Practicality Study for Attending PaizoCon '16


PaizoCon General Discussion


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So I've heard wondrous things about this event called 'PaizoCon'.

I live in the MidWest, and it would be a bit of a trial to get there, but worth at least investigating.

What considerations should one take into account for attending such a convention?

Truth In Advertising: I've attended gaming and sci-fi conventions since 1994. Basic Convention considerations such as 'hygiene' and 'rest' don't need a mention here. (ie, I bathe at least once a day, and try to get six hours of rest in a given day minimum)

Thank you very much for your time and consideration in advance!

The Exchange

Have money. Cash. Lots of it.
Drive through Idaho, Nebraska, or Nevada on your way to the convention.
Give me any reason whatsoever to pull you over.

I look forward to seeing you.

Grand Lodge

Leave some slots open if you want to go to panels. The morning games start fairly early, and the end games can finish quite late. The hotel is great, and the staff are quite nice and helpful from what I have heard, and I agree fully just from my front desk interaction. Bring all your source material for any pfs games in both physical and digital format, mainly for questions and verification of materials. Enjoy yourself, and chat it up with people, especially HQ members!


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Civil Forfeiture Officer wrote:

Have money. Cash. Lots of it.

Drive through Idaho, Nebraska, or Nevada on your way to the convention.
Give me any reason whatsoever to pull you over.

I look forward to seeing you.

I don't drive, sorry.


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Michael_Hopkins wrote:
Leave some slots open if you want to go to panels. The morning games start fairly early, and the end games can finish quite late. The hotel is great, and the staff are quite nice and helpful from what I have heard, and I agree fully just from my front desk interaction. Bring all your source material for any pfs games in both physical and digital format, mainly for questions and verification of materials. Enjoy yourself, and chat it up with people, especially HQ members!

When you say 'fairly early', are we talking 'crack of dawn' early, 'GenCon' Early, or 'West Coast' early?

Also, this is in Washington State, right? Will I need to bring extra allergy pills or something to deal with potential 'smoke' issues? I don't handle that sort of recreational item very well?


It's not like everyone is chiefing up everywhere all the time, Washington State actually has some pretty strict non smoking in businesses laws, so strict in fact, some bars would set up couches in the median because you can't or couldn't smoke within 15 or 20 feet of an eatery or something, this was awhile back so I might be off a bit, but no I wouldn't worry about everyone blowing pot in your face :-)

Grand Lodge

I didn't really see people smoke, and as for the early games, I believe they started at about nine, but I may be wrong as I don't have the itinerary with me.


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Oh, neat, someone beat me to the punch. I was wondering about sticky'ing this.

Grand Lodge

So, I plan on spending about 1,400 for airfare, a hotel room, and food/drink. I may bring about another couple hundred for the store and as sightseeing money, since I couldn't do much last time.


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Hmmm. That's kind of pricey. Did you spread it out over time?

Grand Lodge

Oh, I do. I'm also lazy, and stay at the hotel that the con happens at. The other hotels in the area are less pricey, and some offer breakfasts as well. I try to make the convention more like a vacation, and I'll use the extra days not riding a train to do touristy stuff.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
Also, this is in Washington State, right? Will I need to bring extra allergy pills or something to deal with potential 'smoke' issues? I don't handle that sort of recreational item very well?

The smoke problems we have right now are actually from the forest fires currently torching (mostly) the Eastern half of the state. Ideally in May that should not be an issue as its the summer heat and dryness that spawns those.

Oh. Oh wait. *That* kind of smoke...

Should not be a problem. There is no legal place in/at the convention space/hotel to smoke marijuana. Despite some of the joke memes you see floating around the internet, Washington is not under any sort of constant blanket of marijuana smoke haziness (we're just frequently naturally overcast). State law is that you cannot smoke or consume marijuana or marijuana products in public and its state law that you cannot smoke at all within 25ft of a public building's door, window or air intake.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:

When you say 'fairly early', are we talking 'crack of dawn' early, 'GenCon' Early, or 'West Coast' early?

8am-1pm

1pm-6pm
7pm-12am

...has been the standard. (Though that is not set in stone, just how it has worked out for several years now). For the 8am games that means you need to be there about 7:45am to muster. Depending on how long a person takes to get ready in the morning and what they are used to, that can be pretty early for some folks.


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Sara Marie wrote:
Wei Ji the Learner wrote:

When you say 'fairly early', are we talking 'crack of dawn' early, 'GenCon' Early, or 'West Coast' early?

8am-1pm

1pm-6pm
7pm-12am

...has been the standard. (Though that is not set in stone, just how it has worked out for several years now). For the 8am games that means you need to be there about 7:45am to muster. Depending on how long a person takes to get ready in the morning and what they are used to, that can be pretty early for some folks.

So 'GenCon' Early, but being up at 'crack of dawn' doesn't hurt. Got it.


