A sad state of affairs for the RPGA when one of its own has to front money and run the convention. Here's David Christ's reply to my e-mail:
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So now that I have passed the 'spam clearance program' I am on the
list and can reply.

I will do my best to reply inline and keep it making sense (as much
sense as I normally make)

--- In COWSGamers@yahoogro ups.com, Andrew Zambrzycki
<andrew5810@ ...> wrote:
>
> After looking at the schedule and format for D&D Exp 2009, it's
unlikely that I will be attending. I've cut-and-pasted from their
website, with a posting by David Christ. My comments are below:
>  
>  
> For the last few years, you had D&D Exp at a Hyatt right smack dab
next to the Pentagon, and NOW you're wondering about trying to save
money? Did you think that people paying $700 for rooms for the
weekend would be affordable for them? And NOW you want to collect a
badge fee? If anything, this event should be cheaper now that it's
moved back to Fort Wayne, IN.

Please realize that this year and past years have nothing to do with
each other. In the past the show was run fully by Wizards and funded
by various departments depending on how it met their goals for that
year (for example the launch of 4th edition). I organized the judges
and everything onsite but the where, when, how, and what were
dictated to me. DC was expense. Not going to argue that point. I
agree 100%.


> I like David Christ. He's a good guy, and I've had the chance to
game with him during our time playing Living Kalamar (when it was
cool to play more than one Living Campaign...) . And although I do
feel that he cares about running a good event, the fact that he
placed his endorsement on the badge fee is nothing more than a
corporate man giving the corporate line for the good of the
corporate company.

Thanks I like you to LOL. This year at 4 months out I was
asked "Dave you want this show?". The tone and intent I got was
pretty much 'if you don't run with this then it's gonna die and
probably never be seen again'. So in short order (about 10 days) I
had to come up with a complete show plan and budget. The what,
where, and when for a show with a budget in the tens of thousands.
With that I think I did a pretty dang good job. I am the one who
created the badge fee. My idea 100%. No towing the line (cuz towing
my own line just makes me go in circles and I get dizzy easily - I
think that's illegal in some states as well).

This show for profit or lose is my pocket. This is not Wotc this is
me gang. If this show flops and loses $9,000 it's my bank account
taking the hit (and my ass shortly after that from my wife). I am
putting my financial well being on the line because this show means
to much to me and I believe a lot of you to just let it fall over in
a ditch and die forgotten.

>  
> Furthermore, this is the first ever RPGA convention to run only
one type of campaign (4th ed. LFR), catered to player levels 4-10:
>       - What if you're a first level character, or someone who's
never played 4th ed. before? Now that is going to be a big square
kick in the ass, having reserved room and event fees, and then
showing up and finding out you cannot play them because you're not
high enough level. Will they (at least) give you the option of a pre-
generated character? Even so, there's no way they'd let you pass
that exp on to a different character, with their new tracking system.
>       - What if I come to the convention and don't like 4th ed.
What other rpg's do you offer?

The show advertises what it is right upfront. I won't promise what I
cannot personally guarantee. This year we are a 4th edition, Living
Forgotten Realms, Core player base convention. Why? Because I've
run a lot of shows in the past and what works is starting small with
your core base and building from there. You're right we are not
friendly looking to the brand new player but I bet if he shows up he
will leave with a smile on his face (because we're the RPGA and I
have faith in our judges). The new player is not the core I need to
make this show happen this year.

Next year if things go the way I expect them to I'll expand on that.
I already have Goodman Games onsite and onboard for hopefully
expanding their presence next year with some exciting things. I hope
to bring Pathfinder onboard and perhaps one more. Things will expand
but I believe in getting one thing right and doing it well before
biting off more. When you have a short amount of time you need to
focus. A show gets a bad name and it's dead. Nobody will waste time
and money on something that may or may not be a good time.

>  
> I play 4th edition as a time killer, and not as my primary
campaign of choice. It's ok to play, nothing more. I have a 1st
level character, who's on the verge of getting 2nd level, if he can
survive another module (and that's a big IF playing 4th ed... but
I'll save my diatribe on why all the characters.. . tank
types..., seem more homogenous than before for another time...). I
don't think that in three rounds of open gaming I'll be able to hit
4th level.
>  
> The RPGA used to be a community of gamers run by the gamers (with
a firm nudge from TSR/ WoTC when necessary. ..). It promoted gaming,
above all: Rolemaster, Star Wars, Boot Hill, Gama World, Marvel
Superheroes, DC Heroes, Shadowrun, Dungeons and Dragons (and a host
of Living Campaigns as well), and more.
>  
> This is the first time in my RPGA membership that Winter Fantasy
will be only hosting one type of game system, and only one campaign
for that game system, and my character is not up to par for the
convention.

Times change. I know that's an easy statement to make but they have.
Across the board. The RPGA itself is still a community of gamers.
We're still the same fun bunch of people we just have more options
in some sense and less in others. Currently the RPGA has one
campaign so I'm offering one campaign. This is a result of 4th
edition. I expect by next years show we'll have at least one more if
not two to choose from on the RPGA side. This year I roll with what
I have.

Promoting gaming is a nice ideal but when it comes to dollars and
budgets it fails fast. Since those days when the RPGA was the only
game in town multiple companies have rolled out their own organized
play programs. More are on the way as companies realize the
marketing potential they can bring to bear on a product line. Name
one of them that promotes anothers product? None. They focus on
their own brands just like Wotc focuses on its own. I don't see that
changing because it's just how things work. You are not going to
spend money to promote something that makes somebody else money.

>  
> The sad part is, I loved travelling to Winter Fantasy (now D&D
Exp), wherever it was (although I stayed at a friends house out in
DC saving HUGE money). I fear that this year that there is nothing
for me to attend. At least I can play the games in some home-game
after the con...
>  
> Regretfully,
>  
> /s/ Andrew Zambrzycki


I loved Winter Fantasy as well. It's why I'm doing everything I can
to make sure it does not disppear. That it is still a home away from
home for the RPGA players to meet once a year and have a good time.
I'm trying to make it as affordable and accessable as I can to those
players. I'm trying to get the show on as solid of a financial basis
as I can so that it can expand, grow, and fully support itself from
now into the foreseeable future.

Dave C