BotCon 2013 in San Diego, California - June 27th to 30th!

As nice a location as San Diego is, I think I'll pass this year. I've been to the last three and I just don't want to deal with the hassle or the expenses this time 'round.

Darn, I'd be too busy permanently moving to the US, Dallas TX to be exact. O well, still closer than last year I suppose.

Interesting, but if I go to San Diego it will be for Comic Con, where the TF reveals have been just as good if not better than the ones at BotCon.

Mkall wrote:As nice a location as San Diego is, I think I'll pass this year. I've been to the last three and I just don't want to deal with the hassle or the expenses this time 'round.

^

El Duque wrote:Interesting, but if I go to San Diego it will be for Comic Con, where the TF reveals have been just as good if not better than the ones at BotCon.

100%

The location was the deal breaker this year and I know the exspenses of botcon in san diego can add up fast..I'd rather have a new car =)

hmmm I'm Torn. San Diego is a beautiful City, but not only am I moving to the East Coast next month my son is due to be born only 3 weeks prior. I think I'll just pass and go to Charticon in August.

Cali 3 times in 5 years. How original Doesn't HasTak want anyone elses money?

Looks like I'll be saving my money to go to both BotCon and Slagacon.

Yea and next year is a movie year so you know where it's gonna be.......i say we boycott funpub. Too bad they already got my money for the subscription service. Sometimes i don't know what they are thinking. Oh well the money i would've spent there will get me perseus AND uranoS

California?

Guess who isn't going this year (as usual, sadly).

Just have to remember Charticon whenever it comes up. What are the dates for that again?

Looks like unless Anime Expo is good this year, or I move, I will be going to Botcon! It's just a 3-4 hour drive from where I live!

New York is never going to see botcon again is it, hey hasbro how about changing it up a bit and pick different states instead of using the same ones over & over

I know that Fun Pub is based in TX, but damn, show the east coast some love!!

No Botcon for me this year.

I swear that is the CDT red alert mold in the left of the picture...

As for location... Oh well, I'm still in Asia.

gavinfuzzy wrote:I swear that is the CDT red alert mold in the left of the picture...

Yeah, I tried to take a look at the (blurry) artwork in the back.

My eyesight is crap already, trying to look at it just gave me a massive headache.

So, is Botcon wanting people not to come? This is, yet again, a deal breaker for me. I'm starting to wonder if Hasbro knows that there are other states aside from California. Why not hold it on the east coast? I hear Atlanta is a pretty darn big city with a very capable airport.

I'm not booking a four hour flight to California to buy toys that I could have mailed to me instead. Sorry Hasbro, not getting my money at Botcon this year.

gavinfuzzy wrote:I swear that is the CDT red alert mold in the left of the picture...

As for location... Oh well, I'm still in Asia.

I always wondered why no one has done a Machine Wars Soundwave out of that mold. COuld this be th year?

As for BotCon...

F*#k you FunPub. Screwing everyone east of the ROckies as usual. I miss the Chicago shows. I won't be going. DOn't they watch the news about the damned economy? You really want to hold it in one of the most expensive cities in the US? I seriously want to punch someone in the face...

Glad to at least know the date and location.

heh ... can't go because it's more than a four hour plane flight?

Think of all the international fans who can't make it.

Mindmaster wrote:California?

Guess who isn't going this year (as usual, sadly).

Just have to remember Charticon whenever it comes up. What are the dates for that again?

Charticon is in Charlotte North Carolina from August 9-11. I think it's there first year but it looks like a number of siebertronians are going. Jon 3.0 is even a guest.

Burn wrote:heh ... can't go because it's more than a four hour plane flight?

Think of all the international fans who can't make it.

It's not the flight so much as the distance. Work week for me tipicaly is 6 days a week, 8 hour days with three different rotating shifts. Now, I know that no two people's circumstances are the same, but, more often than not, I just can't get time off for things that are out of driving distance xD.

Having defended my reasons for being unable to book a four hour flight, I think it's safe to say that there are others who are kinda miffed about the convention and it's love of California besides myself xD.

