OutreachCommittee:2019-02-17 Meeting Notes

Date: February 12, 2019
Event Location: Wanaga Photography Studio
Main Topic: Video Game Night

Second Outreach Committee Meeting on Video Game Night

Attendees

Eric (Chair), Brad, Leah, Luis (Guest), Vader, Christian

Committee Visits to Existing Video Game Nights

• Press Start: Eric, Brad, Leah, Vader, and Christian attended Press Start at the Deep End. We concluded that a large selection of games were available but it was difficult to get into one. There were a lot of people so the ratio of people to games was high. The food and drink was good, but expensive. Though it was non-smoking, it still smelled like smoke. The music was incredibly loud and made conversation difficult. There was a wide variety of seating and areas for socializing, but the music made it difficult.
• Warp Zone: Eric, Brad, Danny, Leah, Vader, and Christian attended Warp Zone at Heretic. The atmosphere was more intimate and it was easier to get onto a game. There was no food but the drinks were reasonably priced. The place was filled with smoke to the point that we left early. There was a diverse crowd and parking was easy. The music was not as loud as Press Start but it was still difficult to have a conversation. The seating was minimal and there were no areas for socializing except outside which is subject to the weather.
• Pass the Stix: Eric and Christian attended Pass The Stix. We concluded this to be the most enjoyable of the three events. No smoking, wide variety of food, full bar, reasonable prices. There were a lot of different seating options: several couches and lounge pillows in a living room style area next to a big screen where people were playing Smash Bros., the bar and barstools where food and drink were served and people could play solo games, and tables and chairs for small groups to sit at and play games.

Venue Requirements

Luis asked, “What does the event look like, what's the budget?”

• Need minimum of 20 people
• Separate gaming space and mingling space

Began by explaining to Luis what we’re looking for in a venue:

• Non smoking
• Can hold 20-50 people
• Free (at least to begin with)
• Parking available
• Food & drink at location or ability to BYOF BYOB
• Ages 18 and up
• Low or no music
• Areas to socialize and participate in non-video game activities

Luis's Venue Suggestions

• Georgia Beer Garten: Space upstairs, bigger than Robert’s studio. No age restrictions. Stairs that connect to the backyard. We manage sound. Cons: Aligning dates with football seasons. Date and Attendance affects cost. May be the toughest on a Saturday.
• The Masquerade: Side room to feed band, full kitchen. Twice as big as Robert's Studio. Have a mobile bar. May not charge for first few events. Parking: there's a charged parking deck or there's street parking. Also a Marta station. Masquerade is inside Underground Atlanta.
• Co-working space at Underground Atlanta - Attached to Masquerade: Large space available. BYOB and BYOF. Coffee bar, fridge, bathroom, Wi-Fi. Future: Gay bar opening sometime soon after April. Parking Deck. Has TVs.
• Cultured South: Westside, on the beltline. Kombucha tasting room. Seating space is the size of Robert's studio. BYOB until April when they get their liquor license. She's not open too late, may need to work with her to stay open. May need to get a volunteer bartender. Private, free parking. Next to Monday Night Brewery, there will be a restaurant in front that opens in April/March.
• Breweries: Eventide, Orpheus, etc...

Participation in Dames & Dregs Festival

Dames and Dregs: Festival dedicated to influence of women in the beer industry.

• Panel discussions, arts market - female, 2 stages female musical artists. Sponsors with Activations, food venues female owned. There was a marching band before, this year will have a marching band. They really want it to be more like a convention.
• August 10th. 12pm—6pm. 1489 attendees. Tickets this year open to 2500 people. The crowd was 50/50 female/male.
• Option to occupy a venue space for games. We can set up board games, video games, and a movie to promo all three types of our events. There's a stage and a bar.
• Branding: Listed as an extension on the website and on-site at the festival. New website launching March 24th.
• Can collect donations, but can't advertise collection.
• The slogan is "We welcome dames, sirs, and everyone in between".
• Voted the best festival last year by Critics Choice
• Licensing for Movie - No license needed if we don't advertise it as Movie Night
• Storage space available
• 2 Windows in front of space for banner
• Vendors gave out swag and bracelets and bags of stuff

Action Items

• Venue visit to Underground Atlanta and Cultured South on Saturday, March 16th.
• Plan first video game night beyond April. April 20th is now scheduled for Spring Picnic and the proposal would have needed to have been submitted on 2/17 for proper advertising time. We still anticipate a need of six weeks of promo before the event. Travis suggested avoiding May due to our involvement in OutlantaCon. We may have Gaymer Pride Night any month between June and October, so we should try to avoid event overload.