In the next day or two, I'm going to start compiling the sponsor list of those generously donating prizes to the drawing at the event, but I figured I'd lead off with something to whet the appetites of the locals and those who are into sports. This box from our most widely known donor to the prize drawing showed up at the door today. One of the items contained within had a lot of empty space on it, so we're going to head down to the training camp to fill in some blanks, probably. I'm just gonna drop this here.
The VIP menu is still having the finer points of it fleshed out - there will be 4-5 options for each course this year as opposed to the 3 last year (will be themed to feature Washington's local bounty). There's no real rush on finalizing it since VIP is already sold out, and we want to make sure to get every detail right on that meal. Wanted to get out in front with the general admission menu though, as we know some people are awaiting the offerings.
Chef Tyler and our food guru worked out a lot of details this morning. We're presenting a luau theme with the standard meal this year. General admission dinner will be (subject to changes, of course, but unlikely to do so):
-Whole roasted Kalua pig (no, you won't see the whole animal on display all looking at you and stuff) served 2 ways - shredded and loins. Served w/ a tropical slaw and w/ or w/out buns for sandwich style
-Whole sides of fish - what type of fish is TBD depending on what looks good at the fishmonger when the purchase is made. Given what's good end of August, we're likely looking at either steelhead or mahi mahi. Preparation style TBD depending on type of fish
-A tropical salad w/ fruits both local and exotic, mixed with peppered greens (likely mizuna) and tossed with a lime white balsamic and orange olive oil vinaigrette (gluten-free menu choice, though the above may qualify as well)
-Tropical rice pilaf, specifics TBD
Now, obviously, this is a much nicer menu than last year's. It will be buffet style much like last year's, but one thing we do ask this time around is that people be aware that there are 224 other general admission diners at the event that want to enjoy it. Last year, the club let us get away with the individuals who took "buffet style serving" as a personal challenge and attempted to make the tallest croquembouche out of sliders and poutine the world had ever seen, and the club supplied extra food without charging us extra for it when it ran out. We need to ask that everybody take *reasonable* portions this time around. By all means, take a meal's worth of food, but keep in mind that one of the byproducts to living in America and being able to attend charity events like this is that your next meal is only hours away and the money raised is going towards people who don't have such easy options.
Also worth noting we're about 2/3 sold out at this point, so those on the fence are going to be running into a time crunch sooner rather than later.
So this list is going to evolve as things roll in. Last year, most of our donors and supporters didn't get things to us until about a week before the event, which will likely be the case again this year. Will update the status of these periodically as things show up. What is presently a known commodity to be given away at the drawing:
GAMES:
Note: Many of our donors are providing or have provided multiple copies of certain games. The exact amount that will be given away is either the total they've provided or the total minus 1 in case we don't have a copy of the game to demo or put in the lending library. This is per the publisher's requests, as part of the reason they support this event is so that people will be exposed to their games. So if we publish a picture of the prize table with 4 copies of Bioshock Infinite on it and give away 3, the 4th one is at a demo table; it didn't "fall off the truck".
-Plaid Hat Games - Copies of Bioshock Infinite
-Japanime Games - Copies of Krosmaster Arena and 20 assorted characters that are given away in promotions only
-Chivalry Games - Chaostle & the Melee expansion (the core game box is HUGE so if you're traveling, you might need to talk to us about shipping it)
-Gearbox Software - A Borderlands 2 Swag-filled Limited Edition Diamond Plate Loot Chest
-AEG: An assortment of games, including Guildhall, Dominare, Smash Up, and War of Honor (information at AEG's website). Added bonus: There are also certificates for the limited edition "Geeks" faction for Smash-Up
-Hurrican: Augustus, nominated at the 2013 Spiel for best game.
FOOD:
-John Howie (of John Howie Steak, Seastar, Sport, and the new Wildwood Spirits Co. & Beardslee Public House) has once again gone completely over the top with donations. We still don't have everything in-hand yet, but he's giving away an immense amount of stuff, including the first item at our event that is worth so much, it's necessitating a silent auction. For those traveling, John has what is considered by many to be the finest steakhouse in the Northwest, and what is arguably the best seafood restaurant in the entire nation.
-Calozzi's Cheesesteaks on 4th & Union (best, realistically only, authentic cheesesteaks in town) has put in 2 $25 gift cards.
-Tom Douglas restaurants (multiple James Beard awards, including the James Beard award for best restaurateur in the world last year) has donated lunch for 2 at his famous Dahlia Lounge along with an autographed copy of one of his books
-The Miller's Guild, a nose-to-tail themed homage to all things meat & James Beard award winning chef Jason Wilson's latest endeavor located on 6th and Stewart has donated 2 gift cards
As mentioned above, quite a bit more is still to come in, will update as it does.
PRIZES
-Japanime Games - Copies of Krosmaster Arena and 20 assorted characters that are given away in promotions only
How much hovering can I do around them before it gets uncomfortable?
We're actually having the prize table a bit sequestered this year vs. last year where everybody could just walk up and pick things up and look, as we had a theft last time. Yes, someone stole from a charity event. Some people's children..........
We have some more donor items that came in, which include:
We're actually having the prize table a bit sequestered this year vs. last year where everybody could just walk up and pick things up and look, as we had a theft last time. Yes, someone stole from a charity event. Some people's children..........
This makes me a sad panda. I'm assuming if you threw it all in a giant safe or something, no one at the event would even be upset knowing this happened last year. Seeing the prizes is always nice, but knowing a charity isn't getting ripped off by a few a-holes is nicer. Anyways, looking forward to see what else is coming for this. The raffle was a pleasant surprise last year, as I wasn't counting on winning anything (nor did I plan to have additional space in my luggage for the 4 games I won from raffle tickets >.< ).
Pins for trade!
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
First, an update on one donor: We took delivery of the Miller's Guild gift certificates today, and Jason has been quite generous. Each gift card to the Miller's Guild is worth $150. I've eaten there enough to tell you that this will easily buy you dinner for 2 with enough meat to make you incapable of unhappiness for 3 days and enough alcohol to make you unable to walk a straight line, OR, is enough to get a giant (40 ounce+) cut of their AMAZING 92 day aged meat, an item not on the menus but updated daily on the chalkboards near the inferno grill (pics at this site).
