Date: | April 26, 2018—April 29, 2018 |
---|---|
Time: | 8:00 a.m to late night, ending around noon Sunday |
Event: | GMT Weekend at the Warehouse - April 26-29, 2018 |
Sponsor: | Gene Billingsley |
Venue: |
GMT Games Offices and Warehouse 800-523-6111 |
Location: | 13704 Hanford-Armona Rd, Suite B-1 Hanford, CA 93230 |
Public: | Public |
GMT Weekend at the Warehouse
April 26-29, 2018
MANY GMT DESIGNERS ATTENDING. SEE UPDATED DESIGNER LIST BELOW!
We had a great time with about 100 gamers at our most recent GMT Weekend at the Warehouse on October 5-8. Thanks to all of you who attended and made the event so much fun!
We do now have dates for our Spring Weekend, so come join us on April 26-29, 2018, for our 35th (!) GMT Weekend at the Warehouse! We’ll spend the better part of 3 1/2 days, often long into the night, playing your favorite GMT (and non-GMT, if you’d prefer) games. This is mostly an open gaming event, although we do have tournaments from time to time.
Gaming starts around 8 each morning and goes until Mike Lam and the Down in Flames Aces event players collapse from exhaustion in the wee hours of the morning.
Quite a few GMT Designers and Developers usually attend these weekends, and we have a bunch of them attending this time!
- Volko Ruhnke will attend, with Nevsky, and no doubt plenty of COIN series information/games.
- Harold Buchanan will bring a copy of Flashpoint: South China Sea for testing.
- Jerry White will be demoing Skies Above the Reich and another game soon to be on P500.
- Mike Bertucelli will be playtesting Tank Duel.
- Mark Aasted will be demoing Skies Above the Reich with Jerry.
- Chris Janiec will be playing plenty of Wild Blue Yonder and participating in Mike Lam’s DIF Aces event.
- Kurt Keckley will be there to support and play Fields of Despair.
- Bruce Mansfield will demo Gandhi.
- Ken Tee will have the latest version of People Power to show.
- As usual, Mike Lam will be running the Down in Flames Aces Event – which.is.awesome! Come join Mike and a friendly group of air enthusiasts in this fast-action card game of aerial mayhem!
Designers: If you plan to attend but aren’t currently on the list, please let me know and I’ll add you right away. – Gene
Registration is $30, which we don’t charge until the week of the Weekend. We’re limited to about 110 attendees for this event, so if you’d like to attend, please contact the office ladies via online chat from the GMT website or at 800-523-6111 to reserve your spot.
There are several hotels within a few miles of our offices. The closest one, The Sequoia Inn, blocks rooms for our attendees at special rates ($81.56 + tax this time for single or double). The hotel reservations # is 559-582-0339. Tell them you want the “GMT Group Block” rate.
We look forward to seeing you in Hanford in April!
My friend and I who will be attending are ridiculously excited, and this news has amped our hype levels even higher.
That’s great, Justin! Looking forward to meeting you both in October!
Hello folks,
Why don’t you have a warehouse in Europe 😉
Have fun.
I sure wish we did, Olivier. GMT Weekend at the Warehouse near Paris, Milan, or anywhere in Bavaria? THAT would be cool!
How often do you arrange these weekends? I don’t think I’ll be able to attend this one, so instead I’d like to put the next one in my calendar…
We have two per year, Oerjan – one in October and another on one of the last two weekends each April. Would love to have you join us!
Great! Then I’ll keep late April free from other engagements until I know which of the two weekends it’ll be 🙂
I am the designer of “Gallipoli 1915: Churchill’s Greatest Gamble.” I will be at the weekend from Friday to Sunday. I’ll be teaching the game. I will bring one (hopefully two) playtest kits with me.
Cheers
Geoff
Thanks Geoff! I’ll add you to the event article. Looking forward to meeting you in October!
Wow, Geoff, that’s great! I’ve commented a little on CSW & BGG, partly because of my background with TCS. Looking forward to learning the system.
I just realized that I replied to the wrong year
…
How about a new page each year to clear out the obsolete comments? Or just admining them out of existence?
I just realized that I’ll be available and in the area even though I’m based in Chicago. My first convention in 5+ years…I’m stoked.
John
April 23rd to 26th marked in the calendar. Applying for vacation now.
/Oerjan
…aaand vacation confirmed 🙂
What’s the best way to travel to Hanford from LA? (Or from San Fransisco in a pinch, but LA has better flight connections to Stockholm…)
I would guess a flight to Fresno, then rent a car (but I’m no local…).
