RF III - POLL for Location

[Rats]

Do try to remember that RF2 is not a festival for GAoP reenactors. It's a festival for Ancient Roman through WWII reenactors.

Really???

I'm glad someone of authority has chosen to segregate this event further..... If that's the case maybe SOMEONE should inform all the members of the PUB and other areas of reenacting who plan to attend.

Rats

[CrazyCholeBlack]

Really???

I'm glad someone of authority has chosen to segregate this event further..... If that's the case maybe SOMEONE should inform all the members of the PUB and other areas of reenacting who plan to attend.

Rats

Reenactor Fest (pick a number) is not a festival for GAoP reenactors ONLY.

Next time you put on your hat Rats, make sure there isn't a hornets nest growing inside it.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Do try to remember that RF2 is not a festival for GAoP reenactors. It's a festival for Ancient Roman through WWII reenactors.

I am aware of that... I just think Gettysburg screams Civil War, while Williamsburg "screams" both Colonial and Early American History.

While I agree that the event will most likely be in a place where its most beneficial to the event "hosters", ultimately it does them no good to put it in a location that saves them money but costs them patrons.

I am not saying that G'burg will do that, but I think that the effort to make it a "multiperiod" event will be stymied in Gettysburg.

My hearts telling me if its a re-enactor event in G'Burg, most folks are going to automatically assume that its a Civil War event.

Maybe thats a good thing as there are probably more civil war re-enactors than anything else and you are sure to get a good crowd of them, but in that case, just call it a civil war market and be done with it.

Personally, I think Baltimore would be the best choice. The Intn'l airport itself is a strong draw.

Though G'burg has an airport and Williamsburg has 1 within 25 minutes and 2 more within 45 minutes, but they are more regional than International.

Its hard to say though.... I guess there are as many people who will say, "I have always wanted to go to XXXXXXX, so now is a good time to go." Filling in the blank for G or W'burg.

Looking at our Frapper map, G'Burg would be very convenient for a lot of folks....

http://www.frappr.com/pyracypub

My experience has taught me though, that it is very difficult to get those that live North of the VA MD border down south for anything.... even if W'burg is only about a 3 hour drive from DC.

Since I won't be making it.... I guess I should just keep my opinions to myself though....

Greg

[hurricane]

This reminds me of the test with lab rats with the two levers: one has food, one has an electric shock.

Gettysburg - food

Williamsburg - shock

Even though the shock would be far more enjoyable. My mother used to ask these same questions...

"Would you like the super cool electric whiz bang toy or the yo-yo?"

"Why the whiz boy toy, mom!"

"Sorry, it's not on sale. Can't have it."

Hey, thanks for asking!

Oh well, onward and upward with other endeavors folks... the clearance rack wins...

-- Hurricane

[blackjohn]

Decisions decisions... having been to both more often than I'd care to relate all I can say is, they are both REALLY cool. And this, from a guy who has vowed to NEVER do Civil War!

Williamsburg is cool, to us, for obvious reasons. You know, if you are so inclined you can go to a tavern in period clothes and hunt for the hard to find road where they strung up Blackbeard's crew. And so many other things...

Gettysburg, on the other hand, has this... solemn quality. Even somber. It is just... impressive. You look out over that landscape and your mind's eye can see those men marching that great distance under withering fire... or you clamber about the rocks and you wonder what a hellish nightmare it must have been... the whole place is just full of that bizarre feel associated with a battle... and who knows, maybe you'll even see a ghost...

Also, Gettysburg has two attractions for the pirate reenactor. There is a great 18th century tavern in town. I enjoy it just as much as the taverns at Williamsburg. And... Dirty Billy's Hats! Yes, one of the best hatters we have is right there in Gettysburg, waiting to sell you an amazing hat!

[blackjohn]

Baltimore was looked at because of its location, but it's also too expensive.

Odd... Baltimore is a big place, with acres of space available. Did he concentrate his search on downtown alone? There are other venues... large hotels outside the city, including stuff there at BWI. Being an old Con-goer, I know the high end sites versus the more out of the way places.

[kass]

He's still looking, John. Baltimore isn't out of the running anymore. He prefers it from a pure accessibility point of view.

The problem with Baltimore is that apparently the hotels and convention centers that are allied are not actually owned by the same companies. So the convention center won't give a discount on hotel rooms. And that's a negative.

However, he's exploring other options.

[flintlock jack]

Duluth, MN would probably be good, Great Lakes and all. Tulsa, OK just because it's lower midwest(new frontier)and they have a couple of good arenas to do so. Dallas would be an incredible place to have such an event, given the haughty mentality here to such eccentric, cosmopolitan, arty and pompous ostentation. Not to mention the international airport(DFW)! Everyone should visit. Endulge your consequentialness!

[Sjöröveren]

Once RF IV & V are out of the way, might I suggest Charleston, SC for future consideration? Plenty of piracy tie-ins there, and I've heard it's the most intact colonial city in the US. It would be worth the trip!

And as much as I love Duluth, MN, it's a hell of a long drive for pretty much anyone except us MN residents. Milwaukee would be a great place to alternate with Chicago, but face it, Chicago is the hub of the midwest.

[LadyBarbossa]

IMHO.... Having gone to a couple of other types of Conventions... rather still and stupid to have 2 of the same convention going on. Trust me. Causes problems.

Best to have 1 Reenactor Fest and shift around the locations.

