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"Convention
Review: Love Trek: '00 in Champaign, Illinios..." |
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"Convention
Review: Love Trek: '00 in Champaign, Illinios..." |
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Finding time to spend with friends is something that becomes harder and harder as you get older, which is one of the many reasons that I've really come to cherish the time I get to go to TREK Conventions with crewmates from the USS ATLAS. This last weekend was the most recent example... A total of 8 crewmembers, in two "shuttlecraft" (a '99 Ford Explorer, and a gigantic '80something Chevy Suburban) and gear made their way to the friendly confines of Champaign, Illinios, to invest in the event they like to call "LOVE TREK '00." This convention was one of the many put on by a convention company called "Slanted Fedora" during the year, and one of the largest I can remember to date. We left at about 5:30pm on a Friday evening and began our trek to "LOVE TREK", taking an alternate route provided to us by the folks at Slanted Fedora, and were able to stop for dinner at M.C. Don Alds, where the fine taste of Quarter Pounders and a new "McDonald's Soup". Word has it that it was pretty tasty. After stopping a coupe more times for potty breaks, we finally pulled into Champaign, and visited the hotel that the convention was being held at. THE HOTEL (The Clairion Hotel) The hotel that hosted this convention was one like none I'd ever seen before. The room rate, $90/night, was one that I figured would boast something on the side of plush accomodations. In my opinion, and those that went with us, the hotel was not plush, nor were the rooms worth the rate being charged. I also believe that the quality of the facility, in particular the entryway, was of lesser quality, more like a Holiday Inn-type atmosphere, rather than something that the Clarion attaches its name to. Now I know what you're saying: "Who cares about the hotel? How about where the convention was?" The answer to that question is much more positive, and I totally understand why Slanted Fedora keeps coming to this facility. The hotel seems as if it was MADE for conventions of this kind. There are several large rooms (a few of which are converted into a larger Dealer's Room), and then the auditorium where the guests speak, the auctions are held, that also doubles as a Saturday Evening Dinner Room. This is something that has been the recipe for many a Slanted Fedora convention, and something that we've become accustomed to. Outside of each of the rooms is a "hallway" that passes every room that the convention is using, much like a chute for people to walk through, that is inside, with glass just a few feet away from those walking along the route. This makes for an EXCEPTIONAL Signature line formation (with a few questions about why all the stars aren't out there), which, in my opinion, is why the convention stays at this expensive-to-stay-at-lower-quality-venue. The chairs in each of the halls were once again stacked right next to eachother, which, for those TREK Fen with a "small ass" can sit in just fine. The problem is that, by looking throughout the room, TREK Fen with "small asses" are in the minority by far. This isn't a judgement, just a fact that if there is 9 inches of chairspace on the chair, and MORE than 9 inches of ass... Well: Do the math. :) This makes for a very cramped situtation, which normally rights itself as the convention continues, because people will scoot seats and spread out so that as little ass touches someone elses ass as possible. I hope this clarifies the "ass-embly required" for attending a STAR TREK Convention. :) I did appreciate the different physical setup of the auditorium (it was WIDE rather than LONG, making for incredibly-shitty "Row J seats" at the Kansas City convention that we usually get to during the year). I would recommend doing this, as did the majority of people in the auditorium when I asked the question about having the same type of setup with the upcoming Kansas City Convention. Here's to hoping. Mmmmmm WELL STOCKED HEARTY GOODNESS This convention had something that I really appreciated as well: A well-stocked snack area, that provided hot dogs, BBQ, chips, crossanwiches, sodas and the like to those attending the convention. Good move, Slanted Fedora. Keep that up, and you will have even more, happier larger-assed convention goers for each show that you have. Seriously though, we appreciated the fact that we could get reasonably priced grub there, without having to bail out and miss a good chunk of the show. DEALERS ROOM This is something that a lot of people come to a TREK Convention for, and this show made a very good effort in providing a solid number of different convention dealers, in a good sized space, which is something that Slanted Fedora has had trouble with in the past. There was easily enough space for people to walk by those that were gawking/buying things at the table, which in my experience has usually been a royal pain in the ass. The dealers room also featured signature tables for the likes of Rom from "DS9" (Max Grodenchik) , Leeta from "DS9" (Chase Masterson), Judy Robinson (Marta Kristen) and Don (Mark Goddard) from "Lost In Space", and assorted tables that were organized to be showcases for the official fan clubs of the stars in attendance. One thing that I didn't care for was that the line to Leeta, and the line to Rom weren't one right after the other. Looking