06 July 2011

Yet Another Origins Follow-Up

Here are the attendance numbers from Origins' Homepage.

We know everyone is interested in numbers. This year, we sold 101 more full badges than last year. In 2010 we sold 6,444 full badges, and 2011 we sold 6,545. This is a 1.5% increase. We sold 732 more day passes than last year. In 2010 we sold 4225, and in 2011 we sold 4957 day passes, a gain of 17.3%. Overall our attendance increased by 833 attendees. With 10,669 attendees in 2010 and 11,502 people attending the show in 2011, that gives us an overall increase of 7.8% for 2011.

My question, posed on Facebook, was whether or not GMs and other comp'ed/free badges are counted in those numbers. For example, my badge was free b/c of the hours of programming I was running in the War College. My son's badge was free b/c he's a child (last year he's free! where's the time going!?). Do those count as badges "sold" or are there still more people unaccounted for in those headcounts?

Will update when I get an answer!

UPDATE: Here's Joby Miller's response on the Origins Game Fair Facebook page:

We don't take personal information for day passes so they are not necessarily unique attendees. The badges are unique and include all badges issued at the show as all the badge types allow full access to the show. GMs, Volunteers and other "unpaid" badges do, in Origins opinion, "pay" for their badges with their time and expertise. Origins relies on these individuals to put on the best show possible for attendees and so we place a high value on their contribution. Many of our GMs and Volunteers spend their off time playing at the show and so it is reasonable to count them among our attendees. As for the breakdown of our attendees, Origins generally does not make public its demographic information.


By: Brant

No comments: