Community Event Interview with MalibuBarbie and Pink Day in LA | GuildWarsGuru

[Inde]

Today we have a special treat as we have noticed all the great Community Events that are happening for the month of October for the Guild Wars fans, done by the Guild Wars Fans! So we decided to snag one of them for an interview and find out all the in and outs of hosting large events for the players. With that we'd like to introduce MalibuBarbie who is doing a particularly special event called Pink Day in LA. Pink Day in LA will take place on October 16th, from 12-6pm MST (GMT -6) in the International Districts. They have an extensive prize list this year so please donate and take the time to attend this charity event. For full links and information see the Pink Day in LA news posting in our forum for complete details.


Q: Why did you start hosting player events?

Okay well first off, the general good feeling that you get of being able to give out items to people and get them more directly involved in the Guild Wars community is amazing. I always tell people that the best situation was a kid who had recently started to play Guild Wars and I hooked him up with max damage weapons and he has now turned around and can be seen helping out at events and with other players.

The other half of my answer to that is...why not? It's kind of that "Pay It Forward" idea. As a high school teacher, I want to be able to create a positive aspect to gaming. We all know that video games in general are not always seen as positive spaces for kids.

Did I mention that its fun? Because I will tell you, being able to play music and give away stuff in game is the most fun in the world!


Q: How has the community interaction changed over the years in your events?

To be honest, every time I host an event, it gets bigger and better. Now this is not because I am some super master mind of planning, but simply because this community is amazing and steps up to the plate even more during each event. It's the players of the game that make the events turn out. You can do all the planning you want, but if the players don't have a positive attitude towards it, it will be a flop. I love to hear feedback as well from the community and this allows for us to try different games and what not.


Q: What kind of support do you look for from the Guild Wars community?

We always state at our events that people showing up and having fun is what we are looking for. We just want to have a place where guilds, alliances and players can come together and celebrate significant events (i.e. guild anniversaries, festivals, Guild Wars lore etc...) Of course we always get huge support from everyone through donations... but the overall involvement, whether its dressing up for a costume contest or participating in a conga line, that is where the true support comes from!


Q: Can you walk us through the process and timeline of setting up an event?

It depends on the event really. There are a few different types of events that we can support.

1) A Guild/Alliance Event.

We basically just show support here and provide our radio services and an advertisement to the guild and/or alliance. Our motto is "it doesn't hurt to have a few extra people to party with, now does it?" We can help the guild/alliance organizers by providing them with ideas of games, prizes or themes. We can also support the event with prizes as well to encourage people to come out and have fun.

2) Our Regular Guild Wars Themed Events.

For example, our Canthan New Year's Party "Eye Of The Tiger". I discussed the idea with several people months before and started the ball rolling with collecting the items to "sponsor" a district by having the ingredients for all of the dishes. We then spread the word out there that we are planning on doing this and see if any guilds/alliances are interested in helping out. Essentially casting out the line to the community to allow them to participate in a volunteer way. We have never had problems finding volunteers and I think that is the best part. We then had a meeting where we gathered together representatives from the Guilds and proceeded to plan out what we intended to carry out in each district. From there, ideas are put on the table and we sort out which ones we like and which ones to roll with. Like a big planning board, but via Ventrilo. (haha)

Naturally, we have a few extra meetings to make sure everyone is okay and because I am a stern planner, I really prepare for anything (i.e. your internet connection may go at any time. ) I make sure guilds/alliances and my team have people as a backup just in case they can't be around that day to help out (because real life situations come first and I am very firm on this, I don't want people ditching out on family reunions and weddings to make sure they are helping at my events).

3) Charity Driven Events.

These are very much organized like our Guild Wars themed events, but need a little more ground work. For example, the Toga Party for Multiple Sclerosis. You need to give yourself at least a few months time to get everyone on board and on the same page as you. I contacted the MS Society at least 2-3 months prior to the event to allow for them to support us. We were able to then set up a page for donations to go directly to the charity so that there is no questions as to where the funds are going.

The event itself is organized the same as Canthan New Year. We figure out how many people we need for volunteers, we post at various locations what help we need and my team each takes on a role. Whether its gathering prizes, Djing, holding the prizes that day or hosting an in-district game.

Just a special note here to all guilds/alliances planning on hosting an event, please allow yourself a month to organize. Make sure that you are not pressuring your guild members into doing something like this and make it more on their own terms. It's supposed to be fun and that includes the organizers.


Q: Do you have any tips for players that may be interested in starting up their own events?

The biggest tip I can ever give you is make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and that you are not doing all the work by yourself. Hosting an event in-game is a HUGE task. Make sure to accept help from others in the game, even if its "your idea". The people in this community are awesome support for any in-game event and genuinely have the Guild Wars community's best interests close to their heart.


Q: Can you tell us what, for you, is the most rewarding part when coordinating and hosting these events?

The feedback and the stories. I recently had a young woman approach me and share her story of how her mother had passed away from breast cancer and now her sister and herself are both struggling with cancer as well. She told me that what I am doing in Guild Wars, gives her strength everyday to keep up the battle. That to me, is the biggest reward I could ever receive from anything I do.


Q: Is there anyone you'd like to thank for helping you pull this event together?

Well there is a huge list of people that have donated and offered support over the past few months, so if I miss anyone important here please refer to that list! First and foremost, I want to thank Judge Ra for his support while I have been planning and coordinating. I am not going to lie, planning an event can be stressful and without support from your closest friends and family I would definitely had a rough time. Second, to Master Saji and his family for allowing me to take on Pink Day in LA this year and push farther than before. Third, my staff and friends at the Gaming World Entertainment Network and the staff of guildmag.com. If I needed anything done for the event, these people not only did it... but took it one step further. Amazing. Finally, the Guild Wars community. I will tell you that when I had the volunteer initial meeting for Pink Day in LA, I expected maybe 15 people at the most on my vent. When I found out that my vent was maxed out and people were waiting to get into the meeting... WOW! Honestly that is all I can say.


Q: Finally, tell us about your event.

Pink Day in LA is a fund-raising initiative through Gamers Giving Back, (a charity organization founded to give gamers a place to help out the global community) that will allow the players of Guild Wars and their families to stand together, wearing pink, for 6 hours in support of breast cancer research. While we are in Lion's Arch that day, we will not only be wearing pink, but various quiz questions will help people look up facts about cancer and we will be sharing stories about cancer survivors and remembering those who people have lost. I want people to realize the positive role that on-line video gamers can show our society, that we are not just gaming all day. We are like a huge supportive family to each other and an event like this outlines just that. People will be encouraged that day to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, but if you are unable to do that, simply coming out and supporting the event by wearing pink is more than we can all ask!

On a final note, I just want everyone to know that even though I headed up the organization of this event, I by no means take credit for the fantastic things that have already emerged from the event. The Guild Wars community should take a step back and wear a smile with pride about how supportive we all are to each other! With that, I want to again thank every single one of you for your support.

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Thank you so much MalibuBarbie and the rest of the volunteers for your hard work and dedication.

[Hells Fury]

We hope to see you come out and support the event and worthy cause! We will be providing Dyes for everyone to be Pink in Colour!

What was the dye combo for pink?

[AngelWJedi]

Originally Posted by Hell Darkblight

We hope to see you come out and support the event and worthy cause! We will be providing Dyes for everyone to be Pink in Colour!

What was the dye combo for pink?

i believe its red/white and red/silver. and i cant wait for this day to come! my mom is a cancer survivor and its nice to see others suppost cancer events.

[Pinkest One]

Be there,everyday is pink day for me

<-Red+Purple