EPTSo, how did I host a barcraft? Well, I was contacted by Muffins of ONOG, with a message saying, "Do you know anybody in the bay area that would want to host the Barcraft for MLG?" I told her that I would do it, and then I did. Ok, ok, ok, that doesn't help anybody. It all started back when... *fade to flashback*
I met Muffins for the first time at MLG something something. Might have been Orlando, might have been Providence, I don't recall. I think I have it written down somewhere. Anyway, she was walking around looking important, so I walked up to her and said hi and just started a conversation. We kept bumping into each other throughout the rest of the event, and exchanged a few words afterwards.
Muffins and I ran into each other again at NASL 2 Finals, where she was again, running around looking important. (It's important to note that just because she's running around looking important, doesn't means she's actually doing anything important. =p I kid, I kid). We chatted more, grabbed some lunch, and she introduced me to a few of the other people behind the scenes that I hadn't met yet.
After NASL, we just kept in touch. We'll chat a bit online, I'll help her flesh out ideas, she'll berate and threaten me, I'll offer to scout locations for barcrafts, she'll shout down my ideas, you know, the usual. Then one day, the person they had doing the SF barcraft bailed on her and ONOG. So I got a message, and you know the rest.
The sum of this goes back to what I said in my first few posts, and I'll probably keep repeating over and over again: ATTEND LIVE EVENTS. Go to Barcrafts. Go to tournaments. Visit studios (twitch, IPL, NASL, MLG, justintv, blizzard, etc.) Just get out there, and talk to people. At this barcraft I just hosted, I saw a random guy helping the bar staff prep the bar for the next party they were hosting (which was an Oscars party that was starting when we were leaving.). I don't remember his name, but I'll certainly remember his face, and if he's at the next barcraft I'm doing (if I'm ever doing one again), and there's something I need help with, he'll be the first guy I call on.
As they say, just do it. Go places, and offer to do things. Make contacts, introduce yourself, overcome your crippling shyness.
As for the barcraft itself, it was pretty rad. There were some stream issues in the 2nd to last game of the finals, even though we had 2 twitch employees there as attendees. They shrugged and said, "well, it looks like that's on our end. Sorry" and went back to drinking. (not really, but it sounds more fun if I tell the story that way). I wasn't as well prepared as I would like to have been, but that's my fault. I left my power cable for my computer at home, so my comp died, and I couldn't get many sign ups for the ONOG raffle. I failed to set myself up in such a way that people who were coming would inherently know that I was hosting the event, so I had trouble getting their attention to hand out swag. I couldn't get attention enough to ask them to tweet at ONOG.
While I failed in a few places, I learned a lot. I mean, this was my first time at a barcraft, let alone hosting a barcraft. Next time I know exactly what I'd do better.
- Koibu
So the lesson here was future barcraft organizers needs to be visible, like wear a fancy hat?
. Everyone that wears a bowtie is instantly regarded as a leader :D.