Special Guest Update:
Second, we have a confirmation that Paul Petersen, creator of the game Smash Up! will be attending the event - playingSmash Up! with people! This is, of course, subject to changes in Paul's schedule or his whimsy (maybe he wants to play Eclipse instead, we don't judge), but is as of this week confirmed.
Silent Auction
Third, one new thing we're trying this year that we're kind of excited about is an addition to the standard prize table. Our event has secured some significantly higher-valued items than normal this year; things that really can't be given away with a $5 prize ticket. This year, we're going to try out a silent auction on some of these more prestigious items. So if you really want one of them? There's no element of luck involved, you just have to want it more than the other people. Items that fall into the category this year include:
-Chef John Howie (owner of arguably the best steakhouse on the West coast and indisputably the best seafood restaurant in Seattle, the city which indisputably has the best seafood in the country, so do that math) has come even bigger than last year. One of the things he is giving us is a certificate that is good for "an experience". The winner of this auction and 7 of their closest friends will be able to go on a private tour of John's new distillery, Wildwood Spirits Company, and then a private tour of his new brewery, Beardslee Public House. Afterwards, you and these 7 friends of yours will sit down for a private meal at Beardslee. I can tell you from personal experience going to various charity galas in the area that these types of items John gives away typically auction off for between 7 and 10 thousand dollars. Our event is not the same type of crowd that frequents those galas though, so this is truly a one-time opportunity to get something local celebrities, pro athletes, business owners and the like pay up to 5 figures for for a fraction of that cost. We can't stress enough how huge of a gift this is from John.
-The Seattle Seahawks were kind enough to let one of us go to training camp this week, where we obtained an autographed full sized replica Super Bowl Champions helmet from "Beast Mode", aka Marshawn Lynch. Those of you who are coming in from out of town may or may not find this cool. Those of you who live here in the area - you know how crazy the 12's go for things like this. You know you want it.
-While at the Seahawks training camp, we also secured a very large photo of the Richard Sherman/Michael Crabtree blocked catch that sent the Seahawks to the Super Bowl last year, and got it autographed by Richard Sherman. We wanted to have him write some taunting message on it, but were unable to do so. It's still freakin' awesome.
-(This one is still pending a final decision). One of us recently acquired a Collector's Edition copy of the game 'The War of the Ring'. Those big in the hobby already know what this is. For those who don't, a few years back Fantasy Flight decided to release a special edition of the game . They only made 2,000 copies of this edition. It comes in a giant wooden book case hand-painted to look like a huge Elvish tome, every miniature is hand-painted, the board is extra large, much nicer quality cards and rulebooks, etc. It's largely considered the Holy Grail of the tabletop hobby. This particular copy even has the even more limited Aragorn and Gandalf the White figurines, as well as the even-even more rare custom strongholds and Mount Doom pieces. He originally bought it in a private party sale with the intent of putting it up for silent auction, but much like The One Ring, now that he has it he doesn't want to let his Precious go. This may or may not be up for silent auction at the event. If it does go up, the starting bid would be in the $2,000 territory, so not too many people are going to feel ripped off about not being able to get it if he doesn't put it up, which is why I'm mentioning it as a possible item now.
We received confirmation today that no fewer than 2 of the creators of Cards Against Humanity will be in attendance playing with everybody, and that they are generously donating a few copies of their as-yet unreleased 5th expansion at the event. You can literally be the first person to get it.
Seriously, it's to the point that this sums it up:
We have an incredibly cool new addition to the hosted games portion of the evening. We've gotten Vardune (Ken for those who know him) to agree to bring his GIANT Circus Maximus setup to play at the event. Anybody who's ever been to Dragonflight or a few other local Northwest conventions will more easily be able to recognize this title as "the chariot racing game with all the rowdy people yelling FLIP! FLIP! FLIP! FLIP!" at it". Circus Maximus is a game that was originally designed on a small scale in the early 80's, but one which Vardune has greatly expanded the scope and depth of over the years, making it more of a boardgame RPG than just a game you sit around and play for a few hours. Character creation, purchases and upgrades, etc. that carry over event to event and grow the more you play them (until they get killed on the track, of course), and a massive playing surface that can hold in excess of 20 racers at once. The game is hard-hitting, has constant player interaction as you bash, whip, and otherwise try to disable everybody else on the track with you (and if you're lucky, even get to run them over after they fall out of their chariot and try to scramble to the stands), and a shocking amount of depth to it that is nonetheless easy to pick up quickly. If you don't drop in and play this game, you're missing out.
Image of what type of situation this is for scale & scope (This is not Vardune's board - his is MUCH more ornate):
Quick heads-up: We're down to 14 tier 2 tickets left without the game purchase vouchers and 6 with, so 20 tickets total, and then it's tier 3 (and another $10/$15 a ticket) the rest of the way - and there aren't all that many tier 3 tickets to begin with. Procrastinators, you have been notified!
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StarYoshiGame Designer / Data ScientistUSARegistered Userregular
The event just keeps looking better and better. Thanks for your hard work organizing it and see you there!
Attendance
PAX Prime / PAX Dev 2014
PAX Prime 2013
PAX Prime 2009
Good news! We've expanded the VIP section by 5 seats and now have 30 total.
Bad news: The waiting list was 8 people long, so if you were waiting to hear back on more VIP seating, you have to keep waiting. We might - MIGHT be able to get 5 more, but it's not likely.
GMT is a great publisher; really, all of our supporters are - the man behind procurements and food for this event only reaches out to game companies and restaurants that meet his standards for quality. There have been numerous companies that have reached out to us/him asking if we'd include them in the event, and he's politely turned them away. Twilight Struggle is currently the no. 1 rated game of all time on Boardgamegeek, and Dominant Species is in the top 20, and really should be top 10. GMT is a very, very talented publisher. Whomever wins any of these titles is one lucky dog!
I've had a few people tell me "your event looks really cool, but I'm not going to PAX because I was in a meeting when the badges went on sale and didn't get any". To which I always respond "You should totally come to our event, we're going to be giving away badges! Our food and procurement guy, let's just say he's really, really good at things like this". The next thing I usually hear is "Yeah, but my luck stinks. What do you have, like 2 sets to give away?"
Let's just say, we've got a few, and your odds aren't altogether bad . How many exactly is still somewhat up in the air as there are still pieces moving about behind the scenes, people who will need some, people who will bail, and so forth. It probably won't be the 30-some-odd sets you see here, but it won't just be a couple of badges, either. Oh, and it's an optical illusion, there are actually more than you can see. We ran out of table space, so had to put some 2 deep. And it's a BIG Geek Chic table.
