[Artemisia] Event Thoughts

[Bruce Padget]

--- Sir Gregory writes:

> Let me go out on a limb here and guess that the
> overwhelming majority
> of "magic" happens at camping events.  If so, that
> skews the logic a
> bit.
> 
> Gregory

Quite right, camping (or at least outdoor) events were
mentioned most often.  The trick would be capturing
whatever they have for other events.

One aspect would be the fact that camping events have
you playing around the clock, for more total immersion
in the game.  In that connection, I've been to several
winter "day" events in Montana where the site opened
Friday afternoon and closed Sunday afternoon.  The
actual "event" only runs Saturday, but there's plenty
of time for unstructured revelry and immersion.

Another aspect is ambience.  As Elyn and I discussed
yesterday, Nature is a great decorator. :D  Some of
than ambience can be brought into day events, tho.
Many schools and churches have wonderful little
courtyard or garden areas.  However, we usually leave
them entirely unused, walking past them on our way to
the lawn where the tourney will be held.  (My combat
form has particularly fallen down here -- rapierists
were once known for taking great care to select the
most picturesque spots that would safely accomodate
combat.)

Also, once the weather gets decent, "day" event
doesn't have to mean "indoor" event.  Consider parks
(public or private) and USFS or BLM group use areas. 
Sentinel's Keep has often made great use of museum
grounds.

Even an indoor event can have a good "wooly" feel,
with a little luck in site-finding.  Some great Loch
Salann events were held at the Old Mill, which
was...well, an old, half-tumbledown mill.

When Sir Gregory and I discussed this last night, two
other "outdoor" factors came up -- darkness and
inebriation.  Darkness can come indoors, even where
flames are forbidden -- just have to remember that,
with few exceptions, there are choices other than Full
Dark and All the G**D*** Flourescents on.  As for
inebriation -- I fully realize the more and more sites
are ruling that out.  Just have to find substitutes :)

Another thought I've had for a few years, that
somewhat ties in.  For indoor event sites, the focus
seems to be that we need to find One Big Room.  While
that room is handy, we too often stop with the One Big
Room.  Very few of my "magic" moments have happened in
the OBR.  Rather, they've usually occured in side
rooms or other small spaces, with smaller gatherings
ranging from a dozen down to complete solitude. The
topography and foliage of outdoor sites lends itself
to many rooms of various sizes, especially when you
have tentage helping to define the spaces.

Even the OBR can be made into many rooms of various
sizes, tho.  Elyn was at a Mid Eastern event in Twin
Moons, where the event was in an OBR.  However, by use
of their rugs, the attendees divided the OBR into
little "encampments."

That last paragraph comes round to a key point I've so
far left unsaid -- when you take the onus of making an
event happen off the event steward, you put it
squarely on the attendees.  My experience has been
that attendees learn this very quickly, given the
opportunity.

Regards,
Niccolo
Abbastanza Buon Non E Abbastanza Buono
bapadget at yahoo.com