Registration Numbers
We now stand at 3,542 players preregistered for Grand Prix Richmond. That’s 641 players that registered between noon yesterday and noon today. From 3 p.m. yesterday until 11 p.m. last night, we had a player signing up for the event an average of every minute and fifteen seconds. (To note – it would make sense that registration would tail off as people go to bed for the night, given that this is an East Coast event).
Please – if you haven’t preregistered yet and you want to play in Grand Prix Richmond’s main event, do so now! We have a little less than 20 VIP slots remaining, and expect the (roughly) 1,500 generic slots to sell out before the doors open for Grand Prix Richmond at noon on Friday.
Time Spiral Block and Mirrodin Block Sealed Preregistration
As mentioned yesterday, we are opening both of these events for preregistration at 2 p.m. EST today (Wednesday, March 5). Each event is limited to 32 players. Here are the links to preregister for these events:
Mirrodin Block sealed deck preregistration
Time Spiral Block sealed deck preregistration
Artists and Special Guests
We have a number of special guests attending Grand Prix Richmond!
ALL WEEKEND
Magic Artists Noah Bradley, Cynthia Sheppard and Matt Stewart, plus SCG Commemorative Token artist Kristen Plescow will be set up in the Artist Alley at Grand Prix Richmond! Their hours are to be determined by each artist (individually), but will be available for a large amount of time over the entire weekend.
Friday
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: The All-Star Meet & Greet with Brian Braun-Duin, Evan Erwin, Ari Lax, and Chris VanMeter
Come and get your commemorative Grand Prix Richmond tokens signed, or just come and chat with the players. With regret, William “Huey” Jensen informed us that he will be unable to attend Grand Prix Richmond due to a personal matter.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: The Next Level Deckbuilding Seminar with Patrick “The Innovator” Chapin:
Front Area Seating now increased to 208 chairs! (seating for hundreds more on the rows of tables, and a great view from the VIP lounge as well). Come see Patrick Chapin discuss applying the principles of his best-selling “Next Level Deckbuilding” eBook to the Modern format.
Noon-9pm: Judge Conferences
Open to certified DCI judges only. Come see presentations from some of the most experienced judges in the program! This event will be streamed live on SCGJudge.
Friday (Noon to 8 p.m.) and Saturday (Doors Open to Tournament Start)
Pete Hoefling (president and owner of StarCityGames.com) and I (Ben Bleiweiss) will be personally manning the information booth at the entrance to the hall. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about the event (or praise you have for specific staff members!), please stop by and come chat us up!
Saturday
*NEW ADDITION*
Wizards of the Coast is flying in R&D member Ben Hayes to spellsling and chat about the Modern format with the attendees at Grand Prix Richmond! Ben will be set up all day Saturday with a booth near the Artist Alley. If you want a chance to have your opinions heard face-to-face with a WOTC R&D member, this is your chance to do so!
Area Restaurants and Amenities
Over the past week, we have been calling many, many restaurants that are within walking distance of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, to make them aware of the expected attendance of the Grand Prix. We have asked them to be prepared for thousands of players, and to order food accordingly this week so they do not run out!
There are two food court areas at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The one on the upper level is a full-service cafeteria, and the one on the lower level is a food cart kiosk. I’ve been going to the GRCC for over a decade, and the food is fairly priced (which is not always the case for convention center food!)
In addition, the main two places within quick walking distance of the event site for food are a Subway (one block down Broad Street) and a Starbucks (across the street in the Richmond Marriott Lobby). The Starbucks opens at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, so it will be available before the doors open for the Grand Prix hall each day.
We’ve also contacted the convention center to ask that they make sure vending machines and ATM terminals are kept stocked throughout the weekend. Again, we’ve been working with the GRCC for more than a decade, and we have a lot of faith in their ability to make sure that these amenities are kept available to players for as long as possible on the weekend!
Daylight Saving Time
Just a reminder that Daylight Saving Time happens at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9. This means that at 2 a.m. on Sunday, the clocks jump ahead an hour to 3 a.m.. We will announce this frequently on Friday and Saturday, but please make sure that you adjust your schedule accordingly for Sunday events, so that you do not oversleep/miss events by an hour!
I’ll say this every day before, during, and after this weekend – thank you so much to everyone who is making Grand Prix Richmond such an awesome event! I look forward to meeting 5,000+ of you this weekend (or catching up with old friends), and can’t wait for Friday to arrive!