I’ve gotten some questions about how I’m building City Games, here in Grand Rapids. So… What, exactly, is City Games? City Games is a hyperlocal gaming platform that turns a town into an interactive game. Residents play free challenges connected to local places, businesses, history, events, and culture. They might answer a trivia question about a landmark, identify a location from a photograph, solve a puzzle, visit a participating business, complete a Side Quest, or compete in a seasonal promotion. The goal is not simply to entertain people online. The goal is to get residents paying attention to their community and interacting with local businesses in a way that feels more like play than advertising. City Games is not live trivia, although trivia can be part of it. It is not a one-time scavenger hunt, although location-based challenges can be included. It is not primarily a coupon app, although businesses can offer rewards. It is an ongoing local media product built around participation. How the Audience Side Works Residents join their local City Games platform for free. Once inside, they can play games, complete challenges, earn points, unlock rewards, and participate in larger seasonal competitions. Some challenges can be completed from home. Others encourage players to explore the community, visit a location, attend an event, or interact with a participating business. The content can include: - Local trivia - Photo-identification challenges - Puzzles and riddles - Predictions and polls - Location-based challenges - Business-sponsored mini-games - Themed Side Quests - Seasonal competitions - Prizes, rewards, and achievements - This creates something most local advertising products do not have: active participation. A resident can scroll past an advertisement without thinking about it. City Games asks that person to make a choice, answer a question, watch a short video, visit a place, or complete an action. The advertiser becomes part of the experience instead of sitting beside it.

*START HERE* This isn’t just another community where you sit on the sidelines and watch video tutorials. We are here to build together. Whether you are launching a co-op 9x12 oversized postcard project, setting up local email newsletters, building directories, or deploying gamification strategy to lock down your territory, we are building real, revenue-generating media assets side-by-side. Why This Community? - 30 Years of Street-Tested Experience: I’ve spent three decades in the trenches of ad sales. I’ve made the calls, faced the objections, closed the deals, and built massive local footprints. You aren't learning from a theorist; you’re learning from someone who has actually been there and sold it. - Actual, No-Fluff Sales Training: Strategy is great, but execution is what pays the bills. You will get raw, practical sales training focused on how to approach local business owners, how to pitch local advertising programs, and exactly how to close the deal. - A True Builder's Community: You are surrounded by a tribe of action-takers who share what’s working right now. We celebrate the wins, troubleshoot the roadblocks, and hold each other accountable to one goal: **owning your local ad market**. Your Next Steps: 1. **Introduce Yourself:** Drop a post in the community letting us know your city and what local media asset you want to build first. 2. **Dive into the Classroom:** Check out the foundational training to map out your territory. 3. **Get Ready to Build:** This is a roll-up-your-sleeves environment. Let’s get to work and claim your local empire. Glad to have you here! Let's build something massive together.