Miniatures vs. Boardgames: Everything you wanted to know (and more) about WBC • Kaarin Engelmann
Compares and contrasts the characteristics of miniatures games and boardgamers. Find out how to have a good time in both worlds and all about the World Boardgaming Championships (WBC), which start Sunday at the Lancaster Host, as HISTORICON concludes. View presentation (pdf; 1.8Mb).

WBC Format Solutions • Don Greenwood & Kaarin Engelmann
This is your opportunity to personally meet with the CD and ACD and share your ideas about how to make WBC better. What tournament formats and tie-breakers work best for you as a GM and player? What is missing that you would like to see? What do you consider confusing about existing formats? View presentation (pdf; 169kb).

GM 101: Two-Player • Vince Meconi, 2000 GM of the Year & WAS GM
Two-player tournaments offer their own challenges to both aspiring and returning GMs. What formats work best for the tournament? How can you fairly distribute byes? What games work well at WBC and which should be left to open gaming? How can you get players involved throughout the year? How do you deal with disruptive players? Attend this seminar for answers. View presentation (pdf; 82kb).

PBeM Tourney Basics • Bruce Monnin, 1998 GM of the Year & MMS PBeM GM
Are you interested in playing some of your favorite games but can’t find a face-to-face opponent? You’ve hoped that someone would pick up the baton and run an e-mail tournament, but nothing has happened? Learning the basics of running and playing in PBeM tournaments will give you the keys to run one and have more fun playing in them. View presentation (pdf; 35kb).

Wargaming the Iraq Wars • Peter F. Panzeri, Jr., president of HMGS East
Author and combat veteran Pete will deliver a two-hour multimedia presentation that includes current information used to train troops deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom. His military career includes teaching assignments as Chief of Military History at the US Army Infantry School, Tactics Chief at the Military Intelligence School.

GM 101: Multi-Player • John Coussis, 2004 GM of the Year & ACS GM
Ever considered being a GM for a multi-player tournament? Wish your event ran more smoothly? Find out how to seat players quickly and get a tournament moving without delay. John will provide tips on what to do when players get unruly, how to fill out event forms and meet other paperwork requirements, and even what to do about tie-breakers. View presentation (pdf; 50kb). Listen wav (172Mb); mp3 (33Mb)

Sit & Knit Alternatives • Tamara Houde, Gamer and Knitter
Are you not quite as enthusiastic about gaming as the crew you accompanied? Or perhaps you are just ready to clear your mind. Bring along your knitting or crocheting or just yourself and enjoy the camaraderie. Tamara will bring extra supplies and patterns for anyone who wants to learn or pick up a new project. Make connections for the rest of the week and coordinate excursions outside the hotel.

Probability & Decision Making • Chris Yaure, Insurance Professional
Learn more about how to make decisions involving uncertainty in board games. Topics will include basic rules of probability; types of random generators; expected value; game theory; fog of war; two-player vs. multi-player games; endgame decisions; law of large numbers; card counting; rules of thumb and simplified calculations. View presentation (pdf; 50kb)

Gaming & Ethics • Joel Tamburo & Kaarin Engelmann
An open discussion on the topic of how the ethical standards we use in our everyday lives project into our gaming lives. For example, how do our everyday ethics affect the “stab” in games like Diplomacy? Is it okay to lie while playing a game? Should we separate our gaming selves from our selves in the outside world?

Point2Point Wargaming Podcast • Jason White & Scott Moll
Jason White and Scott Moll briefly introduce their wargaming podcast and then record a show live with Don Greenwood as guest. If time permits, they will take questions from the audience about gaming, podcasting, their lives, and their love of the WBC. Listen mp3 (from Point2Point).

Essen Game Fair • Tom McCorry, WBC GM
Tom will bring photos and recount his experiences visiting Germany’s Essen Game Fair, the largest gaming convention in the world—150,000 people attend. It‘s a place where consumers and gamers come to play new games and toys. The options vary from family, adult, children and parlour games to strategy, mail, adventure, fantasy and science fiction games. presentation (pdf; 367kb)

Twilight Struggle: Meet the Designer • Jason Matthews, Game Designer
Jason Matthews, co-author of Twilight Struggle, will discuss his new design, 1960: Making of a President. He will also discuss the role of politics in wargames and game design and will also be available to answer your questions on how to get a game design published. This is your opportunity to ask a designer your questions face-to-face. View presentation (pdf; 422kb)

Get Started in Game Publishing • Steve Rawling, ATO Publisher
At a time in your life where you want to do more than just play games, perhaps instead create them? Steve Rawling, publisher of ATO Magazine, offers a seminar on starting up your own game company and how to successfully publish wargames. He will cover everything from treating with designers to finding that perfect die-cutter.

Wits & Wagers Game Show • Dominic Crapuchettes, Game Designer
In this 90-minute trivia event you can win without knowing any trivia by betting on the best answer provided by another team. Seven teams of from 4 to 10 players compete to win prizes. Bring your own team or form one when you get there. No need to learn rules beforehand—just show up and play!

ConsimWorld Wargaming Report • John Kranz, ConsimWorld.com
John Kranz will share insights into the major happenings of board wargaming publishers over the past year, including new products expected. You’ll get the latest scoop on everything that is board wargaming. John also will cover the leading board wargaming web sites and share some important tips to help you maximize today’s online resources. Finally, he will present the Charles S. Roberts Awards.

How to Run a Games Club • Keith Levy, GCoM President
What do you need to start a Games Club? The basic ingredients are at least one person willing to be in charge; at least one place to play; and finally, you need games. Keith founded the Games Club of Maryland (GCOM), which has grown into adjacent states and continues to add locations. He’ll provide ideas and lessons learned for hosting a local gaming club. View presentation (pdf; 50kb)