International fans...well...you guys just get the short end of the Hasbro stick all the time D=. Except for having access to awesome figures, of course...like G1 Overlord xD

Heh, I'm in Florida and this will be my eighth year going. Cali is cool and at least it's a different place this time. I loved Pasadena since everything was convenient to get to. Hoping for a similar experience here.

FracturedKoi wrote:Work week for me tipicaly is 6 days a week, 8 hour days with three different rotating shifts.

40-46 hours a week for me depending on how much work there is to do. Plus maybe 4-6 hours a month in community groups.

Having defended my reasons for being unable to book a four hour flight, I think it's safe to say that there are others who are kinda miffed about the convention and it's love of California besides myself xD.

Well i'm just miffed about it always being in America.

But then again, it's organised by FunPub. They probably need to stay close to their bunker for the next time they screw up and have to go into hiding.

International fans...well...you guys just get the short end of the Hasbro stick all the time D=. Except for having access to awesome figures, of course...like G1 Overlord xD

No no, it's not Hasbro's fault. It's the retailers who insist on ridiculously jacking up the retail prices!

WTF? Really? SD gets Comicon and now Botcon? I'm super pissed...it's dang time the show came back to Midwest. I really thought a return to Chicago was in the works. But heck no... much easier and cheaper for child labor produced figures to come into California and for the entire rest of US to eat the extra costs and extreme scalping. Not to mention what shipping from California costs. Botcon organizers can suck it. Looks like I'll be saving money again this year. Total Buzzkill.

How interesting. In order to afford this trip I would have to stop buying Transformers for the year.

An east coast, or even Great Lakes location might have been doable. Oh well.

FunPub...screw up? Oh they'd neeeeever do that, Burn xD. What's the closets thing y'all have to a Botcon anyhow?

FracturedKoi wrote:What's the closets thing y'all have to a Botcon anyhow?

Ron and I running into each other at a garage sale.

Calling Jason from up from downstairs at work when I get a new TF in the mail.

was just thinking of all the Midwest cities that have seen a gijoecon in the last few years......Indianapolis, st Louis etc. i would have thought that would be in California this year with retaliation coming out in may. Would love to get a botcon that is at least near those. Last one was in 2008 in Cincinnati. After that it went Pasadena, Orlando, Pasadena, Dallas, and now San Diego. Does Funpub have something against the rest of the country? No wonder their forums weren't up and running when they announced this, they didn't want the backlash.

No cons at all? Gah xD

It's amazing at how "mature" some of these fans are. Do they take the time to learn, much less realize, how complicated it is to set up a convention?

Lets say that it comes to the east coast. This would cost them extra when it comes to shipping their computers and extra supplies. Then there is the fact that if anything does happen, they are that much further from their base of operations. And atop of that, they are not guaranteed the same numbers that they traditionally get in the areas they seem to focus on.

Mind you guys, my first Anime Expo was in 2007. So if you want to complain about the location, then compare it to what might be the last Anime Expo in Long Beach. Now consider the fact that the very same thing could happen to Fun Pub, and how much more complicated it would be if you guys had it your way and they managed to go to the east coast. Mind you, this was reported as one of their worst years, but it can also happen to Botcon.

Point being is that you guys are supposed to be fans... Not children who have a meltdown just because they figured the best location is closer to their base of operations and should have an even larger number of fans there. And if you want a convention over there, then find the means of having one brought there! Or even write to Fun Pub suggesting that the 2014 Botcon should be closer to the east coast.

Either way, wasting your time chewing them out and having fits just because you did not have things your way reflects poorly on you, the fan. Those outside this forum may also ignorantly bunch the rest of us to you, causing the fanbase here to appear like we are a preschool... Not a site-based fanbase. And I can even dig deeper, but I will not as I had this kind of behavior kill the fun I had elsewhere. Do not need to be reminded of that. So I will just say this - You have the following options:

1) Attend Botcon and hope the decision was worth it.
2) Not attend Botcon and hope the decision was worth it.

