Since Gen Con is moving to Indiana, what will Wisconsin be left with?

[Barendd Nobeard]

Those of us here in Indy (and thats what we normally call it) don't realy have a name for ourselves. As for Gen Con I think most people will be pleasently surprised. The Indianapolis Convention Center is many times the size of Milwaukee's, so no more wandering outside to find the Arena and seminars in the hotels.

Yay! That was really annoying, especially when it was really hot out and you're lugging around a backpack full of game stuff, plus all the junk you just bought at the vendor area....

And speaking of hotels there are 4 conected via walkways plus more than enough in the downtown area within walking distance to house everyone (This is in part due to the fact that we regulary house 200,000-500,000 people for the races).

That's my only real concern with the move: housing. (Besides the fact I'm cheap, so I'll whine about my personal expense increase.) More housing = (hopefully) less problems. If I try to register and can't get good housing, I'll cancel my trip to GenCon 2003. Otherwise, I'll be in Indy.

Downtown is also a thriving place with enough restaurants that are open late to probably seat everybody.

Well, of course it is. There's nothing else to do in Indi-yawn-a! Especially if you don't like basketball. (No offense to my friends, ancestors, and college professors from the Hoosier state--and, come to think of it, they all have one thing in common--they left Indiana!)

And there are plenty of other things to, you can check out www.indy.org and www.indyarts.org. Well that should be enough cheerleading for now, and no I don't work for the Convention Bureau.

As for the moving of GenCon while I have been going regularly since the early 90s I have never been happy with the cramped nature of the site, so I think that Gen Con in Indy will be quite nice. While some Wisconsin folks will no longer be able to make it (And we will miss them) there will be many more people who were not able to go before because of the distance that will start coming now.

Well, I don't know about "many more" people, but any move will cause a shift in the attendees. Locals from the old site who can't make it; locals from the new site who start showing up. And "local" can mean: within four hours driving distance (as opposed to eight), etc.

Anyone going through Wisconsin Withdrawal once GenCon moves to Indy: I'll be selling cheese & brats out of the trunk of my car in 2003!

 

[mac1504]

Re: Re: Whats on at Milwaukee

go to a custard standhey are everywhere in Milwaukee (except, ironically, downtown). My favorite is Gilles (76th & BlueMound Rd.) And although Happy Days was created by a New Yorker, everyone here claims that Leon's (on the south side) is the model for "Arnold's Drive In" from that show.

Really? I was always told that the old Pig and Whistle on Capitol Drive was the model for Arnold's in the Happy Days (and I think there was an homage to that restaurant, although maybe unintentionally, in DragonLance as well from Weis and Hickman)

Ah, but what do I know- I've only been living here for 20 years, and I still learn a thing or two about this city!

-mac1504

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

It'll be a bit further to go to Indy...but I'm not particularly affected by it either way... it's sad that it's the end of an era, but from what i've heard, Indy is much more "convention-friendly" In response to what one poster mentioned about moving it Chicago...while that would be a dream come true in terms of not having to pay for housing....NO! There really aren't any spectacular convention halls around here, and I'm pretty sure that's why Winter Fantasy moved...

And as for what WI will have left....
Only cheese, and Eric, and Gary.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Re: Re: Re: Whats on at Milwaukee

Really? I was always told that the old Pig and Whistle on Capitol Drive was the model for Arnold's in the Happy Days (and I think there was an homage to that restaurant, although maybe unintentionally, in DragonLance as well from Weis and Hickman)

Hadn't heard that one. My mother-in-law grew up near there; I'll have to ask her about it. I have a sneaking suspicion that where you live/d in Milwaukee may determine which custard stand was the model for "Arnolds" in Happy Days.

At any rate, The Pig and Whistle is gone now. Just east of there, however, is a good gaming store - Napoleon's.

