there are so few circumstances in where I'm likely to cheer for this. most of them on this timeline.

Oh, I 100% was addressing the experience of folks in the US/Canada currently. In other places, there are other "safety nets" - ones that aren't invisible, like formal support for "the arts", universal healthcare, etc.

for any of our conventions, if a membership and a place to sleep are someone's biggest barriers, connect us. I can almost always help.

but even if we didn't have that support, I can almost always trade a membership for help actually pulling this improbable thing together - helping set up the tech, making sure panel recordings are happening properly, etc.

METATOPIA, in particular, has a silent donor who covers a small handful of memberships for designers who wouldn't otherwise be able to attend, in addition to the IGDN sponsorships.

please reach out to me next year. I'll find a spot for you.

Though.I might challenge the original framing. I don't know many people any more who work any job full-time that is their only gig, and not rely on other folks to make ends meet - financially or practically. Everyone is a dual (or more) income household, whether or not they're in a creative field.

I spend SO MUCH TIME telling new people trying to hop into games publishing that they aren't going to support themselves (much less multiple people) quickly, if ever. Even with crowd-funding, without being setup to run a business makes it a shaky proposition at best.

and the right degree of exactly tacky enough. 🥰

I run METATOPIA. It's too late to put playtests on the schedule, but if you're available to come up this weekend, I can give you a badge and a place to stay. email me (avonelle at dexposure dot com) if you want to discuss.