Mar 05, 2017 22:13
So - quick update. I quit my job at Speldorado per September 1st 2016, both because I needed to be able to put more time into Jack of Dice, but also because working for Roeland was becoming very stressful to me. The best thing I could say is that he and I have very different work styles, so let's leave it at that.
Since I became a full-time entrepreneur, I decided to set up store at a lot more events than before. Last year saw my first foreign Con (FACTS in Gent - very much worth it and I will be going again) and my first boardgame event (Spellenspektakel in Eindhoven, ditto).
January and February have been quiet. Very few cons which seemed worth while, but this gave me plenty of time to prepare a better setup. A central table with three-tiered 'wings' on either side. The setup can fit in a 2x6m spot and allows a good amount of behind-the-stall space for personal belongings and to retreat from serving customers, while still allowing you to peer between the shelves to watch all the pretty costumes. We're calling that part the Bunker.
And now March has arrived, and the Con season has kicked off! First con of the year: the Rotterdam Comic Con in Ahoy!
Well...it went allright for me. Not spectacular, but I'm pretty happy with the result. As the event goes, it could do much better. Not enough publicity, not enough visitors, not enough to do FOR the visitors, both in their selection of merchants and in actual activities. Some interesting guests - actors from Game of Thrones, Sylvester McCoy, and others - but yeah...not much to do.
One major gripe for me would be that they sold Early Bird tickets. Bad for the merchants - we would prefer not to have to leave home an hour early, TYVM - but the visitors who paid extra for them did not get much benefit from them either. The event was not busy at all, and most of the visitors were pretty much done after a few hours. It just adds to the general vibe that the event is mostly trying to make money rather than offering a memorable experience for the visitors.
Personally, I would not choose this event over others, neither as a standholder or as a visitor.
comic con,
rotterdam,
ahoy