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Post-PAX Party 2013: REGISTRATION IS LIVE AT http://p32013.eventbrite.com/
Buy your tickets here http://p32013.eventbrite.com/
It's time once again! This is our fifth year, and the party is sure to be the best ever. Thank you in advance to everyone who's supported this party from the beginning. I hope to see you all here this year. I've hosted this party since 2009, and it's grown from 100 people in a single room to over 300 people on an entire floor. It's been a huge success, and I owe most of that to all of you!
This year we're going to have an even more awesome time than last year, so spread the word, donate to the raffle, and buy your tickets early!
For the price of your ticket you get:
Pool
Darts
Ping-Pong
1 Raffle ticket
Dinner buffet with lots of delicious food, soda, coffee, tea, etc.
1 drink ticket (21+ for alcohol, folks)
Video games (provided by attendees)
Rock Band (professionally hosted with ALL THE DLC)
Musical guests: A_Rival, Jonny Nero, Klopfenpop, and Danimal Cannon!
Raffle donations are a separate ticket for anyone who wants to donate. We've given out some amazing prices over the years, including XBoxes, Kindles, Taun-Taun sleeping bags, Force FX lightsabers, and more. Everyone gets one raffle ticket as part of admission, and the raffle fund is entirely donated by you guys!
Here's an imgur album with a bunch of images of years past: http://imgur.com/a/OBtQQ
Here's a link to The Protomen playing P3 in 2011 (playlist):
A brief FAQ:
Q: When is this event taking place?
A: Monday, September 2nd, from 8:00-11:00+.
Q: Where is this party located?
A: World Sports Grille, Formerly Jillian's Seattle. 731 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA. It's about a mile straight north. You can either walk, take a taxi, or hop on a variety of public transit options (73 bus, 28 bus, or 98 street car). Walking will take you about 20-30 minutes. People will be organizing walkshares, rideshares, etc. so keep an eye out for those.
Q: What are the hours?
A: Officially, 8-11. That's the time we pay for, during which we get food, pool, ping pong, darts, and the bands. That stuff goes away at 11, but in the past the venue has been very lenient about letting us hang out and enjoy the space until they close. There are no guarantees as to what that looks like; we have to share the floor after 11, so we must be accommodating and work with the venue. However, we've always closed the place out in some fashion or another.
Q: What ages are welcome/is this 21+?
A: Officially, the venue is 21+ after 9:00pm. However, in the past this has proven to be a non-issue. I've spoken to the venue this year and informed them that we're going to have a small number of guests under 21 (and 18) past 9:00pm, and they said this would not be a problem. If anyone has difficulty, come find me. If you're under 21, don't drink. Simple.
Q: How much will this event cost?
A: $40, which includes admission, access to all the fun stuff, some money for the bands, and other funds to cover expenses like fees from PayPal/EventBrite.
Q: Do I need to buy a ticket, or can I just show up?
A: You do need to buy a ticket in advance, and space is limited. The EventBrite registration page is located here.
Q: What kind of food is served?
A: Appetizer-type stuff. Last year it was steak sandwiches, chicken fingers, potstickers, sushi and nigiri, hummus, pita, fruit, vegetables, cheese and crackers. Soda, tea, and coffee are also included in the ticket price, and the food is served for the duration of the party. We'll be choosing individual menu options over again this year.
Q: Is alcohol served?
A: Yup. Jillian's has a full bar and we have full run of the entire second floor.
Q: Is alcohol included in the ticket price?
A: YES! Just like last year (and unlike years prior to that), each ticket includes one drink ticket of a $6 value.
Q: I heard you have video games. What kind?
A: We have hosted Rock Band with all the DLC, managed by an awesome group in Seattle. In addition there are always party standards: SFIV, MvC3, Castle Crashers, etc. People typically start a fighting game pit with a few consoles and the popular fighters. If you're willing to offer up a console and some games for the evening, please get in touch with me via PM.
Q: What's with this raffle thing?