 

[Mistwell]

Personally, I really don't understand why they didn't move it to a larger population center. Given the opportunity, they should have put it in New England or Southern California. Somewhere that ensures a very large number of people are within driving distance, the flights are cheaper (because they are hub airports), and the convention halls and hotels can easily accomodate a growing audience. For example, the big comic book convention is in San Diego, CA every year. That whole city backs the con, with signs everywhere, a huge convention center, lots of hotels and motels (both cheap and expensive), and an easy driving distance from one of the major US airport hubs (Los Angeles International Airport), For that matter, probably Huston/Ft Worth would have been fine as well (big airport hub), or Chicago, or Miami or Seattle (*maybe*). But Indiana? That whole state has a population of 6,080,485, which is less than the County of Los Angeles has by about 1/3 (9,519,338 for LA). California itself has a population of 33,871,648, five and a half times the population of Indiana! If your goal is to make the convention as accessable as possible to the largest audience, Indiana was a poor, poor choice.

 

[Cake Mage]

Personally, I really don't understand why they didn't move it to a larger population center. Given the opportunity, they should have put it in New England or Southern California. Somewhere that ensures a very large number of people are within driving distance, the flights are cheaper (because they are hub airports), and the convention halls and hotels can easily accomodate a growing audience. For example, the big comic book convention is in San Diego, CA every year. That whole city backs the con, with signs everywhere, a huge convention center, lots of hotels and motels (both cheap and expensive), and an easy driving distance from one of the major US airport hubs (Los Angeles International Airport), For that matter, probably Huston/Ft Worth would have been fine as well (big airport hub), or Chicago, or Miami or Seattle (*maybe*). But Indiana? That whole state has a population of 6,080,485, which is less than the County of Los Angeles has by about 1/3 (9,519,338 for LA). California itself has a population of 33,871,648, five and a half times the population of Indiana! If your goal is to make the convention as accessable as possible to the largest audience, Indiana was a poor, poor choice.

I most highly agree. Me being from San Diego of course and cannot make to gencon due to, well, because its so d*** far away. The move to Indy is not a smart move because lets face it, there is nothing it that region. All around the major city's are farms and prarries. I was planning on going last year but due to financial reasons, I was unable.

Why oh why didn't they move it to a coastal area? If not West coast then why not East. There are a lot of people there to. Not to mention lots of big cities with more people.

Uhg
Some people have poor planning....

 

[adndgamer]

I for one, would hate to have it in a bigger city. It's already a pain in the butt to get to it, and in a bigger city, I can only see it as being a BIGGER pain in the butt. Although I hate the fact that it's moving, I'm glad it's not to someplace like New York, or Miami, or LA. Gen Con is at least still a Midwestern thing (which makes sense, as it's central, rather than being at one coast or the other -- it's equally difficult for somebody at either extreme to get to. Equality )....even if it will no longer be a Wisconsin thing.

 

[Mixmaster]

OMG!! I forgot about the Safe House! (old age + posting late - where's the OFC of these boards)

go to a custard standhey are everywhere in Milwaukee (except, ironically, downtown). My favorite is Gilles (76th & BlueMound Rd.)

I will this year.

What gets me is THEY FINNALY GET HOUSING FIXED and here it is being moved, what are the odds that housing will get screwed up next year!

Housing in Milwaukee is one the reasons it's moving to Indy. in simple words, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH ROOMS DOWNTOWN. PERIOD. There are more rooms downtown in Indy than there are in the Milwaukee area.

GenCon isn't the "image" they wanted to portray.

Strange. A couple of years ago, when I came a week earlier guess what type of convention I ran into at the Hilton?? A Heavy Metal/Goth one.

It's too bad they didn't just move it to Chicago. It moves from a day trip to a dedicated weekend for most of the Chicago crowd.

Chicago is already booked to the gills in conventions, there's no room to squeeze in one. And the two most important reasons there won't be a GenCon in Chicago (and NYC I might add) are:

Hotels rooms are $200 - $300 a night.
Union fees are outrageous.

Just to turn this around a little, I'll be coming over to GenCon thsi year (from the UK) and spending the beginning of the week there too....

Hey, if you want to hang out, you got a deal.

In conclusion, I'll miss Milwaukee (badly), but I think Indy will be alright. But to who will be selling the brats in 2003, I'll be one of the first in line.

 

[Wolf72]

Par-Tay!!!!

Just me and Gary Gygax!

does this mean we can have a party at Eric's house?? Someone call Lobster-Boy (aka kwalishkid) ... WOO HOO!!!!!

 

[Mixmaster]

I'll bring the chips. The beer is already set for Milwaukee.