do. We were calling it Angina hill. I walked it to leave the carts for older or more infirmed. Golf cart trams would be great. |
coolyork | 30 Jul 2018 8:32 a.m. PST |
Sounds like getting to the Dealers was problematic at best . What would it be like had it rained etc.. ? |
historygamer | 30 Jul 2018 8:49 a.m. PST |
Seems like a no-brainer to me, especially given the money in the bank. If you aren't going to spend it on your core product – conventions – then what else is it good for? |
capncarp | 30 Jul 2018 8:56 a.m. PST |
To save the environment from the fumes of the golf carts, we could install an adult-sized slide from "back porch" near the HAWKs room down to the Vendors' Area. Getting back up? Skateboards and a J-bar ski lift line. There. Got it all figured out for you. |
Grumble87106 | 30 Jul 2018 10:02 a.m. PST |
To save the environment from the fumes of the golf carts, we could install an adult-sized slide from "back porch" near the HAWKs room down to the Vendors' Area. Getting back up? Skateboards and a J-bar ski lift line. There. Got it all figured out for you. You get the prize for creative ideas on this one! Extreme shopping. It maybe another way to get younger players involved in our hobby, too. One quibble: I thought golf carts ran on electric motors. Of course, electricity only displaces the fumes to some coal-burning plant in Allegheny County -- unless in its remodel the Host is going solar (which I highly recommend, having installed panels at our house that are doing a very efficient job less than seven miles from the Host). I like the tram idea (for others, of course -- personally, after standing around a game table for four hours, I welcome a bit of physical exercise even when it's raining). |
PJ ONeill | 30 Jul 2018 10:22 a.m. PST |
2nd capncarp, slide to the dealer hall, then jetpack (large) back to the patio. |
historygamer | 30 Jul 2018 11:38 a.m. PST |
I have to wonder how many attendees now limit their trips to the dealer hall. I know I do. |
Pyrrhic Victory | 30 Jul 2018 11:49 a.m. PST |
Is there any word on when hard numbers on attendance will get released? Given the Sturm & Drang about moving it from F'burg to the Host, there will certainly be arguments about what the numbers mean but at least it won't be SWAG estimate based argument. |
Double G | 30 Jul 2018 12:06 p.m. PST |
"I have to wonder how many attendees now limit their trips to the dealer hall. I know I do." One of my customers on Thursdsay said this is it for him, he'll do the dealer hall on Thursday, game and do the flea market Friday and Saturday, head home on Sunday morning. Another told me none of the guys he came with had any intention of schlepping down or more importantly, up the hill at all, period, end of story. As has been pointed out, rain, snow, extreme heat or cold would really impact trips to the dealer hall. I get the impression in speaking with convention attendees that the dealer hall has become less and less of a priority for them over the years.
The thing to keep in mind is first and foremost, it's a gaming convention and the main purpose of attending is to game.
With the internet becoming more and more powerful over the years, the dealer hall has taken a hit.
It's 2018, people have changed the way they shop.
