I said it once, and I said it a couple hundred times after that...so maybe it wasn't just once...but this was our
10th TFcon...and we were gonna go "
ALL OUT"...I think it's safe to say, people realize what I meant now. This year was our biggest ever...bigger space, bigger hotel, bigger exclusives, bigger panels, bigger reveals...the list goes on. Every year, I have a vision...and that's to blow the previous years show out of the water. Needless to say, everyone has told me we've done so in every aspect of the meaning.
So without further rambling (I'll save more till the end) here's the insanity that is GMfan's adventures...at TFcon 10...2011.
Thursday (That's right, I started even earlier then last year)
12pm-4pm - Woke up, made a list of things to do for the show and got as many done as humanly possible
4pm-7pm - Went to hotel to see how set up was going, checked AV with Gord (Code of Honor), and re-evaluated certain locations of where we planned to put things. Ran into Eric (plowking) and his wife, went with them to Toys R' Us up the street, he got RTS Lugnut :P
7pm-8pm - Went home, swapped the Firebird for the SUV and picked up Paul Eiding and his lovely wife from the airport
8pm-11pm - Hung out with the few staff that came in a day early and grabbed some Timmies up the street
11pm-3am - Tried to get more things done before the show started, packed up all the things I had to take with me in boxes and left them by the door.
Friday
3am-8am - Slept...only 5 hours the day before the show...fan...tastic...
8am-11am - Realized I still don't have clothes packed...SCRAMBLE to get that together, get everything into the car, refill gas, get money, and bank, and get to hotel to get rid of crap so I can...
11am-12pm - ...pick up Simon Furman at the airport.
12pm-3pm - Got more things ready at the hotel, organized boxes and unpacked Colins trailer (ooo...the exclusives look niiice) and readied registration.
3pm-4pm - Picked up Garry Chalk at the airport...the first Transformers voice actor I ever met and still one of the coolest. Just a great great guy.
3pm-6pm - With more and more staff showing up we were busy like beavers (eh, Canadians...) to keep getting things ready, the Hazel rooms...dealer set up...tables...registration crap...the list went on.
6pm-7pm - Registration opens...and the line was all the way to the hotel bar...sweet Primus this was the most people we ever had show up on a Friday night
7pm-8pm - With the overwhelming amount of people I has to assist at registration and bumped up the Opening Ceremonies and Trivia by an hour and merged Pictionary and Collecting 101 (I'm sorry but we were NOT expecting there to be that many people...) After being able to break away, went to room and readied myself for the Opening Ceremonies
8pm-9pm - Opening Ceremonies time...got to dress up and be all Bowie on stage to have a fun little introduction to the weekend and took a look at TFcon over the last 10 years.
9pm-11pm - Overlooked what was going on in the dealer room and parts party, changed out of outfit, came back down and closed up the convention centre for the evening. Built a detolf shelf with Ben (Peaugh) for the Third Party Preview then went with Ian, John, Phil and Michelle to Boston Pizza up the street for dinner.
11pm-3am - Relaxed for a few hours...had some drinks...chatted with old friends....went to room and cracked out what would be my saving grace that weekend, the Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville Mixer...I want one.
Saturday
3am-7am - Great...a whole 4 hours of sleep...
7am-8am - Time to shower get on uniform and pour some "gatorade" cuz this was gonna be a rough day.
8am-9am - Set up the third party product preview display case. Got ready for opening up the dealer room to the first wave of attendees
9am-11am - Got some coffee and made sure things were on track for the rest of the day. Found Paul Eiding in the dealer room awaiting his panel...he saved me from tracking him down, just an awesomely great guy...
11am-12pm - finally had a chance to look a round a little...picked up some things I wanted and eyed a few purchases to be made later.
12pm-1pm - Attended the Hasbro panel to make sure there weren't pictures taken but with all the new reveals the crowd really went nuts
1pm-2pm - Found Garry Chalk also wondering around the dealer room enjoying himself just before his panel and managed to see a bit of the begging and end between running off to do more management tasks
2pm-3pm - Judged the 3D art contest....something I could NOT do alone this year...there were just so many phenomenal pieces that I wanted everyone to get something...I actually had to get about ten peoples opinion to judge this years show. At 2:30 I announced the 2D and 3D art contest winners and awarded them with their coins, prizes, and certificates.
3pm-4pm - Got Simon ready for his panel and finally got a chance to sit down and eat SOMETHING...some wicked Pepperettes that Walk just hands me...imagine being given meat...it was pretty awesome
4pm-5pm - Sat in a bit to watch Daniel's video game panel while being able to manage most things over the mic.
5pm-6:30pm - Closed down the dealer room, packed up my third party product display, took it up to the room, made some margaritas and came down to get some food
6:30pm-8:30pm - Ate some pizza with the guests and staff in the hotel, finished up, went back to the room with a bunch of staff for more mixers and beer.
8:30pm-10:30pm - Trolled the Faction Feud with Ian while heckling Daniel.
10:30pm-1pm - Bar night at the hotel bar...amazing. So much drinking. So many people. Simon, Paul, and his wife Coleen beat us there and were just chatting with people who weren't watching faction feud and when Garry Chalk whipped out a guitar he didn't reward us with 1 or 2 songs...he did like 9...it was unreal...only at TFcon...
Sunday
1am-2am - Cigar time! Whipped out some celebratory cigars to commemorate our successful Saturday...looking forward to what Sunday would bring us.
2am-3:30am - Chilled out by the bar and drank some with the cybertron.ca members and friends from cons past.
