The Creighton University Skutt Student Center is a nice place to hold an event but you have to be in good shape to get from the parking lot to the actual building which hosts events. And most of fandom isn't, not with XL clothing being considered fannish medium. It's a nice walk for a 20-year old but I didn't see too many of the Creighton students gaming. Inconvenient parking plus the gaming 
convention in Des Moines (Fields of Honor) and River City Roundup the same weekend meant that Nuke-Con was going to take a hit on attendance, which they did. There were some changes the Nuke-Con committee had to make to adapt to this new venue. The usual concession stand was replaced by Creighton sponsored eating establishments, though prices had been negotiated down for the weekend. It was a multi-level event, since the student center has its rooms divided between three floors. And their anime room was the five large screen televisions in one of those eateries. But the things we come to expect
from a Nuke-Con were all there. Lavish miniature games, RPGA events, newly designed gaming experiences straight from the companies designing them, computerized warfare, lead figure painting (as opposed to the Chinese practice of painting figures with lead), gaming supply vendors, and a game materials auction. Fredd Gorham, their Artist Emeritus, ran his Artist's Jam 
on Saturday for the second year, which makes it a fannish tradition Fredd. Several local fannish groups were also in attendance supporting the convention: OSFES, NERO, OtakuOmaha, Amtgard. So it doesn't matter the venue they are able to find, the Nuke-Con people know how to bring fun things together in a complete low-cost package. Watch for another change in venue for 2008. 
The Skutt center does not book events a year in advance.
from a Nuke-Con were all there. Lavish miniature games, RPGA events, newly designed gaming experiences straight from the companies designing them, computerized warfare, lead figure painting (as opposed to the Chinese practice of painting figures with lead), gaming supply vendors, and a game materials auction. Fredd Gorham, their Artist Emeritus, ran his Artist's Jam 
on Saturday for the second year, which makes it a fannish tradition Fredd. Several local fannish groups were also in attendance supporting the convention: OSFES, NERO, OtakuOmaha, Amtgard. So it doesn't matter the venue they are able to find, the Nuke-Con people know how to bring fun things together in a complete low-cost package. Watch for another change in venue for 2008. 
The Skutt center does not book events a year in advance. While it is easy to blame external circumstances for dropping attendance figures at Midwestern fannish events. I have to wonder if competing activities or a sense of apathy pervading Omaha fandom is the reason. Are we getting too old and/or jaded to support these events. What do you think? Post a comment about the state of Omaha fandom. Let's hear from 
you.
you.
The state of Omaha fandom? I should hope that apathy has not crept in. I just left a city where apathy is running rampant - it that can even be possible.
ReplyDeleteI think what we're seeing is perhaps a slight downturn due to economic factors and a shift in the hobby. Remember, D&D 4e was just announced, so there are rumblings in the entire hobby going on.
Dale, where did you come from and what were some of the symptoms of that apathy. It might give us signs to look for in Omaha as we try to bring the SF/F convention experience back to town.
ReplyDeleteApathy isn't the problem. Information is. I have never seen a city that is so bad at announcing an event the day after it happens, than Omaha. You always find out about the event on the news that night! If attendance is desired, you need to get the geeks saturation blogging on all the local and regional forums, and putting up posters everywhere. Also in small cities, drag in all the subcultures... Sci-fi, Anime, Furries..etc, ALL OF THEM. You will pack the place! The city is too small to be specific with a convention. Target 500+ first year and exceed that goal and you got a permanent con!!!!
ReplyDeletewowie get in touch with the Omaha Sceicne Fiction Education Society (www.osfes.org) so we don't make the same old mistakes. I am the webmaster there.
ReplyDelete