Either way, you can always look for or help organize smaller events with like-minded fans... Write to Fun Pub in BOTH a constructive AND respectful manner suggesting areas that may be a good spot for Botcon 2014... AND always look for east-coast Transformers conventions that you can attend. Because the difference between this and the fits are simple: Your reputation is based on what decisions you make, not what you own and/or how many Transformers you own. So if you want a good reputation, do what is right for your share of the community - Not what you want to do.

Just saying.

ive found a lot of comments saying 'its like they want botcon to fail' quite hilarious today, its possibly the stupidest comment ive ever heard in this fandom.

no they dont, and it wont.

KUMA-NIN Maximus is totally right, if i was based in one part of the country, id hold a con in that part of the country. the logistics and practicality of transporting gear across a continent is damn expensive, and no matter how many butthurt fans might say 'well we pay them enought money' the simple fact is no, you probably dont, not enough to potentially double the cost and time involved in running the show. Every year i have to accept i wont make it to botcon or tfcon, because its just too expensive to justify, fine im an international, but if youre on one seaboard and the con is on another, then just accept youre missing a crowded, sweaty, smelly convention hall and occasionally piss poor customer service, buy the figures online and ask a bro to give you updates from the con. I went to Auto Assembly last year and messaged a mate that couldnt go with updates all weekend, it really cheered him up, thats a bro thing to do. please nobody respond to this with their armchair business opinions on why it IS financially viable to run cons on the west coast or whatever, because its funpub and hasbros call, not our, so its just wasted text.

as the fella above me said, go or dont go. its simple, make the sacrifice and accept somebody closer to the con gets to spend less money on the trip than you, or dont go. stay home and live your life. acting like whiney entitled children is not ok, its makes the rest of us that CAN take dissappointment like a grown up look guilty by association.

I know it's about making money, but i think i would rather them come out and say "hey, we're going to have botcon in California every year." This way there's no getting hopes up for most people just to be let down and allow those who may need some extra time to save the option. As for me the question isn't about cost it's about having a toddler that can no way take a 30+ hour car trip, it would add days to the plan. Ideally they should take a cue from wizard world cons and have multiple cons in different locations. Their VIP packages cost almost as much as botcon without the toys, and (no offense) have bigger celebrities to boot. I doubt that will ever happen but it would shut a lot of us up that are saying California, again? We could go to botcon Chicago, our botcon Philly, or wherever. I think most of us would just like it to go Cali, Cali, Pittsburgh, Cali, Cali, St Louis, Cali, Cali, Boston. Or something to that effect. I also think it hurts because the first few years they went Texas, Kentucky, Rhode island, Ohio, California, Orlando. It was a good mix criss crossing areas, every few years it was in your neck of the woods, whether that was.

Looks like I'll be saving my time and money this year. San Diego is way too far, and I've gone to southern California once in each of the last 2 years. (To BotCon 2011 and to visit friends this summer) I'm kinda tired of looking at desert. And the convention is way too much of a hassle any more. Not worth all the hoopla. Maybe, if I didn't have to go so far, and the exclusives were much better, I would have considered it.

BTW, FunPub, you do realize there's more to the United States than California, right?

I'm still curious as to what molds they will use for the Machine Wars set, If it's something really interesting, with a good paint scheme, I might order the set through the mail. Or split it with someone here. Again.

F*ck...even though I'm fortunate that it's only a 45 min drive from OC I'm not sure if it's doable for me to attend. Sorry to read about all the disappointments on the location this year. I personally give props to those who travel internationally to attend a Botcon...wow!


So can anyone give a guestimate the cost needed in fees alone to attend the whole event not including hotels and other?

Figures that it's back in Cali...

Waaaaaaaay to expensive to make that trek & attend. Wish it'd come to the north east :/

For those of you complaining about the location, Seibertron.com's traffic from the past year should say all you need to know about why they keep going to California. There are almost double the number of visitors from Texas. The largest number of Transformers fans in one state, plus Universal Studios Transformers ride, plus Hasbro Studios and many of the actors and voice actors are out in California.