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historygamer | 30 Jul 2018 12:17 p.m. PST |
I still think it would be worth it to hire a shuttle bus while at the Host. |
kayjay | 30 Jul 2018 2:52 p.m. PST |
@TheKing30 I was on the board that moved it. The FEC hotels – which were a major revenue source thru commission – when I did it the hotels commission revenue covered volunteer expenses. But the hotels – not the FEC – were getting to be an problem with the rates they wanted. The city basically offered to cover FEC cost to the tune of 10K to offset the price increase. Every HCON at the FEC made money as has every HMGS con since 2011. |
Double G | 30 Jul 2018 3:31 p.m. PST |
"I still think it would be worth it to hire a shuttle bus while at the Host." I'm going to bring a couple of rickshaws, myself and my cousin Millhouse will be offering a shuttle service……………… |
coolyork | 30 Jul 2018 4:50 p.m. PST |
The fact that getting to the Dealer Hall or any other part of a convention is an issue shows me we moved the convention at least one year to early . |
Milhouse | 30 Jul 2018 5:18 p.m. PST |
I will pull a rickshaw in exchange for Coors Light. The coin of my realm. |
TheKing30 | 30 Jul 2018 5:24 p.m. PST |
@TheKing30I was on the board that moved it. The FEC hotels – which were a major revenue source thru commission – when I did it the hotels commission revenue covered volunteer expenses. But the hotels – not the FEC – were getting to be an problem with the rates they wanted. The city basically offered to cover FEC cost to the tune of 10K to offset the price increase. Every HCON at the FEC made money as has every HMGS con since 2011. But how much money? And how much money did this Historicon make? We also need to look at attendance. How much did we grow Historicon while it was at the FEC? You were on the Board – do you have the annual numbers starting from Valley Forge forward? Kayjay, that move was disaster. The convention made less money and drove people away from the convention. From a business perspective – that was one of the worst moves we have ever made. |
vagamer63 | 30 Jul 2018 8:09 p.m. PST |
King30, Let's stop the Hyperbole, people weren't "driven away" from Historicon. They made the choice not to attend the show and support the organization for a number of reasons most of which, had to do with driving the I-95 corridor through DC to Fredericksburg. Something which has become, with no pun intended, a two way street now! Especially when the Tolls begin on I-95 next year along that corridor. Many of those folks then proclaimed how they would only attend Cold Wars and Fall In, yet during those 6 years Fall In attendance only once topped the 1800 mark, and Cold Wars attendance wasn't much better staying fairly flat, although it did have to contend with two major winter storms in that time. The real "disaster" you speak of would have occurred when the Host went on the auction block instead of being purchased by a new owner it had been shuttered. Leaving Cold Wars and Fall In without a location for a year or possibly two. One can only wonder what the "Mob" would have been decrying had that been the situation. Yes, there were cost increases for Historicon particularly to meet the creature comforts of the attendees, such as in drapery, carpeting, better chairs, and tables. So just imagine, if all those folks who stayed away from FB had actually attended all six years? How much more money would be in the coffers now? As two of the Founders (Pat and Bob) always said, as long as the show makes a profit, no matter how small, it's a success. Would that could be remembered by all. |
TheKing30 | 31 Jul 2018 2:57 a.m. PST |
King30,Let's stop the Hyperbole, people weren't "driven away" from Historicon. They made the choice not to attend the show and support the organization for a number of reasons most of which, had to do with driving the I-95 corridor through DC to Fredericksburg. Something which has become, with no pun intended, a two way street now! Especially when the Tolls begin on I-95 next year along that corridor. Look who it is! Hey – Historicon was GREAT! And attendance was up !! How was your boycott? Ok – let's get to the facts. Kayjay's "loser BoD" moved HCon to an undesirable location. Attendance suffered. They drove people away. Many of those folks then proclaimed how they would only attend Cold Wars and Fall In, yet during those 6 years Fall In attendance only once topped the 1800 mark, and Cold Wars attendance wasn't much better staying fairly flat, although it did have to contend with two major winter storms in that time. So those stayed flat – and HCon kept losing attendance. I'm not getting your point? The real "disaster" you speak of would have occurred when the Host went on the auction block instead of being purchased by a new owner it had been shuttered. Leaving Cold Wars and Fall In without a location for a year or possibly two. One can only wonder what the "Mob" would have been decrying had that been the situation. But that never happened, did it? Yes, there were cost increases for Historicon particularly to meet the creature comforts of the attendees, such as in drapery, carpeting, better chairs, and tables. So just imagine, if all those folks who stayed away from FB had actually attended all six years? How much more money would be in the coffers now? Hmmm…. FEC is considerably more money than any other location. It was a less desirable location. Stay with the facts. Less people, more money = losing formula. As two of the Founders (Pat and Bob) always said, as long as the show makes a profit, no matter how small, it's a success. Would that could be remembered by all. Oh here we go with the "In the beginning" crowd. First, I'd love to see that quote in it's context. Can you send me a link? Second – again, stay with the facts – less people, more money – FEC was a loser. |