A: All attendees are encouraged to throw down some money for our raffle. Each admission ticket comes with one raffle ticket, which will be thrown into a hat along with everyone else's. Before the party I will collect all the raffle donations and go on a crazy spending spree for FABULOUS PRIZES, which will be raffled off at some point during the party. We've given away some crazy stuff, like StarCraft II Collector's Editions, Tauntaun sleeping bags, XBox 360s, etc. I try not to disappoint. In addition to that, we're very lucky to have people donate prizes to give away. In the past we've had prizes from Penny Arcade, Plantronics, Steve Jackson Games, and more.
This year we have donations from Logitech, and more to come soon!
It's time once again! This is our fifth year, and the party is sure to be the best ever. Thank you in advance to everyone who's supported this party from the beginning. I hope to see you all here this year. I've hosted this party since 2009, and it's grown from 100 people in a single room to over 300 people on an entire floor. It's been a huge success, and I owe most of that to all of you!
This year we're going to have an even more awesome time than last year, so spread the word, donate to the raffle, and buy your tickets early!
For the price of your ticket you get:
Pool
Darts
Ping-Pong
1 Raffle ticket
Dinner buffet with lots of delicious food, soda, coffee, tea, etc.
1 drink ticket (21+ for alcohol, folks)
Video games (provided by attendees)
Rock Band (professionally hosted with ALL THE DLC)
Musical guests: A_Rival, Jonny Nero, Klopfenpop, and Danimal Cannon!
Raffle donations are a separate ticket for anyone who wants to donate. We've given out some amazing prices over the years, including XBoxes, Kindles, Taun-Taun sleeping bags, Force FX lightsabers, and more. Everyone gets one raffle ticket as part of admission, and the raffle fund is entirely donated by you guys!
Here's an imgur album with a bunch of images of years past: http://imgur.com/a/OBtQQ
Here's a link to The Protomen playing P3 in 2011 (playlist):
A brief FAQ:
Q: When is this event taking place?
A: Monday, September 2nd, from 8:00-11:00+.
Q: Where is this party located?
A: World Sports Grille, Formerly Jillian's Seattle. 731 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA. It's about a mile straight north. You can either walk, take a taxi, or hop on a variety of public transit options (73 bus, 28 bus, or 98 street car). Walking will take you about 20-30 minutes. People will be organizing walkshares, rideshares, etc. so keep an eye out for those.
Q: What are the hours?
A: Officially, 8-11. That's the time we pay for, during which we get food, pool, ping pong, darts, and the bands. That stuff goes away at 11, but in the past the venue has been very lenient about letting us hang out and enjoy the space until they close. There are no guarantees as to what that looks like; we have to share the floor after 11, so we must be accommodating and work with the venue. However, we've always closed the place out in some fashion or another.
Q: What ages are welcome/is this 21+?
A: Officially, the venue is 21+ after 9:00pm. However, in the past this has proven to be a non-issue. I've spoken to the venue this year and informed them that we're going to have a small number of guests under 21 (and 18) past 9:00pm, and they said this would not be a problem. If anyone has difficulty, come find me. If you're under 21, don't drink. Simple.
Q: How much will this event cost?
A: $40, which includes admission, access to all the fun stuff, some money for the bands, and other funds to cover expenses like fees from PayPal/EventBrite.
Q: Do I need to buy a ticket, or can I just show up?
A: You do need to buy a ticket in advance, and space is limited. The EventBrite registration page is located here.
Q: What kind of food is served?
A: Appetizer-type stuff. Last year it was steak sandwiches, chicken fingers, potstickers, sushi and nigiri, hummus, pita, fruit, vegetables, cheese and crackers. Soda, tea, and coffee are also included in the ticket price, and the food is served for the duration of the party. We'll be choosing individual menu options over again this year.
Q: Is alcohol served?
A: Yup. Jillian's has a full bar and we have full run of the entire second floor.
Q: Is alcohol included in the ticket price?
