Announcing MEGA-BabelCon "Fandomonium"

I apologize for having to post this in a separate forum from "BabebCon 2011", but because of the new size of this event (we are expecting upwards of 3,000 attendees) we will be required to change the dates of the next BabelCon (maybe as soon as November). The new date will be announced soon.

We are holding a much larger event than we originally planned (Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or ). Some big name guests we are considering are Bruce Campbell, Adam West, Adam Baldwin, Alan Young, Andy Serkis, Bob Greenberger, John Ratzenberger, Felicia Day, Billy West and Yoshiyuki Tomino. [None or all of these people could appear, so please be advised only Bob Greenberger in that list is confirmed.]

Because BabelCon is designed to make science fun, we have secured the most appropriate venues to host MEGA-BabelCon in the heart of Baton Rouge's Downtown Development District: Shaw Center for the Arts, Manship Theatre, LSU Museum of Art, Louisiana Art & Science Museum Planetarium, Louisiana Old State Capitol, The River Center, and the Downtown Hilton Hotel.

Hope to see you there!

What if anything is being done differently regarding the gaming situation at this year at MEGA-BabelCon? From reviewing the previous year's accounts I am wondering if a different approach is being used.

I understand that BabelCon isn't a "gaming convention" though as an unelected and unauthorized representative of New Orleans NoLarp gamers, what's in it for us?

If you guys get Bruce Campbell, I'm there!!!

hewhorocks wrote on Aug 17^th, 2010 at 8:23pm:

What if anything is being done differently regarding the gaming situation at this year at MEGA-BabelCon? From reviewing the previous year's accounts I am wondering if a different approach is being used. I understand that BabelCon isn't a "gaming convention" though as an unelected and unauthorized representative of New Orleans NoLarp gamers, what's in it for us?

Those are good questions. The biggest problem we've had is getting someone (or a group of someones) to run the gaming room. This lack of volunteering by local gamers has led the other BabelCon board of directors to believe gaming is "of little interest anymore". Thus, we have had a shrinking game room, and it drives me crazy!  Why?

Because I know this isn't true, but without gamers volunteering to run a game area (and actually showing up at the con once they volunteer) there isn't going to be much gaming at BabelCon. There is some, but not much. We typically have 15-20 games scheduled. But we have enough people and potential space to accomodate hundreds of games.

Now, I am a gamer. I wrote a published D&D book, for goodness sakes. But being on the board of directors, I can't focus JUST on games. So what we wind up with is a 30x40 room with 20 tables and 15 scheduled games, and a book by the door for signing up for said games. Thats not where I want to be in terms of games being run at the con. I want the game room to be in the 150x150 room with 100+ games scheduled.

Most cons have a dedicated volunteer or group of gamers who enjoy organizing the game room. If we had this, BabelCon could be the largest gaming con in the region. We have the resources, we have the space, we have the gamers willing to play games - we just don't have any gamers willing to take up the management gauntlet. I can't do it alone.

So my question is, are there any gamers willing to volunteer to help run the game room? With 3,000+ attendees, this will not be an easy task, but the rewards are well worth the effort.  And the con will support any volunteer efforts to beef up the gaming.

~Randy

So we need someone willing and able to organize and run a convention within the convention. MEGA Babel-con will provide the space and as many as 3,000 at least tangentially interested folks.

Well gaming at conventions probably wont work as "tack ons" any more than "Tacking on a Civil war reenactment" works.

Engaging the "Local gaming community" requires active investment in time and attention so its not surprising that without that investment the self realizing prophesy of "of little interest anymore" propagates. Its tough to build up a network of volunteers and generate buzz within a gaming community especially on a grass roots level without a firm calender dates as a minimum.

To that note its difficult to commit to volunteer for something without having an concrete idea of when its occurring.

Approaching the gaming community on regional basis by contacting gaming companies (WOTC, Steve Jackson, Goodman games, Hero etc) and requesting displays and using their fan networks can assist greatly in reducing required lead time but six months is usually pushing it.

If a serious attempt were to made at making MEGA-BabelCon the largest gaming community in the region there are marketing steps and contacts to be made but just as importantly some organizational infrastructure to be installed (online registering of events/participation etc.)

Its not a one person job for sure but the constraint in the system isn't necessarily volunteers.