Otherwise.... can keep it in one location. Trust me... folks WILL come!

Look at other conventions... example.. Comic Con and Dragon Con. Granted not really for reenactors... but those Cons stayed in one place and they bring in LOTS and LOTS of folks! HUGE! especially DragonCon.

Besides... this is ONLY in the baby stages. This being it's 2nd year. And did REALLY great it's 2nd year.

For those in charge should consider their options... and gather info from other conventions who've been at it for nigh 25 years. What works for them and what doesn't. Ditto with the reenactments that's been around for nigh that long, too.

Price is one. Space is another. Would rather have the space first and the price 2nd. The admission was absolutely fantastic I thought! Considering some other cons you pay $40 up to $60 or more for a couple days admission. But if the price goes up, better be added stuff like posters, pictures, trinkets, etc.

DragonCon has their Parade through downtown Atlanta and take up 4 hotels! They take 5 days... incredibly huge!

RF can be like this if they want or not.

~Lady B

[Cheeky Actress]

As of 2/4/07 - Looks like RFIII will be in Gettysburg.

More to follow....

[Capt. Sterling]

Tentative dates for RF3 Nov. 29-Dec 2 in Gettysburg, PA. Same weekend as Pip??

[Cheeky Actress]

Yes, again...November 30 thru December 2, 2007. It will be held in Gettysburg, PA...the same weekend as PIP in Key West.

[Captain Tightpants]

Lady Barbarossa,

While I think you're right in many ways, having different venues for the same sort of show makes a certain amount of sense. We made the drive from as far east in PA as you can go without falling into the river, halfway across the continent. That journey was not fun, even though the destination was.

The Con comparison has some merit, but I think we're talking about apples and oranges - i.e., events with different focuses. The Cons are not primarily vendor-based (to the best of my knowledge), and RF is - while there's some stuff to do during show hours at RF, lectures to attend and the like, it's overwhelmingly a place to go buy stuff - the vendors are the Big Draw.

Thus, it's a question of the Mahomet coming to the mountain instead of vice versa. Vendors have stuff to sell , and reenactors - with a few notable exceptions - have a distressing tendency to not travel long distances for events like these. It makes sense, as a vendor, to take your product where buyers can be found. An important thing to remember is that there are exponentially more reenactors within a few hours drive of Gettysburg than Chicago. The "reenactor population density" is far higher. That means more people at the event looking to buy things, which translates into more people paying their entry fees and making money for the organizer.

Also, people tend to make pilgrimages to things like Dragon*Con, spending so much on travel and hotel expenses that the only things they can afford to do are sit in on the games, and they'll only go periodically, like every three or four years. This archetype is far more prevalent than the folks who go every year with money to spend, and this archetype is, I'm sure you'll admit, not conducive to vendors making enough money to justify the trip. And without the vendors there's no RF.

So it's economics, not a lack of focus, which drives multiple RF sites in the course of a year.

As for the dates, they're driven by a variety of factors. First, NOV thru FEB is the off-season for reenactors, which means fewer event impacts. Second, RF is not Mike's full-time job, and it takes a lot of work to pull it together; a three-month break is needed. Third, not only is the "window" between the reenacting campaign season and the Holidays is rather narrow, the hotel availability can restrict options.

And I'd by far enjoy meeting friends from near and far at an indoor festival in Gettysburg than drive for three days to a malarial swamp where I'd be nothing more than a rat in a cage surrounded by snotty kids dripping ice-cream on my stuff and telling me I'm not a real pirate because I don't have a parrot or an eyepatch or say, "Yarr."

YMMV.

P.S. I should point out that, so far as I know, there will still be RFIII in Chi-town in February. The RF referred to here as "RFIII" is really rather "RF-1E". :)

[hurricane]

And I'd by far enjoy meeting friends from near and far at an indoor festival in Gettysburg than drive for three days to a malarial swamp where I'd be nothing more than a rat in a cage surrounded by snotty kids dripping ice-cream on my stuff and telling me I'm not a real pirate because I don't have a parrot or an eyepatch or say, "Yarr." 

YMMV. 

That is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Obviously, you know nothing about PiP, the venue, the town or those who attend who are indeed fine re-enactors. I think the likes of Cascabel, Brace and Spyder, Yellowbeard -- as we well as many others -- would take umbrage to your characterization of the event or the types of re-enactors or members of the public who attend.

I think it's unfair for you to try to damage PiP, which is in it's 15th year now, just because you want to make a case for an alternative. Particularly when RF welcomes all re-enactors from different periods, just not pirates. So why disparage PiP. Variety makes the world go round, doesn't it?

By the way, while people in the north hibernate during the months of November through February that's high season in the south with more events than anyone can attend at a time.

-- Hurricane

A proud PiP re-eninteractor

[Hawkyns]

People seem to be forgetting a couple of things. First, this is for all re-enactors, not just pirates. Looking at the pictures, I would say the pirates are very definitely in the minority.

Second, as this is mostly a market faire, it would be good to note that there are several around the country in the spring early summer- Kalamazoo, Fort Frederick, Mansker's Station and others. One more faire, in the off season and especially timed to allow christmas shopping would be a great thing.

Now the only question is what kit to wear? Pirate, Long hunter, Elizabethan, Viking, SS Gebirgsjaeger, Congo Mercenary........... decisions, decisions......

Hawkyns

[The Doctor]

Per request of the event planners, this thread is now closed.