Greetings, fellow designers!
As you probably know, we try to have the Game Designers Workshop in a different city each year, and this year we bring the GDW to
Due to some unusual aspects of our contract with the hotel, please make your bookings ASAP (details below)!
The Marriott is in
Also, we’d like to announce that Gordon Walton has joined us to help organize the GDWs. Noah, Bob and I just felt like we needed some young blood.
Cost
The registration fee for the workshop is $320. This covers:
(There will also be optional dinners on Friday and Sunday for those who are around. Payment for those will be collected in cash on the spot. We’ll ask for RSVPs on those dinners as we get closer to September. And, for early arrivers, there will be some sort of fun outing on Friday afternoon.)
Our meeting room has space for 30 people; once we get 30 payments we’ll start a waiting list, since there are usually a few people who drop out at the last minute. Please get your payment in as soon as possible.
Lodging
You’re responsible for your own lodging. We’ve gotten a discount rate on rooms at the Marriott: $199 plus taxes. However, as part of our contract with the hotel, we’ve guaranteed that our members will book 28 room-nights. (So, for example, if you booked a room for Friday and Saturday nights, that would count as “2”.)
We are responsible for paying the difference, if we fall short of 28. So please:
1) Book your room ASAP!
2) Send me (Steve) an email when you've done that, so I can make sure that all our bookings are being applied to the GDC contract.
To book your room at the Marriott, please use this convenient URL:
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=3597491&fromResdesk=true
Or, call 800-266-9432 and ask for the "Game Designers Workshop". I already made my reservation using this link, and it worked smoothly. Also, the discount rate is only valid until 8/10/2011, just four weeks away, which is another good reason to book now!
Workshop Info
Our format remains the same: a roundtable discussion, where each of us gets to pick a topic and lead the discussion for 1/Nth of the weekend. It's like a GDC roundtable, but with a pre-screened group of top game designers ready to talk about whatever you are interested in. You can visit the website to find out more about how the workshop works.
We often get questions about bringing others to the dinners. Friday and Saturday night are members-only. On Sunday, which tends to be smaller, we allow spouses and significant others. The workshop is invitation-only through a time-tested system, and we are always looking for new, story-oriented designers to add to our group. If you know of any good candidates, please send a recommendation to Noah, Steve, Bob, or Gordon – please do not just ask them to come.
What Do I Need To Do Right Now?
1. Mark the weekend of 9/10 and 9/11 on your calendar.
2. Reply right away, checking a box below so we can start getting a rough count:
[ ] I’ll be there! I'm sending a check to Bob immediately and plan to stay at the Marriott.
[ ] I’ll be there! I'm sending a check to Bob immediately, but I’m staying elsewhere.
[ ] I’ll probably be there. I'll let you know for sure ASAP.
[ ] I probably won’t be there this year. I'll let you know for sure ASAP.
[ ] I definitely won’t be there this year, but please keep me on the GDW mailing list.
[ ] I won’t be there, and please remove me from the GDW mailing list.
3. If you’re coming, please send a check to our GDW Treasurer:
Bob Bates
5207 Honeysuckle
Centreville, VA 20120
NOTE: The check (for $320) should be made out to “Bob Bates”, not “GDW” or “Game Designers Workshop”.
4. If you’re staying at the Marriott, please use the link above to make your reservations. Remember that the discount rate expires in early August, and we need to find out ASAP how many people are staying now many nights, to know whether we need to panic.
Thanks – we hope to see you in September!
Bob (bob@bobbates.com)
Steve (steve@boffo.us)
Gordon (gwalton@playdom.com)
Noah (nf@theinspiracy.com)