How can you get your hands on badges? Multiple ways. We're going to be giving away some in the prize drawing. The guy who is behind this massive spread is going to allocate some to give away to particularly well-done cosplay - basically, if you impress him enough to be crowned king or queen of the event cosplay, you're gonna get some. If you impress me enough, I'll convince him to give you some. And if you don't want to work for it or try your luck, for a sufficient donation directly to Food Lifeline, we will just hand you a set on the spot.
How else may we be of service today?
BTW, there are only 5 tier 2 tickets left total, and then it's tier 3 the rest of the way.
Talk to the man with the fedora at the event, Blazure. He'll make that trade with you just so he has more individual items to give away.
New donor alert:
The Belltown Pub has donated 3 gift certificates to the table, which are good for both food and alcohol. They recently pulled a little coup by luring Zach Nethercutt to run their kitchen, and he has completely worked the menu into something that's well beyond "pub fare" without becoming that cliche gastropub insanity. For those unaware, the Belltown Pub is right in the heart of Belltown, which is where most of you guys are going to gravitate towards when the expo hall closes each evening, as that's where the most lively club scene and the coolest barcades are at.
Tier 2 sold out! Tier 3 the rest of the way. Only 20% of our tickets were allocated to the 3rd tier, so it's the smallest of the groupings. As we are not allowed to let people hang out of the windows of the building (something about the safety hazard of having people gaming from 76 stories up with no equipment to keep them from plummeting) once that last batch is gone, it's over. It WILL sell out - hoping to walk up the night of and getting in is a losing proposition.
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BouwsTWanna come to a super soft birthday party?Registered Userregular
Tier 2 sold out! Tier 3 the rest of the way. Only 20% of our tickets were allocated to the 3rd tier, so it's the smallest of the groupings. As we are not allowed to let people hang out of the windows of the building (something about the safety hazard of having people gaming from 76 stories up with no equipment to keep them from plummeting) once that last batch is gone, it's over. It WILL sell out - hoping to walk up the night of and getting in is a losing proposition.
I can't hang out of the building? Anybody interested in a tier 1 ticket?
Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
The Columbia Tower Club (you know, that place way up in the tower where you're all going to be spending the evening in less than 2 weeks?) has come in with a donation for the event. Going onto the prize table are:
-2x gift certificates, each good for dinner for 2 at one of the Tower Club's restaurants at your leisure
-4x tickets to the "Giver's Ball", which is a gala our charity committee throws each year as part of the "Amplify Good" tour. Description of that is quoted below:
Be bad for a good cause at the Columbia Tower Club's annual gala benefiting Seattle's non-profit community. The Givers' Ball is the culmination of a 6-week program called the Amplify Good Tour, hosted by the CTC and sponsored by Bumbershoot and Seattle Met. Party to the live music of Down North and Fly Moon Royalty, at a thousand feet above sea level!
Friday, October 25th @ 8:00pm
Live music
Dancing
Gourmet Bites
Hosted Beer & Wine
Cash Bar
Silent Auction
Cocktail Attire
All proceeds benefit 8 local non-profit organizations:
A PLUS
America SCORES
Arts Corps
Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation
Powerful Schools
Washington State Mentors
The Vera Project
Union Gospel Mission
Both of these are very cool for their own reasons. The dinner certificates because the Tower Club is usually a private club - you either have to be a member or know one. This whole event happens because you guys know us - or at the very least know how to get us to claim we know you for an evening . These will allow you up there any time at your leisure on your own, be it for a business meeting or just to really, really impress a date. The 'Amplify Good' Tour is an awesome series of events that benefits a great many local charities that oftentimes don't get the recognition they deserve because, let's face it, there are so many worthy causes out there. Plus, since all of this goes to Food Lifeline, and then the Giver's Ball benefits 8 other charities...I mean, that's incredibly meta .
Friendly reminder for those who purchased vouchers - including VIPs:
The deadline to fill out the Pop-up store purchase request survey is this Wednesday, August 20th, at 7 pm PST. If you purchased VIP tickets or tickets with vouchers and have not received the survey link, please PM me.
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BouwsTWanna come to a super soft birthday party?Registered Userregular
Does anybody know where a list of games for purchase would be listed for The Dreaming Comics and Games? I want to fill out the survey, but I don't know what games they sell. Their website is lacking a sell list .
Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
The gist is that if there's anything specific that anybody wants, they can request it and we'll try to make sure Aron has it on-hand at the event for you. The one thing to keep in mind is that since this event is so close after GenCon, anything that was released at GenCon likely won't be available in time.
VIP ticket holders, a survey will be arriving to you no later than tomorrow asking for your choices for the 3-course plated meal at the event. We were hopeful to have the survey out sooner, but our food guy and Chef Tyler were both pretty insistent on making sure there was an offering for *almost* any preference (all but vegans/gluten-free types should find things that appeal). VIP hopefuls, we *think* we might have a beat on 4 more unrequested seats that we will release today or tomorrow. It's up in the air, but if they come available, they will likely go quite fast. BGG is going to have the information first, so if you're waiting to pounce on one of those, if they come up the West Coast forum will get you the info quicker.
The menu choices you'll be deciding from this year are:
Starters:
Watermelon Salad - Hermiston Melon, Heirloom Tomato, Smoked Pistachio, Aged Feta Cheese, Petite Basil, Minus8 Vinaigrette (Vegetarian Offering) Tartare of Washington Beef - Crisp Caper, Pickled Yellow Corn, Baby Mache, Raw Quail Egg Potted Duck Confit - CTC Preserved Cherries, Frisee Salad, Bone Marrow Jelly, Toasted Flatbread (Food Guy's recommendation)
Entreés:
Moroccan Barbecue Glazed Tenderloin of Beef - Whipped Washington Potatoes, Wild Asparagus, Sassafras Demi-Glace Roasted Salish Sea Salmon - Bulgar Tabbouleah, Black Plum Relish Wild Mushroom Pot Pie - Local Foraged Mushrooms, Fennel, Carrots, Pearl Onions, Thyme Cream, Puff Pastry Crust (Vegetarian Offering) Sumac Dusted Bison - Sweet Corn, White Truffle, Black Garlic Bread Pudding, Smoked Tomato Jus (Food Guy's recommendation)
Desserts:
Blackberry and Bay Panna Cotta - Fresh Berries Chocolate Lava Cake - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Blood Orange Olive Oil Vinaigrette Peach Tartine - Cinnamon Roasted Peaches, Caramelized Puff Pastry, Vanilla Bean Cream, Sweet Lime Chevre
(Food Guy's notes: Unfortunately, "yes please" is not a valid answer when asked which dessert you would like)
We've taken care of most of the big-picture stuff, and now it's time to work on the little extras we can provide. We'd like to start with safety. This is, obviously, a 21+ event because there's booze. A lot of it. And you're gamers, many of whom like to drink. Really like to drink. We totally get that. We're right there with ya (raises red wine), so long as you're a fun drunk (Wheaton's Law, everybody). We would also, however, like for you to be alive and free in society to join us next year, and the year thereafter, etc.