Understood. But gaming-interested volunteers is the one link in the chain we are missing. Without the manpower, all we've got is me, and as you said, its not a one person job. Everything else is in place and ready to go - marketing, gaming company support, and local game groups.

Last year we had a local 12-person gaming group who invested time and effort to come to all our monthly meetings, sign people up on our website, and then on the day of the con they never showed - all of them. Each one had a separate individual excuse, so it was apparently not a group protest or anything. Anyway, so all we had was the signup book on game day - again. Thankfully I had the sense to copy all the info to a book the night before, off the BabelCon website.

Oddly, last year we only had one complaint, and thats because the Warhammer guys did not show up to run their game. This was, of course, the same local game group who were no-shows. Go figure.

But this problem is ongoing. Gamers volunteer to work, and don't show when its go time.

The con is scheduled for November 2010. Since all your suggestions are in place, I am open to ideas on how to jumpstart a great gaming area.

Been working on the new website from dawn to dusk since Tuesday. There isn't much content yet, and the countdown clock is set at Nov. 1st since the exact dates are not yet confirmed, but other than that I think its good to go: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

There is a place to sign up games, on the Games page. Once the game is vetted, its posted to another page link to that one. Same as in other years.

hewhorocks wrote on Aug 18^th, 2010 at 5:35pm:

So we need someone willing and able to organize and run a convention within the convention. MEGA Babel-con will provide the space and as many as 3,000 at least tangentially interested folks.

If the con was in New Orleans (or even Slidell or Covington) I'd be all over this but Baton Rouge is far enough away and enough of a pain to go to that its just not worth it to me.  I can't speak for everyone but I just don't find the con experience worth the drive to BR as an attendee anymore, much less as someone helping to put it on.

For me, ebay ruined the only real reason to go to cons.

And not having money Ruined Ebay for me. So you know IM out.

I can't promise anything, but I am currently communicating with Chris Johnston on possibly holding a sort of "Bayou Wars at BabelCon" gaming event, either for 2010 or 2011 MEGA-BabelCon, or both. So far he seems open to the idea, so cross your fingers.

Who the heck is Chris Johnston?

beyonder wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2010 at 2:27pm:

Who the heck is Chris Johnston?

The coordinator of Bayou Wars.

But I thought Bayou Wars was devoted entirely to miniatures war gaming.  If he's running a "Bayou Wars at Babelcon" then that will be of limited interest to rpg-ers. 

Still,

If Bayou wars were at the same place there is much more cross over between wargamers and rpg'er than with the science fiction population at large. It would make for some easier transition to organize some additional events, well I would think.

The press release explaining about the November event (Fandemonium) has been posted to the BabelCon website's Home page (Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or ).

Since my duties as Communication Officer were part of my previous position, I will soon be handing off those tasks to someone else since I am now the VP.  I only mention it because this will probably be my last official BabelCon notice in this forum.

I may post requests for game masters from time to time, but I will do so in an unofficial capacity. Chris and I are toying with the idea of having a "Bayou Wars at Fandemonium" franchise event, and it was mentioned at the recent public meeting that 3 large hotel meeting rooms are being considered for this event, but nothing is yet confirmed. We are still in the brainstorming stages.

Thanks,
~Randy

hewhorocks wrote on Aug 30^th, 2010 at 5:13pm:

Still, If Bayou wars were at the same place there is much more cross over between wargamers and rpg'er than with the science fiction population at large. It would make for some easier transition to organize some additional events, well I would think.

Agreed. You have to start some place. This is that start. As we gain momentum in the coming years, we will have "all things gaming". At Fandemonium there will be one entire room dedicated to video games. EA Games is a guest of the festival.

In case anyone wants to rent a table at Fandemonium, I thought I would pass along the fan group & vendor table info. You can download it at the link below:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

This is not any sort of official announcement. Just being helpful.   8-)

Updates from the Facebook page:

"VIP guest Robert Picardo (The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager, Robert Woolsey from Stargate: Atlantis) will be appearing, with a rough cut of his new film "The Legends of Nethiah". See The Legends of Nethiah before anyone else!"

"VIP Guest Bob Greenberger (former editor for Marvel and DC Comics, author of numerous Star Trek novels) will be appearing with updates on the latest Hollywood genre movies!"

So ... umm .. gaming at BableCon/Fandemonium/Whatever tanks yet again?