At every convention, there seems to be a group of people who can manage to spoil what is otherwise a really pleasant game experience.  I doubt that any of them do this intentionally.  (If they do, we should make it a point of returning the favor.)  Here’s how to recognize them.

1. The Social Networker
   A Social Networker is easy to spot.  The Social Networker will start taking cell phone calls, text messages, and drive-by visits before the GM has finished explaining the rules.  They’ll interrupt the game every few minutes to take a call from the kids, text their buddy, or discuss where they’re going for drinks later that night.  They’re often the one who makes a one-hour game run 90 minutes.
2. The Skunk
   You don’t have to spot The Skunk.  You’ll smell them long before that.  This person clearly doesn’t believe in daily showering, deodorant, or general hygiene.  Fortunately, these are relatively rare.  Unfortunately, they’re not extinct. 
3. The Daydreamer
   The Daydreamer’s mind isn’t on the game you’re playing.  You can spot a Daydreamer by listening for phrases like "Oh, it’s my turn?" or "Wait, I’m the red one, not the blue one."  The Daydreamer is the one who’ll move your pieces around and not realize it until the next turn.  They can be frustrating, but are usually harmless.  (If I’ve had a rough night, I’m likely to be this guy…)
4. The Enforcer
   The Enforcer listens intently while the rules are explained, and tries to read the rulebook quickly before the game starts.  If anyone, including the GM, forgets or tries to modify the rules, The Enforcer will step in.  The offending party will have to give in to The Enforcer’s demands or enlist the group to beat down The Enforcer’s will.
5. The Expert
   The Expert signs up for an "introduction" game with months or years of experience playing the title.  As the game progresses, The Expert will regale you with stories of how different strategies allowed them to win in the past.  The Expert will use superior knowledge of the game to crush the players who are just trying to figure it out.  When the game is over, The Expert will often become the next kind of player… The Sore Winner.
6. The Sore Winner
   The Sore Winner enjoys gloating after a victory.  They will tell the others around the board all the boneheaded moves they made that cost them the game.  They’ll explain how their strategy was destined to win, and yours could only lose.  They may even do a happy dance or pump their fist in the air.  Generally, they’re only a nuisance at the end of the game.
7. The Sieve
   The Sieve has probably never mastered a game more complex than checkers, yet they will sit down to play Warhammer 40K or Axis and Allies.  The GM will constantly be explaining the rules to them, offering strategic advice, and practically playing the game for them.  If they manage to win the game, you’ll walk away feeling cheated.
8. The Infector
   The Infector isn’t feeling well.  Their nose is running.  They’re sneezing.  They look like they haven’t slept for days.  Worse, they sneeze into their hand – then move the pieces on the game board around with the same hand.  Even if you walk away from the table without picking up the bug they’re carrying, you’re still likely to feel a bit queasy.
9. The Comparator
   The Comparator has played a lot of other games like this one.  If another game has a nicer board, better playing pieces, a cooler box, better rulebook, neater way of handling something, or a different anything, The Comparator will tell you all about it… in detail.  Repeatedly.
10. The Sore Loser
    Just as The Sore Winner makes it a point to explain how inferior your strategy and playing style are, the The Sore Lose blames you for his defeat.  The Sore Loser lost because the dice rolled better for you, or you cheated during a critical part of the game, or your poorly executed strategy ruined their ability to execute their perfect one.  The Sore Loser feels destined to win the game and cheated when they lose.

Know any other gamer types?  Post a comment. 

Having attended many game conventions and played many more games at them, I’ve realized that one of the most frustrating aspects of the larger conventions like Origins and Gen Con is being able to actually FIND the game I’ve signed up for.  I don’t think I’ve walked away from a convention in the last 5 years without a ticket to a game I couldn’t locate.  That always leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and a determination never to sign up for another event run by the same person or group.  I’m going to assume that this isn’t what GMs want.

With several years of convention experience under my belt, I present the following suggestions for helping players easily find your game events at a convention:

1. Make your game mastering group visible, if you have one.
   Rogue Judges and Red Shirt Games are two groups that do this right.  When you step into the board game area, there is no mistaking where these two groups are.  Rogue Judges has a huge banner in their area (see image below).  Red Shirt has a large red shirt-shaped sign.  If you have a game with them, it would be hard to miss where it is.  I’ve had trouble finding games when the ticket says "Exhibit Hall A.  John Doe Gaming" on it.  If John Doe doesn’t have a sign up, or it’s not very visible, I’ll never find him.  And next year I won’t be signing up for any of his games because I wasted money on a ticket to one this year.

   
   It’s not hard to find a Rogue Judges game!

2. Make the game table easy to find.
   Gen Con Indy 2011 had a great system for this.  In the board game room, each table had a brightly colored plastic tablecloth on it with a number affixed to it.  When you picked up an event ticket, it said "Red Table #12".  Stepping into the room, you could identify the tables with a red tablecloth and head toward them.  The numbers made it easy to find the specific table.  I can’t tell you how many games I’ve missed at conventions because I couldn’t find the table (since the ticket only said something like "Exhibit Hall E"). 

   
   Colored tablecloths and numbered tables make locating a game easier!

3. If you’re running multiple events, post your schedule prominently.
   This is another area where Rogue Judges does an excellent job.  In their area, they post images of the game box, the game title, and a list of times they’re running that game.  If you have a really good experience at one of their games, you’re able to quickly find other games they’re running.  It’s extra work to set this up, but could result in your games being more well attended.

   
   Rogue Judges’ event schedule is easy to find

4. Have table signage in place, even when you’re not running a game.
   Even though I run this web site and keep up to date on games that are being released, I still don’t recognize every game out there.  I may walk by a game in progress that looks interesting.  If there is a box visible, or a sign which shows the name of the game, I’ll be able to find and sign up for a future session.  The image below shows a table where three different events are run, with a sign describing each event and the planned schedule. 

   
   Signage makes it easy to see what is played on this table, and when.

5. If you’re relocated, make it easy for players to find the new location.
   Convention organizers sometimes need to relocate games at the last minute.  Unfortunately, they don’t often do a good job communicating this to the players.  If your game was originally scheduled to take place in one location but has been moved to another, it’s a good idea to post a sign in a prominent place that lets players know where to find you.  To the extent that convention rules permit, placing a sign at the entrance to a game area you were supposed to be in can be a big help.

None of this is exactly rocket science, but it’s disappointing how many times a game is difficult or impossible to find.  A few simple changes would have made the location process much easier.

If you have additional recommendations, please share them in the comments.