My only complaint is that I wish they'd just pick a place and pick a weekend and have it there every year at the same time. It'd make planning our lives around this event much easier. This hobby has gotten way too big to have a traveling circus every year for our convention. They'd gain a lot more business if it was in the same location and same time so that people could plan a trip around it.

KUMA-NIN Maximus wrote:It's amazing at how "mature" some of these fans are. Do they take the time to learn, much less realize, how complicated it is to set up a convention?

We're fully aware, quite a few of us know the people who run or have been to several of the smaller conventions. We've also had the experiences of Botcon first hand....

Lets say that it comes to the east coast. This would cost them extra when it comes to shipping their computers and extra supplies. Then there is the fact that if anything does happen, they are that much further from their base of operations. And atop of that, they are not guaranteed the same numbers that they traditionally get in the areas they seem to focus on.

You do realize that Fun Pub is located in Fort Worth, Texas, right? Southern California is just as far away as doing anything in the Great Lakes, Midwest, or East Coast. As for walk ins, which seems to be the only number Hasbro/Fun Pub care about, that really depends on the relative location to a large population center. Obviously Chicago or Los Angeles will have more walk ins than Lexington, KY or San Diego.

Mind you guys, my first Anime Expo was in 2007. So if you want to complain about the location, then compare it to what might be the last Anime Expo in Long Beach. Now consider the fact that the very same thing could happen to Fun Pub, and how much more complicated it would be if you guys had it your way and they managed to go to the east coast. Mind you, this was reported as one of their worst years, but it can also happen to Botcon.

It may be coincidence, but have you thought about the location being a factor as to why Anime Expo is ending? Botcon has been rumored to desiring a permanent spot in Southern California. What makes you think the same thing won't happen if they do that too?

Point being is that you guys are supposed to be fans... Not children who have a meltdown just because they figured the best location is closer to their base of operations and should have an even larger number of fans there. And if you want a convention over there, then find the means of having one brought there! Or even write to Fun Pub suggesting that the 2014 Botcon should be closer to the east coast.

Again, you are aware their base of operations is in Texas, right? Can't even say Hasbro's HQ is there, as that is in Providence, Rhode Island. I personally think the outcry is that 4 out of the last 9 Botcons have been in Southern California. Chances are, with Movie 4 coming out next year, it will again be in San Diego/Pasadena. So that makes 5 of the last 10. HALF! Considering Botcon originally started in the Great Lakes area (Indiana to be precise) and it was known for moving around, to get stuck in this Southern California rut is a turn off to quite a few people.

Either way, wasting your time chewing them out and having fits just because you did not have things your way reflects poorly on you, the fan. Those outside this forum may also ignorantly bunch the rest of us to you, causing the fanbase here to appear like we are a preschool... Not a site-based fanbase. And I can even dig deeper, but I will not as I had this kind of behavior kill the fun I had elsewhere. Do not need to be reminded of that. So I will just say this - You have the following options:

1) Attend Botcon and hope the decision was worth it.
2) Not attend Botcon and hope the decision was worth it.

It's easy to put yourself on a pedestal when the convention is in your backyard. Hell, it's easy to wish for a permanent location...when you live near that location. Point is, the majority of the fandom does not live in Southern California and to continue to stay in that small corner of the country is beginning to take it's toll on the American fandom.

Either way, you can always look for or help organize smaller events with like-minded fans... Write to Fun Pub in BOTH a constructive AND respectful manner suggesting areas that may be a good spot for Botcon 2014... AND always look for east-coast Transformers conventions that you can attend. Because the difference between this and the fits are simple: Your reputation is based on what decisions you make, not what you own and/or how many Transformers you own. So if you want a good reputation, do what is right for your share of the community - Not what you want to do.
Just saying.

And that's why Dairycon, Slagacon, Charticon, and TFCon exist. As you will notice, all these conventions are in the north and the east. There is a serious vacuum left open with the absense of Botcon in the northeast. People have tried to influence Botcons decision making, but nothing the fandom will say will affect it.

