Those of you who regularly read our site or listen to our podcast know that Nick, Pher and I (Trae) have an extensive background in running conventions in Wisconsin. I co-founded No Brand Con, and Pher and I are both former con directors of the organization. Nick is no slouch either, having co-founded Daisho Con.
All three of us have tried to step back from our days as con runners. Seriously, we’ve tried to quit. We’ve tried to just be attendees… but like many addicts, we’re relapsing.
That’s right, Nerd & Tie is starting a convention.
We’re calling it the Nerd & Tie Expo, and it will take place September 23-25, 2016 at the Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire, WI. We are going to do our best to become the Chippewa Valley’s cornerstone Geek event.
We’re bringing together a really great team too of veteran con staffers – it’s the best of the best, including people who have held high level positions at pretty much every con that takes place in America’s Dairyland. We’re working as hard as we can to provide the best con possible by working with the best people, from our Video Game Room run by World 9 Gaming to events run by Otaku Tonight Productions.
It’s going to be pretty great.
We’re also focusing on community and becoming a long term fixture in Eau Claire. One of the reasons Eau Claire no longer has a convention is because the venues available can’t handle cons over a certain size. We also think that some of the best convention experiences any of us have had have been at smaller shows. With both of those things in mind, we’ve come to a rather important decision…
We’re limiting attendance of the Nerd & Tie Expo to 1,000.
That’s right, we’re only going to sell 1,000 attendee badges, and that’s it. We came to this number because we believe it’s just big enough to let us provide the best experience to you guys while still keeping the con small. In an atmosphere where cons are designed for almost constant growth, we think it’s a bit revolutionary in fact.
Because we’re putting this limit on ourselves, we’re going to need your help though.
In the upcoming weeks, we’re going to be launching a crowdfunding campaign so we can add even more stuff that we haven’t announced yet. With your help, I know we can make the Nerd & Tie Expo in Eau Claire one of the most unique events the Wisconsin con scene has ever seen.
We hope you join us.
