OutreachCommittee:2019-01-26 Meeting Notes

Date: January 26, 2019
Event Location: Eric M's Residence
Main Topic: Video Game Night

Attendees

Eric M. (Chair), Brad K., Christian H., Danny H., Herb, Vader

Summary of Current Video Game Nights Supplied by Herb

1. Press Start by Controllerise occurs every Monday at the Deep End from 9pm until the bar closes. Deep End is a bar/restaurant located in Old Fourth Ward that hosts many club type events in the evenings. Controllerise is run by two local hip hop DJs. The crowd is primarily heterosexual and there are a lot of minorities there. The atmosphere tends to be loud because they are playing Lo-Fi hip hop. The venue serves food and alcoholic drinks. There originally was no cover but they began charging $5 and found that it did not affect attendance. People primarily play games, but some people come to listen to music and socialize. The volume is loud and makes it difficult to socialize but the event is the most popular of the three that Herb runs. There is ample free parking.
2. Warp Zone is run by Herb and Terrence at Heretic every Wednesday from 9pm until the bar closes. Heretic is located off of Cheshire Bridge Road. There is no cover. It is the only LGBTQ arcade in the US as far as Herb is aware. The venue serves alcoholic drinks but does not always have food. They also have art vendors and a food vendor. They are not paid by Heretic but make their own money from what they sell. They also have a DJ who is paid by Heretic. Outside they also play board games. The venue is mid-level volume and people do come to socialize, play board games or just drink, but they primarily play video games. There is ample free parking.
3. Pass the Stix is every Thursday from 6pm until the restaurant closes at The Original Hot Dog Factory downtown near GSU. The event is focused on GSU students. There is no cover and there are food and drink discounts for GSU students. They offer a full menu of food but do not have alcohol. There is only paid parking but the event is primarily aimed at GSU students who would walk over from the dorms nearby.

Discussion

Venue Considerations

• Is the venue small enough to allow attendance of fewer than ten people or is it large enough to host over fifty people – the success of the event may dictate the venue.
• Is there a cost to use the venue?
• Is there ample parking at the venue and is it free?
• Do we have a contact at the venue?
• Is the venue already busy or is it looking for business?
• Is the venue in a central location or is it far out?
• Does the venue already have gaming equipment or video equipment?
• Is the venue conducive to people who only want to socialize or play board games?

Timing and Frequency of Event

• We all agreed that Saturday night is the best option. Weekdays limit the travel time and availability of attendees.
• In order to properly propose and pass all the necessary measures with the AOW board, the earliest conceivable date that would allow enough promotion time is April. Propose in February, Pass in March, promote for a month, and hold the event in April.
• As our board Game Night occurs on the first Saturday and our Movie Night is the fourth Saturday, we opted to choose the third Saturday as it was recently vacated by the Breakfast Saloon. From my involvement in local events, I know that the third Saturday is the least busy of the month outside of the holiday season at the end of the year.
• Our initial idea is to hold one event in April and evaluate the success to determine the frequency of occurrence after that. Our lowest expectation is to only have one annual event; the next would be quarterly in order to allow a lot of hype and promotion and give AOW time to not be overwhelmed by too many events; and best case scenario would be monthly if highly attended and successful.
• We agreed that April 20th is the best possible first date for Video Game Night. That is also the weekend of Good Friday, Passover, Easter and Atlanta Bear Fest. We think Atlanta Bear Fest offers an opportunity to promote and draw in a crowd although they are not all locals.

Possible Venues

• Amsterdam – a local LGBTQ bar and restaurant near Piedmont Park with ample free parking. They have outdoor space, a large open bar area, a large pool table room, and a large venue room that is often used for special events like concerts. Brad mentioned that the owners are always looking for events to hold there and most likely will not charge. This was the most preferred location as we would not have to worry about providing food or drink or IDing people who drink. We would also be able to be confined to a separate room that would not interfere with the bar’s normal business. Vader will contact the owner to inquire about using the venue.
• The Bakery Atlanta – a queer-owned former warehouse that is used for many queer events, especially trans, as well as Southern Fried Queer Pride. They have a lot of space but do not necessarily have the tables and chairs. Herb knows the owner and will contact them about using the venue.
• Baker Dude Bakery Café – a local LGBTQ restaurant in Grant Park. The venue has tables and chairs and is in need of events to drum up business. They would most likely not charge for use of the space. They do not offer alcohol but have an extensive menu of food. Danny will contact the owners about using the venue.
• Atlanta Fulton Public Library System – the AFPLS has large rooms for use that are free and available unless there is a conflicting event. Everything is booked through the adult outreach program run by Oscar Gittemeier. They have ample tables and chairs at the Metropolitan Branch location as well as power plugs. We would need to supply all food and drink or propose a potluck.
• Robert’s studio – if Robert allows, this would be a smaller venue that would be free. We would need to supply all equipment and are not sure if there is enough space and power plugs. Ample parking but it is paid.
• Orpheus Brewery – local brewery near Piedmont Park. They are looking for events and would most likely not charge. They serve alcoholic beverages and may possibly have food (unclear). Ample free parking.
• VS Studio Realm – local LAN gaming venue. Currently hosts around ten screens and is primarily focused on PC gaming. Customers are primarily young people. Located in North DeKalb Mall. Small venue. They charge by the hour. Ample free parking.
• Battle and Brew – board and video game café in Sandy Springs. They charge by the hour. They offer food and drink. Small venue that only has around 30 games but offers a mix of console and PC.
• Joystick Arcade – small local arcade bar that only has paid parking nearby. Located in Old Fourth Ward. They have around 5 arcade machines that require quarters and do not have a functional quarter machine on site. They offer food and drinks.
• Deep End – local bar/restaurant/club. Already have a lot of events and already have a video game night. Ample free parking.

Atmosphere of the Event

• We generally agreed that this is partly dictated by the venue.
• We are interested in this being a smoke-free event.
• We would like to be able to offer food at the event and consider this a high priority.
• We would like for the event to be able to involve young adults between the ages of 18 and 20, which would require certain restrictions on the venue. If alcohol is allowed, we have to either have that monitored by the venue or we would have to provide wristbands and check ID (which we would prefer to avoid). It would be best if the venue allowed 18—20-year-olds in but checks ID at the bar when alcoholic beverages are purchased.
• Considering the success of AOW board Game Nights and the success of Warp Zone, we believe the event could draw more than fifty attendees.
• We would like the event to be fairly ambient – either low or no music.
• We would like people who are not interested in playing video games to feel welcome at the event to socialize or participate in other activities.
• We plan to supply video game themed board and card games for those who are waiting to play on the systems or who prefer board games.

Action Items

• Attend and observe the current three Video Game Nights run by Herb.
• Venue outreach to our top three choices:
  • Danny – Baker Dude Bakery Café
  • Vader – Amsterdam
  • Herb – The Bakery
• Primary plan for first Video Game Night:
  • To be held on Saturday, April 20th from 7pm to midnight at Amsterdam.
• Advertising:
  • Flyers handed out at board Game Night, Movie Night, Warp Zone, Press Start, and Pass The Stix
  • Advertisements on digital displays (Heretic, Eagle, Oscars, Midtown Moon)
  • Our website, Facebook page, Facebook group, Instagram, Twitter, Nextdoor, Reddit, Blip and Eventbrite

Next Meeting

Next committee meeting to be held on Saturday, February 16th at 1:30pm at Eric's apartment.