November 9, 2004: National Games Week

The good folks over at Games Quarterly came up with an excellent idea, a way for the gaming industry to help gamers spread their love of gaming to their friends and family.

NGW™ is a coordinated nationwide promotional campaign to raise awareness of games as positive, social entertainment. The industry and game players will achieve this together, by creating a weeklong series of events that get people's attention- a celebration of games. The staff of Games Quarterly is the coordinators. NGW even has its own official U.S. postage stamp!

National Games Week is now established as the fourth week of November every year. This year that makes it November 21-27, a Sunday through Saturday, when families and friends are coming together. It is a perfect time to play games.

NGW™ events will take place, for this inaugural year, in an expected 15,000 homes, schools, churches, colleges, community centers and retail stores. Game Retailers will run events, but otherwise events will be run when people such as you decide to take up the challenge. You have a keen interest in games and therefore are our best ambassador- we hope you will decide to Host a Games Day during National Games Week, invite friends and family, gamer and non-gamer alike. The more people that hear the message the more new game players there will be.

Make your own event wherever you like- your home, school, church, or community center, and invite lots of people. Or, contact your local game retailer to find out what events they are going to run- they might even want your help with their events.

You are going to be provided with the tools to make a fun, successful event- posters, invitation cards, official stamps, and information for teachers, even games. The NGW™ web site is www.nationalgamesweek.net. On this site you can get lots of information. Then, should you decide to become a member of National Games Week (there is no fee), you can log in to the secure part of the web site and find all sorts of resources that you can order. Some are free, some have a shipping and handling charge, while others have a minimal cost. Stock up on all the supplies you need, including promotional packages of products from the publishers themselves.

During your Games Day be sure to have both your favorite games and some games suitable for newcomers. Be prepared to teach the games to them so they can start enjoying games right away.

For Educators
On the NGW™ web site there is lots of information plus some special resources for your Games Day at school. Also, in each issue of Games Quarterly Magazine there is a good article on teaching games- you can download previous articles on the NGW™ web site. You can also get a How To Host a Games Day kit at no cost, by ordering it on the web site.

The legal fine print:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: ngw@gamesquarterly.net

National Games Week is coordinated by:
Matthews Simmons Marketing
80 Garden Center, Suite 16, Broomfield, CO 80020 USA
Phone 303-469-3277 Fax 303-468-6174
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Games Quarterly Catalog, Games Quarterly Magazine, GQC, GQM, National Games Week, National Games Day, Games Day and NGW are trademarks owned by Matthews Simmons Marketing. All Rights Reserved.