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Anatomy of a LAN Party?
malfaetor writes "My colleagues and I are interested in improving on an annual public LAN Party that we first held last year. Before the event, I asked Slashdot, and received some terrific suggestions. The event ended up being quite a bit of fun, and we had very few technical issues. However, there were some non-technical improvements that could be made. We did not break even financially, and ended up having to divide the loss among the seven of us. The biggest financial killer for us was insurance, at nearly $500 for the event. What have other LAN party organizers done about insurance and legal issues? Has insurance (or lack thereof) come back to haunt anyone in the past?"
"We've also had trouble deciding which network games would be the most popular. Our group has tried to focus on games that are the most familiar (or at least the smallest learning curve), and that most individuals already have installed. What games have been the most popular at LAN parties you have attended in the past six months? We know many individuals with consoles, but are unsure if promoting the console gamers would be a large draw. Have consoles been a common sight at the LAN Parties you have attended? If so, have you had any problems related to having to juggle both console and PC players?
Advertising was also an issue. We ran a grassroots advertising campaign because radio and TV advertising were too costly to be considered. However, we were concerned that the flyers we created and the postings we had on certain websites were not reaching enough local gamers. Strangely, local game shops have been very hesitant to allow us to place flyers there. What creative ways have other groups used in the past to get the word out?
Our webmaster has done a great job so far in getting sponsors. Sponsors have been very good to us, but other events that have been around longer seem to have quite a bit more swag to give away to the attendees. Is the real trick to getting sponsors to have longevity, Get Big, or have the organizers donate a whole bunch more money toward the cause to purchase these prizes themselves? Do local sponsors tend to give more than big national sponsors? Does anyone have any tips or tricks for approaching sponsors?
Lastly, has anything changed in the LAN Party scene in the past year? Has anybody seen or been involved in any noticeable trends, or have experiences worth mentioning?"
Advertising was also an issue. We ran a grassroots advertising campaign because radio and TV advertising were too costly to be considered. However, we were concerned that the flyers we created and the postings we had on certain websites were not reaching enough local gamers. Strangely, local game shops have been very hesitant to allow us to place flyers there. What creative ways have other groups used in the past to get the word out?
Our webmaster has done a great job so far in getting sponsors. Sponsors have been very good to us, but other events that have been around longer seem to have quite a bit more swag to give away to the attendees. Is the real trick to getting sponsors to have longevity, Get Big, or have the organizers donate a whole bunch more money toward the cause to purchase these prizes themselves? Do local sponsors tend to give more than big national sponsors? Does anyone have any tips or tricks for approaching sponsors?
Lastly, has anything changed in the LAN Party scene in the past year? Has anybody seen or been involved in any noticeable trends, or have experiences worth mentioning?"
That way you can cover most of your costs, potentially even insurance.
A blog like any other.
dont try and make a profit :P
And no parent has ever sued a school for harm to their child even after they signed a permission slip granting free reign to the school to do with the child as they please?
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
/Strangely, local game shops have been very hesitant to allow us to place flyers there./
This is because they fear that the rampant piracy that happens at almost gaming LAN will hurt their business. They're probably right too.
Doesn't work for anyone else though. Microsoft are a law unto themselves because they can afford to defend anything until the other party dies of old age, so they pretty much get to make the rules, regardless of whether or not their 'laws' are legal.
For the rest of us, we're stuck with the legal principle that someone cannot sign away rights that are granted by law. Take for example, the fact that is illegal for me to kill you. You can sign a piece of paper to say that it's quite OK with you if I kill you, but the piece of paper is worthless and meaningless. I can't use it as a "get out of jail free card" because you can't sign your right not to be killed - it's not quite literally like that, but you get the idea...
The same ~kinda~ thing applies with people signing to say that if you hurt them it's their fault. It's not ~quite~ the same principle, but similar.
Look at it then from a contract point of view and it's a bit different. Like all the sporting and motorsport venues, you can sign to say that you accept specific obvious risks and that you will not, in consideration of being allowed to enter the venue, not sue the owner, operator, competitors, etc, etc, etc.
In a place like Australia, you'd probably get away with a nice strong disclaimer and acceptance of risk by the individual punters. In a place like the US, as vexatiously litigous as you folks are, I'd probably not bother running the event at all, but certainly not without insurance at least!
Couple of other thoughts: Perhaps the insurance company will give you a discount if you make the punters sign a EULA written by the insurance company, second, here in Australia we have a concept of a registered/incorporated not-for-profit organisation that, although a bit fiddly to set up, has the nice benefit that they're not legally liable for a lot of the kinda of stuff you're worried about. Might be worth checking if a similar concept exists in your jurisdiction
#include disclaimer.h: IANAL. I didn't make it past second year undergrad law, and I have only the vaguest memory of torts and contract law - as reading the above ramblings demonstrates. You'd be a fool to take my advice!
I find your ideas intriguing and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Insurance is only expensive if you didn't need it.
Not to split hairs, but even if you could sign away your right to be killed, the killer could still be prosecuted for murder. Theoretically, signing away your right not to be killed would eliminate a wrongful death suit. However, murder, like all criminal offenses, is a crime against society. When you get tried for murder, the victim isn't the one prosecuting you.
Quake/Quakeworld... Those were the days. :)
Ceterum censeo Microsoftem esse delendam
Boxers very rarely die in the ring. It is not "likely" that it will cause (solely) death. It is only "likely" to cause injury. Muhammed Ali fought the strongest boxers of his day, and he is still alive. The brain damage is a cumulative result of the game, not something that could be attributed to one boxer.
Your parent is talking about something more on the lines of duelling with pistols, where the contestants goal is to kill each other.