Therefore, this year, we have worked something out and partnered with Uber (for those who don't know the name, it's a towncar service here in the city). Think of it like a taxi...in a nice car. Like, "Wow, that person has a private driver, I kinda want him/her a lot more all of a sudden" nice. Right up until you puke 2 steps outside the vehicle. If you enjoy our event in a very meaningful way, and a little more than would otherwise be safe to unleash you upon the world in a 3,000 pound weapon with wheels, locate us. We have gift cards from Uber good to take you wherever it is you want to go free of charge (within reasonable distance - sorry, but we're not paying for a road trip to Disneyland). Leave your car in the garage and pick it up the next morning. It will still be there. Yes, the garage is going to positively pie you in the face with regards to the parking charge the next day, but it's a lot cheaper than a DUI or a high-powered Los Angeles attorney trying to get you off of a murder rap. And you'll still be alive. We like you. We'd like you to stay that way.
Again, if you don't feel safe to drive (or you're with someone you are concerned about), seek out any of the 4 of us organizing this event or any one of the volunteers who will be present seeing to it that it's every bit as awesome as you want it to be. You don't have to have a winning prize ticket or to buy anything, we're just giving these away to those who need them. Most of us have been there at some point or another, it's totally fine.
(That said, if you're stone-cold sober and just don't want to walk the 4 blocks back to your hotel, we sincerely hope you've chosen to wear comfortable shoes )
Of similar note: If it's time for you to leave, you're fine to drive, but you're worried about safely getting back to your vehicle: Yes, the Columbia Tower has cameras everywhere, including many in the garage under the building. And there's a police station almost literally across the street. And Seattle is in general one of, if not the, absolute safest big cities in America, but crime does happen. If you for any reason feel uncomfortable or unsafe walking back to your vehicle, seek out the host in the fedora. You probably wouldn't know it by looking at him (well. Maybe. He is bigger dude), but he's the equivalent of a blackbelt in 3 different forms of martial arts and knows how to take care of things if ish ever gets real. He'll walk you down to your vehicle and send you on your way. We've got your back.
It looks like we may not be able to get to the event until about 8 or 9pm. Will we miss anything by coming that late ( with the exception of a few rounds of gaming)? Is there a specific time when dinner will be served?
-NOT a table (sorry to momentarily get those hopes up)
They are, however, sending:
-2 weapons (I believe a sword and a Thor hammer)
-2 dice towers
-2 entropy engines
Related disclosure here: We had been in talks with the folks at Geek Chic for a long while about partnering with us for this event. Our original vision was to have them bring up tables to create a GC gaming lounge for people to play on. Unfortunately, it was discovered that their tables *wouldn't fit in the elevator* to get to the 76th floor - and, wouldn't you know it, nobody raised their hand when asked who wanted to haul gigantic full hardwood tables up 900 and some odd feet of stairs. Blame the designers of the Columbia Tower for the fact that you won't be slaying zombies on a Sultan.
There are only 11 base tier 3 level tickets left. There are no higher tiers. When these are gone, that's it, folks!
For those waiting and hoping for a VIP ticket to open up - we did shuffle things around and found 5 more, but they've already been consumed. There will positively be no more, so abandon all hope. Next year we'll likely see about moving the VIP's into one of the 2 main ballrooms in order to accommodate demand, depending on how celeb types/Guests of Honor feel about being in a more open space vs. being able to hang out in the smaller rooms away from prying eyes.
Like Pathfinder? Of course you do. Our friends at Paizo Publishing, VIP co-sponsor of the event along with John Howie, has graciously donated:
-40 boxes of the brand new Skull and Shackles game w/ extras
-2x Save Dr. Lucky
-Rise of the Runelords + all expansion boxes (+ a....VERY special gift for whomever wins it that we can't talk about publicly)
I haven't run the math on this, but I'm told that the total value of their generous sponsorship is in excess of $4,000. One thing to note is that the vast majority of the Pathfinder card games will be going into VIP swag bags, not the prize table. Don't be *too* bummed out about this if you're general admission though, because Paizo is also going to see to it that every attendee gets some promo cards that you can't buy anywhere (other than scalpy types). Paizo has really gone above and beyond with their generosity.
OK, the prize table is full. I mean really full. As they say at 3 am on cable channels of questionable utility, however, "but wait, there's more!"
We're going to have 2 grand prizes to be giving away at this event, which are sure to please. The way the grand prize drawing is going to work is identical to last year. The tickets are a flat $20 each. We draw for the grand prizes first. If you don't win, all the tickets you bought are then tossed into the universal prize drawing pool and still have a chance to win absolutely anything else on the table. If you win? You get an awesome prize. If you don't get called? You get a tax write-off and about 3 trillion other chances to win other prizes. Win-win.
So it's PAX. And a lot of you are going to be walking around going "These games all look awesome! Geez, complete bummer that I'm not going to be able to play them for a while because they're all on those next-gen consoles. Why does new shiny always have to darken my experience?
Well, after Thursday evening, one less of you will be walking around saying that, because ITEM 1: From our friends at Sony, we will be giving away a Sony Playstation 4!
