"HMGS Cold Wars Lampeter Room Status" Topic

What's the status of the Lampeter Room for Cold Wars? From what I understand some of the tournaments have been moved up to the showroom due to renovations.

I'd like to now what will happen to the Flea market and where can we play open gaming if the Lampeter Room is closed?

Don

If they moved games to the Showroom they better have upgraded the lighting.

I'm sure they have an appropriate place in mind for the flea market, d effinger--the storage area behind Hobby U, or possibly an unused elevator shaft.

Or it it's raining, they could move us outdoors.

But I agree with Al. They wouldn't think of treating the tournaments as though they were no better than flea marketeers.

The Lampeter room is not closed at all. I think the convention director is just moving things around. I believe the tournaments are now in the Showroom with much improved lighting. The flea market should be in the Distlefink, and the Lampeter is being used for gaming events.

So the second largest gaming room is now where the flea market will be?

Not sure about that one…………

If the Lampeter is now being used for gaming events, is that open gaming too?

Hi George. I didn't say the flea market would take up the whole room. I think it's going to be in the rear close to the back door. As far as open gaming, since this setup is new, I guess it's a smart idea to just ask at the events desk for table availability. They have the entire gaming schedule in front of them. Hope this helps.

You know, it would be nice of them to share this sort of information with the people paying for flea market tables before we park cars at the Motel Formerly Known as the Host.

I'm picturing maneuvering a two-wheel cart of merchandise up those steps in back--three times. Or is there still a ramp to the lobby level from the front, accessing the dumbwaiter they insist is an elevator to reach the Distlefink?

Hi Robert. You don't need to go up those back steps to get to the Distlefink. There is another door with access from the back parking lot. And I'm sure that many convention updates will be going out in the coming weeks leading up to Cold Wars. Hope this helps.

Actually from a loading perspective moving the flea market to the back of Distlefink makes sense. It is an easy ramp with two sets of wide doors. It would be helpful to have reserved spots out back for flea market folks.

RP, I'm not sure what steps you're referring to. If the WB is in the Distelfink, as DeRuyter observed, there is a side loading area door a short uphill roll from the parking between the Host and the Event Center. Think about 15 feet to the left of where that porta-boiler was for so long.

Loading in and out from the exterior should be comparable to the Lampeter, tho this is a much higher traffic area.

The front is completely changed. The old handicap ramp is gone. The new front entrance walk is flush with the lot. There are still steps up to the lobby, BUT at the left there is a new elevator with stops at the entrance level, the lobby level, and the Showroom level. I did a recon after HCon last year.

"and the Lampeter is being used for gaming events."

Tournaments are now not considered gaming events?

"Hi George. I didn't say the flea market would take up the whole room. I think it's going to be in the rear close to the back door. As far as open gaming, since this setup is new, I guess it's a smart idea to just ask at the events desk for table availability. They have the entire gaming schedule in front of them. Hope this helps."

Thanks for the clarification; it's a big room and unless it's changed since the renovation, I'm having a hard time visualizing how you can have the flea market in there and also gaming, it will be a tight fit. I visited the flea market when it was in the showroom and there are loads and loads of tables, you had aisles that were somewhat wide and a good flow of people front to back and then back again……….people stampeding into the Distlefink for the flea market four times will be nothing short of interesting.

Again, thanks for the clarification.

Lack of proper and timely information leaves many with a bad taste in our mouths. Things like this need proper notifications to everyone. Instead, we get dribs and drabs of partial info. If we didn't ask specific questions when/how/where how would we know?

You're right. I just never park in that area--or have to get stuff into the Distlefink--and plain forgot. The steps I was thinking of were the ones running down from just outside the Paradise to the former entrance to the Vendors Hall--on a level with much of the parking by the rooms.

And no, of course there will be no accommodation in parking. Why would anyone even think such a thing? But if I get in Thursday afternoon, I can at least part where I'll be hauling stuff downhill. Could be worse. Will be, next year.

Re the stairs down from what used to be "the business area."
The stairs have been retreated. The rickety railing down the middle of the stairs isn't rickety anymore. They removed it. They may have installed a new one in the interim tho.

And I should apologize for my bad temper. If anyone connected with HMGS or with Cold Wars had said "we're moving the flea market to the Distlefink: the lighting is better and you won't need an elevator to get your stuff there" I would have been--well, ought to have been--pleased and surprised. And for all I know, that was the intention.

I should not have let an absence of communication lead me to assume bad intent.

"I didn't say the flea market would take up the whole room. I think it's going to be in the rear close to the back door. "

If there are going to be games in the Distlefink, and the flea market, please make sure to leave an access aisle from the loading doors into the room. In other words, don't block the loading doors with FM tables. GMs use that to unload/load and bring in. :-)

^totally in agreement with historygamer. One of few positive things about the Host in times past was how easy it was to load and unload into Distlefink as a GM and I really hope that doesn't change.

