I would have really liked to go the the Blondebash this weekend but had to go to the quarterly conference at sf group this weekend. Blondepoker is going from strength to strength with the addition of there poker software. I downloaded it and it looks excellent. Hopefully people will play through their skin on tribecca and the BP crew will start to get there rewards for the investment they have put into the site over the last couple of years. Hoefully, BP will be able to hold some live tournamants at DTD when we get the club open.
I'm still struggling with our logo, and at £100 per hour for a designer, I've been racking up the costs. Logos are such a personal thing, but I'm trying to get something that works well on the web site, poker clothig, chips, cards, tables, uniforms and signage, and just can't seem to get it 100%. I'm missing deadlines by delaying this, but logos have always been a problem for me.
I am submitting the floor plans to the lessor, liqor licencing and the gaming board next week. I lot of chopping and changing has gone on here and we have gone for the most elaborate and therefore most expensive design. this gives us 25,000 sq ft of space and allows us for 66 tables in total, each with plently of room. Some of the key points of the final design are listed below:
Ground Floor
Reception
Bar / Restaurant with 50 internet terminals built into the furniture (vegas style)
Tournament area - 41 tables + raised final table and 3 valet stations
Cash Room - 12 tables
High Limit Room - 3 tables
1st Floor
Corporate Area with TV studio, bar and 10 tables
VIP Nightclub
Viewing Gallery over downstairs tournamant area
Its hard to visualise, but it looks amazing. If we can produce a place like this that my friends, collegues and customers can use, I'd be so proud. We have a few hurdles to get over, planning consent and the work needed to 1st floor, as the site is built on a methane plant! This means that we must drill down 10m throught the existing floor and put in extra steel supports and concrete filling. Its an awful lot of hassle and we could go for a simpler design, but we gonna be stuck with it for at least 15 years, so might as well do it right. Again, this causes the costs to spiral further oustide of the original budget, but it will be worth it from my point of view, even if its not really good commerical business sense.
Pete begins work on our online site in April. Rather than go through a cage, we have done a deal direct with the software and banking facility. The contract is with my solicitors but I've signed a "letter of intent" so hits 99% gonna go through.
I am conscious that BP have set up their own site and wish them every success in this, so I will not be marketing our online site through the BP forum, this would not be right. Also, marketing our live club through BP would be indirectly marketing our online site, so I need to be careful here aswell. Last thing I want to do is upset anyone at BP. Consequently, I think the generous "free marketing" that BP have given me should probably come to an end as well. DC and TK have always refused to take anything from me which is much appreciated. I probably should speak to them to see what they want me to do about this diary etc