If you're just looking for a big con, Origins and GenCon are in the Midwest already...


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Anonymous Visitor 163 576 wrote:
If you're just looking for a big con, Origins and GenCon are in the Midwest already...

I've been attending GenCon every year since 1994.

I'm curious about PaizoCon because it sounds a bit more relaxed and a bit more focused in the venues and options, but not so small that it'd be a waste of time and money.

And yes, I've attended Origins in the past as well, but the travel to get there is a bit of a pain (moreso than GenCon)


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

It sounds like you've got a good idea of what the con is, and how fantastic of a time you will have. So your next step is just making it happen.

Previously (before moving to Seattle), I found the best time to buy plane tickets, and reserved the hotel room as soon as I did. Buy PaizoCon and Banquet tickets as soon as they are available. Be ready for the lottery and open signup four to six weeks prior to the con. Travel from airport is nothing now.

I would arrive one to three days early for travel rest, sightseeing, and meeting all the other people who.come early (including precon games if you want), plus the Meet and Eat. It's the Paizonians that make the con so great, both fans and staff. If you don't come very early, get as direct as you can going at least. And stay thru the following morning. It's the time you spend outside of games that will be the most meaningful.


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My concerns thus far in my study have been finding a hotel room either at the hotel or immediately right next to it (the idea of hauling a ton of books miles to a convention is a non-starter straight-up), determining cost-effectiveness of arriving on Wednesday versus Thursday--with a departure of no earlier than Tuesday of the next week--and how viable food-resources are going to be (somewhat restrictive diet means not as much food may be available).

I would love to arrive earlier and possibly sight-see, but that mayWILL require finding a room-mate, and figuring out how to get the books I'd need to Seattle is also a consideration. (My -1 alone needs a minimum of 4 books to be table-legal)

And before people say "Oh, just download the apps/buy the .pdfs" I don't have a tablet nor a 'smartphone' so that would be less than useful. In addition, acquiring a tablet at this stage of the game would eliminate the funds I'd be saving to use to *go* on said trip.


Keep in mind that extended stay hotel rooms come with a small kitchen. That, and an order to pea pod, and you can just make your own food.

Have you considered a roommate? Cuts your hotel bill in half....


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Anonymous Visitor 163 576 wrote:

Keep in mind that extended stay hotel rooms come with a small kitchen. That, and an order to pea pod, and you can just make your own food.

Have you considered a roommate? Cuts your hotel bill in half....

Wei Ji The Learner wrote:
I would love to arrive earlier and possibly sight-see, but that may WILL require finding a room-mate


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber

I've been to PaizoCon thrice from the Midwest, and will definitely do so again. I very much prefer it to GenCon even though the latter is nearly five times closer to me.

During your first time, absolutely set aside time to sight-see, preferably before. (Speaking only for myself, immediately afterward I'm typically too exhausted to do much more than want to head home.) Seattle offers plenty to see and do, and you don't have to go particularly far for a lot of it. You can get many places (not all, mind you) via the Seattle public transit system.

Staying at the convention hotel itself is a little more scratch, but it's almost always worth the accompanying lack of hassle. For your books, consider a wheeled backpack/carry-on bag that you can dedicate to books for the trip. Spare coin for the Paizo store is recommended, cos you're going to see stuff there that's just been released and/or you've not seen before and will want.

And PaizoCon is a great place for saying hello to anyone; that includes the Paizo staff, who are remarkably patient, even by the end of the convention. My first time attending, I was very nervous and quite shy. My wife, bless her, wasn't inhibited at all, and struck up conversations with pretty much everyone nearby, at the meet-and-greet, within the store, in the halls between sessions, and seated in the lounge area in the foyer. Without her breaking the ice, I wouldn't know many of the people I do here.

Dark Archive

You don't state which mid-western city you are starting from, or your preferred mode of travel, nor your time off.

If you are close to Chicago, getting to Seattle by train is simple, but takes a couple of days. You don't have the luggage restrictions that you do when flying, but you will need to get from the train station to the airport while carrying it all. Also, to be cost effective, you have to sleep sitting up in the train car. Not terrible, but not great either.

Flying and the train tend to not be too much different in price. Alaska Air always has a non-stop from STL, and I'm guessing from ORD as well, and others will have seasonal non-stop flights. Just take a look at the days before and after to find the best day to fly. There can be significant differences.

The food at the hotel itself is high! There are a few much less expensive places to eat across the street.


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Neenah Hartleigh wrote:

You don't state which mid-western city you are starting from, or your preferred mode of travel, nor your time off.

If you are close to Chicago, getting to Seattle by train is simple, but takes a couple of days. You don't have the luggage restrictions that you do when flying, but you will need to get from the train station to the airport while carrying it all. Also, to be cost effective, you have to sleep sitting up in the train car. Not terrible, but not great either.