3:30am-8am - Stumble into the room because I'm sloshed and Daniel leaves his fucking shit in the walk way...got a little bit more sleep then last time...4.5 hours...
8am-10am - Set up the Third Party Preview display case again by registration, made sure everything was on track, and helped set up the customizing class. Saw the Batmobile roll in...that was raaad
10am-2pm - Had some breakfast and got to relax a little. Mostly just running around to check on little things here and there and scour the dealer room a lil. Made sure guests were where they needed to be and damage control but it was a fairly smooth morning for a change. Got ready for my panel and threw in a few LAST minute additions.
2pm-3pm - I hosted the Third Party Panel with Daniel. Gave a little history lesson and showed some new upcoming projects certain companies would be tackling.
3pm-4pm - Got a few things signed by the guests before we shipped them off home. Actually watched a good chunk of Daniel's other panel...kinda took a nap in it...
4pm-5pm - Quickly got a few last minute dealer room purchases and then rushed back to the panel room for the Organizers Panel which I did with Gord, Phil, Colin, Meesum, and eventually Daniel. There are more then us but we can fit our entire staff on that stage...
5pm-7pm - Clear out all of our things in the convention centre and pack up...TFcon is more or less over (course I still have work to do while I type this to wrap up :P)
7pm-9pm - Staff dinner in the hotel bar and restaurant...had a great Linguine Carbonara...
9pm-10pm - Got some staff photos before we emptied the last of the board room we were using for convention material storage and readied for the podcast recording.
10pm-12am - Live Canadian Slag recording at the bar and more and more and more drinkin...I love this show
Monday
12am-1am - Cigar party...the revenge...
1am-4am - Staff room mixer party...since we didn't wanna take so much booze we brought home we drank as much of it as we could before 4am...damn that was fun and hilarious.
4am-9am - Sleeeeep.
9am-11am - Pack up, check out, be amazed when everything fits into your tiny sports car.
11am-11:30am - Drive home, unpack...fucking crash.
So there you have it...another year...another view into the crap just one person puts into making this show happen. Sure, I do a lot of running around but if each of the staff members were foolish enough to take the 2 hours to write a post this long overlooking their last 3 days I'm sure it'd be equally overwhelming...
Speaking of the staff and volunteers...
This is a good chunk of the people who make TFcon possible...I want myself and everyone reading this to give each and every one of them some love and/or appreciation for making this show happen, including the people not pictured here, Meesum our Programming manager, Paul "the AV guy", Sonny our Sales Rep (:P), Colin and Lise's family and our other incredible volunteers. I can not emphasize enough how important we all were at making this happen. Cheers to you all. These are friends, and after this long...more like a family to me.
I also have to say it was great seeing such an amazing turn out. This was easily the LARGEST TFcon to date and we had about 2400 people last year. Seeing so many people enjoy themselves and the massive amount of positive feedback we got was just incredible. It's overwhelming how many people we're able to bring joy to by running this show...it really is...time for some shout outs...my Canandian people I've known for years...you know who you are, it was great drinking and laughing away the weekend with you all. We
will do it again. It was great to see my American friends and a particular Canadian one make the drive up here too, and we broke in AFN mod and bro Robimus from the Peg, long time TFW pal of mine Jarod, and new friend Ben (who does some reviews on the youtube under the name Peaugh) to their first (and from the sounds of it, not last) TFcon. I'm sure you guys weren't the only two new comers that were dazzled this weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone come again for more fun next TFcon.
Apologies to my roommates...apparently my snoring has gotten worse over the years...I still slept fine though...
Finally some very special thanks to some individuals who made helped us carry on some TFcon events that would have otherwise been lost or not the same with out them. Stu and Otis...you made myself, the convention, and Duncan proud by continuing the Customizing Class one more year. The figure looked great. Chris, my petal, Ho AKA Vange1us (but pronounced differently) for hosting the Faction Feud, an event that I know in the past you personally enjoyed and when we needed a new host, you were the first choice for many. Your humor and ability to entertain never fails. Also another shout out to Mike and Shan for though they are "retired staff" they still came out to the show and helped with what they could and behind the scenes still do as well. Much love.
Lastly...he was originally America's golden boy...a shining example of how we should all be better human beings...but over the convention weekend it seems you've gotten raunchy in your age but your voice still makes me smile...thank you Jimmy Stewart, for providing much laughs at this show and most likely not the last, you are in our memories.
Since I'm not really great with ending these I usually like to leave on a laugh...and I'll do so with one word...
whore.
TFcon 2011 Hauls:
Leader Sentinel Prime
E-hobby Laser Rod Ultra Magnus
ROTF Devastator
BTS Prime and Nemesis Trailer
BTS Matrix of Leadership
BTS Sonicron
BTS Black Sonicron
HOC Ultra Magnus
DOTM Whirl
DOTM Tailpipe
DOTM Hatchet
VHS tape of Webworld and The Killing Jar (only reason I got it was for the original Ultra Magnus box art....)
iGear PP03 Jet
iGear PP03 Elegy
iGear PP03 Attack
Robot Heroes Ratchet
ROTF Rollbar
DOTM Space Case
RiD Sideburn
Energon Megatron (the smaller one)
Cybertron Galaxy Force Vector Prime
Dark Star Saber Minicons
Star Saber Minicons
Botcon Rapido
Movie 1 Salvage
Movie 1 Crankcase
RID Bruticus
DOTM Ratchet
2x PE-11 Night Ops SFX
2x Head Robots Toxin
3x Head Robots Stronghold
Missing from photo:
United Scourge
Custom Class Downshift...when I make him...
Grand knowledge of all things Transformers
[{o}] Till all are One
