"Nashcon has screwed me again" Topic

This used to be a friendly industry.

Janet and I have been in the gaming industry for 30+ years as publishers, manufacturers, and fellow gamers.

Janet and I own/run Foxhole Terrain: products for miniature Wargaming. We have supported game stores and conventions since we first started. Illness has played hell for me for a while, and I have been fighting the VA – another story.

Anyway we wanted to get booths for Nashcon a few years ago, and HMGSMidsouth allowed Scott to keep us out of the con. I was even threatened by him. We was pissed because I would not let him take over Foxhole Terrain.

Eventually HMGSMidsouth kicked Scott out because I was too ill to attend another conventions he said he ran: Siege of Augusta. Janet rushed around and took what she could to the con. Because Scott kept us out so we waited. Our only choice was to come to the con anyway, but we chose not to be the problem.

At a smaller event, Wargamer's Retreat, the HMGSPresident Paul, let me know in front of at least a dozen witnesses, that Foxhole Terrain is guaranteed at least 1 booth at no charge for as long as we want, because Scott cost Foxhole Terrain about $800. USD I made sure Paul, and other witnesses, know all we wanted was at least 1 booth and we wanted to pay for everything ourselves to support the con.

The past couple of years we wanted to be a vendor at Nashcon again – at our cost. For 2 years we never got a response to our request to attend. We emailed/messaged & tried others to help.

Here is their response:
We have offered all of last years vendors the first option to the booths they had in 2022. They have until 6/24/23 to accept the offer. If anyone declines the offer or doesn't respond, we will go to the list of vendors that have contacted us about availability and offer them a spot.
Currently there are no available booths. We will add you to the list of potential vendors.
Thank you for your interest in Nashcon 2023.

Dan

Don't know about your company and never attended a Nashcon, despite knowing a few of the founders of the event. I can only suggest that you use your energy to look elsewhere for shows to attend and chalk this up to one that just ain't gonna happen.

I have been banned from a con because I am involved in another con 'they' feel is their competition, although the con I support started years before theirs. So, I sometimes go to the con anyway and not one has the nerve to throw me out. I also dont sell anything, their loss.

That is quite the screed. All I can advise is Let Go And Let God.

I don't think most of us are in a position to take sides on this issue.

When I was a vendor rounder-upper for a convention, I always gave the previous year's vendor's the first shot at coming back.

This sounds very personal. Who is this Scott you are talking about? Sounds like there is much more going on here.

This is the first time I have heard of something like this coming from Nashcon. I think there may be more to this story than we know or are being told.

I can understand a "last year's vendors get first shot" but not sure who the Scott guy is. Either way something is stinky.

He is in the unfortunate position that Nashcon has been popular, since just before Covid. Vendors that have continued to come in the previous years have always been given first choice. I am no longer involved in the planning or running of the convention and haven't been for over a dozen years. Do personalities get involved in the aspects? Yes, yes they do. It has been many years since I last saw Foxhole Terrain, and that was at The Wargamers Reunion at Henry Horton. The current crew running the convention are doing a credible job of it. Often it is a thankless task that has no pay yet involves a fair amount of time. Yes, Scott rubbed some people the wrong way, but he has been long gone. The current leadership tries to accomodate everyone, as far as I know.

Will the real Scott step forward please ??

Scott Reeves. For some reason the officers allowed Scott to bully them into letting him do whatever. Eventually they took back control. I still do not have all the details. Only the officers know the full truth.

The officers of Midsouth allowed Scott to run rampant. I don't know how they gave up control or how Scott took over. I do know he was treasurer and lost a substantial amount of Midsouth's funds. I don't know how thing played out.

If I was just a gamer and not a business, oh well, but Scott cost our business about $800 USD in pre-sales and material, and we have no way of knowing who much in sales. I have most of the emails back & forth with Scott, and I have witnesses.

How can I be a vendor at Nashcon, if no one responds to my emails, messages? Like I said the message I got was the first correspondence I received in over 2 years.

