I’ve heard that some of the display fighting groups (Knights Draconis in particular, I think) used to appear in the end of year parades around Auckland.
Has nzLARPS considered getting dressed in our best and getting seen by the public in such a manner?
You mean christmas parades?
Yes.
I’ve been in one since I’ve been in AS&SS
Larp is an interactive medium. I can’t help feeling that attempts at public relations that don’t demonstrate that interactivity won’t achieve much. Take away the interaction and all you’ve got is people in funny costumes. Or in everyday clothes, in the case of modern larps.
Cosplay, by comparison, is something that would work really well in parades. Because it’s not about interaction, it’s about the costumes. It’s purely visual.
I think that efforts that display the interactivity, like the Robin Hood at the Joust idea or Grand Battle, will do much more to achieve public awareness and good will without requiring people to go too far out of their way to see it. With more marketing effort, something like that colonial NZ public larp I suggested a while back, or say a big public fairy carnival/faire larp for families for larp/interactive aspects, might work.
Leaving aside actually getting people to play in larp-like events, the other public relations effort that I think would work is getting continuing positive media coverage of larp events, especially events that have socially constructive content. Arty, educational, experimental and politically aware content. Stuff that doesn’t look geeky (like fantasy) or creepy (like vampire) with the negative stigma that accompany those genres. I’m not saying that there’s something wrong with those genres or that we shouldn’t play them (I like fantasy), but in the soundbite world of the media it pays to put your best foot forward. Pirates fits the bill. Nibelungen might. Can’t think of much else being run at the moment that does.
what the Kd and AS&SS do in these parades is basically provide colour and noise, as well as something different to the clowns (:x 
I hate clowns) and normal parade sights.
I really doubt that NZlarps would fit in, there is minimal crowd interaction, and near zero time to explain what you are about as you have to keep moving, and trust me pipe bands get really shirty if you hold them up.
But i tell you what, if some representatives from NZlarps were to come and help the KD out with a parade, provide colour with some good costuming and such like, I have no problem with you advertising NZlarps.
In fact if NZlarps want to come to one of our shows and promote NZlarps they are more than welcome, more so if you lend a hand.
A clown larp…I think its do-able…or at least a circus larp…
Ghost Busters might be another larp that would be easier to get good publicity from.
well yeah if you had a vehicle that was done up like the ghostbusters van and a few people in ghostbuster outfits you could easily take part in a parade.
I don’t think Ryan means necessarily at a parade - I think he’s right, a Ghostbusters larp would just be good for publicity.
PM me if you want to co-organise.
With all due respect guys we need to get out there and raise our public proflie. We need to get to events (especially free ones) and get ourselves noticed.
We need more members.
Lets get people talking about us. Getting out and in front of people at least gives them a reference point.
relying on TV coverage to drum up numbers isn’t going to do it. Not unless we have a direct advertising campain.
I’m not saying after one parade the folks are going to be lining up, but at the moment we don’t seem to be doing a great deal in publicity.
We are still in the realm of a (very) small pass-time. Getting out there and raising the profile in any way helps.
I agree, but I think that there’s a limited amount of time and energy to go round, and the more it’s directed at stuff that will have results the better.
I just don’t think parades are that great a use of marketing effort for larp. At least, not until people have some sort of context for what you’re doing beyond dressing up.
But if being in parades sounds fun to you then don’t let me grinch you out of a good time.
here’s 1 idea, a bunch of people could dress up in costume, go into town during some event and start sword fighting there, the will get a load of attention, and even more if people from the public get to join in, i did that at parachute last weekend and without realising it there was a small crowd gathered round. After that all that needs doing is to have peopole habd out advertising material, and that should hopefully bring a load of people into the larping comunity.
One of the best times to do such a thing is at armageddon (while there is a line outside waiting to get in). Also St. paddy’s day is comming up soon so that’ll be another good time.