Why is there no Gen-Con East, anyhow?

[woodelf]

Why does it strike you as odd? With the Exception of California, most of the U.S. population is densely-crowded onto the Atlantic seaboard, or just along the border with Canada. Yeah, we've got a myopia going, but I've talked to my friends who've lived in Iowa and some in Texas, and the general impression is that there's a lot of empty space out there.

As one of my friends put it "I wasn't in the middle-of-nowhere...but if I stood on the roof of my truck, I could it see it from there."

Sure, but that's population density, not population. I'm not sure which is the more relevant thing to consider in this case, but i suspect total population is, since, as was pointed out, you want the largest number of people within driving radius (and a convenient airport for the rest). Without actually doing the math, I doubt that the higher density of the NE and Mid-Atlantic states makes up for the larger area of the further-west and Midwest states (the higher-population ones, like IN and IL, at least), plus the half of the circle-of-driveable-distance that is water with essentially 0 population density if you pick a near-coastal location. And i don't feel like doing a proper weighted average to calculate these things--i presume the 2-D equivalent of a best-fit test: sqrt(sum[i=1..n](population * (distance)^2)), would be required, and it's been too many years since i've turned such a sum into an integral, even if i had the population data to do it with.

 

[woodelf]

They have a Gencon East, and it's called Gencon.

Agreed. Look at a map some time--it's really not that far from the Atlantic. Remember, it's a fair bit from the Mighty Mud, and nearly two-thirds of the country is west of that.

In my opinion, Indy is probably the best place to hold Gencon East of the Miss.

Well, location-wise, yeah, probably. But, i gotta say, my initial reaction when they announced Indy as the new location was "what, they wanted a pit and Gary was all booked up?" and, while my experiences with the convention itself last year were pretty wonderful (way better than any year WotC/Andon/WotC ran it), they did nothing to dispel my negative opinions of the city itself. [But i don't generally like big cities, so don't take my views on the matter as unvarnished truth.]

 

[woodelf]

Origins was held in Philadelphia a few years ago, Bretbo, and it used to move every year. They settled on Columbus after they got a very agressive deal if they guaranteed to stay there.

My own opinion is that they ought to look at rotating the location of the SoCal GenCon. Keep the original in the Midwest, but then move the second GenCon each year. SoCal this year, Northeast next, Northwest after that, Southeast in 2007 etc. It would bring the exposure of a big convention to different places while keeping the original intact and not overly stressing the vendors, the planners and attendees.

I don't know how much truth there is to it, but according to Origins management it is "necessary" to keep a con in one place for real growth--they point out that it was only after Origins stopped moving around that it significantly grew--much faster than GenCon is growing, in fact. So, while the aggressive deal may have settled them on Columbus specifically, it was management considerations that got them to decide to settle on a static location in general. Unless they're mistaken, and the convention is doing better now for other reasons. Or they're just spinning it for some reason.

 

[woodelf]

I once told someone that I was having a meeting in Chicago because I wanted a location in the midwest. They (quite correctly) replied with a snort that Chicago was only in the midwest if you lived on the East Coast.

Huh? While the exact boundaries of "the Midwest" are up for debate, it's pretty well agreed that everything west of the Ohio River and east of the Plains qualifies, with usually only those states north of, roughly, the Mason-Dixon being included. Ohio might or might not be "Midwest", but IN, IL, MI, WI, MN, IA definitely are (and some others--like i said, it's less definite as you get near other regions, as in all things without definite boundaries). [Interesting thing i've noticed: nobody wants OH. Those from states west of it refer to it as "back East", while those from states east of it refer to it as "Midwest". The same thing doesn't seem to happen to any other state, AFAIK--at least some of the adjoining states will admit to being in the same region.]

That person was utterly ignorant. I was born and raised in Indiana and live here now. We are in the Midwest and have always been in the Midwest. Only the monumentally ignorant would deny that Chicago is in the Midwest. The Midwest has always contained the states that at one time were in the Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota). This is how the term has been used for over a century.