kayjay | 31 Jul 2018 4:15 a.m. PST |
"But how much money?" avg profit about 20K a show. Note that I PURPOSELY, after showing we could clear 30K a year at FEC, reduced prices to vendors and attendees AND allowed expenses to grow to try to get attendance up. Did not work. You know that almost half of FEC HCON attendees got in for free ? "And how much money did this Historicon make?" Have to ask John. "We also need to look at attendance. How much did we grow Historicon while it was at the FEC?" HCON attendance on the average declined about 2 to 3 % per year. So did CW by the way. FI was allover the place. You were on the Board – do you have the annual numbers starting from Valley Forge forward? Yes. Posted in the annual 2016 Treas rpt on YM. As soon as I get HCON18 will update. "Kayjay, that move was disaster. The convention made less money and drove people away from the convention. From a business perspective – that was one of the worst moves we have ever made." Worse than the almost move to BCC or Timonium? In 2012 where would you have moved it ? When I got on the board in July 2011 NOTHING was set up for HCON12 less that 1 year away. kk |
Brian98 | 31 Jul 2018 7:41 a.m. PST |
Hi all, Just a few points that will hopefully entice some people to take a few deep breaths: 1. Kevin inherited a pretty lousy challenging situation. Intentions were good. If attendance had been better, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Here are the attendance numbers again. They have been posted previously on a few different threads as well as being available on our website and membership meetings. 2008 Host – 3,667 2009 Host – 3,565 2010 Valley Forge – 2,980 2011 Valley Forge – 2,946 2012 FCC – 2,720 2013 FCC – 2,727 2014 FCC – 2,441 2015 FCC – 2,450 2016 FCC – 2,336 2017 FCC – 2,325 2018 Host – Not finalized yet. Approximately 2,500+ 2. Kevin did a very good job at trying to control costs at FCC and explore every single opportunity to make extra revenue (i.e. Hotel commissions). However, there was only so much a person can do. The nearby hotels just kept raising rates and the FCC itself was charging us for items that we wouldn't have had to pay elsewhere. For example, we were required to pay for two security people (instead of one) whose sole purpose at night was to make sure that we weren't drinking beer that was not bought onsite. This expense alone was over $3,000. USD 3. The bottom line is that we have cut the expenses that we have control over to the bone. The FCC was asked by us to provide a proposal for 2019 and beyond. They also have new management and their proposal was more than twice that of the other three options on the table. 4. Historicon 2018 was never supposed to be at the Host. It was a one year contract since the original location at the Garden State Convention Center was sold and we needed an alternative that was available in the time frame we had to work with. If the convention was indeed held at the Garden State, based on the contract that was negotiated, the convention would practically have had almost no cost. But that's water under the bridge. 5. We have learned to work with all city tourism bureaus. The incentives provided by the city of Fredericksburg ($5,000/year if we signed for another three years) were now matched and exceeded by other jurisdictions including Lancaster and Valley Forge. 6. The space at the Host is now inadequate for Historicon. Their business model has changed, resulting in changes to their construction plans that we were just made aware of. Next year at the Lancaster convention center should be a much better venue and experience for everyone. It's not pefect, but I'm confident that out volunteer convention staff has a plan in place to make things work. 7. HMGS is a completely volunteer organization. There are no salaried employees. Our convention staff spends an enormous amount of time planning and running THREE conventions per year with thousands of attendees. We also run a growing education program in schools and libraries. That said, we want people to attend our conventions. If you stopped coming, try coming back to one. If you haven't tried one, please consider it. They are a lot of fun (despite the occasional drama). Best regards and hope to see you at Fall-In. John Spiess Treasurer HMGS, Inc. |
lindrp | 31 Jul 2018 7:54 a.m. PST |
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TSD101 | 31 Jul 2018 8:04 a.m. PST |
2018 Host – Not finalized yet. Approximately 2,500+ So a run down Host mired in construction will have 200+ more attendees than the last con at Fredericksburg. Looks like it will be hard to argue moving the con was a wrong move. |