And I'm sure we'll have at least a dozen people walk up to us and lament at how the VIP dinner and swag bags and private gaming areas and ability to game with certain well-known types that they admire all looked great, but that they missed out because the tickets either kept selling out too fast or because $150/pp just wasn't in the budget. It happened last year, and it will surely happen this year. There's not a whole lot about that we can do for you here in 2014, but somebody is covered in 2015, because thanks to.......well.....us.....we're also going to be giving away ITEM 2: 2 VIP tickets to the THIRD annual Pre-Pax event in 2015! VIP tickets sell out too fast? You don't care - you're already in. Price goes up because of hyperinflation and cost of food? Doesn't matter to you, you're covered. See something cool in the silent auction or grand prize drawing next year? That's fine, you're already playing with $300+ of house money.
In another first this year, we're holding a couple of low-key tournaments. The first, courtesy Ted Alspach (creator of Werewolf), is a "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" tournament, which will take place from 6-7 in the Washington Room (don't worry that the name of the room means nothing to you - there are signs). "One Night" is a fast (think 5 minute) variation on the popular game that utilizes an app instead of a moderator. Ted is providing prizes to the winner. Ted and Bezier Games are also providing copies of "Ultimate Werewolf" to the prize table. Later in the evening (think midnight or so), a large game of "Ultimate Werewolf" is going to take place (old school, with moderator - likely Food/Procurement Guy moderating) with 30-40 people in order to close out the night for that group. Please note this later game will be wildly inappropriate, which is how this moderator likes it, so come prepared to refuse to be offended no matter what happens or is said.
TMG is also jumping into the fray, hosting a Dungeon Roll tournament. This tournament will be centered around their new solo player campaign for the game. Individuals will be able to just pop down at their leisure, play as long as they like, turn in their score cards, and then go do something else. At the end of the evening, we'll announce 2 winners, both of whom will be winning TMG loot.
Number of tickets remaining
Thanks to some furniture re-arranging, we were able to create a situation where we found room for another 10 people. We have 7 seats after this adjustment (and people grabbing them before this post). That's it, there will be no more. When they are gone, they are gone, so this is truly and utterly, 100% honest-to-god last call for procrastinators in any capacity.
Really looking forward to this! Quick question--how hard is it to get in and out of the club once we've already signed in and given our ticket? I am planning to meet someone to sell one of my extra passes (at face value...don't look at me like that!) and want to make sure that:
a) I can get back in if I've already signed in, and
b) an idea of how long it takes to get in and out from the main entrance.
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The VIP menu is still having the finer points of it fleshed out - there will be 4-5 options for each course this year as opposed to the 3 last year (will be themed to feature Washington's local bounty). There's no real rush on finalizing it since VIP is already sold out, and we want to make sure to get every detail right on that meal. Wanted to get out in front with the general admission menu though, as we know some people are awaiting the offerings.
Chef Tyler and our food guru worked out a lot of details this morning. We're presenting a luau theme with the standard meal this year. General admission dinner will be (subject to changes, of course, but unlikely to do so):
-Whole roasted Kalua pig (no, you won't see the whole animal on display all looking at you and stuff) served 2 ways - shredded and loins. Served w/ a tropical slaw and w/ or w/out buns for sandwich style
-Whole sides of fish - what type of fish is TBD depending on what looks good at the fishmonger when the purchase is made. Given what's good end of August, we're likely looking at either steelhead or mahi mahi. Preparation style TBD depending on type of fish
-A tropical salad w/ fruits both local and exotic, mixed with peppered greens (likely mizuna) and tossed with a lime white balsamic and orange olive oil vinaigrette (gluten-free menu choice, though the above may qualify as well)
-Tropical rice pilaf, specifics TBD
Now, obviously, this is a much nicer menu than last year's. It will be buffet style much like last year's, but one thing we do ask this time around is that people be aware that there are 224 other general admission diners at the event that want to enjoy it. Last year, the club let us get away with the individuals who took "buffet style serving" as a personal challenge and attempted to make the tallest croquembouche out of sliders and poutine the world had ever seen, and the club supplied extra food without charging us extra for it when it ran out. We need to ask that everybody take *reasonable* portions this time around. By all means, take a meal's worth of food, but keep in mind that one of the byproducts to living in America and being able to attend charity events like this is that your next meal is only hours away and the money raised is going towards people who don't have such easy options.
Also worth noting we're about 2/3 sold out at this point, so those on the fence are going to be running into a time crunch sooner rather than later.
So this list is going to evolve as things roll in. Last year, most of our donors and supporters didn't get things to us until about a week before the event, which will likely be the case again this year. Will update the status of these periodically as things show up. What is presently a known commodity to be given away at the drawing:
GAMES:
Note: Many of our donors are providing or have provided multiple copies of certain games. The exact amount that will be given away is either the total they've provided or the total minus 1 in case we don't have a copy of the game to demo or put in the lending library. This is per the publisher's requests, as part of the reason they support this event is so that people will be exposed to their games. So if we publish a picture of the prize table with 4 copies of Bioshock Infinite on it and give away 3, the 4th one is at a demo table; it didn't "fall off the truck".
-Plaid Hat Games - Copies of Bioshock Infinite
-Japanime Games - Copies of Krosmaster Arena and 20 assorted characters that are given away in promotions only
-Chivalry Games - Chaostle & the Melee expansion (the core game box is HUGE so if you're traveling, you might need to talk to us about shipping it)
-Gearbox Software - A Borderlands 2 Swag-filled Limited Edition Diamond Plate Loot Chest
-AEG: An assortment of games, including Guildhall, Dominare, Smash Up, and War of Honor (information at AEG's website). Added bonus: There are also certificates for the limited edition "Geeks" faction for Smash-Up
-Hurrican: Augustus, nominated at the 2013 Spiel for best game.
FOOD:
-John Howie (of John Howie Steak, Seastar, Sport, and the new Wildwood Spirits Co. & Beardslee Public House) has once again gone completely over the top with donations. We still don't have everything in-hand yet, but he's giving away an immense amount of stuff, including the first item at our event that is worth so much, it's necessitating a silent auction. For those traveling, John has what is considered by many to be the finest steakhouse in the Northwest, and what is arguably the best seafood restaurant in the entire nation.
-Calozzi's Cheesesteaks on 4th & Union (best, realistically only, authentic cheesesteaks in town) has put in 2 $25 gift cards.
-Tom Douglas restaurants (multiple James Beard awards, including the James Beard award for best restaurateur in the world last year) has donated lunch for 2 at his famous Dahlia Lounge along with an autographed copy of one of his books
-The Miller's Guild, a nose-to-tail themed homage to all things meat & James Beard award winning chef Jason Wilson's latest endeavor located on 6th and Stewart has donated 2 gift cards
As mentioned above, quite a bit more is still to come in, will update as it does.
