Ask any game master who's participated in HOT (Historicals at Origins Team). They'll tell you how great the HOT program is for GMs and gamers, especially newly-recruited gamers. (Also note, that Wizards spends over $10,000 on the First Class facilities and benefits each year for great HOT Historical Miniatures events).

HOT Gamemasters please not the Origins 2001 deadline for event submission is Dec. 15, 2000. To register your event, contact Paul Westermeyer , 6819 Gafford Dr., Columbus, OH 43229, or e-mail: westermeyer.3@osu.edu. We are requesting an extension for HOT GMs as needed, but please plan now, rather than wait. It is easier to cancel an event than it is to enter one after the book is printed.

Why so early? Considering the generous support we've seen from Origins, I wanted to let people know how this will help improve Origins, and especially help improve HOT. HOT's repeated success is based, not just on quantity of events, but more on quality and reliability. I discussed it with the Wizards staff, and I fully understand why a massive event like Origins must have such an early deadline -- even despite the resultant GM casualties (events-lost). Basically, Origins is just too big and too diverse to be coordinated like Cold Wars (which, for example, has had good and bad years for getting events right). To do it right, they simply need the time. Having worked with them for five years now (and seeing many employees come and go), here is how I appreciate their needs:

1. Over all else, such a large event requires the marketing necessity to get accurate and high-quality Pre-Reg books on the street six months before the event.

2. The immensity of this Convention means that, if not locked in at least 90 days out, people-time-space-coordination will fail (meaning many unhappy participants).

3. The exertion for a 100+ page book, and complexity of color graphics and layout requires professional editorial efforts, event coordination expertise, as well as serious expense. The cost quadruples when done late.

4. The annual mad-rush of events submitted past the deadline caused content and coordination lapses from which the editors cannot recover. They simply have no time to proof, correct, and inquire back to the submitters.

5. Previous later deadlines have had accidental miscategorizing, and omission of GMs and events (including some "Big Shot" sponsors!). I've seen Wizards fire more than a few folks over this problem.

6. The light at the end of the tunnel is that Origins is committing serious capital into further modernizing the process to speed it up. Meanwhile, by supporting a successful and beneficial program like HOT, we can continue to:

(1) Recruit new historical miniatures gamers
(2) Provide quality events for HMGS attendees
(3) Demonstrate that the investment into our Historical Miniatures program at Origins is worth the effort to all involved.

(Editor's Note: Despite being transferred to Korea by the U.S. Army, Pete Panzeri is continuing to assist in the planning and coordination of HOT.)

HOT Contact Info:

Paul Westermeyer, Event Director: 6819 Gafford Dr., Columbus, OH 43229, or e-mail: westermeyer.3@osu.edu

Chris von Fahnestock, Exhibit Hall Booth Coordinator: P.O. Box 457, Phillipsburg, OH 45354, or e-mail: outland@erinet.com.

Bob Wicks: P.O. Box 163222, Columbus, OH 43216-3222, or e-mail: Wicks.11@osu.edu

Pete Panzeri: Peterpanzeri@hotmail.com.