Simucon.

[Warriorbird]

I'd love to go and meet some friends...but the cost of registration boggles the mind...add in the costs of travel and food and hotel and such...

I go to other vastly cheaper conventions. Should Simu get sponsors and vendors and such to reduce the cost? Should they hire some folks to help make it reach more people? They claim they make nothing...do you believe that, or is it really a cash cow?

[Ilvane]

I registered really early this year, so it didn't cost quite so much. If you room with someone and get your tickets early, it's not as bad.

I saw the cost of late registration, I wouldn't have bought tickets either.

They get discounts from Southwest for airlines, and the hotel is 99 a night, which is cheap for the hotel we are staying in.

I think they should give some tickets away too, because as much fun as I had last year, I didn't think it was worth the money. Some of the presentations were good, but there was a lot lacking from the year before, which was fantastic.

Maybe this year will be better!

--A

[Warriorbird]

Even the early registration costs lots more than conventions of similar scale I could choose to attend.

[Ilvane]

I don't go to other conventions as a rule, so I'm not really familiar with the costs. It's really that big of a difference?

--A

[Warriorbird]

It's pretty significantly different. I think Simu could defray the cost some with working with more vendors/sponsors and such.

[Ilvane]

What kind of sponsors would you like to see?

I think that's an interesting idea. Maybe one of the computer magazines could sponsor it, and give some publicity for GS, and we can give them something too..heh.

--A

[Warriorbird]

Computer gaming magazines....sites...non directly competitive online stuff

vendors of generic SCA type stuff...gaming supplies...art...alcohol....

highly caffeinated substances...

[Parkbandit]

There are many costs you are not taking into account when you see the total price... the meeting rooms, catering, comps for some or all of the GMs.

Remember, you have the choice of going to the Con or not.. I'm sure for some of the GMs, it's part of their job... so Simutronics pays for them.

I bet they actually lose some money for the Con every year... but they believe it's good for business.

[Warriorbird]

Then why can all the similar sized Cons run cheaper and for a profit? You're a conservative, you're supposed to question these things!

:chuckles:

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Warriorbird
Then why can all the similar sized Cons run cheaper and for a profit? You're a conservative, you're supposed to question these things!

:chuckles:

Heh...

There's a difference of being generally a conservative (Damn.. how did you guess I was :) ) and the rules of business.

Why do things that cost $.02 to make sell for $1.89? Oh... because that is what people are willing to pay for them.

Simucon is essentially a Monopoly. There are very few gatherings like this specifically for GS3 (or GS4). As such, they can choose to charge whatever they believe you will pay.

In fact.. one could argue they are charging too little for it. For example: Let's say there are 300 paying customers signed up currently each paying an average of $250 (I have zero idea about the real numbers). That's a gross revenue for the event of $75,000. How many of those people would choose not to come if the price was say $275 instead of $250? I doubt they would lose many actually.. but let's say 5%. Bye bye 15 paying customers @ $250 or $3,750 gross revenue. Oh.. but there are still 285 people paying an additional $25 each or $7,125. So by raising their price, they can actually get an additional $3,375.00

[Intox]

bump bitches

[Bobmuhthol]

Simucon is well over, what the fuck is the bump for?

[Betheny]

Don't register: Simple solution.

I registered when I went and I didn't even go to any of the functions it gave me access to.

[Galleazzo]

Me, I'd never go to Simucon. Whatever Simu tells you is a fucking lie. Look, I live in Boston. The biggest and baddest SF convention in the world was in Boston couple weeks back. World Science Fiction Convention. Ten thousand people, a whole convention center, hundreds of panels, a dealer's room about two acres wide, an art show about the same, movies round the clock, all that shit.

$200 at the door. Not many SF or gaming conventions have the stones to charge even HALF that. And all those other conventions pay for their space, and all those other conventions comp their guests, and damn few of them have any kind of sponsorship.

And do Simucon people WANT all the fancy bells and whistles? I bet they'd be perfectly happy with an empty function room where people could hang and chat. Rent a frigging Elks club for the weekend, it'd cost a few grand.

No, it's just Simu knows people will pay that money, because GS fans are stupid.

[Artha]

Simucon rocked.

[SpunGirl]

Artha is correct. I get that people don't want to pay the money or whatever, so just a) don't pay and don't go, b) don't pay and go anyway, but whatever you do, please also do c) quit bitching about the cost. It's not like you HAVE to do it.

-K

[Jolena]

b) don't pay and go anyway ??? How is that possible?

[Artha]

Simucon is held at a hotel. You can stay at the hotel but not officially attend Simucon. This means that you can't attend any of the seminars, State of Elanthia, use the computers there, or get a name tag.

[Edited on 9-30-2004 by Artha]

[Betheny]

You can bring a laptop and still take advantage of the wireless internet. Also... seminars suck and who cares about a name tag? I have a 300 dollar name tag... I didn't go to any of the seminars or use the computers or anything, and I had a blast (for the most part).

[Toxicvixen]

No, it's just Simu knows people will pay that money, because GS fans are stupid.


:?: Since when is that? Just because some people (me included) will spend insane amounts of money on something they enjoy doesn't make them stupid.

[GSTamral]

very difficult to get sponsors for a convention that small

[AnticorRifling]

What's the early registration cost?

If I could swing it I'd go. I'll drive over beacause St Louis is only a few hours away. Hotel is easy just get lots of people in one room, you're drunk who cares how many people are in the bed. Also for some stupid reason it's sometimes cheaper to fly into Indy than into St. Louis if that's the case and I'm going fly in a few hours early and we'll roll over.

[SpunGirl]

I think I paid $200 for early registration, and they took it out at $50/mo for four months. It worked out well.

And to answer Jolena's question, what Artha said (again). I hung out with a few people there who were "flying under the radar," so to speak, and just didn't get a name badge, attend seminars, whatever. The best party there was the one on Saturday night... the dinner wasn't really all that exciting. The dinner you have to be registered for, the party you didn't:)

-K