Yeah, what he said. More or less. Apparently whoever that was was thinking in terms of the overall geography of the US, rather than the established regional labels. It's true, Chicago is less than a third of the way from E to W, which by all rights "should" be the "mid-continent" or perhaps even "near east" or somesuch. But, due to historical precedent, it is, and for as long as it's been there, pretty much, has been, the Midwest (only, maybe, when WI/MI/IA was "the West" might it, too, have been considered "out West".). And please don't confuse the Midwest and the Plains States.

 

[Ranger REG]

Agreed. Look at a map some time--it's really not that far from the Atlantic. Remember, it's a fair bit from the Mighty Mud, and nearly two-thirds of the country is West of that.

Meh. It's not like they're going to host GenCon West in the westernmost state of the USA, last I checked it's Hawaii. :\

 

[Glyfair]

My memory may be flawed, but I recall Origins was held (at least occasionaly) in Baltimore. I attended a Con called Origins in the late 80's; is it the same Con as the current Origins? It, obviously, moved; does anyone know why?

I went to a string of Origins in the 80's (starting with Towson, MD and ending with the last Baltimore Origins). When Origins left Baltimore, I was told the reason was that prices were too expensive.

My experience in the contact bridge tournament scene also has given me some background on "conventions." The 3 National tournaments each year move from year to year and price is always a factor. The East coast in not a popular place (although Philadelphia has appeared a couple of times) to hold them. Las Vegas and Orlando are, on the other hand (mostly because you can bring your family and they'll have things to do).

It also should be noted that towards the tail-end of the Baltimore run, Origins was alternating locations. Every other year was in Baltimore, the other years were somewhere else (sorry, I don't remember any locations). I remember this because the alternating years Baltimore had "Atlantic-Con" (or "Atlanticon") which was run by basically the same local people.

 

[Endur]

There was a Gen Con East

I went to Gen Con East.

In 1983 in Cherry Hill NJ if I remember correctly.

Held on a university campus (don't remember which one).

No idea why they stopped it.

 

[woodelf]

Meh. It's not like they're going to host GenCon West in the westernmost state of the USA, last I checked it's Hawaii. :\

Or Alaska, even. At least in all my atlases.

 

[pogre]

I noticed that Games Workshop has expanded their Gamesday events to four U.S. events - two of which are on the East Coast (Baltimore and Atlanta). Different kind of event I know, but still, I think a large scale gaming convention should work well out East and not tarnish our cherished midwest tradition.

 

[WizarDru]

Apparently whoever that was was thinking in terms of the overall geography of the US, rather than the established regional labels. It's true, Chicago is less than a third of the way from E to W, which by all rights "should" be the "mid-continent" or perhaps even "near east" or somesuch.

Is it possible he wasn't talking about geography, but culture? As in, Chicago more closely resembles New York or Philly in outlook and attitude than say, Des Moines, Lincoln or Boise?

Sure, but that's population density, not population. I'm not sure which is the more relevant thing to consider in this case, but i suspect total population is, since, as was pointed out, you want the largest number of people within driving radius (and a convenient airport for the rest). Without actually doing the math, I doubt that the higher density of the NE and Mid-Atlantic states makes up for the larger area of the further-west and Midwest states

I don't think that'd be the case, though. Look at this map of population, not density, instead. Massachusettes has 2.2% of the population of the U.S. That's the same as North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Idaho combined. New York and Florida are the third and fourth most populated states. If you total NY, NJ, PA, DE, RI, CT and MA...you get a little over 20% of the US population, in a densely packed area, relatively speaking. California, of course, is the most populated state, with 12.1% of the US living right there...all the more reason that GenCon SoCal should be GenCon #2. GenCon numero uno is just fine where it is, of course. I just think it'd be swell if there was more than one...but I understand how that could possibly dilute the vendor and attendee market. I'm just practicing wishful thinking, here.