back, I can guess that this is a space limitation thing, but I would imagine that there had to be something better. Having them in some sort of line that allows you to have Max signature, and then a few feet from him, Chase signs, seems to make more sense to me, and would have allowed the crowd to not inccur two line waits. Shrug: One that that also seemed strange was that Mark Goddard (Don from Lost in Space) was not only charging for a picture ($10), but also $25 for his autograph! To this I would like to speak in regard to what is provided as information on the Slanted Fedora website and flyers: on the Website, it's stated that "There is a slight additional charge for autographs from Mark and Marta." I do not consider 1/3 of my ticket price for the weekend more as "slight additional charge." It also states in several places that "this price includes autographs from 8 stars", which is really not true. It includes autographs from any of the stars that are on the Slanted Fedora Signature Punchcard, but none that do not appear. While I would guess that we would get an explanation consisting of "they are only paid for their expenses to come to the convention" from the Slanted Powers, my contention would be that those stars NEGOTIATED that deal. What this eventually comes to is that those stars that are "only paid for expenses" are actually coming to the convention to SEE US and use US as their means to make money. For some reason that just seems to not sit right with me. I can remember when an autograph from Mark Goddard, cost me $5 and that was witha photo that he'd provided in a stack on his table in the dealers room. That was three years ago, but from $5 to $25? That just seems INCREDIBLY shady to me, as did the fact that the price for his autograph INCREASED frmo $20 to $25 as the weekend progressed. I know they need to make a buck, but at what cost? The people SAW his shady ways, and what Mark was greeted with, were people wanting to take a picture of him, and NOT buy his photos or his signature. Shame on Don, Folks. I have the feeling that Marta was the inadvertant victim of Mark's greed as well, with most people figuring that if he was charging extra, then she too was. That is truly sad, for she seemed like a wonderful guest, who was overshadowed in the auditorium portions of the weekend by Mark's long, neverending, seemingly-invented stories of horse-riding escapades. We found out LITTLE from the girl, now woman that is Marta Kristen. Get with the program Mark, and let the woman TALK. The VOYAGER STARS This was easily the high point of the weekend. This convention featured Neelix (Ethan Phillips), The HoloDoc (Robert Picardo), Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeil) and B'Elanna Torres (Roxanne Dawson). Robert Picardo and Ethan Phillips perform on stage like they have been doing it for years. I have rarely seen the chemistry that is developed in people like this, and I don't EVER remember seeing it conveyed at a Trek convention like this. They both have senses of humor that compliment eachother, and I like the "I'm (Picardo) the straight-trying to be intelligent, while the other guy (Phillips) is the crude, sometimes vulgar "injector", that adds fuel to the flames of laughter during their tales. I remember at one point, that Kes (Jennifer Lien) was on this ticket, and would make a whole lot more sense when you consider that it's the "Lover's Convention", but I guess she pulled out of the date. I also was very impressed with the level and detail of the information that Robert Picardo provided in the way of upcoming events and episodes. I LOVE it when we are provided with that level of detail, and its clear that Robert, and a few others in TREKDOM are keenly aware that we truly give a rip about things like that. Highlights-Points of reference: At one point they both look at the audience, bend over holding eachothers shoulder, and say "and this is our Jeri Ryan imitation" (this is a lot funnier when you remember that they are both BALD. Robert Duncan McNeil, and "his Lover", Roxanne Dawson were mildly entertaining. I've seen him as a guest before alone, and he is a very "conversational" guest, who has gone over on time (as far as the conventioneer says "its time to stop talking") on numberous occaissions, which is something else I really enjoy. Again, that level of providing us with details is outstanding. He also segues into questions that have been asked before if the crowd input gets light, which is something that I wish more of the starts would recognize as a good thing. One thing that kills crowds in a convention is DEAD SILENCE. Roxanne performed well with Robert leading the way, and is great at interjecting punchlines into Robert's delivery. She was unfortunately noticeably ill (a cold she said), and that made for hard listening in the convention. I hope that gives you a little insight into what goes on when attending a convention like this one. All in all, the best part of conventions like this, much like why you join a chapter in STARFLEET, is spending the time with friends and meeting other people that you don't see often. The travel time is EASILY one of the things that I put on the top of the scale of why I enjoy "conventioning", and something I hope that other people appreciate. Convention-going is by NO MEANS something "simple" anymore, but with knowledge of what you're getting yourself into, and knowing what to do when, you're convention satisfaction level can go nowhere but up.
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