Chairperson’s Address November 2016

Chairperson’s Address November 2016

From WABA’s perspective, the appointment of a new Committee is the start of the next year of activity so, on behalf of the 2017 Committee, welcome to a new year of WABA.

The Committee has been very active in the couple of months since the AGM, and there are lots of changes on the way. One of the first is this: a short and regular communication from the Chairperson about what’s on the agenda for the Committee and why. I think it is important that our members understand what happens at the Committee level, and also have an opportunity to communicate their thoughts and suggestions, and this is one of the mechanisms intended to do that.

I will not go into deep detail of every new initiative currently being planned, as there are many, but I will highlight some of the principle objectives and goals we have already set for ourselves.

One of the most visible changes will be a completely new domain and website. Developed by Ian and Shay, this will bring a modern and accessible look to our primary web presence and, aside from being a significant improvement visually, seeks to address the large and growing proportion of members and event attendees who find us from places other than BoardGame Geek (BGG), and/or do not actively use it.

In conjunction with this, and for the same reason, members will also shortly start receiving regular newsletters to inform them of current and imminent activities and matters of interest.

If you do watch us on BGG, you will also have seen some new things happening. A first-culling of the collection was aimed at removing a number of games that are poorly rated or remain consistently unplayed at meets, freeing up both storage space recovering some funds. Further, we are implementing a plan to solicit opinion on what our members want us to have in the collection and proactively look into purchasing games rather than relying primarily on donations.

You will also have seen, and will continue to see, greater consideration for actually being a member of the Association. One of the most common questions at renewal time is “What do I get for being a member?” and, whilst guaranteed entry to the second round of the door prize and the boon of free entry to D-Con are not inconsiderable benefits, the Committee believe that there are a number of things we can do to acknowledge those who support WABA by being a member, without significantly penalising those who do not wish to but still want to come along and play some board games.

And then there’s D-Con: the largest WABA event of the year, this year with the entire venue booked. Again, our expanding membership and attendance base has been recognised by significantly expanding the prize pool to appeal to a wider player base and still leave plenty of excellent options for those who win prizes later in the event or in the lottery draw.

And, there’s going to be a big announcement about something we’re doing next year… but I’ll leave you anticipating that.

Please take the time to check out the new website, and I encourage you all to pass along your suggestions, comments, queries and thoughts on that or any other matter to me or the rest of the Committee.

Until next time, happy gaming. Hope to see you at D-Con.

Andrew