Adepiticon Cancelled (25th March) due to US government advice

[phaidknott 7023xp 3]

Just in (about 40 mins ago)

https://www.facebook.com/AdeptiCon.org/

So I’m betting we might see many more conventions/shows cancelled this year. The public health is paramount, but it’s going to hit the Traders hard (who rely on the sales boost they get from the shows).

I wonder if in this day and age OTT/BoW could devise some way of running a “Virtual” Wargaming show (with things like interviews with the traders via skype and advertising for that Weekend only show specials) one weekend this summer?

 

 

[andre77 13013xp 0]

Would be a smart move, like sky giving away free soccer games (till the ghost games stop too)

[solarParticipant 2781xp 0]

Yeah I’m starting to get the feeling that Salute might get canned too based on when its supposed to take place and the predictions for the virus spread timeline. However I hope it doesnt as I am still planning to go.

[beccasParticipant 1146xp 1]

I just canned my trip to Salute from Australia.  Our travel insurance advised they will not cover us.  Very disappointed but it’s not worth the risk.

[warzanKeymaster 31125xp 1]

I’m kind of expecting both Salute and even UKGE to either cancel or postpone.

UK currently is expecting to hit the peak of the virus in 14 weeks basically taking us well into June.

So while its admirable these shows doing what they can to stay running, I have a feeling that large indoor events will be off the table for a while.

[kommissarParticipant 617xp 0]

The way things are, I would expect Salute wouldn’t go ahead.

The organisers have said today the show is still on. They said until the public health/government position changes so that they are no longer allowed to hold the event, they will carry on with Salute as planned.

I believe the current UKGE position is the same and both shows are in contact with their hosts (NEC and ExCeL).

As Warren says, it’s admirable that they want to continue, but I think we have to prepare for the fact that given the recent cancellation of major sporting events, Salute and UKGE may very well follow soon.

[kommissarParticipant 617xp 0]

@phaidknott, I like your idea. Could OTT/BoW possibly hold a virtual tabletop show. They could run video participation games over a live chat where players debate and vote for the next moves, a BoW vs the online community series of games.

oh, and discounts for shopping online during the event!

[hobbyhubParticipant 4169xp 0]

@warzan – what chance of a coordinated virtual convention with game publishers and content producers stepping into the breach to provide content for us to watch and reaction to news?

 

EDIT: Oops, needed to reread the OP, but I can’t see one content provider covering everything.

Some stores could be having sales that need promoting due to stock they were going to be taking to Adepticon and need to sell another way.

[warzanKeymaster 31125xp 1]

It’s a tricky one.

I’ve been discussing it with some of the team over recent weeks to see if or how we could help.

However I want to be respectful of the show organisers as they are have in a hell of a time of it (many of us are for all sorts of reasons). I do not want to add to their stress in any way.

We have some ideas on how we could coordinate a form of virtual event, but folk have to understand that the shows take months to organise. And even though this is virtual it’s still gonna take a ton of organisational effort to pull off.

And there is a reason shows work, and that’s passing traffic. Hot links on the web kill the whole concept of passing traffic. And folk will just gravitate to their usual haunts, and that doesn’t particularly help the new starts or little guys. (and they would be the primary reason wed be doing it – a lot of the bigger guys are really just lures)

It’s taking some thinking anyway.

[ced1106Participant 6224xp 1]

> I just canned my trip to Salute from Australia.  Our travel insurance advised they will not cover us.  Very disappointed but it’s not worth the risk.

Good move. I read an article about how unhappy a mom was that she could only get half of her daughter’s ticket to North Italy refunded. Someone on reddit posted how he got flack from cruise passengers who didn’t cancel their plans for their non-refundable cruises. So I guess we now know the price of a human life: One cruise passenger ticket. :/

Anyway, I’ve also seen live gaming and painting on Twitch. Maybe you could have a mildly silly event where everyone in the chat room tells the players what action to do next. Meanwhile, vendors could sell their games with a discount and free shipping during the virtual convention. At least better than lugging stock back and forth to the dealer’s room.

[captainventanusParticipant 4936xp 1]

It’s a shame, but needs to be done. Organisers need to bite the bullet cancel and move on to next year. Hedging bets keep things open for a government notice doesn’t help anyone – perhaps maybe for insurance purposes. Even in the scenario that an event runs, it’s not going to attract same crowds. Event organisers might want to run it, but exhibitors won’t necessarily want to come so you end up in a downward spiral for less return while increasing risks for attendees.

It’s a shame as I was looking forward to Salute, but there’s next year too.

[tankkommanderParticipant 6424xp 0]

Let us hope that there is some financial support available to small companies who suffer at this time. Whilst the obvious hit is being felt by aviation and hospitality, we need to look out for and support small hobby companies that might have been relying on show sales for a significant amount of cash flow, or be sat on increased stock that is tying up cash.

Maybe OTT can act as a point of contact from these small companies so that we can maybe throw some online orders their way in this time of need.

[phaidknott 7023xp 0]

I’ve a gut feeling that Salute isn’t going to happen this year, alas they are holding on announcing on if the show is on or off (and even tho Cold Wars went ahead in the US just the other weekend it was practically empty). And I think even “if” it goes ahead, that footfall is going to be very low (but then SLW are probably going to lose a lot of money if they cancel things from their side I guess). But this isn’t helping out the attendees and traders who really need as much notice as possible to work out what they are doing.

But even if it does go ahead the reduced footfall is going to mean a lot of traders probably will not be making their table hire fees back and they may decide to just write it off themselves and save on Van rental, Hotel fees, and the petrol.

[osbad 4279xp 1]

From the perspective of someone working for an organisation which is planning an (non-gaming) event in June, but hasn’t cancelled yet, even though we are 99% certain we will have to, timing is critical because of insurance.  If we cancel because we *want* to we aren’t covered by insurance.  If we cancel because we *have* to we will be covered by it.  As a business we are legally obliged to be careful with the financial side of the decision, which can commercially sensitive and involve lots of 3rd party contracts.  We can’t just act out of simple emotion.

 

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