HMGS East's Fall In convention spent five years in Gettysburg, PA and last year at Lancaster, PA. This year, 2003, the organization moved it to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD (just outside Baltimore). There was indeed a bit of complaint about the move, but there was method to the madness--it's closer to geographical population centers, the Fairgrounds has extensive PR contacts in the media, and the previous two locations did not pull in the attendees.

On a personal note, I endorse the move. I've said so previously, and say so again. If you want to grow an organization, especially a hands-on organization like HMGS, you need high profile conventions in large population areas. Of course, you have to balance the cost of a move versus the status quo, but Fall In was becoming a less necessary venue, and indeed, MagWeb.com's initial multi-day stay dwindled into a one-day visit, and one year, we just skipped it entirely.

That said, the Fall-In folks did a couple smart things. They ran ads in the local newspapers. They contacted writers in the papers. They allowed a cut-rate $5 entry fee for first-timers. They brought in Baltimore-based Games Workshop of sci-fi and fantasy fame (usually an anethma to an organization focused on historical topics) to bring in kids. They continued the idea of bringing in re-enactors.

According to Fred Hubig, convention director, about 400 people (don't know the proportion of children to adults) appeared at the show. I don't know the exact total numbers, but judging from the crowds and the folks stopping by the MagWeb.com booth, the turnout was sweet.

I want to add that the hotel prices were below those of the Lancaster area, and you had quite the number of restaurants to choose from for lunch and dinner. The distance was about a half hour more for the MagWeb.com crew to travel, but was worth it.

Physical Buildings

Like the Lancaster Host, the Maryland Fairgrounds (MF) dealer area and the main wargaming area were in separate buildings. Since the days were bright and sunny, this presented no problems whatsoever. Had it been raining, that would have been a different story--the Host has about half the distance under a covered walkway. The MF buildings were across a parking lot.

The buildings themselves were large open boxes with absolutely fantastic lighting. No more squinting in the Distelfink (Host) or whatever the ballroom was called in Gettysburg. A bar/food area was in the middle of the gaming area. A satellite food table was in the dealer hall. Food was primarily Chinese or sandwiches. Plenty of fast food was within a five minute drive of the place. Parking was free.

The dealer hall used 8-foot wide tables instead of the 6-foot wide ones at other shows. Here, here for the larger tables! And, the dealers had more room behind the tables instead of being squished together. And the aisles were wonderfully wide between the tables, so buyers could bend over and gawk without blocking the rows. So, once again, I say, here, here!

Adjacent to the Gaming Hall was a horse riding rink, which is where the re-enactors staged a variety of demonstrations. It's sunk somewhat into the ground, so to speak, allowing for unobstructed views. Compared to the small space allocated at the Host, this was palatial. The re-enactors even brought a cannon to fire.

The Holiday Inn (5-10 minutes away by car) also contained some events. I never got there, so I have no idea about the space.

The roar of the cannon...

A shuttle trolley ran between all three buildings, plus the local train station--although I heard that so few people came by train, they'll discontinue that part of the route next year. That'll save a few bucks and shorten the commute time.

Building Down Side

The dealer hall closed at 6pm, which is the same as before and is A-OK. The gaming building closed at midnight...and that is a shame. The Host is open all night if you want, and many is the game or bar-room BS that spun past the witching hour. Abed by 12:15? Egads! I do not know about the Holiday Inn's hours.

The Bar

The good news about the bar is that since this is a no-smoking area, you can enjoy a beer without choking on the fumes. Yeah, yeah, yeah...as I get older, the smoke seems to bother me more, and I can't stand my clothes reeking of smoke. So, I can enjoy a beer and conversation without the lung pollution.

The bad news is that they only serve Bud and Bud Light. Blech. I know, some of my friends really like Bud. These are also the ones that smoke, so it's obvious they have no taste. At the Host, you have a much better selection. On the other hand, after 11pm, the beer was a buck instead of the usual $2, which makes it cheaper than the bottled water. But the place closes at midnight...

Flea Market

The tables were crammed together a bit too much considering all the space available in the hall, but it wasn't as bad as I've heard some folks complain. As always, you get a mix of things, and it was the typical flea market of trash and treasure.

Dealer Area: Friday and Saturday

Both were great days. Lots of people, lots of movement, lots of games, lots of sales, and so on. The action was here.

Sunday

We stayed open until noon, and then packed up for an hour or so. The official closing hour of 3:00 is wishful thinking. There are always official warnings and threats about staying until the official closing time for the casual Sunday afternoon shopper. In all the years of exhibiting at all the conventions, I do not remember selling anything in the afternoon, and Sunday morning sales aren't something to boast about either. Let's face it, if you can't find the dealer hall on Friday, Saturday, or half of Sunday, you're not going to find it after Sunday noon. And depending on where the dealers come from, it can be quite the trip back. Geographically, the largest contingent of people who attended previous Fall Ins came from Maryland and NJ.

In the case of Fall In 2003, the only folks coming by the booths were other dealers. Now, I'm sure there were sales made, but compared to the fast-paced rhythm of the previous two days, the great Sunday influx didn't happen.

More Fall In 2003

Introduction
Wargames Area: Operation Market Garden
Wargames Area: Other Games
Re-enactor Area

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