I don’t know.
I don’t mean to torture our fans or leave this open for debate, but I just don’t know. As truly magical and fun as the Open House is, it is just a ton of work. Work that is especially hard on Kathy. Hey, we ain’t spring chickens anymore.
And in addition to making ourselves available the entire four days, there are the preparations the week in advance, a lot of extra work weeks and months in advance, and the cleanup and recuperation that follows. (It hit me hard yesterday, Julius too. And it hit Kathy hard today. Alex and Wayne also seemed to be moving slow today.)As usual, EVERY ONE of you who attended was wonderful. A small army have made impassioned pleas for why we must do another Open House in 2014, and we all appreciate that.
For those of you who have never attended one, you can’t imagine how special and fun the event really is. Hendrick, an elegant speaker, summed it up best when he said (and I paraphrase his sentiment poorly): That the Open House is not a gaming convention. Rather it is a gathering of friends in a place filled with love and smiling faces. It is a place where you feel welcomed, almost like coming home. A place where you are greeted by many old friends and make new ones. A place to laugh and share experiences, and where we also happen to play games all weekend long. According to Hendrick and many others, the Palladium Open House is something "rare and precious," and that’s why we must do another one.
I share that sentiment. I think we all do, including Kathy. The Open House is truly magical. Our differences fade and it’s all about camaraderie, fun and friendship. I have attended countless conventions of one kind or another, large and small, since I was a kid, and I have NEVER experienced anything like what we share at the Open House. It is beautiful and amazing.
Matthew Clements (Palladium writer and movie screenwriter in the making) has been to several conventions, including Gen Con. He had heard us talk about the Open House for months. He was polite enough about it, but you could tell he was thinking, “Kev, it’s just a small convention.” But Friday evening Matt pulls me aside and says, “You’re right, this is unlike any convention I have ever attended.” I smiled.
And all of you help make it so special. Thank you.
As for the question, was this the last Open House? We’ll see. It’s almost too much for just the five of us. But I think Palladium has turned the corner. If we can continue to grow and get stronger and stronger . . . maybe we will be able to afford to hire some more help (even if it’s just for the event) and host another Open House in 2014. We’ll think about it and let you know a good year in advance. Meanwhile, to our friends in the UK, Europe and around the world who need to start saving up and planning sooner. You might want to do so, just in case.
The above is NOT a yes, nor a promise. We have NO plans to do another Open House at this time. We’ll think about it and see what unfolds. Time will tell. I hope you understand.
As for this year and all the previous Open Houses, my thanks to all the wonderful people who attended, became our friends and enriched our lives.
Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Game Designer and Humbled Game Master
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