As long as Botcon stays in the southern 1/3 of the country, I won't be going. I'll instead opt for the other smaller conventions and possibly TFCon.

Nemesis Destron wrote:F*ck...even though I'm fortunate that it's only a 45 min drive from OC I'm not sure if it's doable for me to attend. Sorry to read about all the disappointments on the location this year. I personally give props to those who travel internationally to attend a Botcon...wow!


So can anyone give a guestimate the cost needed in fees alone to attend the whole event not including hotels and other?

If you want all of the exclusives, it should cost about $600 for the Primus package (which includes the box set, the "free" attendee figure, attendance to the event) as well as the 1/2 dozen or so exclusives you can only buy at the show itself (for a total of 12 or 13 exclusive figures). If there's something you don't want, you sell it and it goes toward lowering your cost of the convention.

Totally agree with Fender Bender. My question is, if California is so great for making money on conventions, why didn't Funpub put gijoecon there as much also? It's only been there twice in 11 years. The keep mixing up regions for it why not botcon?

Fender Bender wrote:It's easy to put yourself on a pedestal when the convention is in your backyard. Hell, it's easy to wish for a permanent location...when you live near that location. Point is, the majority of the fandom does not live in Southern California and to continue to stay in that small corner of the country is beginning to take it's toll on the American fandom.

You guys are wrong about this "majority" idea. California's got the largest piece of the pie according to Seibertron.com's traffic map from the past year. That should say all you guys need to know about why California keeps getting picked (that, and the fact that Activision, Hasbro Studios, Paramount, IDW, Universal Studios and many of the actors and talent reside in California).

I've never pondered this before ... it's probably a lot cheaper for them to have the convention exclusives shipped from a receiving port in California to a location in California than it is to ship that massive amount of exclusives from the shipping port to somewhere else in the country. Can you imagine their cost to ship the exclusives to the northeast part of the country?

With all due respect Ryan, just because Chicago has the most Bears fans, doesn't mean they should play all their games at home.

Same with Botcon.

Fender Bender wrote:With all due respect Ryan, just because Chicago has the most Bears fans, doesn't mean they should play all their games at home.

Same with Botcon.

That doesn't make any sense at all and is a poor comparison. A football team has to travel to play other teams. It's not about traveling so that fans in other locations can see their favorite team play football.

Seibertron wrote:

Fender Bender wrote:With all due respect Ryan, just because Chicago has the most Bears fans, doesn't mean they should play all their games at home.

Same with Botcon.

That doesn't make any sense at all and is a poor comparison. A football team has to travel to play other teams. It's not about traveling so that fans in other locations can see their favorite team play football.

I disagree. If that was 100% the case, there would be no inter-conference football.

Anyway, you're looking at the stats you posted that 1 million out of 8 million is a majority because no other single state has as many.

I look at it that 7 million of those 8 million visitors don't live in California. So if you're going to stay in an area with 1 million and allienate 7 million, I don't see the logic. At best, they should come back more often to California than other staes, but it shouldn't be there 1/2 the time or more when only 1/8 the population is there.

Fender Bender wrote:I look at it that 7 million of those 8 million visitors don't live in California. So if you're going to stay in an area with 1 million and allienate 7 million, I don't see the logic. At best, they should come back more often to California than other staes, but it shouldn't be there 1/2 the time or more when only 1/8 the population is there.

What about the cost of shipping the exclusives from the shipping port to elsewhere in the country?

What about the cost of the talent (or rather the lack of when it is not in California)?

What about IDW, Activision, Universal Studios, Paramount, etc being out in California?

Last year, there was very little talent in Texas and IDW wasn't even there.

How are you able to compare what they're able to do with BotCon when it's in California versus when it's elsewhere when you haven't been to one on the west coast before? If you were at BotCon 2011 in Pasadena and BotCon 2012 in Texas ... you know the difference. BotCon 2011 was amazing ... the sheer amount of talent that attended was really awesome, especially when compared to how little talent was in Texas.

