Need help setting up a LAN event

[the9thdude]

So I'm looking to organize a large-r LAN party to raise money for Child's Play and my end goal is to get about 40-50 people at one event center. My problem is that I've never handled the logistics for anything to this scale before and if anyone has done so in the past, what are your pointers and recommendations?

 

If I can kick this off and be successful, I'd like to keep ramping it up and get bigger over time. Thanks in advance for the help!

[msremmert]

Have you organised any LAN events in the past? I personally haven't organised one into the double digits for about 10 years now but off the top of my head, have you got the following bases covered?

 

Electrical requirements? If 50 people with decent PCs turned up, the electrical requirements will probably require thought.

Assuming it were over more than 1 day, sleeping arrangements?

Food?

Tables/Chairs?

Network configuration?

Games to be played?

Dedicated game servers?

File shares or places to download game patches? (Legal or illegal, people are gonna share files...)

Internet connection? Assuming the games are on Steam, is there enough bandwidth to allow 50 people to download any game updates that might catch them or you off guard?

Entrance fees? Fun swag and giveaways? Events that size might net you corporate sponsorship.

[LogicalDrm]

First rule: Don't even try to do it alone. You need a team, prefereably consisting people who have experience of certain areas of setting things up. Like networking guy or two, someone who has set up music gigs or school events with larger electric devices and lights. People who have some experience of crowd control and/or security (in here persons working as security need to have permits, so getting person with permit would be optimal).

 

Is this supposed to be 1-day or 2-3-day even? Are you selling BYOC seats or just day-passes (no perm seat)? I know above covers much of this, and I don't have personal experience of having LAN. Been on few bigger ones, and in general interested about how it happens behind the scenes.

[the9thdude]

9 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

First rule: Don't even try to do it alone. You need a team, prefereably consisting people who have experience of certain areas of setting things up. Like networking guy or two, someone who has set up music gigs or school events with larger electric devices and lights. People who have some experience of crowd control and/or security (in here persons working as security need to have permits, so getting person with permit would be optimal).

 

Is this supposed to be 1-day or 2-3-day even? Are you selling BYOC seats or just day-passes (no perm seat)? I know above covers much of this, and I don't have personal experience of having LAN. Been on few bigger ones, and in general interested about how it happens behind the scenes.

I'd be looking to do a 1-day BYOC LAN event. I never thought about team requirements and I have some basic experience with most everything with the exception of security (likely won't be needed since it would be a closed event to my work.) Definitely good feedback though! Any ideas on how to determine power requirements?

[LogicalDrm]

5 hours ago, the9thdude said:

Any ideas on how to determine power requirements?

The bigger LAN I've been to has 350W limit per person. As average thats normal gaming PC, 1-2 monitors and normal sound system. Since you are going for smaller thing, maybe 300W per person is good start. And its mostly about making sure you don't put too many systems of single breaker and blow something.

[LogicalDrm]

13 hours ago, the9thdude said:

I'd be looking to do a 1-day BYOC LAN event. I never thought about team requirements and I have some basic experience with most everything with the exception of security (likely won't be needed since it would be a closed event to my work.) Definitely good feedback though! Any ideas on how to determine power requirements?

Even if you have it like that, I would recommend having few other guys help out. You will exhaust yourself if you try to manage all yourself. I was supposed to go on small even long time ago, about 20-25ppl. That didn't happen because we couldn't get good deal on place. But there main organizers were 3 guys with 1 more assisting on site. 2 of them were system admins and would have gotten needed networking gear loan from work. Like 25-port switches. Or something like that, it was 10 years ago.

 

So even if you might be doing this at office space, most of points are still valid. You will probably be fine with building itself, but not overloading extension cords will be the thing to look at. Same with setting up places for all. Where is room for tables, can tables hold the weight if people bring frull rigs. Are ventilations enough. Even security while you might know most/all. If this is done weekend time in office space, talk with security company about how alarms might get triggered and is there need for having someone opening doors. Things like crowd control come in if you'd have many people you don't personally know and since you can't be everywhere.

[the9thdude]

7 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Even if you have it like that, I would recommend having few other guys help out. You will exhaust yourself if you try to manage all yourself. I was supposed to go on small even long time ago, about 20-25ppl. That didn't happen because we couldn't get good deal on place. But there main organizers were 3 guys with 1 more assisting on site. 2 of them were system admins and would have gotten needed networking gear loan from work. Like 25-port switches. Or something like that, it was 10 years ago.

 

So even if you might be doing this at office space, most of points are still valid. You will probably be fine with building itself, but not overloading extension cords will be the thing to look at. Same with setting up places for all. Where is room for tables, can tables hold the weight if people bring frull rigs. Are ventilations enough. Even security while you might know most/all. If this is done weekend time in office space, talk with security company about how alarms might get triggered and is there need for having someone opening doors. Things like crowd control come in if you'd have many people you don't personally know and since you can't be everywhere.

I think that answers all my questions! Thanks for the help!