Realising now that the visa requirements have been turned up even further… US point of contact? Kinda hard to give for the entire trip… is it OK to state GMT Games as the PoC, given that that’s the primary purpose for the trip?
Just reserved my spot and booked the hotel – all my board gaming friends and I are coming. We are so excited!
That’s great, Nick! I’m looking forward to meeting you all in April!
Just wondering if there’s still space?
If so, I wonder where are people staying and how are they getting to Armona? I am from Canada and I hope to join…
Hi Peter!
We do indeed still have space. I don’t know best way from Canada. But for Flights, the Fresno/Yosemite Air Terminal (FAT) is about 35 miles from us. All the major airports (LAX, SFO, etc) are more like 3.5- 4 hours away.
I hope this is helpful, and looking forward to seeing you in October!
Gene
Just had my flight confirmed! Looking forward to making it out there and playing some games!
Awesome, Mitch! I want to play NW India Pakistan!
Does anyone know off the top of their heads how much the running room rate is?
I THINK it’s around $75/night.
Other questions:
Any transportation provided to/from airport/hotel?
Food options near the warehouse?
These questions could sway my wife to let me go!
It is about an hour from the Fresno Airport to Hanford. There are no food options close by the warehouse.
Gene, feel free to put together a GMT Weekend South and we can have it here in Texas! Otherwise, I’ll have to wait until next year to go!
Wish I could be there, Gene! But I used up my travel quota this year when I went to Consimworld last June. But someday….someday!
The room was $81/night. Be sure to mention GMT when calling.
Hi Gene,
Where’s the nearest airport you would suggest attendees fly into?
Regards,
Brad
Broomfield, CO
Hi Brad!
Fresno-Yosemite (FAT) airport is the closest with major airline coverage – about 35 miles north of Hanford. Looking forward to seeing you at the Weekend at the Warehouse!
Gene
Gene,
Will you really start at 8:30 am on the 21st?
I’m thinking the rational thing to do is drive down on Thurday morning and say thu fri sat nites.
Ray
Is anyone driving down from Fresno this April? I’ll pay for gas if you are willing to pick me up.
Sign me up! I didn’t see you guys at Strategicon over Labor Day, which is where I usually sign up. Hoping there will be some nice quiet fans in the warehouse!
Hi David!
I’ve asked the office ladies to add you to the list. Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks!
Enjoy the games!
Gene
How do I sign up for Oct. 13 GMT Weekend at the Warehouse?
Thanks
AB
Hi Allen!
Just email the office ladies at gmtoffice@gmtgames.com, or if you’d rather use chat, go to the top right of any page on our website (www.gmtgames.com) and click the chat icon. The office ladies will get you fixed up.
-Gene
I just attended my very first GMT Weekend at the Warehouse (14-16 Oct, ’16). Wow! I must commend the hospitality of everyone in the GMT enterprise. They rolled out the red carpet for all of the attendees. I’m grateful for the cordiality. I enjoyed Gene’s “state of the union” address as well as the opportunity to learn what the attending game designers we’re up to in their latest creations. All of it made me feel like I was a stakeholder, not just a customer. Well done! It was an honor to participate in play-testing (kudos to John Butterfield) and demonstrations (kudos to Jeremy White) personally with the designers. It was a pleasure to meet Gene and his team: a “class act” hosting a classy event. Easy to see why everyone there was having a great time. Grats to and Gratitudes to GMT! Very much looking forward to attending future Weekends at the Warehouse.
Hi John! It was a pleasure to meet you this past weekend. I’m really happy that you felt welcomed by our team. We’re really blessed to have such skillful and dedicated people in our office and warehouse and to have them taking care of everyone and all the little details at each Weekend event. I’m pleased that you enjoyed the InsideGMT update on Saturday morning, as well as your personal interaction with several of our designers. I definitely share your excitement and enjoyment at getting to look at some of the “not yet on P500” games that the designers bring to the event; that’s always one of the weekend highlights for me. Now please allow me to thank you for attending this time, and for your encouraging words. This is one of those events where every person who attends adds value to the experience for the rest of us, and although it was your first time, you certainly made the weekend better because you attended. So thanks for your contributions to the success of the event. I look forward to seeing you next time! – Gene
Now that I’m back into gaming after a great weekend at the SD Historical Gaming Convention, I’m all fired up for this con. When can I register?