I think there is a good way of settling this. FunPub and all other participants of BotCon (HasTak, etc.) should do an official poll on their website. The question should be "What is the main draw for fans to the convention?" If the majority vote for the talent, then it's a valued argument. If they vote for the exclusives, the cost of shipping them to CA vs. anywhere else is also a valued argument. The point is, whatever the fans choose as THE main reason for their attendance is the valued argument. It's a good way of settling this debate.

I see the point of saving costs by having it in CA all the time. I also agree with you, Ryan, about them picking at date and location and sticking with it. But until they do, it just looks like favoritism and quite frankly, laziness.

I do agree with Fender Bender on his statement about the stats. Just because 1/8 of the traffic on this site comes from CA, doesn't mean it's a clear winner for the location. There's the other 7/8 of the fandom. Granted, people from AZ, OR, WA, even some other Western states might not mind as much, but some of us on the East Coast can't make the trip every single year. Especially when the exclusives aren't really that appealing. But then, I guess it comes down to the reason a fan wants to attend. The atmosphere? The talent? Etc.

My 1st (and for the forseeable future my last) BotCon was in 2011, so I'm probably a bit spoiled. That event was worth the trip, even if it was with 3 women all on their periods. No joke.

There is always gonna be complaining from people who wish it was in their backyard. Botcon, like anything else one wants in life requires some commitment. I was fortunate enough to have one in my home state in 2011 and just over an hour of travel to get to as well. However, I have attended the ones in Cali too, because I choose to. I commit to making it happen. If I want something badly enough, I will make it work. Complaining about it certainly won't cause the location to be changed. I'm not tickled pink about the heightened travel cost to the other end of the country. I am happy it's in a place I have never been though. Bottom line is, man up and go or don't. No one needs to hear (or read) the constant bickering every year about where the con is held.

Fender Bender wrote:We're fully aware, quite a few of us know the people who run or have been to several of the smaller conventions. We've also had the experiences of Botcon first hand....

And have you experienced first-hand what did happen at Anime Expo in 2007? Besides the overbooking of guests, as their excuse was that many did not respond in time... They did not explain the poor organization. As in the questioning of where the lines were. Why the staff had no clue where any events outside the convention were. And even the fact that the Long Beach Auditorium security being implemented against their wishes. And add this to the combination of heat and humidity that could cause a person with a lesser constitution to pass out.

The point is that Anime Expo is based on an organization that owns it, which means that they can make any changes needed and still function fine. Fun Pub does not have that benefit as they are on a constant tightrope wire. Meaning that atop of them licensing the rights to do anything with Transformers, they also know that any missteps can cause them to lose the rights to this convention, much less cease being a publication tied to this franchise. Which is why they have to play it safe and go with areas that they are very familiar with, can get the best rates at that time, and can be beneficial if any contingency plans need to be enforced.

You do realize that Fun Pub is located in Fort Worth, Texas, right? Southern California is just as far away as doing anything in the Great Lakes, Midwest, or East Coast. As for walk ins, which seems to be the only number Hasbro/Fun Pub care about, that really depends on the relative location to a large population center. Obviously Chicago or Los Angeles will have more walk ins than Lexington, KY or San Diego.

And I am also aware that I am neither ignorant nor stupid. However, your responses have me think you do not fully comprehend that. So here is the simple clue: I am not.

As we speak, I am looking at the locations that BotCon was held - Both before and after Brian Savage of Fun Publications was in charge of this convention. As in (from 2005-2012)... Texas, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Ohio, California, Florida, California, and Texas. Oh wait, I'm on a pedestal. So I should not point out that they never held it in San Diego... And have held it in the east coast ever since their acquisition of BotCon.

Now add the changes and challenges they have faced each and every time they were in those areas. Add the fact that earlier this year, they had security breaches. Add the fact that they are making changes to how they handle TFCC. Add the fact that there are factors to these things.

And San Diego? Do you have a clue how much there is to do there? SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo/Safari Walk, beaches, a short drive to Lego Land, shopping districts, and other things that would allow a Botcon attendee to do when they are not at Botcon.

