Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board 2008: the ultimate MEET-UP at San Diego: wrap-up, pics and sharing experiences

AND Alice Cooper.

Just noticed this thread... Sounds like a good idea. However, you have to take into account the fact that some people may come from Europe. Flights are generally cheaper for the east coast than the west coast. Also, for LMB members coming to Europe, choosing a destination in which they could stay for a nice little vacation could be nice (jet lag and prices of flights).

Guess that in that case, New York or Chicago could be the best choices. Vegas could be great as well, even though it's a bit farther.

However, remember that for people from Europe, remember that we're talking flights with a $500-$800 price tag, it's an expensive trip.

Personally, I wouldn't be interested in an event in Orlando or Denver, as I don't see anything of interest to do there if I'm going away for a 10 days trip (which is a minimum if you want to make the most of a trip to the USA). I'd also rather go to a place I've never been, even though I wouldn't mind going to Vegas again...

You can save on accomodation and food almost your entire flight to Vegas if you're smart... says the Australian that's been there once...
However, it was surprisingly easy to note how cheap LV is compared to the rest of the US. If you're willing to avoid silliness with drunken gambling or similar Vegas traps, LV can be a cheap option, and it has the virtues of flights to almost every major hub in the US with amazing regularity, and the airport is a 5 minute taxiride from the Strip rather than a lengthy transfer.

My $.02...
A LegionWorld gathering just wouldn't be right without our own Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, not to mention Greybird. My inclination would be for someplace that they could get to reasonably easily. Given the hysteria surrounding hotel reservations for this year's SDCC, I would recommend not scheduling our gathering for anytime around the con. SD might be a nice town, but it's hell to get into during the Comicon. Finally, I don't feel like we should center on NYC banking on getting into the DC offices. A group as big as ours is likely to be will be a huge burden on the day-to-day activities of whatever day we show up; plus, how many of the Legion's creators actually work in the DC corporate offices anyway? With all this in mind, and taking into account what others have said on this thread, my vote would be for Vegas.

In general, given that this is the 50th anniversary, I think we should somehow open the gathering up to Legion fandom in general. Let's think of this as a con. Let's look at booking a hotel with conference rooms. Let's invite creators from past and present to speak to us. Let's track down our forefathers in Legion fandom and invite them. We're giving ourselves all this time; let's put it to good use.

I like the idea of having the creators come to this..but will they?? I dont know the ins and outs of cons but will they need to be paid?

I love the idea, DL! A Legion-specific con!

I'd bet if we can make it the weekend before or after San D, we may be able to attract those "on tour," so to speak.

Do we have anyone or know anyone with any sort of con experience to consult with? I've helped on music fests and very small events, but a lot of this would be new terrain for me.

any further thoughts on this meet up !!??

Matthew.

Only that I think it's a great idea and I'm open to any city.

Hope something gets decided..2005 is almost over!

Since it's again Con season, I figured I'd revive this thread to get people thinking again.

Right now, I'm thinking Chicago makes the most sense:

1. It makes more sense to piggy-back onto an existing Con (even if we spill over before/after as well), rather than try to organize our own,

2. San D's probably tooo big to gain any sort of focus, but Chicago is a big enough con that attracts a good slate of guests (hopefully including LSH alumni and current creators), without being as enormous,

3. It already seems LSH-oriented among Klordny and other longstanding LSH groups, from what I've seen, and any LSH 50 should incorporate as many LSH fan groups as possible.

I suggest those of us attending summer cons discuss this with any DC folks and/or LSH creative types we run cross, and keep this thread going as well.

Something else else to consider is New York in February. The American International Toy Fair is in early February (11-14 2007) and The New York Comic Con is at the end of February (23-25 2007). While Toy Fair is closed to public some of us are in that industry and will already be in NYC and DC Direct and whoever gets the animated LSH toy license will have their designs and prototypes in town already. The NYCC is the first A-list con of the year and will be used by many as a place to make announcements and show off new stuff for the first time since before Christmas. DC Comics will be preparing their first panels and have most of their staff available since they are just down the street. NYC will be one of the cheaper arrival points for many of the international flights. Hotels are plentiful and transportation is abundant. By looking at dates between these two events we could let people piggyback on one of both events and make it much easier for industry people to make themselves available for a panel or a preview screening. If DC is going to do anything for the anniversary than having a group like this putting something on would only encourage them and by placing it in their back yard they could participate and gain additional press from the event at a (hopefully) shared cost. By renting a conference room in the hotel along with a block of rooms all costs should be lowered.