Flying and the train tend to not be too much different in price. Alaska Air always has a non-stop from STL, and I'm guessing from ORD as well, and others will have seasonal non-stop flights. Just take a look at the days before and after to find the best day to fly. There can be significant differences.

The food at the hotel itself is high! There are a few much less expensive places to eat across the street.

I live near Chicago, which opens up that train route you mentioned. But if I'm taking the Empire Builder, I want to do it in comfort, which really ramps up that price. After riding coach from Oakland to Chicago a few years ago... yeah, that's not happening again.

I was considering flying, probably from O'Hare (since Midway is undergoing a reconstruction phase and it's kind of cramped).

Right now the thought is to take off the Wednesday before and return the Tuesday after, if the hotel and airfare lines up decently enough. I've already let my boss know that I'll need a holiday weekend for vacation (which is all kinds of administrative FUN), so...

Knowing that there are less expensive places to eat nearby is kind of important... are there any grocery or convenience stores in the area that aren't too prohibitive?

President, Jon Brazer Enterprises

If you like Pathfinder, you should go. If you love all Pathfinder, all the time, you should definitely get. If you are major into Pathfinder Society, this is a donor miss event of the year.

If you want be at a seminar and ask questions of paizians directly, play in a game run by a Paizo employee or Pathfinder Compatible Publisher, or just hang out with friends from the message board, you should most definitely come.

That's all anyone should need to decide to come, IMHO.


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Dale,

You're the president of a company, right?

I was trying to run a CBA on attendance, along with trying to figure out an optimal paradigm for attendance in a limited fiscal environment... :)

President, Jon Brazer Enterprises

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
You're the president of a company, right?

yes

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
I was trying to run a CBA on attendance, along with trying to figure out an optimal paradigm for attendance in a limited fiscal environment... :)

Oh sure, figuring out funds is major important for me as well. I live in New Jersey so plane tickets alone cost me quite a bit, so much so more than I cannot make a profit at the convention. So when I go, its because it is a darn fun convention, probably the most fun I have at any convention.

But yea, I as well have to budget wisely for the trip.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Two things coincide very nicely - food and sightseeing. The best way to get into Seattle is the Sounder Light Rail (one-line subway essentially). Once you've explored your fill on Wed or Thursday morning, stop at the Othello station on the way back. There's a grocery store right there (west side) - Safeway if I'm not mistaken. Load up, and grab the next train down. Small transfer to a bus to get all the way to the hotel (but that's better than the mega-hill at the previous hotel ;)

Some 7/11 type options more directly nearby, a diner, Taco Bell, and another chain I forget.

Sovereign Court

Been to 5 Paizocons since 2009 ... enjoyed each and every one of them.

I fly in from the east coast, so my cost estimates are going to be higher than some.

PaizoCon 2015:
Flight ~$750 (expect this to bump up this year a good bit ... am seriously thinking of flying first to avoid the godifeellikeasardine syndrome that comes with flying across country usually)
Hotel ~$375 (Wed night through Tuesday morning ... and I had a roommate)
Food ~$300 (but I did eat well)
Store/Sightseeing ~$300
Other stuff ~$700 (of course, the bulk of this was kennel costs for 4 dogs)

All that said, I allocate ~$2500 on average for PaizoCon these days (but 2016 may be over $3000 depending on what I decide on flight wise ... and I am staying an extra couple of days more than the first few times I attended as well).


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When do tickets/timetables and everything generally get announced. I have finally managed to line everything up to be in Seattle at the right time next year, so yay! I won't be able to spend lots of time there, so I'd like to do some planning.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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We're working towards that goal as quickly as possible. Our hope is that they will definitely be up before the end of 2015, but I don't want to try to be more specific than that.


No worries, Sara. Thanks. I'll keep an eye out.


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Just in time for the holidays?

Excellent.

Community Manager

PaizoCon tickets went up today—check them out here.

Liberty's Edge

Hi,

First time at a Con, but life-long resident of Washington State.

Yes, there is legalized marijuana in most places.

There is no smoking, period, within 30 feet of any establishment.

The pollen season is really terrible this year; I recommend bringing Allergy Relief pills like Benadryl.

The weather can change from sunny and warm to rainy and cold in minutes; bring rainjackets and/or hats.

Yes, umbrellas are for tourists. We natives have webbed feet and gills.

I fully recommend using all crosswalks and never jay-walking. One of two things will happen if you jay-walk: the police will catch you and give you a ticket; or, you will be hit by the vehicles. Not everyone follows the "hands-free" law.

Bring a camera! Taking pictures of our beautiful area is a high compliment!

Cash is nice to have on hand for keeping a budget, but VISA and MASTERCARD are accepted nearly everywhere. There may be a fee for using a card for less-than-$ charges. Some places charge up to $5 for a card used for less than $5. We have to pay a fee for allowing cards to be used; most places pass that fee on to their customers.

I hope this answers many of the questions about our State.

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