Hello,
Funny, doesn't take much to make some people envious and bitter. $10,000 is really not that much for a large business/event or group of businesses to put up, and if you factor into the equation that it is a large show with many retailers that want to sell their product... The more people are attracted to a show the more retailers are attracted, and the more retailers are attracted the more people come out to spend. Personally I figure its an attempt at rolling a snowball down a hill, not just for next years show but if it goes as planned for many years to come. (who will bother putting much effort into a GW competition for a statue and a photo when you can put effort into something with the possibility of much greater return. And we all know that even the golden daemons in europe get some amazing entries for a $200 sword with people traveling to the UK, France, Spain ect. from all over Europe, Russia and just about anywhere.)
I think its great that painters will actually want to drive across the country or fly in from abroad (as happens even with just a statue prize) People that normally would not bother because the prize is just window dressing and don't need a statue to know they are good at what they do.
Well just my thoughts, I personally know I have no chance but there are people out there with mad skills that will be very tempted to buy a plane ticket and do up something special. To me its that something special that captures all of our imagination and is truly the reason any of us love miniatures and buy them on mass, and that is what the organizers of the competition are counting on.
Take care, and good luck to the best of you.
Joe