Registration is open now, Andrew. Just contact the office ladies via phone (800)523-6111, email (gmtoffice@gmtgames.com), or online chat (top right of any page on our website – http://www.gmtgames.com), and they’ll get a spot reserved for you. Looking forward to seeing you in April!
Okay, I think I have the go ahead from the wife. 99% sure I will be there!
That’s great, Alex! Looking forward to seeing you in a month or so! – Gene
Can I use this comments section to register?
Kevin, we don’t have registration set up through the blog. At your convenience, please email or chat with our office folks and they’ll make sure you are registered. Email is gmtoffice@gmtgames.com. Chat is http://www.gmtgames.com – click the icon at the top right of any page to connect the chat. Hope to see you next month! – Gene
Should I bring my own copies of games like Combat Commander and Talon?
Absolutely, Andy. Bring anything you want to play. Other than the Down in Flames event, where Mike Lam provides everything you need to play, and designer-led demos of upcoming releases, we mostly play games that someone brings to the event. I have some of my personal game collection available as well, so if you’d like to try something that you can’t find, just let me know. If I have a copy available, I’m happy to let you use it. See you next month! – Gene
John Zrimc wanted me to pass on the word that he’ll be hosting his bi-annual game of Sword of Rome on Friday, Gene. Is it possible to add it to the bullet points so people who are interested will know about it?
Sure, Ken. John’s a great ambassador for the event and an excellent teacher and host for Sword of Rome. Done.
Thanks, Gene. I also spoke to Greg and he will be doing his demo for The Seven Years War: Frederick’s Gamble as well.
Thanks, Ken. I’ve added that to the event listing.
Hi,
I’ll bring Pendragon (COIN King Arthur 😀 ), plus a potential new modern-era COIN entry.
See you in a couple of weeks!
/Oerjan
That sounds great, Orjan – thanks! See you soon! – Gene
My hat goes off to Gene and the GMT crew in Hanford. I took Monday off for some much needed sleep following four fun filled and harrowing game days at GMT’s April ’17 Weekend at the Warehouse. I met great gamers from Orange County, Sacramento, Fresno, and (a “ringer” classicist PhD) form Poland. What a great weekend! “Pericles” served as a super centerpiece to the weekend’s events. Gene, thanks for taking time to visit with so many of the attendees. It is a nice personal touch. You do a lot to make this hobby accessible to the fans and enthusiasts. The GMT Warehouse Team goes to a lot of trouble to accommodate all of us and our special needs over the four days. Your team’s hospitality sets a high bar, one ya’ll should be proud of and for which we attendees are grateful. I must complement the clientele as well. I met so many remarkable gentlemen-scholar-gamers at this event. And thanks must go to the designers who take time or make a point to show up. Yes, they have incentives, but they share not just quality time but their dreams with the rest of us. Way cool. I can’t help but come away from this weekend in a warehouse feeling like I’ve been at a prestigious gala event because, to adapt one of Gene’s expressions, everyone is classy (that’s John H., Gene S., Fred S., Ryszard T., and Jeremy ? to name but a few). If there is anyone reading this that has never been to the Weekend…just do it…just do it. October is not far away. Thanks again to the GMT Team.
Thanks, John, for your kind words and encouragement! I’m really happy that you had a fun-filled Weekend at the Warehouse! I enjoyed getting to meet so many new attendees and renew friendships with you and so many others. I especially enjoyed the conversation with “The Pericles Group” on Sunday morning. Looking forward to renewing the fun in October! Thanks for being part of making this a terrific Weekend! All the best! – Gene
What is the nearest airport! Fresno?
Hi Kurt! Yes, Fresno-Yosemite airport is about 35 miles north of us. All of the other local airports either service F/A-18s, F-35s, or flocks of ducks. 🙂
Is there a main forum for discussing game arrangements and gathering players or is most of the deciding done the weekend of?
Hi Brian!
Most of the attendees talk and set up games on the Consimworld topic. Link is here:
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX/.1dd0a97d/4681
Cya next week!
Gene
There’s also a BGG geeklist for planning/joining games. https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/229978/gmt-west-october-2017
Can’t wait for Thursday!
Just wanted to give you guys an update…John Zrimc won’t be there this time as he and his wife are taking a vacation in “Sword of Rome” land — Italy!
Whats that game with the ‘tank play mat’ in the Image called (3rd set of images down, on the right side??)?
That’s TANK DUEL, by Mike Bertucelli. It’s on our P500 list now. More info here: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-615-tank-duel-enemy-in-the-crosshairs.aspx
thanks.. 🙂 /sigh.. more P500 spending to do.. 😉