How much hovering can I do around them before it gets uncomfortable?
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
We're actually having the prize table a bit sequestered this year vs. last year where everybody could just walk up and pick things up and look, as we had a theft last time. Yes, someone stole from a charity event. Some people's children..........
We have some more donor items that came in, which include:
-Harebrained Schemes is donating Golem Arcana
-Privateer Press has donated multiple copies of Zombies Keep Out and Warmachine
This makes me a sad panda. I'm assuming if you threw it all in a giant safe or something, no one at the event would even be upset knowing this happened last year. Seeing the prizes is always nice, but knowing a charity isn't getting ripped off by a few a-holes is nicer. Anyways, looking forward to see what else is coming for this. The raffle was a pleasant surprise last year, as I wasn't counting on winning anything (nor did I plan to have additional space in my luggage for the 4 games I won from raffle tickets >.< ).
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
First, an update on one donor: We took delivery of the Miller's Guild gift certificates today, and Jason has been quite generous. Each gift card to the Miller's Guild is worth $150. I've eaten there enough to tell you that this will easily buy you dinner for 2 with enough meat to make you incapable of unhappiness for 3 days and enough alcohol to make you unable to walk a straight line, OR, is enough to get a giant (40 ounce+) cut of their AMAZING 92 day aged meat, an item not on the menus but updated daily on the chalkboards near the inferno grill (pics at this site).
Special Guest Update:
Second, we have a confirmation that Paul Petersen, creator of the game Smash Up! will be attending the event - playing Smash Up! with people! This is, of course, subject to changes in Paul's schedule or his whimsy (maybe he wants to play Eclipse instead, we don't judge), but is as of this week confirmed.
Silent Auction
Third, one new thing we're trying this year that we're kind of excited about is an addition to the standard prize table. Our event has secured some significantly higher-valued items than normal this year; things that really can't be given away with a $5 prize ticket. This year, we're going to try out a silent auction on some of these more prestigious items. So if you really want one of them? There's no element of luck involved, you just have to want it more than the other people. Items that fall into the category this year include:
-Chef John Howie (owner of arguably the best steakhouse on the West coast and indisputably the best seafood restaurant in Seattle, the city which indisputably has the best seafood in the country, so do that math) has come even bigger than last year. One of the things he is giving us is a certificate that is good for "an experience". The winner of this auction and 7 of their closest friends will be able to go on a private tour of John's new distillery, Wildwood Spirits Company, and then a private tour of his new brewery, Beardslee Public House. Afterwards, you and these 7 friends of yours will sit down for a private meal at Beardslee. I can tell you from personal experience going to various charity galas in the area that these types of items John gives away typically auction off for between 7 and 10 thousand dollars. Our event is not the same type of crowd that frequents those galas though, so this is truly a one-time opportunity to get something local celebrities, pro athletes, business owners and the like pay up to 5 figures for for a fraction of that cost. We can't stress enough how huge of a gift this is from John.
-The Seattle Seahawks were kind enough to let one of us go to training camp this week, where we obtained an autographed full sized replica Super Bowl Champions helmet from "Beast Mode", aka Marshawn Lynch. Those of you who are coming in from out of town may or may not find this cool. Those of you who live here in the area - you know how crazy the 12's go for things like this. You know you want it.
-While at the Seahawks training camp, we also secured a very large photo of the Richard Sherman/Michael Crabtree blocked catch that sent the Seahawks to the Super Bowl last year, and got it autographed by Richard Sherman. We wanted to have him write some taunting message on it, but were unable to do so. It's still freakin' awesome.
-(This one is still pending a final decision). One of us recently acquired a Collector's Edition copy of the game 'The War of the Ring'. Those big in the hobby already know what this is. For those who don't, a few years back Fantasy Flight decided to release a special edition of the game . They only made 2,000 copies of this edition. It comes in a giant wooden book case hand-painted to look like a huge Elvish tome, every miniature is hand-painted, the board is extra large, much nicer quality cards and rulebooks, etc. It's largely considered the Holy Grail of the tabletop hobby. This particular copy even has the even more limited Aragorn and Gandalf the White figurines, as well as the even-even more rare custom strongholds and Mount Doom pieces. He originally bought it in a private party sale with the intent of putting it up for silent auction, but much like The One Ring, now that he has it he doesn't want to let his Precious go. This may or may not be up for silent auction at the event. If it does go up, the starting bid would be in the $2,000 territory, so not too many people are going to feel ripped off about not being able to get it if he doesn't put it up, which is why I'm mentioning it as a possible item now.
-Dominant Species
-Twilight Struggle
-Leaping Lemmings (most awesome box front EVER)
-Thunder Alley
-Manoeuvre
-Urban Sprawl
Dominant Species
Twilight Struggle
Leaping Lemmings
Thunder Alley
Manoeuvre
Urban Sprawl
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
We received confirmation today that no fewer than 2 of the creators of Cards Against Humanity will be in attendance playing with everybody, and that they are generously donating a few copies of their as-yet unreleased 5th expansion at the event. You can literally be the first person to get it.
Seriously, it's to the point that this sums it up:
3x Telestrations
3x Reverse Charades
3x Tapple
3x Crossways
Image of what type of situation this is for scale & scope (This is not Vardune's board - his is MUCH more ornate):
PAX Prime / PAX Dev 2014
PAX Prime 2013
PAX Prime 2009
Bad news: The waiting list was 8 people long, so if you were waiting to hear back on more VIP seating, you have to keep waiting. We might - MIGHT be able to get 5 more, but it's not likely.
GMT is a great publisher; really, all of our supporters are - the man behind procurements and food for this event only reaches out to game companies and restaurants that meet his standards for quality. There have been numerous companies that have reached out to us/him asking if we'd include them in the event, and he's politely turned them away. Twilight Struggle is currently the no. 1 rated game of all time on Boardgamegeek, and Dominant Species is in the top 20, and really should be top 10. GMT is a very, very talented publisher. Whomever wins any of these titles is one lucky dog!
I've had a few people tell me "your event looks really cool, but I'm not going to PAX because I was in a meeting when the badges went on sale and didn't get any". To which I always respond "You should totally come to our event, we're going to be giving away badges! Our food and procurement guy, let's just say he's really, really good at things like this". The next thing I usually hear is "Yeah, but my luck stinks. What do you have, like 2 sets to give away?"
