I was asked to write an article describing why I choose to be an
Event Holder. I knew early on in my Realms career that EHing was, eventually,
something I wanted to do. I had (and still have) a lot of respect for EHs;
these are people who dedicate a tremendous amount of time and energy to
creating the venues that enable our game, and our community, to exist. I wanted
to be a part of that. When I decided to take the plunge, it was because it
seemed like the next logical step in my Realms career. I had already been on
staff for, or involved in the planning process of, multiple events. I had
NPCed even more events than that. But I wanted to take everything I had learned
and challenge myself to actually throw an event.
I tested the waters by throwing a tournament as my first event.
It went smoothly overall, and I learned numerous lessons that would serve
me well for throwing future tournaments. Fortunately, I also had an excellent
support system to lean on for help. As nerve wracking as the prospect of being
a first-time EH was, I can’t imagine what the experience would have been like
without the assistance of some veteran EHs. Having a solid team is essential to
throwing a successful event.
While I liked throwing a tournament, I don’t think I fully appreciated
the event-holding experience until I was an EH for a weekend-long questing
event. Talk about pre-event jitters; I’ve never been as terrified as when PCs
started showing up on that first Friday night. The idea for the event was a
result of one of those “wouldn’t it be fun to…?” conversations that you never really
believe will come to fruition. The fact that it did is still a point of pride
for me. It also represents one of my favorite aspects of event-holding: taking
an idea and making it reality.
I truly do enjoy all facets of the event planning process:
from the initial ideas and brainstorming, to designing encounters, to
creating props and costumes, to that last-minute prepping in the wee
hours of the morning the night before the event. But the real enjoyment starts
with that exhilarating moment when the event goes live. Watching all those
hours of plotting and planning unfold, often in different and better ways than
I could have anticipated, is beyond satisfying. Seeing players grab onto
and get invested in your plot is especially thrilling, even when they do they
unexpected. Creating memorable moments for players is another wonderful aspect
of event-holding. While the logistical process of executing an event
successfully is rewarding in and of itself, receiving positive feedback from
players provides validation that all the effort was also worth something to the
community. If I can enrich even one player’s Realms experience, then I feel
like I’ve done something good.
When I’m knee-deep in event prep (literally, wading through props
in my living room) it can be easy to forget that I choose to be an EH. I
sometimes question what I was thinking, getting myself into such a massive
undertaking. The weeks leading up to an event especially feel like having a
second full-time job. But it always ends up being worth the effort. The added
stress, the late nights, the fleeting moments of doubt—none of these things
compare to the immense gratification of seeing my ideas, my plans, and my
passion fully realized, and feeling that I have made a positive impact on the
Realms community.