Hey guys,
So, I suppose when you name an event "NonCon," you're sort of asking for a non-event, even if the title was originally tongue-in-cheek. In a moment of irony, however, it seems Sheboygan NonCon is The event that shall not be (and hey, at least I can find some solace in knowing that sounds a little like something out of H.P. Lovecraft's playbook). So, why isn't it happening?
In short, we lost the venue.
You see, events like this require more than just verbal support. They need people to register and commit to coming, which didn't happen in this case. Don't get me wrong, we had a lot of people who told us they were coming, either in person or by email, but none of them actually registered. And when it came done to handing the numbers over to 8th Street (who had to schedule staff for the event, as well as account for food and beverage sales), all I had was a big fat zero. And while I trust the folks over at 8th Street (and I know they trust me), businesses aren't run on "maybes" and "what ifs." They're run with sustainability and profitability in mind. The same is true of any small convention or event. So, while I was super excited about getting together, drinking craft beers, and gaming, I wasn't in the least surprised or upset when 8th Street told me that they couldn't move forward with this event. So, they scheduled a rehersal in the venue in place of us. And I can't blame them. I would have done the same thing.
So, what's happening now?
I'm going to call this a lesson learned and move back to focusing on writing stuff for Rhune: Dawn of Twilight and running small, local games. I don't know if we'll try this again next year, but as it stands right now, I'm hesitant. Plus, I don't think February is the right time for an event like this. If anything, I may try and organize some smaller events, some beer and gaming pairings locally, but that's about it. I know that the bar manager over at 8th Street really wanted to see this happen, so we may end up doing something there at some point, but for the time being, NonCon truly is NonCon - in every sense of the word.
Cheers,
Jaye
