NDK 2021 and the Gaylord
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Believe it or not, NDK 2021 is happening in less then a month! The premier Rocky Mountain anime convention will be September 3rd to 5th and will be the first anime convention in in the Denver Metro area since the pandemic started over a year ago. The event will also be held for the first time at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. Given the move to the new location there were many questions that we had. Fortunately with the help of NDK Press Coordinator were able to get our questions answered by Amanda Liebermann, Executive Director of NDK and CFO of the RMAA.
The Gameslave (GS): When did NDK start considering a change of venue?
Amanda Liebermann (AL): I started looking for a new venue my first year as Executive Director, 2005. We had just moved into the Marriott DTC, and we all knew we were going to outgrow it soon. Downtown Denver was never our first choice, so we always had an eye on venues that weren't in that area.
GS: When did NDK start negotiations with the Gaylord?
AL: I started looking at this development area about 12 years ago because of an article in the Denver Post. It was a brief news blurb that mentioned a proposed development that included a convention hotel near the airport. The area was initially billed as the "High Point" development. I clipped a photo out of the newspaper immediately, and started investigating the development in earnest. Gaylord signed on shortly afterwards, and I spent the next 10 years working through Aurora City Council, Marriot International and VisitAurora.gov to get a meeting and contract with Gaylord Sales.
GS: How will the total area of convention space at the Gaylord compare to what NDK has used at the Sheraton?
AL: I cannot overstate this- the Gaylord is massive. You really cannot believe it until you are inside the space itself. We are increasing our convention's space by over 100,000 sq feet. All of our panel rooms, Exhibitors' hall, and Artist Alley are effectively doubling in size.
GS: How will this move affect the average attendee?
AL: The Gaylord Rockies is an incredible venue, and we are so proud to call this place home! This new venue is immense, state of the art, and simply beautiful to be in. It was created by the same crew that did the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. With the huge increase in space, NDK is able to spread out and try some new things. For example, we are now able to offer things to our attendees that we never have before, such as an Itasha Car Show and Cosplay Photoshoot space inside the beautiful Grand Lodge, among many other things. In addition to the new offerings, we are also excited to expand our Video Gaming Room and tabletop Gaming Dojo to 3x their previous size.
GS: The Gaylord is a resort hotel with some expectation of higher costs. Also, the hotel is relatively isolated with limited dining options. How is NDK working to control cost for attendees?
AL: For starters, the hotel price is significantly less expensive per night. The Sheraton Downtown was $230/night. The Gaylord is $181/night, this includes the resort fee that grants all hotel room holders access to the Gaylord Waterpark and the awesome lazy river.
We are completely aware that the hotel has some upscale restaurants that won't fit into everyone's budget. That is why we are planning on bringing in a fleet of Food Trucks throughout the convention weekend for budget friendly food options. We want to make sure our attendees have many options throughout the convention weekend.
The parking at Gaylord is definitely more expensive per day than some of the previous downtown Denver options, but there are always ride share options, the A Line train, and there's also Spot Hero. We definitely encourage our attendees and staff to carpool whenever possible.
GS: Will registration fees remain the same?
AL: They have increased slightly. We hadn't raised our registration fees since 2010, so with this move, we increased them by about 10-15% across the board. But we still offer the early bird registration option for next year that is equal to the old registration prices; people just have to register within the given time frame.
GS: For attendees not staying at the hotel, has the convention negotiated daily parking rates and/or shuttle service from the 61st and Pena RTD station?
AL: Unfortunately no. NDK is a nonprofit with a modest budget and cannot take on the liability or cost of a shuttle service at this time.
Editors Note: I did call the hotel and asked about transit to and from the 61st and Pena RTD A Line station. There is a shuttle leaving the Park and Ride every 30 minutes on the 15 and 45 of each hour.
GS: How long does NDK anticipate to be at the Gaylord?
AL: We are contracted at Gaylord for the next 6 years and anticipate booking more after this year.
And there you have it. If you do decide to stay at the hotel this year information can be found here. Here is to a good convention this year and to many years to come.