Let's just say, we've got a few, and your odds aren't altogether bad
How can you get your hands on badges? Multiple ways. We're going to be giving away some in the prize drawing. The guy who is behind this massive spread is going to allocate some to give away to particularly well-done cosplay - basically, if you impress him enough to be crowned king or queen of the event cosplay, you're gonna get some. If you impress me enough, I'll convince him to give you some. And if you don't want to work for it or try your luck, for a sufficient donation directly to Food Lifeline, we will just hand you a set on the spot.
How else may we be of service today?
BTW, there are only 5 tier 2 tickets left total, and then it's tier 3 the rest of the way.
[ X ] Badge
[ X ] Hotel
[ X ] Plane
Wish me luck!
Edit: Your photos above violated the third rule of PAX club: not posting bobcats. I have supplied a substitute in the spoiler:
[X] Order Badges [X] Hotel [ X ] Flight [ X ] Time Off [ X ] Bobcat [ . ] Office Set [ . ] Challenge Coin [ . ] Sanity
New donor alert:
The Belltown Pub has donated 3 gift certificates to the table, which are good for both food and alcohol. They recently pulled a little coup by luring Zach Nethercutt to run their kitchen, and he has completely worked the menu into something that's well beyond "pub fare" without becoming that cliche gastropub insanity. For those unaware, the Belltown Pub is right in the heart of Belltown, which is where most of you guys are going to gravitate towards when the expo hall closes each evening, as that's where the most lively club scene and the coolest barcades are at.
I can't hang out of the building? Anybody interested in a tier 1 ticket?
The Columbia Tower Club (you know, that place way up in the tower where you're all going to be spending the evening in less than 2 weeks?) has come in with a donation for the event. Going onto the prize table are:
-2x gift certificates, each good for dinner for 2 at one of the Tower Club's restaurants at your leisure
-4x tickets to the "Giver's Ball", which is a gala our charity committee throws each year as part of the "Amplify Good" tour. Description of that is quoted below:
Both of these are very cool for their own reasons. The dinner certificates because the Tower Club is usually a private club - you either have to be a member or know one. This whole event happens because you guys know us - or at the very least know how to get us to claim we know you for an evening
The deadline to fill out the Pop-up store purchase request survey is this Wednesday, August 20th, at 7 pm PST. If you purchased VIP tickets or tickets with vouchers and have not received the survey link, please PM me.
Slugfest Games, always one of our most ardent supporters, sent in their care package today. Going onto the prize table is:
-Red Dragon Inn x2
-Red Dragon Inn 2 x2
-Red Dragon Inn 4 x2
-Gambling? I'm In! x 2
-and 8 standalone expansion characters
VIP ticket holders, a survey will be arriving to you no later than tomorrow asking for your choices for the 3-course plated meal at the event. We were hopeful to have the survey out sooner, but our food guy and Chef Tyler were both pretty insistent on making sure there was an offering for *almost* any preference (all but vegans/gluten-free types should find things that appeal). VIP hopefuls, we *think* we might have a beat on 4 more unrequested seats that we will release today or tomorrow. It's up in the air, but if they come available, they will likely go quite fast. BGG is going to have the information first, so if you're waiting to pounce on one of those, if they come up the West Coast forum will get you the info quicker.
The menu choices you'll be deciding from this year are:
Starters:
Watermelon Salad - Hermiston Melon, Heirloom Tomato, Smoked Pistachio, Aged Feta Cheese, Petite Basil, Minus8 Vinaigrette (Vegetarian Offering)
Tartare of Washington Beef - Crisp Caper, Pickled Yellow Corn, Baby Mache, Raw Quail Egg
Potted Duck Confit - CTC Preserved Cherries, Frisee Salad, Bone Marrow Jelly, Toasted Flatbread (Food Guy's recommendation)
Entreés:
Moroccan Barbecue Glazed Tenderloin of Beef - Whipped Washington Potatoes, Wild Asparagus, Sassafras Demi-Glace
Roasted Salish Sea Salmon - Bulgar Tabbouleah, Black Plum Relish
Wild Mushroom Pot Pie - Local Foraged Mushrooms, Fennel, Carrots, Pearl Onions, Thyme Cream, Puff Pastry Crust (Vegetarian Offering)
Sumac Dusted Bison - Sweet Corn, White Truffle, Black Garlic Bread Pudding, Smoked Tomato Jus (Food Guy's recommendation)
Desserts:
Blackberry and Bay Panna Cotta - Fresh Berries
Chocolate Lava Cake - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Blood Orange Olive Oil Vinaigrette
Peach Tartine - Cinnamon Roasted Peaches, Caramelized Puff Pastry, Vanilla Bean Cream, Sweet Lime Chevre
(Food Guy's notes: Unfortunately, "yes please" is not a valid answer when asked which dessert you would like)
We've taken care of most of the big-picture stuff, and now it's time to work on the little extras we can provide. We'd like to start with safety. This is, obviously, a 21+ event because there's booze. A lot of it. And you're gamers, many of whom like to drink. Really like to drink. We totally get that. We're right there with ya (raises red wine), so long as you're a fun drunk (Wheaton's Law, everybody). We would also, however, like for you to be alive and free in society to join us next year, and the year thereafter, etc.
Therefore, this year, we have worked something out and partnered with Uber (for those who don't know the name, it's a towncar service here in the city). Think of it like a taxi...in a nice car. Like, "Wow, that person has a private driver, I kinda want him/her a lot more all of a sudden" nice. Right up until you puke 2 steps outside the vehicle. If you enjoy our event in a very meaningful way, and a little more than would otherwise be safe to unleash you upon the world in a 3,000 pound weapon with wheels, locate us. We have gift cards from Uber good to take you wherever it is you want to go free of charge (within reasonable distance - sorry, but we're not paying for a road trip to Disneyland). Leave your car in the garage and pick it up the next morning. It will still be there. Yes, the garage is going to positively pie you in the face with regards to the parking charge the next day, but it's a lot cheaper than a DUI or a high-powered Los Angeles attorney trying to get you off of a murder rap. And you'll still be alive. We like you. We'd like you to stay that way.