What have I done? If I have hurt anyone in any way, please let me know. Janet and I have attended Nashcon since it's 2nd year – I did quit gaming for a few years to get back into music though.

If I am not welcome at Nashcon, let me know. I won't post anything ever again.

Fitzovich wrote
Don't know about your company and never attended a Nashcon, despite knowing a few of the founders of the event. I can only suggest that you use your energy to look elsewhere for shows to attend and chalk this up to one that just ain't gonna happen.

Mr Elmo wrote
That is quite the screed. All I can advise is Let Go And Let God.

79thPA wrote
I don't think most of us are in a position to take sides on this issue.
When I was a vendor rounder-upper for a convention, I always gave the previous year's vendor's the first shot at coming back.

It's easy to say until it happens to you. It's difficult when you care about something.

If you're talking about returning vendors, what about 15+ years until my health got too bad.

Fitzovich (who did 18 years in the game industry as a Retailer and a few other things) stands by his comment. You can hold a grudge if you want or move on, your choice, but I will move on.

It's easy to say

No it's not but once you do it's a miracle. Why continue to let Scott live in your brain?

I have been banned from a con because I am involved in another con 'they' feel is their competition, although the con I support started years before theirs.

That's messed up.

@Foxhole – I understand your health problems and am glad you were able to recover enough to resume your typical activities. But from a convention organizer perspective, they had to allow another vendor to take your place, not knowing if you'd ever return. The other guy got his opportunity and apparently has been successful and welcome at that show. The history between you and Nashcon is there and the hard feelings are quite understandable, but the other guy would feel equally mistreated if they were to strip him of his opportunity just because a vendor from the past wanted to / was able to return.

How do you feel when you try to contact someone and don't get a response? How can I even be considered for next year's vendor if they ignored me?

So I guess having a guarantee from the Mid-South's president is for nothing!

Having overseen Vendors for the last 8 years, I can tell you it is common to offer "First right of refusal" to the prior year's vendors. I can also tell you that I have never seen 100% return of the dealers. I would take a guess that by June 24th there will be a few open spots. It makes it difficult for you to plan, but the outlook is positive.

As always you and Janet are always welcome back at Little Wars.

So promises and guarantees are worthless? Once again, how can I be a previous vendor if my requests to be a vendor have been ignored for years?
Many attendees have told me vendor space has been full.

Maybe it's just me, but gaming has changed too much for me.

As far as Little Wars, we are planning to come next year. We would have come this year, but we got set back from a number of little things.

Though Little Wars or a long drive, and we have been to a number of conventions as a business and a gamer, and Janet and I agree Little Wars has been by far the best convention we have ever attended.
1) The drive was long but not too bad (** out of 5 stars)
2) We still talk about how nice everyone was (***** out of f stars)
3) The games were outstanding (***** out of 5 stars)
4) The location was fantastic (***** out of 5 stars)
5) The rooms were great (***** out of 5 stars)
6) Food (****out of 5 stars)

My health is still not very good. Janet and I believe it is the VA facility/doctors. The Atlanta VA has been rated 1 star out of 5 for over 10 years I have had to get my US Senators involved. We are considering moving to a location near a better VA, and get some folks to raise hell about Atlanta VA.

If Midsouth's president gave you the guarantee, why not approach him with the problem, and ask him to step in and investigate. If he hasn't communicated the his promise to the dealer coordinator of the convention, then it has no value.

I want to thank everyone who posted on this topic. I have a lot to think about, an new way to think about cons.

Here's the note from me on this topic. The president did guarantee at least 1 booth. I have tried frequently to reach him or anyone else to no avail. I am disappointed in this group. I have a lot of friends in Nashville. When we go to shows it is a combination of gaming & family reunion. The guys that used to run Nashcon were on top of things. I don't know if I pissed someone off, they don't want me around, something else I'm not aware of.
So as far as conventions go I'll plan on missing all future Nashcons. My wife and I are getting up there in age. We will be selling Foxhole Terrain, but won't be for a few years.
Dan