A: YES! Just like last year (and unlike years prior to that), each ticket includes one drink ticket of a $6 value.
Q: I heard you have video games. What kind?
A: We have hosted Rock Band with all the DLC, managed by an awesome group in Seattle. In addition there are always party standards: SFIV, MvC3, Castle Crashers, etc. People typically start a fighting game pit with a few consoles and the popular fighters. If you're willing to offer up a console and some games for the evening, please get in touch with me via PM.
Q: What's with this raffle thing?
A: All attendees are encouraged to throw down some money for our raffle. Each admission ticket comes with one raffle ticket, which will be thrown into a hat along with everyone else's. Before the party I will collect all the raffle donations and go on a crazy spending spree for FABULOUS PRIZES, which will be raffled off at some point during the party. We've given away some crazy stuff, like StarCraft II Collector's Editions, Tauntaun sleeping bags, XBox 360s, etc. I try not to disappoint. In addition to that, we're very lucky to have people donate prizes to give away. In the past we've had prizes from Penny Arcade, Plantronics, Steve Jackson Games, and more.
This year we have donations from Logitech, and more to come soon!
Like this, not like the gas station.
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!
Arco on
+5
Posts
http://worldsportsgrille.com/
EDIT: got trigger happy. I'd also love love love it if it was at a venue that was closer to downtown. I didn't mind Jillian's, or whatever it is called now, but it's quite a hike, and I think you'd get more/longer staying people if it was closer to the WSCC.
Other than that, I trust you to keep this awesome.
PAX Prime 2014 [X]
PAX Prime 2015 [X]
If you're looking for an alternative, I'd second the Gameworks suggestion. I've seen successful parties in the reserved room, and it's super close.
So considering they changed names or ownership and the fact that it is just a colossal PITA to get to I throw my vote for the GW right by the convention center. That is assuming we're voting for a place =p
I'm not saying Gameworks would be a bad place to have the party, I just don't think it would work out as well. Perhaps we could look into it though.
EDIT: I know groups are able to reserve all of Gameworks (or at least used to be able to) so I suppose that would be an option, but it would probably end up costing more, and we'd have to get the ball rolling soon before a game developer or publisher reserves it for that night, because that always happens during PAX.
Is it still pretty much the same place though? Same owners and such?
And whilst Jillians/World Sports Grille/wherever may be a bit of a hike, they have been good hosts for the party over the last 2 years so whilst I'd appreciate a shorter walk back to the hotel, I'm not sure it's worth the extra work involved with a new venue (e.g. Allowing random console to be hooked up to several of the screens for the fighting game pit)
Oh my Dayum
Oh my goodness
They goin' Ham
Can't guarantee it, of course, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Fistful of money waiting for reg to go up.
- In case anyone's not familiar: Last day of PAX, 3 hour party (we stay a LOT longer, but the food/drink/bands stop at 3 hours), food + drink tickets, bands (we've had The Protomen (!), Danimal Cannon, The Megas...), Rock Band, fighting games, pool, ping pong, darts, arcade machines, etc. This would be our 5th (!) year, and each year is more amazing than the previous.
- It's a pretty high priority that the event be all-ages, or at the very least 18+. They've been 18+ in the past, and I have no intention of changing that. Jillian's has been all-ages friendly in the past.
- Picking a new venue is unlikely, for a few reasons. 1) The closer to the convention center we get, the more expensive it is. We did the first two years at the Taphouse, and we got less for more money (and weren't treated as well). 2) The closer we get, the more traffic and competition we get. We have to start worrying about randos coming into the party, security, competing against other parties for reserving the space, etc. 3) Jillian's has worked with us in the past, and as people have mentioned, they're very welcoming and tolerant of our group. Things like letting us hook up TVs, setting up a stage, etc. Lots of places just aren't this accommodating; trust me, I've checked. 4) Picking a new venue would require an investment of time and effort on my part that I'm not really comfortable with. When I started running this party I was a college student; now I have a busy job. If I had to plan this from scratch, it wouldn't have happened last year.
