Edge of 94 in 2021?

[Edge of '94 Midwest]

 

Sorry this is a long post, but there is a lot to get to.  

 

Well it's hard to believe, but it's been nearly 6 months since the Modano Mo Problems NHL94 tournament in Minneapolis at the Pourhouse Uptown!  In some ways it feels like yesterday, and in others it feels like it was 2 years ago.  So much has changed regarding public events, how they're viewed by the public, and the general risk associated with having them.  This view varies depending on where you are, and how hard Covid has hit your respective communities.

It's very hard to tell the future, but here are my wishes for 2021.  These are not statements of what is going to happen necessarily, but if I had to jot down my wants/wishes, here's what we'd see:

 

1) The tournament happens in Minneapolis, hopefully in the same venue(Pourhouse Uptown) and hotel(The Moxy)

2) The tournament expands the traveling player base, as well as the local Minnesotan base, while retaining most if not all of the traveling players from 2020.  I would like to break through the 40 player mark in 2021.

3) The tournament sees a surge of dedicated SNES or hybrid SNES/Genesis players to see competition like we saw in 2019.  When we moved a good contingent of SNES players did not follow us from Green Bay to Minneapolis.  Discussions revolving around expanding the Genesis experience and dissolving the SNES tournament have been brought to the forefront.

4) I'd see more people in town early enough Friday night at Moxy for a more focused task for Genesis 2v2 experience.

5) I'd like to have the tournament in a similar time frame as last year, but at the very least have it in the first four months of 2021 before youth sports start stealing parents away.

6) I'd like to be able to have the tournament in a climate where things like mask wearing is no longer necessary

There are more granular things that come to mind, but these are big wants.

I already have run a smaller Tecmo event in 2020, and have a larger one(Tecmo) coming up in September.  Some precautions have been taken, but we've ultimately put the risk factor of being around other individuals in the hands of the players.  Some are traveling from afar, and have been in relative isolation.  Howard, WI also has a very low infection rate, as it isn't very densely populated.  Public transportation really isn't a thing there, and most people drink outside in the Summer in public.  No one reported Covid positive from that tournament.

The risk/action factor varies per person.  I'm not here to preach to you the pros or cons of attending a tournament in the midst of our social climate at this time.  I'm asking you what important things need to happen to get you to book a flight, or hop in a car to be around a bunch of community members for a couple of days.  To be clear, these are more in line with Covid or political climate concerns, and less about the tournament format itself.

Examples could be any of the following or something else entirely:

City must be able easy to get to from a flight standpoint

Venue location must not be densely populated or have Covid numbers at x% per day

Venue must require/must not require masks

New daily Covid cases need to be on the decline for x many days/weeks before I'd commit

Venue must be private in nature instead of public

Tournament must be held in (insert date range here)

 

While I doubt I can please everyone, knowing where you concerns remain will help understand what conditions I have to strive towards to continue into our 6th tournament.(I can't believe we've been doing this for that long already).

Thanks for your help in this very unusual process.  Please come with respect in case you see something you don't agree with coming from another poster.  Some of these concerns have been known to start fights, and that's not what we're trying to do here.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions/objections.  It's my job to try and navigate them and act accordingly.

 

Thanks again,

 

Trojan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by Edge of '94 Midwest

[danTML7]

Being from Canada, it's a no from me with the current climate. Can't afford to self isolate after for 2 weeks, and my wife works in a senior care facility. 

Personally, I'm waiting for a vaccine, cure, or other such immunity information before planning other events in the other communities I'm in. I think by February, we'll know more but I wouldn't plan until then.

[corbettkb]

Hello - I absolutely would like to attend an event in Minneapolis however I cant see myself committing anytime soon and/or until there is some change to current affairs.  Plus, considering I have not seen a coworker, friend or family member in person in over 5 months (excluding my wife who now is all 3) my next trip, two or three is to visit those people I have been unable.  At this rate I am hoping to be able to go back to Dallas for Christmas without having to drive it from in NYC.

Edited August 11, 2020 by corbettkb

[jer_33]

We don't even know when the US/Canada will open to cross border travel.

[kingraph]

Pretty much the same as Dan and Corbett's post.

[Edge of '94 Midwest]

I empathize greatly with my friends over on the East Coast who have experienced a lot of isolation and and frustration this year.  I am so grateful that we were able to do what we did, when we did it.  At current, things are much different here in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee.  Time will tell if we can pull off something worth holding.

As most of our player base is a long distance traveling one, knowing where you guys stand is quite important, and I thank you for the frank feedback.  I'll continue to poke my head into here as things develop in the world.

I do appreciate each and every one of you who has been a contributor/participant this year, and in years past.  We will reunite again, eventually.