Origins 2011 – Part 2

Note: Since this report comes several months after Origins, I've updated the game information to be as current as possible. As mentioned in Part 1, the dates for Origins are changing in 2012; check the end of this article for details. (Editor's note: My apologies to Mary for not posting this report weeks ago when she submitted it. Holidays! —WEM)

Exhibit Hall

In the exhibit hall, which sold out for the second year in a row, a section was reserved for the Library, which allowed Origins' guest authors a place to interact with attendees: selling books, signing autographs, and socializing. Another space (at the top of the stairs in the Seminar Hall) was reserved as a reading room, with authors such as Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, Aaron Allston, Walter Hunt, and Jean Rabe conducting readings from about 6-9 p.m.

Mayfair custom hotel key card

Mayfair Games

Mayfair really expanded its presence at Origins, with custom hotel key cards for some nearby hotels as well as custom street signs in the Exhibit hall. (You can see one in the photo below in the upper-left, but the light caught one face, so it is pretty blown out.)

Some of the beautiful custom tables for Catan games