A second choice would be Chicago just before or just after Wizard World Chicago (first week of August). WWC has become the largest of the Wizard World tour shows and the place to make any last minute announcements for the upcoming holiday season. Again placing the gathering near a con that DCC and DCD are already attending makes it easier for them to participate if we ask. It is a solid international travel hub and transportation is good but WWC is actually away from most everything else Chi Town has to offer.

For those that are interested in what conventions are available I list as many as I am aware of on the calendar on my site

New York Comic Con
Toy Fair
Wizard World Chicago

Good to see this thread back again.
I'm still all for this idea. I still would prefer Vegas, as it one of the cheapest US destinations to fly to, however wherever we finally decide for location I will be there!!

It'll have to be West Coast base for Caroline and I to even consider it. Any place else would be too far from home and, for now, we are tied to being as close to home as possible at all times.

Techwych makes good points, but several (Scott, Caroline and Greybird - and some of the Aussies) have made it clear that Chicago (and even Chi is a maybe) is as far east as they'd consider.

But the same impasse exists: East, West, Europe and Oz.

I reluctantly put forward an idea I've toyed with, but one that kills a single end-all-be-all unified meet-up: a 'tour' of each major con throughout all of the 2008 season, of which those who can will make several/many of them, and those who can't at least make the 'local' one. For simplicty, I see one in the UK, one in Oz, San D for the west, DragonCon for the south/east, and Chicago for the north/mid-west. As I see it, this would culminate with the last major show of 2008; whichever one that may be.

Fans would meet at these cons, and hopefully socialize for a day or more outside the con as well. Ideally, a video (no, not THAT kind, Pov!) of somekind could be made as a partial record, one to be collected with others and edited into a yearbook of sorts.

To make this happen, each group of locals (local to afformentioned regions, that is) serve as liaisons with the local con. (don't be intimidated. I doubt any of us would do all of these; that's why I suggest we stick to a handful of major shows). If we want to add to the list (Baltimore, Dallas, Toronto, etc) we have to have people ready to focus on those individual sites.

Between the lot of us, we need to look at:

1. identifying and possibly recruitung or lobbying for LSH creatives to attend. This can start as simple as attending this year, introducing yourself and making contact with (or at least getting names of) organizers to follow up with in the future. THe hard part: making contacts among con organizers (socialize! they're fans too).

2. helping to brainstorm, coordinate and organize one or more panels. This could start by inquiring (after the con - they'll have hands full during) about possibilities, and by offering to lend a hand on this. Organizers love pro-active volunteers. The hard part: following up on details (keep it simple; stick to a plan of a few non-grndiouse items that can work).

3. sharing information with fellow liaisons, hopefully with other LSH fan groups, and helping to publicize the event. this is as simple as regular day-to-day fan interaction, on-line, at a CBS or similar circumstances. The hard part: follwoing up on a semi-regular basis.

4. inquiring about floorspace for a simple travelling exhibit that wouldat each show; and a guestbook for each con that would be sent to the grand finale (be it Chicago or elsewhere). If we have enough vols to man such an exhibit, maybe those vols can offer to take pictures, digital or polariod, to send with the exhibit. The hard part: getting details and not balking at prices (getting quotes doesn't mean you're committing to spending anyone's money, let alone yours. Quotes at least give us a starting point to determine what's realistic. Plan B could be hosting a hotel-room reception/party).

I envision this using one standard stall at a con - a front table, plus a wall behind (this could work at a hotel, too). We would design a common logo here on LW, (maybe styled to resemble the banner/title of an issue) and our in-house artists would come up with a 'tapestry' (paper or cloth) to hang on the wall (this -or a reproduction thereof- should be sent to the finale, where we would have a much larger space to exhibit all the accumulated items).

