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 Post subject: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:33 pm 
Warmaster
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I'm a newbie, as many of you may know, and I want to attend my first GenCon this year. Can anyone give me a ballpark estimate as to how much I can expect to spend on my trip? I plan on driving there from Maryland (11 hour drive, ~640 miles), and staying wherever is cheapest near the conference center. Also, if anyone has any suggestions about how to cut costs, I'd be happy to hear them. I don't make very much money, but hopefully I've got enough saved up to make this feasible.


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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:48 pm 
Jedi Battlemaster
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hmm, well from Canada, its about the same drive length.
Depending on fuel economy, I think I filled up 4 times during the trip (~$160 for me).
Arrange to share a hotel room: I think I remember it being about 80-90 for the 4 days, that was a room shared with 5 others.
Entrance tix : 80-90
Minis Games tickets :about 100 (for me = 5/6 events)
Food, got breakfast at hotel and packed snacks for lunch, super was where ever, 5-10 each night, so about $70 for food the weekend.

so about 500 gets the event covered. Sharing gas costs helps, so find someone to drive down with!

And don't forget you may want to buy things in the dealer hall (I think I've averaged about 100 each time)

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:41 pm 
The One True Sith Lord
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Be sure and utilize the forums here to help yourself.

We usually get a room mate thread up for people looking for help. I would say that Eric is about sopt on with costs. Your gas costs can differ but I would say you need at least $400 while there if you pay for your badge and events prior to going (which I reccommend highly)

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:46 pm 
Really Cool Alien from a Cantina
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Some of us from Northern VA will be going also. So we should talk about carpooling since you're so close to us. That will save on gas for us all.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:39 pm 
Death Star Designers
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Well me and a bunch of guys from atlanta stayed in the same room, thats going to be your biggest cost so spliting a room 5-6 ways is good as far as $ goes. You wont be in there anyway trust me.

I think i spent less than $200 on gencon last year. That includes gas split on the astrovan hotel room and food. I packed a bunch of bread and sandwhiches and pop tarts for breakfast.

Id say $200 is about as little as you will look at spending. Win a regional and it helps the cost a little too :).

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:03 pm 
Imperial Dignitaries
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My buddies went one year and stayed in there car or in the convention center on benches. I am not sure how they made it, but they weren't really playing in tournaments so sleep I quess wasn't valuable.

The last time I went I spent very little time in the house where I crashed. If you stay somewhere not within walking distance, make sure you figure in parking. The garage by Conseco was the cheapest I found and is only a 5 or 6 block walk, so not bad. Granted i have to walk around campus on a daily basis, so walking a bit isn't that big of a deal for me as it is for some.

Most of my suppers were places like Hooters or the Hard Rock. You should plan on Hooters Saturday evening. There is a food court in the mall connected to the convention center regular mall food court fair there. Also cleaner bathrooms than the convention if you have to make an unexpected deposit.

There is alot of good places to eat in downtown Indy and price can vary greatly. If you want a really nice steak you can easily drop some serious cash at some of the nicer places. Don't plan on eating at steak and shake after the first day. it will always be crazy busy.

Make sure you have at least 4 hours budgeted to roam the dealer hall and have a set budget for what you can buy. There is a ton of cool stuff there and it is easy to drop some serious cash there.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:07 pm 
Imperial Dignitaries
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I would also recommend you check out the artist area even if that isn't your normal scene. One year I met one of the SWM card artist and got some of my cards autographed which i think is cool.

Food and drink inside the convention center is rather pricey for what you get.

Also everything you have with you for a day should easily fit into a backpack. It just makes life easier moving from table to table at the tournaments.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:23 pm 
Sith Apprentice
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Yeah, if you're planning on driving I would definately pack all sorts of food/snacks and drinks so you really minimize that food cost...which can get a bit pricey espicially if you're old enough to enjoy an adult beverage or 12 (which they had some good micro brews around). But anyways...yeah food was a big expenditure when I flew up there...so plan accordingly. And definately room with some people...there's usually people looking to save money any way they can by cramming people into rooms.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:21 pm 
Name Calling Internet Bully
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Demosthenes wrote:
I'm a newbie, as many of you may know, and I want to attend my first GenCon this year. Can anyone give me a ballpark estimate as to how much I can expect to spend on my trip? I plan on driving there from Maryland (11 hour drive, ~640 miles), and staying wherever is cheapest near the conference center. Also, if anyone has any suggestions about how to cut costs, I'd be happy to hear them. I don't make very much money, but hopefully I've got enough saved up to make this feasible.


