I did a weblog post all about my TFcon experience and general thoughts on the weekend, and you can check that out on my website right here:
http://www.sykografix.com/2017/07/27/tfcon-2017/
Some more specific thoughts:
The Captured Prey USD thing was kind of a bad deal, as has already been mentioned. I picked up a big pile of stuff from them and as it was being rung up I heard the dude say something like "Oh, I didn't do the conversion on this one yet". Then he must have done some kind of calculation on his phone before he continued. I was never specifically told what was going on, nor was I given any options. The transaction simply proceeded as if I had agreed to pay this unknown price, and that was not cool.
It seems obvious to me that everything should be labeled with pricing in Canadian dollars because TFcon happens in Canada. I mean, I don't expect Japanese imports to be priced in yen, so I wouldn't assume to have to pay in US dollars either. Even labeling that the price is actually in USD is such a nuisance and should not be a thing. Just label the price with the number that I'm expected to pay. It should be mandatory, and any dealer who fails to label their prices in Canadian $ should be forced to sell it for that price. I do hope that the issue is addressed and that an official statement is made regarding this issue for next year.
That said, I liked their booth, they had stuff that I wanted all in one spot, and it was cool to even just look around, so I'm gonna let it slide... this time.
A big thanks to Oasis and to Paul and the tech crew for all their help during my panel. It was rough going in spite of how much I prepared ahead of time to avoid last minute technical difficulties. It was not as easy as I had hoped to set everything up, but somehow it all worked out. In fact, I'm pretty amazed that it went off without a hitch.
I had an absolute blast presenting. Even with the early start time on Sunday, there was a great crowd and they seemed enthusiastic about the topic by the end. I hope everyone who saw it enjoyed looking at all the weird and wonderful branches of the Transformers family tree and gained a new appreciation and insight into their hobby. And I hope everyone who didn't see it wishes they did! It was so much fun and I'm already thinking about what topics I want to cover in the future. I've got some wacky ideas!
I'm pretty sure that I saw most of the other fan run panels and I enjoyed them all. I'm proud to be a part of the volunteers who take the time to put together something entertaining for the audience. The only suggestion that I would make to my fellow panelists is to add some more razzmatazz to their presentation files. I want to look at something cool, not just text on a screen.
Food: My dietary restrictions were acknowledged and dealt with, and I appreciated that. But the quality of the food itself wasn't as good as I would have hoped. Small portion of chicken, slightly burnt veggies. The price was higher than the same thing last year. I sent feedback to the hotel and they got back to me saying they would look into it. I still deeply appreciated that I was accommodated at all, just slightly disappointed.
All in all, I had an awesome time at TFcon this year, and that is not surprising because I always do. But I feel like I'm still waiting for what the next big thing at the show could be. Something new, something different, something to set each year apart aside from the changing names on the lists of guests. I don't know what that might be, but there were times when I was feeling like the show was almost exactly the same as previous years. Maybe if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but it's something to think about. Looking back at the show now, I know that I had an amazing time so I've got nothing major to add besides see you again next year.
Sayonara.