Local people could plan out the table contents, but we may have some common themes as well; a three-panel tabletop display we design, which are locally downloaded and put on foamcore boards.

If others are willing to volunteer to do some basic legwork over this summer and next, I'll volunteer to be the point-person to contact DC; but I don't want to be in a position that we're doing X,Y and Z if we don't have any follow-up at all.

If it's just me and one or two others, then we should concentrate solely on Chicago, IMHO.

It's not a bad idea.

However, I think it may be a little ambitious.

1. How many people can afford to make it to multiple cons during the summer?
2. You're going to have a few people doing a whole lot of work. The 80/20 rule is going to apply here.
3. Splitting the efforts up into multiple cons is going to fracture things. People won't feel the need to go to more than one or two.

However, the concept of having a Legion World booth at a con is great. I like this idea. It would totally give us a place to hang and to gather together, as well as draw newcomers in and possibly have a creator or two do some talking and/or signing.

I think it would be a good idea for those more in the know than I to recap the negatives of doing this at San Diego in 2008, please, because it seems to me like there are huge positives there:

1. It solves the mobility problem for our lonstanding west coasters who can't get east.

2. It's the largest con, and everything we could ever want to do, both as a group and separately, will be there.

3. Those of us who want to hang out before / after the con could do so by having a meet-up in Vegas or LA (as was talked about this year.)

4. If one considers our Aussies and Europeans into the mix, it's about as centrally-located as were going to get.

5. From what I've been hearing, airfare into Vegas is really about as cheap as you can get. We could all fly into Vegas, rent some cars, and drive to SD.

6. I'm hearing that there are some serious hotel issues in SD during the con, but surely there's a way we can get around that. Heck, we have two years to get around that. Could we rent a few beach condos or something? Keep in mind we have 2 YEARS. If the hotel issue is the main deterrent from doing this in San Diego in 2008, we ought to be able to get around that.

7. Nightcrawler lives there, and if any LWer deserves to have this get-together in his hometown, it's him.

I don't know, after hearing the ecstatic reports from SD this year and last year from all of us who were able to make it, it seems to me like it's the very best possibility.

I've been for Chicago all along, but Kippers bullet-point reasoning *is* pretty convincing. San Diego might be the best way to make it work.

I'm all for this--and I will do my best to make it to this, since it really will be the be-all/end-all meet-up! 2 years to get my expenses in order…

If there is one con we all must be at, this is it!

PS – Kent’s idea seems cool, but it wouldn’t have everyone in one place, which is what I’d really hope for.

SDCC would be great. I wish we could get some kind of offical plans from TPTB. Maybe we need to start sending Levitz some snail mail, reminding him that the Legion turns 50 in less than two years and DC better get on the ball to plan something or we'll have an uprising.

I'm still not sold on SDCC. I worry that we'll get lost in the swirl of the con. Plus, the logistical challenges of housing and parking are pretty daunting. Also, while the various creators will likely be there, SDCC is when major company announcements happen, so company talent is likely to be tied up in other activities.
I'd still rather choose a smaller show and get the word out that there'll be a big Legion presence and get some past and current creators interested in coming. Wondercon, in San Francisco, has a reputation for being a good show without the major crush of crowds that SDCC gets.

Mostly I'm just saying let's look at all the available options.

Absolutely. I think we need to pick a site and time soon, though.

But we need to be mindful of any scheduled/planned official festivities. I know there is no way I can go to more than one Con a year and if, in 2008, they have the official Legion 50th Anniversary gathering at one particular Con, that would most likely be the one I'd go to, are plans here not withstanding.

While I'd love for nothing more than for us to have a big gathering, the largest ever, how many Legion anniversaries will TPTB actaully acknowledge? Maybe the 75th assuming comics are still around in 25 years. I'm just not sure I'll be around then.

Well, one thing I know for sure is I will NOT have to have a hysterectomy that will wreck 2008!!! LOL.....

Kippers makes some good points. My fear of SD overwhelming us is greater, having just attended, but...

