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So what does the day before a major con look like? In the case of Origins 2010, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. First, all the stuff that went right. People were able to pick up their badges early, keeping the long-standing tradition of early pick-up for people who pre-registered for the con. There were several hundred people milling about the Hyatt (the main hotel for Origins) and there were plenty of pick-up games going on (though I failed in my brief quest to get a game in :( ) and everyone I spoke with seemed really excited for the con to get underway and very happy with their pre-registration experience. The schwag bag this year was actually pretty good in comparison with previous years, featuring a good bit of Axis & Allies miniatures, a Magic the Gathering starter deck, multiple discount offers, the standard commemorative die and a nice little felt dice bag. And Origins is really putting some focus on supporting the press this year, which should turn into better coverage for you. So what wasn’t perfect? You could pick up your badge, but that was about it. Ribbons and tickets aren’t available until tomorrow and depending on when you went by, neither was your schwag bag (I ended up going back around 9pm to pick our bags up). The volunteer staff was in full training mode (to the point where the media coordinator and I were kicked out of the show office during my orientation…), but those working the registration desk were really struggling to keep up with the influx of gamers and the lack of supplies. Overall, I’d call the pre-con a success – the con-goers seem jazzed, all of the pieces are falling into place and the setting couldn’t be finer – check back tomorrow for our live coverage of all things Origins (via Flickr, Qik, YouTube, Twitter and of course here!).
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