Possible Milwaukee Area Show, Help Needed!

[Glitch695]

Some friends and I have been talking about starting a late September show (aiming at Sunday the 25th) outside of Milwaukee, around the Hartland/ Delafield area. Nothing to compete with the MGC or anything, obviously, but a smaller show with mostly dealers, multi-player games, possibly some tournys, but most of all just a place where like minded classic gamers could meet up for a day and have a good time. I often sell at local comic shows, so I am aiming for a smaller event of that type.
We have a few local dealers and stores interested, several confirmed if it happens, and several possible venues. The main thing we need to figure out now is if it would be worth doing- we need vendors, and so far we only have 4. Most importantly we need attendees! Please give feedback of any sort: ideas, if you would be interested in attending such an event, etc. It will be a work in progress, and I will keep you DPers informed and updated. I'd like to do a blitz of advertising- online, area posters, local newspaper blurb, and whatever else I can arrange.
In the meantime, any Milwaukee area vendors that would be interested in such a thing should contact me by email or PM.
Thank you!

[Matt-El]

Sounds like a cool idea. Shame itd be that weekend. I'm gonna be out of the state.

[Atarian75]

I am interested and know a few people in the area that would attend if they don't have other obligations. Keep me posted. Thanks.

[Badhornet]

I'm not in the Milwaukee area, but want to wish you well in trying to get a show going. I think its great when I see people trying to start up something like this.......and who knows....... it may end up turning into a yearly big show...you never know until you try!

[Glitch695]

I am interested and know a few people in the area that would attend if they don't have other obligations. Keep me posted. Thanks.

Will do, PM being sent.

I'm not in the Milwaukee area, but want to wish you well in trying to get a show going. I think its great when I see people trying to start up something like this.......and who knows....... it may end up turning into a yearly big show...you never know until you try!

Thank you for the moral support! If it does happen, breaks even, and people have a good time, then I would consider it a great success. If a few people make some lasting friendships and meet like minded gamers in their area, then that's even better!

[Glitch695]

Alright, I am up to 5 vendors so far, with a planned 3 tables with 7 TVs/ Monitors for gaming. We need to get 15 more tables gone at $15 a piece in order to break even!
The date is set for sure for the 25th of September, and the location is down to 2 places, in Hartland or Waukesha. Start telling your friends, asking around, let anyone you know who is a dealer or just has stuff to sell in the southeastern Wisconsin area to contact me.
If they're not on this site, my email is jbula1@hotmail.com.

This far we have Level Up Games in Whitewater confirmed for both selling and helping with a tourny, along with a few private dealers.
I have 3 weeks left to try to get the amount of vendors confirmed to break even before booking the venue. Let's get the word out and make this happen!

[Glitch695]

Up to 6 vendors. Had a guy who sells board games express interest, and while it's not exactly what I was aiming at I'll take any vendors that are close enough if it gets the show going.
Also, a big area metal band (no names yet) that we are friends with has offered to play a set if we can get the show off the ground.
As I keep saying, we need to get 14 more tables spoken for at $15 a piece...

[Dan Iacovelli]

have you though of putting up a small web site to get more attention?
I wish I could help out but I'm tied up with my own show coming this weekend.
maybe next year I can donate a prize of some sorts

[Glitch695]

I totally understand! Were I not a groomsman at a wedding this weekend I would do my best to attend. It's obvious you have put a ton of work into it.

As for a website, we are trying to get one up, but for now plan to push it on the podcast's website. Our web pro is the guy getting married this weekend so his priorities have been elsewhere the past month.

But yes, I would love to collaborate next year! Best of luck to you this weekend.

[Glitch695]

Quick update:
It looks like we may also be having a chiptunes concert as well!

[Glitch695]

Sadly, it looks like despite the best efforts of some great people, we're not gonna be able to get this show off the ground this year. After going over the costs involved it would have been about $400 minimum to book the venue and get everything going. Between work and school the WVItC gang and myself just don't have the scratch to throw down right now, and we only had a total of six people confirmed to get tables, still leaving us with about a $300 loss...

But. We're going to turn our lemons into lemonade and use this time to try to plan in advance for next year: scout out locations, talk to vendors, do some advertising, etc.
If we could have a plan locked in by the time of the Midwest Gaming Classic, we could advertise a bit there as well as talking to vendors at the show.
So I'm pretty bummed out that it won't turn out this year, and I want to say a big thank you to the people that expressed an interest and offered to put up flyers- but like I said, let's turn this around and plan something really cool for next year!

[goatdan]

That's too bad, but from one of the guys who runs the Midwest Gaming Classic, if you actually expect to run a show and your goal is breaking even, I would suggest you'll have a lot of work to do. The Midwest Gaming Classic did not break even once until *this year*.

Also, will PM you something else. I've been contacted by some people very confused over the "September Midwest Gaming Classic that we're running" and whatever you're doing, if you're not being clear about who is running it I want absolutely nothing to do with you promoting your show at our show. I've had to answer to our attendees and vendors already about this, and that doesn't exactly make me feel to positive about having you run around the show promoting your show to other vendors.

Compete all you want, the MGC is pretty big (drew over 5000 this year with kids included) yet we finally broke even *this year*.

[Dan Iacovelli]

That's too bad, but from one of the guys who runs the Midwest Gaming Classic, if you actually expect to run a show and your goal is breaking even, I would suggest you'll have a lot of work to do. The Midwest Gaming Classic did not break even once until *this year*.

Also, will PM you something else. I've been contacted by some people very confused over the "September Midwest Gaming Classic that we're running" and whatever you're doing, if you're not being clear about who is running it I want absolutely nothing to do with you promoting your show at our show. I've had to answer to our attendees and vendors already about this, and that doesn't exactly make me feel to positive about having you run around the show promoting your show to other vendors.

Compete all you want, the MGC is pretty big (drew over 5000 this year with kids included) yet we finally broke even *this year*.

I agree with goatdan, don't expect to make money when it comes to running a show,
CGE (Classic Gaming Expo) even lost money last year.
my own show VGS(video game summit) has been loosing money as well not much though since the location was only around 500.00.