"1. How many people can afford to make it to multiple cons during the summer?"

no, probably not. my idea was based upon enough regional resisters not willing to go more than 1K miles (if that).

"2. You're going to have a few people doing a whole lot of work. The 80/20 rule is going to apply here."

true. this occured to me after the post.

"3. Splitting the efforts up into multiple cons is going to fracture things. People won't feel the need to go to more than one or two. "

I agree. that's why I was hesitant to suggest it; but I thought it should be discussed sooner rather than later.

"However, the concept of having a Legion World booth at a con is great. I like this idea. It would totally give us a place to hang and to gather together, as well as draw newcomers in and possibly have a creator or two do some talking and/or signing."

I agree. organizationally, this would be the easiest - a sinlge booth, a single con

"I think it would be a good idea for those more in the know than I to recap the negatives of doing this at San Diego in 2008, please, because it seems to me like there are huge positives there:

1. It solves the mobility problem for our lonstanding west coasters who can't get east."

but not our longstanding easterners who won't/can't go west. Unless.... road trip, anyone?

"2. It's the largest con, and everything we could ever want to do, both as a group and separately, will be there."

very true. plenty of family activities in the area, too - the zoo, sea world, historic sites, beaches, etc.

"3. Those of us who want to hang out before / after the con could do so by having a meet-up in Vegas or LA (as was talked about this year.)"

this makes sense - it gives us time together before/after the craziness of the con itself.

"4. If one considers our Aussies and Europeans into the mix, it's about as centrally-located as were going to get."

maybe not for our Euros, but if it's to be anywhere west, SD or LV work as well or better than any.

"5. From what I've been hearing, airfare into Vegas is really about as cheap as you can get. We could all fly into Vegas, rent some cars, and drive to SD."

It works. rooms in LV are also a LOT cheaper.

"6. I'm hearing that there are some serious hotel issues in SD during the con, but surely there's a way we can get around that. Heck, we have two years to get around that. Could we rent a few beach condos or something? Keep in mind we have 2 YEARS. If the hotel issue is the main deterrent from doing this in San Diego in 2008, we ought to be able to get around that."

I've looked into condos; there are some deals. but mostly away from downtown, near the beaches. I didn't mind being on Coronado - we were closer to the Con than many in Old Town or Hotel Circle, but I think some of the others were less satisfied.

"7. Nightcrawler lives there, and if any LWer deserves to have this get-together in his hometown, it's him."

I won't try to answer for him.

"I don't know, after hearing the ecstatic reports from SD this year and last year from all of us who were able to make it, it seems to me like it's the very best possibility."

SD makes a lot of sense.

The negatives:

1. Size. we're going to be a small fish in a biiiig pond. We can overcome part of this by agreeing and booking lodgings well in advance, so we're not spread all over town. While those of us in SD did manage to meet up several times, we didn't hang out as much as Boston or Dallas, as we lacked convenient/central gathering points.

2. lodging expense. SD, at least at con season, is not as cheap as other locales. In this sense, a pre-SD Vegas meet-up would be more budget-friendly, although it potentially divides us into multi-events. other options for the budget traveller: youth hostels, RVs, camping or sharing floorspace. A big enough condo rental could help, too.

3. Chicago. I still present this as a viable alternative; the con is practically walking diatance from the airport (O'Hare), and Chicago has plenty of flight options from all over. Most pro-SD reasons can also apply to Chicago, even if it isn't as big a con, it's still a heavy, as I understand it. Miner would be the best able to compare, tho.

But let's decide soon.

PS I did briefly talk to Paul Levitz about it. he suggested who to talk to. Unless anyone objects, I'll be Liaison Lad with DC.

I went to Chicago Con just befoew Wizard bought it, so take it for what it's worth...

Chicago seems more of a comic convention, where SD is for all kinds of pop culture. Chicago seems more likely to have a comic book related event. IT's located on the edge of the city and is more accessible. No to mention more afforadble.

Just curious- has anyone set up a pre-lim poll? It doesn't have to mean anything but gauge an intial consensus?

I'm equally excited about both Chicago and San Diego. They both have plenty of rollercoasters in the area for me to enjoy. Whee!!!