Suggestions for setting up a gaming event

Many people outside the gaming subculture do game nights occasionally (family at New Years, friends looking for something new to do, team building exercises in the corporate world, get to know you gatherings etc etc) without much planning and then wonder how it didn’t go off exactly as they had envisioned. Surely playing games is simple? More surprisingly, even among gamers, it is interesting how often a new game group will get together and break apart almost immediately; a games night or convention might be arranged and not happen (or go off like a damp squib). One of the reasons for this is that, even among gamers, it is often not appreciated how much planning and thought needs to go into arranging any event.

Over the next week or two I’m going to do a couple of pieces on some suggestions for setting up different types of gaming event / game group. This article s going to cover the basics and issues common across the board. Also I have been specifically asked about ideas for setting up a games night (possibly once off) so I shall include my suggestions for that. If I seem overly simplistic at any point please bear in mind that firstly, I want this to be accessible to anyone including kids and secondly, I am probably going to be drawing largely from my own experiences and mistakes I have made… (I can be simplistic too *grin*)

Generalities

Some things to remember all the way through, from your very first thoughts about running games to the very end as you clean up and decide whether to do it all again:

1. The most important thing to remember when organising a games event (in my opinion) is that it is about having fun (for you as well as for the other attendees). This may seem incredibly obvious but as you read on you will see how people can quickly lose sight of this as things get complicated! If you have fun organising the event and at the event – other people are more likely to have fun at the event…

2. The second thing to remember is that, like anything in life, it’s never going to be as simple as you thought. Everything takes some planning and something unforseen is very likely to crop up and try to trip you up. If you start getting overwhelmed get some help and see point 1.

3. Keep it simple. This may seem to contradict my previous point but it doesn’t really. You can plan something and try to cater for all eventualities while not allowing it to get too complicated. The big trap most people / groups seem to fall into at some point is thinking that planning and being organised is more important that having fun. This is one of the reasons that smaller conventions and games events are often much more fun for the attendees and organisers than the larger “well organised” ones. Balance in all things and see point 1.

The are several things to consider when organising any kind of gaming event that may seem too obvious to even consider (until you examine the ramifications):

1. Who do you think is going to come?
Quite often we organise a games night or even a half hour get together to play a quick game and realise that either the people we expected have not been able to make it for unforseen reasons or there are a number of people we didn’t expect. Do you have a contingency plan for this? Maybe when you’re getting your games together you could have some extra games on hand that requires fewer players so that if you are short handed there is still something to play and if there are extra people you have enough to cater for them so no one is left out.

2. Not everyone likes the same types of games.
While this seems on the surface to be glaringly obvious, it can be very easy to overlook the fact that Generic Joe Gamer, who you know is coming along and is usually up for anything, actually hates games that involve rolling dice (he thinks he is unlucky with dice). This may not mean he will refuse to play – but he might not have as much fun as you had hoped. Additionally (as per the previous point) you may get an unexpected visitor who only plays board games! The best way round this is to have a range of types of game available and be ready to split the group up, mix and match your players or change plans on the day.

3. Is there a local games group who can help you?
This is especially relevant for students as most colleges have at least a small games group (and if yours doesn’t you should be able to get funding from the Student’s union to start one up). Games groups quite often have a fairly extensive library of games and almost certainly have a wealth of experience running games and teaching them to people who have never played before. A local games group could be your most valuable resource (and a good source of new friends or at least participants in your event). If there is no local games group there may be a games company rep (check with local games shops or online) who might be willing to come and do some demos / provide support – the MIB (Men In Black) from Steve Jackson games are a good example. *

That’s it for the basics… At this stage you might be thinking “Wow, how simple! What was he talking about ‘planning’, that seems fairly straightforward?” Don’t forget though, that’s just the start! Next I’ll address some specifics relating to different types of game event that you might want to stage. I’ll be covering small Games Nights (once off and recurring), Setting up a Games Group for your regular gaming fix, big Games Days (with sponsors, demos and trade stands etc) and running a full blown Games Convention. (If anyone can think of anything else I should cover – please comment here!

* In the interests of full disclosure – I am a MIB and do demos for SJ Games on a fairly regular basis. We do provide prize support and games etc as often as possible to new groups / shops running tournaments / conventions. I’m sure there are other groups who do the same and I know some shops do also – MIB are just the first that came to mind