Again, if you don't feel safe to drive (or you're with someone you are concerned about), seek out any of the 4 of us organizing this event or any one of the volunteers who will be present seeing to it that it's every bit as awesome as you want it to be. You don't have to have a winning prize ticket or to buy anything, we're just giving these away to those who need them. Most of us have been there at some point or another, it's totally fine.
(That said, if you're stone-cold sober and just don't want to walk the 4 blocks back to your hotel, we sincerely hope you've chosen to wear comfortable shoes
Of similar note: If it's time for you to leave, you're fine to drive, but you're worried about safely getting back to your vehicle: Yes, the Columbia Tower has cameras everywhere, including many in the garage under the building. And there's a police station almost literally across the street. And Seattle is in general one of, if not the, absolute safest big cities in America, but crime does happen. If you for any reason feel uncomfortable or unsafe walking back to your vehicle, seek out the host in the fedora. You probably wouldn't know it by looking at him (well. Maybe. He is bigger dude), but he's the equivalent of a blackbelt in 3 different forms of martial arts and knows how to take care of things if ish ever gets real. He'll walk you down to your vehicle and send you on your way. We've got your back.
Donor Update:
Geek Chic has provided the following:
-NOT a table (sorry to momentarily get those hopes up)
They are, however, sending:
-2 weapons (I believe a sword and a Thor hammer)
-2 dice towers
-2 entropy engines
Related disclosure here: We had been in talks with the folks at Geek Chic for a long while about partnering with us for this event. Our original vision was to have them bring up tables to create a GC gaming lounge for people to play on. Unfortunately, it was discovered that their tables *wouldn't fit in the elevator* to get to the 76th floor - and, wouldn't you know it, nobody raised their hand when asked who wanted to haul gigantic full hardwood tables up 900 and some odd feet of stairs. Blame the designers of the Columbia Tower for the fact that you won't be slaying zombies on a Sultan.
For those waiting and hoping for a VIP ticket to open up - we did shuffle things around and found 5 more, but they've already been consumed. There will positively be no more, so abandon all hope. Next year we'll likely see about moving the VIP's into one of the 2 main ballrooms in order to accommodate demand, depending on how celeb types/Guests of Honor feel about being in a more open space vs. being able to hang out in the smaller rooms away from prying eyes.
Like Pathfinder? Of course you do. Our friends at Paizo Publishing, VIP co-sponsor of the event along with John Howie, has graciously donated:
-40 boxes of the brand new Skull and Shackles game w/ extras
-2x Save Dr. Lucky
-Rise of the Runelords + all expansion boxes (+ a....VERY special gift for whomever wins it that we can't talk about publicly)
I haven't run the math on this, but I'm told that the total value of their generous sponsorship is in excess of $4,000. One thing to note is that the vast majority of the Pathfinder card games will be going into VIP swag bags, not the prize table. Don't be *too* bummed out about this if you're general admission though, because Paizo is also going to see to it that every attendee gets some promo cards that you can't buy anywhere (other than scalpy types). Paizo has really gone above and beyond with their generosity.
OK, the prize table is full. I mean really full. As they say at 3 am on cable channels of questionable utility, however, "but wait, there's more!"
We're going to have 2 grand prizes to be giving away at this event, which are sure to please. The way the grand prize drawing is going to work is identical to last year. The tickets are a flat $20 each. We draw for the grand prizes first. If you don't win, all the tickets you bought are then tossed into the universal prize drawing pool and still have a chance to win absolutely anything else on the table. If you win? You get an awesome prize. If you don't get called? You get a tax write-off and about 3 trillion other chances to win other prizes. Win-win.
So it's PAX. And a lot of you are going to be walking around going "These games all look awesome! Geez, complete bummer that I'm not going to be able to play them for a while because they're all on those next-gen consoles. Why does new shiny always have to darken my experience?
Well, after Thursday evening, one less of you will be walking around saying that, because ITEM 1: From our friends at Sony, we will be giving away a Sony Playstation 4!
And I'm sure we'll have at least a dozen people walk up to us and lament at how the VIP dinner and swag bags and private gaming areas and ability to game with certain well-known types that they admire all looked great, but that they missed out because the tickets either kept selling out too fast or because $150/pp just wasn't in the budget. It happened last year, and it will surely happen this year. There's not a whole lot about that we can do for you here in 2014, but somebody is covered in 2015, because thanks to.......well.....us.....we're also going to be giving away ITEM 2: 2 VIP tickets to the THIRD annual Pre-Pax event in 2015! VIP tickets sell out too fast? You don't care - you're already in. Price goes up because of hyperinflation and cost of food? Doesn't matter to you, you're covered. See something cool in the silent auction or grand prize drawing next year? That's fine, you're already playing with $300+ of house money.
In another first this year, we're holding a couple of low-key tournaments. The first, courtesy Ted Alspach (creator of Werewolf), is a "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" tournament, which will take place from 6-7 in the Washington Room (don't worry that the name of the room means nothing to you - there are signs). "One Night" is a fast (think 5 minute) variation on the popular game that utilizes an app instead of a moderator. Ted is providing prizes to the winner. Ted and Bezier Games are also providing copies of "Ultimate Werewolf" to the prize table. Later in the evening (think midnight or so), a large game of "Ultimate Werewolf" is going to take place (old school, with moderator - likely Food/Procurement Guy moderating) with 30-40 people in order to close out the night for that group. Please note this later game will be wildly inappropriate, which is how this moderator likes it, so come prepared to refuse to be offended no matter what happens or is said.
TMG is also jumping into the fray, hosting a Dungeon Roll tournament. This tournament will be centered around their new solo player campaign for the game. Individuals will be able to just pop down at their leisure, play as long as they like, turn in their score cards, and then go do something else. At the end of the evening, we'll announce 2 winners, both of whom will be winning TMG loot.
Number of tickets remaining
Thanks to some furniture re-arranging, we were able to create a situation where we found room for another 10 people. We have 7 seats after this adjustment (and people grabbing them before this post). That's it, there will be no more. When they are gone, they are gone, so this is truly and utterly, 100% honest-to-god last call for procrastinators in any capacity.
Really looking forward to this! Quick question--how hard is it to get in and out of the club once we've already signed in and given our ticket? I am planning to meet someone to sell one of my extra passes (at face value...don't look at me like that!) and want to make sure that:
a) I can get back in if I've already signed in, and
b) an idea of how long it takes to get in and out from the main entrance.
I didn't see this covered in the FAQ.
Thanks!