The Energon Pub

I'm sick of seeing everyone and their dog getting some form of a Transformer convention in their area. Botcon came to Frisco,Texas one year and they picked such a crappy location and date, that the turnout was poor and I think it ruined any chance of having another Botcon in Texas. Lately all the conventions are nowhere near close to Texas. So what does it take to put on a Transformer Convention?

I live in East Texas and I'm one of the biggest Transformer fans there is. I think it would be awesome to start some sort of a Transformer type convention in this area on an annual basis. Is it really that hard to get one started? Off the top of my head I can think of, having to find a location to rent and put the word out and advertise and pray people will come LOL... What else would require getting one started?

Any thoughts?


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As I know someone who's organising a convention right now, I can tell you it takes a lot of work to properly organise one, and you're just barely scraping the tip of the ice berg.

First and foremost, plan ahead by at least a year. You'll be grateful. Before you get started, here are some things to consider:

* Location
* Budget
* Expected turnout
* Dealers
* Events, like contests
* Admission and pricing of exclusive items
* Advertising

First the Location. Let me tell you this: that'll be the one of the hardest aspects to deal with. Not only do you have to find a suitable one, taking all factors into account, but the rental prices can vary considerably. Be sure not to be satisfied with just one possibility, but spread your chances. It's like picking a university or college.
The Budget is just as important. The location will take the biggest chunk out of it, so be sure to leave some for making souvenirs to sell off.
Do your research properly, do you know how many collectors there are in Texas, or even in neighbouring states? Possibly the biggest reason people come to a convention is for the Dealers (mine is, anyway ), so look into that as well. I'm ashamed to say, I don't know any Texas-based store that sells Transformers, so can't help you there.
It can't be all Dealers, it has to be fun too, so organise some events or contests as well. Customs and Art contests are always good ideas, but the more unique the contest is, the better Don't forget the prizes though!
Advertising will be hard, as a website for instance takes time to be put up. Again, it won't be free Just don't raise hopes and expectations. Play small, but think big.

If you need examples of how a convention should look like, look into Dairycon and Cyb-Con, or in the BotCon archives.

Thanx GoldRabbit! Thats some pretty good advice and info. Fortunately, I have quite a few friends in high places that I could get favors and work some deals out and possibly save some money on setting one of these up. My buddy Noel does web designs and photography for a magazine so I'm pretty good there and I can spread the word on the Transformers Fan sites. There are 3 or 4 excellent locations just in my city that could host one of these.

It would be awesome to start a new convention thats so nice, that it would attract collectors nationwide. I guess the 1st annual one better kick ass

Better start thinking of a name for it too LOL


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I just thought of something else that's important:

* Date

Goes without saying, don't just plan it on a random day Instead, see if there aren't any other major events that could possibly overshadow the convention. The best days are saturday and sunday, when schools are out and some offices are closed, increasing the turnout. I'd advise greatly against bank holidays, as such times are better spent with family.

I wish you good luck on everything, and if something doesn't go right don't be discouraged, but press on. Should I be in the neighbourhood I'll be sure to drop by

While I can understand why you would want to attract a nationwide audience, it is important not to get too far ahead of yourself before you are even out of the gate.

Work on the Texas area first, build up your core support. The local people who support you from the start can become the backbone of your efforts as your event grows and requires more manpower to run.

If everything goes properly you can grow into the convention you hope it will be. However if you shoot for the moon in your first attempt you may find yourself with nothing but good intentions and debts you can can't cover.

I wish you the best with your endeavors, but make no mistake it is a lot of hard work. I have seen a few conventions fail due to poor planning by people with good intentions.

How about one in TENNESSEE or at least ATLANTA!?!?!?!?

GEEWUN wrote:How about one in TENNESSEE or at least ATLANTA!?!?!?!?

Well....if you can't find one in TN or ATL, I guess my hopes of seeing one here in Maine are pretty slim!

Yeah, I wish they'd have one in TN. Nashville would be good

Denver is a great place for a convention - right smack in the middle of the country with lots of places to hold a convention....Hell, even the Democrats came here! Oh, what? Don't advertise that? Oops...

I wish there was a TF con or even a fan meetup in Australia. But there's not enough appeal and population to make one.

Praxus Prime wrote:Yeah, I wish they'd have one in TN. Nashville would be good

I'd go to one in Nashville. I went to the 2006 BotCon in Lexington, KY and it was nowhere near my expectations. I wasn't even sure if it was the real BotCon until I saw pics of it on this site.

I think all of us would like to have events near to where we are, but seeing this thread was made by someone wanting to start a con and looking for answers on how to, this thread should stay on that point rather than a "hey ____ is a great place for a con" collection of replies.

Advertising, Advertising, Advertising. Majorly important because it needs to attract an audience, dealers etc...

I'd like to see a TF con in the Boston area.

For your first event, I'd say keep it small, keep your focus local and don't worry too much about producing merchandise / exclusives to sell. Get a few local stores on board to help promote the event and attend as dealers as well but don't aim to be a massive national (or even international) convention overnight.

Location is critical but don't book somewhere too large and then try to fill it - go for something that you can manage... for your first convention, it's better to have to turn people away and break even, than have an empty venue and massive debts. Talk to a few dealers and get some ideas of dates that they may be willing to attend, and then talk to a few venues - if they know you are shopping around for prices, they will compete to get your business, even more so if you stress that you are planning an annual event. If you keep your event small, go for a hotel with event space rather than a convention centrre to bring your costs down even more.

Date wise, check to see what other events are taking place globally - and not just Transformers as some fans may consider attending these as well. People will save up to go to TF events so you want to make sure they have cash to spend. Keep your distance from BotCon if you can, and if I were you, avoid the summer period completely as it's full of large events already that will attract fans who are already willing to travel (BotCon, TFCon, Auto Asssembly etc).

Simon

Just an extra thing... if you ever have any questions or need any advice, just ask! I've been running events and conventions now for 21 years and Auto Assembly for 10 years so I might be able to help!

Simon

Thanx so much Simes... thats really great information!

I'm not going to get into a big hurry because if this is able to happen, I want it be as successful as possible. I will do as much research as I can. You gotta crawl before you walk, right?


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Absolutely - no point screwing up with your first event! lol

As I said though, if there's anything I can do to help, just ask! Try to work out your budget as accurately as you can, and you might find that running a couple of surveys may help to gauge interest too. We use www.surveymonkey.com for all of ours but don't expect everyone who responds to attend!

As soon as you have a name, set up a website as well. You can knock up something basic yourself without it costing anything apart from a basic hosting cost, and that's better than no site at all so at least you'll have an online presence too.

Hey, guys.
Everything I would have said has been said, a couple of times in a few cases.
But, I'm putting my name out there as someone you can contact with questions, if you like. Just PM me or something with any specific questions you have about how I do things, and I'll answer.
-Greg

DavidT wrote:I'm not going to get into a big hurry because if this is able to happen, I want it be as successful as possible. I will do as much research as I can. You gotta crawl before you walk, right?

You've hit the nail on the head David. Make no mistake, it will take time and patience to develop, but when done properly, you can create an event you can be truly proud of.

That said one of the best things you can do to start is set up a network of people who can help you with information, and this thread is already providing you with plenty of resources. Don't hesitate to ask questions, because I know with my events that assistance from others who have been there before has been an unbelievable amount of help.