The Showroom square footage is listed as 13,000 Sq ft. while Distlefink, or as I think they now call it the Grand Ballroom, is listed as having 9,288 sq ft. It would seem that the Flea Market will take up a little more space in Distlefink than "in the rear close to the back door" if the same number of tables are sold.

If there are going to be games in the Distlefink, and the flea market, please make sure to leave an access aisle from the loading doors into the room. In other words, don't block the loading doors with FM tables. GMs use that to unload/load and bring in. :-)

Second to historygamer. After "leave an access aisle from the loading doors into the room" I would add "and through Distelfink into the rest of the hotel".

I always use the loading doors at the back of the Distelfink to load/unload my GM stuff. It's a straight shot to the Marietta Room, and no stairs. Parking is always an issue there, and it would behoove HMGS to reserve spaces there for FM and GM loading/unloading. At one recent convention, probably as a stop-gap, that area was designated for handicapped parking.

Well, let's hope they get the table layout right. The good thing about the Black Hole of Lancaster was that you could start at one end and walk through passing every table once and none of them twice. That was never true in the Lampeter.

Plus one to Grumble. My intent as well. Hi

"They have the entire gaming schedule in front of them. Hope this helps."

Actually, no it doesn't.

How is the suggestion that someone who wants a table for open gaming purposes go to the Events Desk not "helpful"?

Perhaps the real issue is the fact that the Convention Director decided to move one part of the convention to another location, an act perfectly within her authority, following the renovations to the Host and some people are opposed to that decision?

HMGS is down to one convention at the "New Host." If, as others have pointed elsewhere, the HMGS--Host relationship comes to an end at some point in the future, the Showroom vs. Lampeter/Tournaments vs. Flea Market debate will be moot.

We'll see.

Until then, enjoy the games, whatever and wherever they might be located.

"decided to move one part of the convention to another location"

It's actually three parts but who's counting?

The convention director is certainly well within her authority, but more and earlier information helps me to plan and have a better weekend. We're still dealing pretty much exclusively with rumor.

We'll see about the Motel Formerly Known as the Host. But one of its advantages is that we all know where it is, where things are when we get there, and where other things--meals, gas, other motels, toiletries if we forgot something--are in relation to it. If I have to learn a new location, Little Wars is a lot closer.

Doesn't mean they shouldn't move Cold Wars. But it does suggest that they should think carefully first.

As for SF/fantasy games, I summarize my usual argument: given that there are probably at least five fantasy and SF gamers for every historical, we run some risk of being run out of our own convention: dealers and lecturers will "turn to the rising sun" and historical gamers will have to start over from scratch. I hope the board members and convention directors who are historical miniatures gamers are keeping this in mind.

Regardless of how many parts of the convention are moving, only one constituency (or at least one member of that constituency) is raising an issue about the move.

For those who don't know their HMGS (East) history (you are forgiven, it's no longer a mandatory course at TMP University following the passing of the much beloved Prof. Condray), prior convention directors attempted to move the Tournaments from their long-established location (or at least considered it). Such efforts drew opposition in the past. This time, however, it seems that things will actually change.

For many conventions, the Flea Market crowd was relegated to the "Black Hole of the Showroom" at the Host. (I know because I was there both as a buyer and a seller.) Dark, crowded and dangerous (when it came to loading, unloading and transportation of merchandise) were the hallmarks of the Flea Market in the Showroom. Many sellers (myself included) dropped out whenever the Showroom was used as the FM venue.

The back of the Distlefink will be a vast improvement for the Flea Market, at least in terms of access.

As for the other aspects of the convention that are impacted by the move, they will survive, just like the Flea Market did for years. Like I said above, if the New Host doesn't want HMGS back once the renovations are completed, or if HMGS is priced out of the new location, it's all moot.

We'll see.

Thanks to Brian98 for his updates on the changes.

Enjoy all the events. Hope to see you there.

P.S. to Robert: FYI, Brian98 is a "reliable source" when it comes to issues at HMGS (East).

You don't have to believe me, just check his past comments on TMP. If he says something, its not a "rumor."

Hope that helps.

"Such efforts drew opposition in the past. "

And the winner for understatement of the year is……

"Dark, crowded and dangerous (when it came to loading, unloading and transportation of merchandise) were the hallmarks of the Flea Market in the Showroom."

If this is the case, as you clearly state, why put any events in that location? Why would HMGS endanger attendees?

"Many sellers (myself included) dropped out whenever the Showroom was used as the FM venue."

Interesting.

I've sold in the FM in the showroom, and run games there. Granted the lighting is not great, but other than that the room is kind of nice. Wide aisles, sound is level is good. IIRC, there is an elevator up to it as well.

"Why would HMGS endanger attendees?"

I'm not sure HMGS regards flea marketeers as real attendees however much we pay. Possibly they were/are hoping to eliminate us by attrition?

historygamer, there is--or was last year--an elevator to the Black Hole. Access was limited and irregular, and a lot of us wound up carrying merchandise regardless. But I agree the layout once you got there was excellent, and I'd already mentioned that.