Not a lot of other lan parties have the equipment you have. How did you get your soda machine?
The vending machine worked out when we had that contact with the vending company from one of the 200 man lan # 4, which was the first LAN at the Everett Event Center. I asked them if it was possible we could get their vending machine to utilize on a monthly basis at the Everett Inn where we were holding our 60 man LANs. So each month they would load up their trucks and load up the vending machines full of pop for us to use. The first couple of times was a disaster: we had them fully loaded with soda and would pay the company 26 cents a can, which you could probably get less than that at Costco. They would fill it up completely, and we would offer free drinks for our gamers: just hit a button and the pop would fall out (Cost of soda wrapped up into the price of the LAN). Well after the lan party would be over, they would take a few days to retrieve their machine. In the meantime, other hotel staff and guests figured out that they could get free soda, and the machines were completely wiped out. We were supposed to pay for the soda that we used but were in turn getting charged for the whole thing. We decided at one point that we would go back to doing garage lans so we didn’t have to worry about breaking even on the proper head count to pay for the hotel and I requested one of those vending machines and have that permanently brought into the garage. As long as I keep buying soda and product through them, and they agreed, so we got a $6,000 vending machine and we continue using it. We even have BAWLS inside there… BAWLS even sent me a 7 foot tall BAWLS sticker to apply to the vending machine.
Any advice you’d like to give to anyone trying to start a LAN party?
We got larger as we went along. We really didn’t have a game plan. What I would do if I could do it again is to sketch out some sort of short-term goal, and a medium to long-term goal of where you want to see the LAN party go. Make a definite mission statement of what the LAN party is going to do: is it going to be for the community, for profit, or is it just going to be for entertainment on an individual level, and if there is a partnership, to get that in writing; who’s responsible for what, etc. Get all that defined that would probably help out in the long run. A plan-of-attack would also entail if the partnership would dissolve, buying the other one out or what have you… Look into getting a business license and how to report income, how to report loss. I would bet that most of these lan party groups that start up first start out just to have fun and just to do it and then start realizing the legalities and liabilities of doing it. Get a lawyer to write up a waiver form to release liability from the LAN party and what can happen to their cars, their equipment, possible accidents or what have you.
Now we move on to 10 questions by the great talk show host Bernard Pivot, made popular in America by James Lipton, the host of “Inside the Actor’s Studio”.
So we’ll start with the first question… Jason, what is your favorite word?
Favorite word? Outstanding!
What is your least favorite word?
First thing that comes to my mind is “fail”.
What turns you on?
Being excited and seeing that carry over to somebody else and see that same excitement in them.
What turns you off?
Boredom… nothing to do.
What is your favorite curse word?
Now, my favorite curse word is “frak”. Ha ha ha ha! It seems so dirty. There’s a series called “Battlestar Galactica”, and all the way back in 1978 when they had their show they couldn’t use the word “eff, you, cee, kay” so they converted to Frak so they use it in exactly the same context. They use it in the new series, as well… they’ll even say “mother-frakker”. They even say “Frak this” or “Frak you”. Frak!
What sound or noise do you love?
Hmmm… I have no idea… Rainfall.
What sound or noise do you hate?
The sound that comes from my alarm in the morning.
What occupation other than you own would you like to attempt?
Hmmm… This just sounds dumb, but like a P.I. or doing spy-work type stuff.
What occupation other than your own would you NOT like to do?
I wouldn’t like to do any kind of customer service by telephone.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Outstanding!
Jason Harper is an owner of LanParty NW, which holds regular monthly LANs and large 400-man events.
