Our flight to South Bend, Indiana would be our first airplane ride out of state to a board game convention. PopiCon would be the convention. My nephew lives in South Bend and informed the event organizers about us. They invited us to come, and we accepted the invitation, shipping most of our wares while bringing some along with us on the plane.
I must admit, I was initially apprehensive about taking the trip as we’re still a small company, and who’s got money to throw around when there are other purchases we could be investing in? Especially when the New York Tri-State area affords a lot of accessible venues. However, when one thinks about it, South Bend is the home of Notre Dame, one of the most famous colleges in the country; an excellent spot for showcasing tabletop games. And after being there, it seems pretty fertile for new ideas.
So we took a deep breath and decided to take the risk. Along with the event, I would have a chance to spend time with my nephew. And the family will make fun of the fact that I was not only born and raised in New York, I’m pretty much nailed to the concrete. But I’m putting on the years and need to spend more time with loved ones. And it was an opportunity to take care of two social events in one trip, and I love my nephew’s company.
PopiCon was held in South Bend’s City Center, a large venue. Vendors were aligned against the wall with many round tables for gamers to play games. The crowd was large and engaging, allowing us a lot of time to explain and play our games. Some people heard we were from the Bronx as word spread, and they were interested in what we had to show. And much to their surprise, as well as our own, many loved what they saw.
The game that caught the attention of many was Kitunda. They enjoyed the game’s unique nature of turning the seriousness of Chess into a fun game. Even a few folks who expressed they could only stop to play for a few minutes, ended up playing a whole game. We were fortunate to have that game instill an interest in our other games, which led to more sales. We wound up selling all the Kitunda games we brought with us that day.
Meeting people who came to the convention was a beautiful addition to the occasion. Some great conversations and interests were shared as time seemed to fly by. It was over twelve hours, but the organizers ran it well, offering contests, game prizes, etc. I had fun.
It was definitely something to look forward to in the future. We hope to return next year. South Bend was charming and memorable for our first convention flight away from the Bronx. It left an excellent taste in the spirit and left us with the definite feeling that we’re on the right path.
Thank you, PopicCon, and thank you South Bend. I’m looking forward to a positive response from a city opened to new ideas.