So I've been exploring the idea of Party hosting, designing, and running campaigns as a sort of small business. I talk to a lot of people who want to try it, or show interest, but don't have the resources or knowledge. Even finding a DM can be tough for the most veteran players. Getting active in a community just for a 1 time or singular/insular experience isn't always appealing to a causal crowd or even sometimes the experienced. I have plenty of experience hosting and running one shots or extended campaigns for beginners and veterans, with both friends and strangers. I've seen this popping up a lot lately, and it seems right up my alley considering my professional and personal background.

I want to host a couple open games at my local game stores (for free) to really get a feel for the "Professional DM/ Game Experience" that people would expect. I don't want to get ahead of myself, and I'm no Matt Mercer, but it would be cool to I don't know, hand out a business card or host something that makes a couple bucks now and then. It starts small/free to get anything going, but It's been something I've been preparing for and tooling around with for a while.

Any suggestions? Any "Hosts" have experience with this? Would anyone be willing to do some "beta testing" to put me through my paces? I know it's a pipe dream, but I don't think it's crazy if it starts going well, and I put my name on something out in the general public that I'm passionate about. This isn't to say I'd stop doing it as a hobby and just for fu, and of course free in most caes. Be honest here- I know "Pay to play" has a pretty negative connotation. But the idea of paying for entertainment is an everyday occurrence that most people don't blink at. Obviously this community has no call for this, but it's definitely a growing opportunity as TTRPG gets more and more popular.