Definitely find some roommates - use the forums here to help. You might even be able to find people to ride with as well.

If you are driving in, then I have one major suggestion. Look at hotel rooms up to 10 miles south of the convention center, right off of I64. It's an easy drive up to the convention center, and parking ranges from $5-20 a day (which considering room prices run about $85 a night vs the $180-200 in downtown is totally worth it).

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:26 pm 
Droid Army Commander
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billiv15 wrote:
Demosthenes wrote:
I'm a newbie, as many of you may know, and I want to attend my first GenCon this year. Can anyone give me a ballpark estimate as to how much I can expect to spend on my trip? I plan on driving there from Maryland (11 hour drive, ~640 miles), and staying wherever is cheapest near the conference center. Also, if anyone has any suggestions about how to cut costs, I'd be happy to hear them. I don't make very much money, but hopefully I've got enough saved up to make this feasible.


Definitely find some roommates - use the forums here to help. You might even be able to find people to ride with as well.

If you are driving in, then I have one major suggestion. Look at hotel rooms up to 10 miles south of the convention center, right off of I64. It's an easy drive up to the convention center, and parking ranges from $5-20 a day (which considering room prices run about $85 a night vs the $180-200 in downtown is totally worth it).

+1


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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:38 pm 
One of The Ones
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If you do stay at a hotel a few miles out, then I definitely recommend doing what you can to get to the convention center early. There are a couple places to park on the south side of the center (notably, behind the Holiday Inn on the Southwest) that are in the $5-$10 range per day. If you wait to get to the center till 9 or 10 am, you'll have trouble finding anything other than the $22/day places on the north side of the center.

DEFINITELY car pool with people if you're driving that far though. Cuts down on gas cost, AND those parking fees.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:46 pm 
Imperial Dignitaries
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billiv15 wrote:
Demosthenes wrote:
I'm a newbie, as many of you may know, and I want to attend my first GenCon this year. Can anyone give me a ballpark estimate as to how much I can expect to spend on my trip? I plan on driving there from Maryland (11 hour drive, ~640 miles), and staying wherever is cheapest near the conference center. Also, if anyone has any suggestions about how to cut costs, I'd be happy to hear them. I don't make very much money, but hopefully I've got enough saved up to make this feasible.


Definitely find some roommates - use the forums here to help. You might even be able to find people to ride with as well.

If you are driving in, then I have one major suggestion. Look at hotel rooms up to 10 miles south of the convention center, right off of I64. It's an easy drive up to the convention center, and parking ranges from $5-20 a day (which considering room prices run about $85 a night vs the $180-200 in downtown is totally worth it).


It's I-65

I just would not recomend staying on the East side of town. Let's just say it is very easy to find yourself in areas on that side of town that rent rooms by the hour if you catch my drift. Now granted there is a Mariot East, but I just want to give everyone a heads up.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:54 pm 
Site Admin
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GENCON 2009

11 hour trip from MN to GENCON $100 (dependent on choice of food and gas mpg) A lot tougher with gas prices this year lol

Once you reach Indiana then you must ONLY ingest Steak/N/Shake. $5 a meal. mmmmmmmmmmm (and one evening at Hooters. :P)

Stayed at Hotel Dvader hooked me up with cost me like $150 for all 4 days about 5 miles out of town and drove in.

I think it cost me about $200 to play in all the tournaments I picked including GENCON 4 day badge. Only got about 15 hours of sleep in 5 days! Won't be forgetting that anytime soon.

The dealer hall is a must see event. Definitely one of the 7 wonders of the world for me. It is Epic!

One of the best things I have ever done in my life. Can't wait to do it again!

It also really helped me financially to win a tournament thanks to Leshippy letting me join his team. I was able to sell my prize and make some more helping sell custom maps for Jedicartographer. If I can win then anyone can lol.

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:05 pm 
Ugnaught Master!
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And you should always check out this wonderful article by Jim Fraser.
Gencon Guide

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 Post subject: Re: Cost of GenCon?
PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:38 pm 
Junk Dealer Extrodinaire
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Depending on what church you may attend,you might be able to bunk with a family close by, I know before my health failed on me, I had gone thru my Bishop (local congregation leader) to get in touch with a bishop there and see if a family might have a spare room.

Theres also the site http://www.couchsurfing.org/

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