I've been told that the venue is still the same management, even though it's no longer Jillian's. I'll be reaching out to them this week to confirm. If there's a BIG push for a new venue we can explore that possibility, but it sounds like at least half of the posts so far are okay-to-enthused about Jillian's.
- I really have no control over whether the arcade machines are working or not, but I'll happily pass along the feedback to Jillian's. The staff there is PHENOMENAL and has gone way above and beyond in working with us for previous years, so I'm sure if I let them know that this was a source of friction, they'll do whatever they can to improve it.
- The raffle: The problem with doing the raffle the old way (someone on a microphone handing out prizes one by one) is that it takes time and it demands everyone's attention. Every year we add more prizes, which means handing them out takes more time. Last time we did it this way it took over half an hour. Every year that I did it the old way, people complained that it took too long. There's really no way of trimming it down; we have like 30-50 prizes to hand out, and each prize takes around a minute. That's 30-50 minutes when everyone has to pay attention to me, when they can't really be enjoying the party, when we don't have bands playing, etc.
Last year's approach was an attempt at solving the bulk of these problems. Having the raffle prizes picked out ahead of time means people can peruse the table at their leisure (they can leave early or arrive late, won't matter), no time is taken, the bands can continue to play, no one (me) has to spend party time doing the raffle, etc. I realize it might not be as fun, but I think it's a better approach that has many more benefits than drawbacks. If anyone has a better suggestion, please throw it out there.
That's about it. Keep the questions and feedback coming!
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!
That said if we do keep it at Jillians I think we really need to come up with a # or meeting place and time for a bunch of us to walk over. I should have a basic idea of where I'm going this year but Jillians is still out in the boonies and very separated from the rest of pax where it's easy to get lost.
My biggest and only complaint last year was that Jillians is kind of in the middle of nowhere and only having a vague idea of where it was supposed to be compounded with all the construction that was going on last year made it a super duper PITA to find. I tried to meet up with a few people via Twitter shortly before I left but that ended up falling through leaving me wander my way over there getting lost quite a few times and having to retrace my steps because of the construction.
If you like, we can establish a hashtag to help facilitate this, and I can tweet out news relevant to the party! #ppp13?
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!
I wanna try and organize a group walk this year more than 5 minutes before a leave. So a recognized # helps tremendously with that goal.
I'll lob a couple things out there, mostly about the raffle. The time thing being a concern I fully understand. How about something where we do the gathering for the 4-5 "biggest" prizes? most of the prizes could be on the table for people to find, and then some of the highest value/most sought after could be given away old style. If someone who has won a prize from the table gets their name/number pulled, they have to give that up to someone else. I think that could be the best of both worlds. We are getting a large group together after 3 (now 4!) days of running around a convention center, it's nice to get us all together even for a few minutes as a post PAX "what an awesome time!" bit. Something like that could take no more than 10 minutes, and also give us a big chance to thank you, for putting everything together.
And about the arcade machines, based on the new website it doesn't even sound like they are there anymore. That could be why half of them were broken last year. Why fix them if you know they are going away soon?
On the Plan Your Event page:
"We have private and semi-private spaces, ping pong tables, darts, 22 pool tables and a full gaming hall."
It doesn't explicitly say that they have arcade machines, but I would assume this means they do.
TWDT '13: Hufflepuff OotP
That could just be copypasta from old marketing materials.
I like the idea of having the 'top' prizes be raffled off.
A totally different thing that they do around here is called a reverse raffle. Basically, everyone's ticket goes up onto a board, and if your name is drawn out of a hat, you get taken down and lose. There are prizes for every certain number of draws, usually a good prize for 'losing' first, and then by the end, word of mouth has let everyone know who is still in the running for prizes. It might be something to try if you are still wanting to hang on to the raffle idea.
Prime '13 : 4 Day Badge [✓] Hotel [✓] Patience [ ]
http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/slu.htm
Organizer of the Post-PAX Party. You should come!
Satellite Theater for life!