So after thinking about it some and running it by a few people, I thought I should run the idea of having a $ pool for Evo by the community.
Essentially, everyone going to Evo from the NW would contribute a small amount (say, $10 - $20, or whatever the community decides) to a pool. That way, if anyone who is bringing equipment has it broken, mamed, stolen, or whatever, the pool would pay to replace said equipment. Given a very rough estimate of, let’s say, 50 people going, at $20 a head that would be $1000 in the pool, more than enough to pay for a couple broken sticks and a stolen console. The beauty of this is that if everyone’s stuff is fine after Evo has ended, everyone would get their money back. If a portion of the pool must be used, say half, everyone would get half their money back.
Personally, I think this is a fair and equitable way to ensure the people bringing equipment down to Evo can rest a little easier knowing they don’t have to shoulder the whole load if something happens to their stuff. Additionally, the people who aren’t or can’t bring anything down and are depending on other’s equipment are doing more than just thanking them for their generosity. I know that some of y’all have no problem loaning out your sticks and whatnot for others to use, but I also know you’d feel shitty if something did end up happening with your stuff. I also know that people have lost things or had them stolen while at Evo (Zach and a Dreamcast one year, iirc) through no fault of their own.
So how about it? Would people be willing to contribute to a $ pool for Evo this year? Any suggestions on a dollar amount? What do y’all think about this idea overall? Let a Viper know.
I am thinking $20 for an insurance policy is wellllll worth it, everyone should be able to afford it and it would give me peace of mind too. It traditionally has been RIDICULOUSLY hard to herd the Northwest players into doing something community wise, so good luck on this one, Nolan. If it gets off the ground I will have a hot twenty bux for it for sure.
I would definitely be willing to act as equipment manager, but this is mostly an all-or-nothing proposition. For example, if person 1 who isn’t participating borrows and loses a stick from person 2 who is “registered”, does person 1 still not have to contribute anything? Conversely, if person 2 gets his stick stolen but is not registered, does he not get paid out by the pool? Will we not let a person who is not registered borrow from somebody who is?
Unless there’s a lot of feedback in the next two days, I’m thinking of just going to everybody individually when we get down to Evo. Unless there’s a huge majority (like, over 90%) of people willing to contribute, I’d say it’s just easier to scrap the whole thing and let people fend for themselves. I really don’t see any other way.
Alright, how about on Thursday night we organize a gathering somewhere to contribute the money and leave it in someone’s reliable hands. Maybe like 8PM The Rio lobby?
I’m putting the pool idea on hiatus, for this year anyway. While I like the whole concept, the logistics are turning out to be more complicated than I anticipated. Maybe it’s something we can try again for next year. Viper, out.
