CherryPopper

This is the final Part 3 of what goes into running MonsterLAN behind the scenes. I've already covered what happens before the MonsterLAN events in Running the Monster - Part 1 and the running of the event in Running the Monster - Part 2. So following on from that this is the final part 3 of a 3 part walk through of what goes on behind the scenes of MonsterLAN. Part 1 will cover what we do before the doors open, Part 2 will cover the running of the event and the final part 3 will be the aftermath of the event.

After the last gamer leaves

After 2 days of little to no sleep, lots of gaming and other random fun its time to put the MonsterLAN back in its cage until the next event. While all the lucky gamers leave the mess to the admins to packup its also a time for the admin to discuss what went right and what didn't at the event. With everything fresh in our minds its good to go through this straight after the event plus it takes your mind off lugging tables & chairs.

The packup is the worst part of a LAN because your all tired and just want sleep like all the gamers who attended are getting as you start to roll up the cables. Getting as many helpers at this point will lessen the work load, so will being a little smarter about how you packup the gear. Having bundles of network cables helps as you can just unplug them quickly roll them into a bundle and use the velcro tie that is attached to it to keep it tidy for next time. Ensure your bags & boxes are kept tidy during the packup so it doesn't take you 4 times as long to setup when your next event rolls around.

While we're working away the admins discuss the event in detail and work through what was successful and what failed as well as other possible improvements. Everything from the layout of the arena to tournament timing and even possible future admins is discussed. Its the small things that really turn a good event into a great one and with very little sleep some really crazy ideas come out as well... how do you think dodgeball was born!!!

Once everything is packed up and the admins have had some sleep & a shower we post our own admin feedback thread in the forums so we can keep track of everything we talked about after the event as well as discuss the ideas & comments being posted on the gamer feedback thread. It very important to ask for feedback from the gamers as we are providing a service for a fee and if the gamers aren't happy they wont come back. The one big mistake i see in post event feedback threads from other events is some gamer posts that they didn't enjoy the event for some reason and all the admins just flame them for it, why ask for feedback if your not going to listen? Sure some people will bitch at certain things that really aren't under your control or are just unrealistic demands like turning your event into a CSS only event with a $10,000 cash prize. But instead of just flaming them explain why its not possible and that you need to cater for more than just one type of gamer or don't want to attract that type of serious gamer crowd, then flame them for just playing CSS!

The next thing I have to do is send all the sponsors some pictures of us giving away the prizes (yes they want proof) as well as a bit of a wrap up about how the event went. This is VERY important because if you don't do this your sponsors will soon stop sending you goodies to give away. Its a two way street with sponsors, they give you prizes and they expect you to do a little work in return giving them feedback. Keeping a good relationship with sponsors also help with the quality & amount of prizes you'll get for your events so be sure to look after these relationships so you can both benefit from them.

By now the bills will start to flow in from the Arena, Total Events (guys who setup the lights, projector, stage, dodgeball, etc), VicLAN and any other stuff we have hired like arcade machines. Keeping track of the financial side of things is always a pain but everything costs money and to keep the high standard that you've all come to expect means we also have to keep our bills paid on time so they'll help us keep that high standards for the following events.

The only thing left that I always seem to forget about is the Wrap Up. While most other LAN events just post the pictures in a gallery and be done with it, there is always more to an event than just what can be seen in the pictures. So i started to do the wrap up that would fill in the gaps of the event that the pictures couldn't explain. While it is amusing to the people who attended it also gives a glimpse of what to expect for those yet to attend a MonsterLAN event. In some of the earlier events i also did a bit of a video wrap up that was shown at the next event which was great fun but man it was a lot of work to get it to the standard i wanted, the gamers loved it though. Its pretty simple... gamers love to see themselves on the web so just remember to take lots of pictures at your events as you can never have too many pictures.

The last but most important thing to do during the post event is to ensure your admin team are happy. Take it from me without a great admin team your event wont last long so ensuing they are still enjoying running the event is most important. Talk about what you can do to help make everyone's life easier during all stages of the event, make sure things like servers are easy to run, everyone gets time to grab some sleep and even getting food during the event for the admins as if they are like me we forget till we're faint with hunger. Just be sure to talk to your admin team and listen to any issues they have and try to accommodate them as a happy admin means happy gamers.

Running an event like MonsterLAN is a labour of love its a hell of a lot of work and if you don't enjoy it your event isn't going to last long. Sure there are crap times but with a great team of admins and a real community of gamers to attend your events means your always going to get that warm and fuzzy feeling when you get told by a first timer that they've had the best time at your event and can't wait for the next one. Its something i still get a buzz from after running MonsterLAN for the past 6 years.