It may be coincidence, but have you thought about the location being a factor as to why Anime Expo is ending? Botcon has been rumored to desiring a permanent spot in Southern California. What makes you think the same thing won't happen if they do that too?

Anime Expo was reformatted due to the major issues that they faced. Look it up. Because their current location was in part of the fact that those in charge of the 2007 event were replaced. They also signed a lease in hopes of preventing that issue from repeating. And everything else you will find if you chose to stop being dismissive of the facts.

Botcon is a different case. From its debut to now, only two organizations controlled it. And the locations were as follow:

1994: Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana -- July 16 [3]
1995: Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio -- August 5–6 [4]
1996: Radisson Hotel Rosemont (formerly Clarion Resort Rosemont), Rosemont, Illinois -- July 12–14 [5]
1997: Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, New York -- July 18–20
BotCon Japan 1997: Science and Technology Hall, Tokyo, Japan -- June 8
1998: Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California -- June 19–21
BotCon Japan 1998: Sevencity Hall, Tokyo, Japan—December 12–13
1999: Touchstone Energy Place (formerly RiverCentre), St. Paul, Minnesota -- July 16–18
BotCon Europe 1999: Barnabas Center, London, United Kingdom -- August 13–14
2000: Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana—July 28–30
BotCon Japan 2000: Trade and Industry Center, Tokyo, Japan—December 17
2001: Durham Marriott Civic Center, Durham, North Carolina -- July 13–15
2002: Grand Wayne Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana—July 26–28
BotCon Europe 2002: Wolsey Hall, Cheshunt, United Kingdom—November 3
OTFCC 2003: Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois—July 25–27
OTFCC 2004: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois—July 31 - August 1
BotCon 2004: Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena, California -- June 19–20
2005: Embassy Suites, Frisco, Texas -- September 22–25
2006: Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, Kentucky -- September 27 - October 1
2007: Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island, Hasbro's home state, the weekend before the live-action Transformers movie was released—June 28 - July 1
2008: Duke Energy Center, Cincinnati, Ohio -- April 24–27
2009: Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena, California—May 28–31
2010: Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida—June 24–27
2011: Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena, California—June 2–5
2012: Hyatt Regency Dallas, Dallas, Texas -- April 26–29

In other words, California held it 5 times. And only twice was it run by Fun Pub. But even then, they have made it clear that they are making changes that will allow them to continue doing this. So if they feel if it is beneficial to run it in California, then there is a reason for it.

Again, you are aware their base of operations is in Texas, right? Can't even say Hasbro's HQ is there, as that is in Providence, Rhode Island. I personally think the outcry is that 4 out of the last 9 Botcons have been in Southern California. Chances are, with Movie 4 coming out next year, it will again be in San Diego/Pasadena. So that makes 5 of the last 10. HALF! Considering Botcon originally started in the Great Lakes area (Indiana to be precise) and it was known for moving around, to get stuck in this Southern California rut is a turn off to quite a few people.

And you also know that you are not making a good case for your ignorance, right? You state 9, yet only 7 of the 18 were done by Fun Pub. You also dismissed the fact that I am talking about the business end and the possible limitations that they are facing. The history, the risks, and everything else you are ignoring. Their location does not say what states dictate failure or success, only where they are stationed. The location they choose dictates the difference between failure and success.

So when it came to their run, they seem to have success in Pasadena, as dictated by the fact that it was held at the same place twice. The rest, even those overseas, were held once. Why? Because of everything from bookings to technical and financial issues tend to disallow a series-specific convention to be held in the same location twice. That is, unless they decided to shrink it down and house it in a financially safe region, and do not care that it is a shadow of its former glory.

It's easy to put yourself on a pedestal when the convention is in your backyard. Hell, it's easy to wish for a permanent location...when you live near that location. Point is, the majority of the fandom does not live in Southern California and to continue to stay in that small corner of the country is beginning to take it's toll on the American fandom.

I live in Oxnard, California (look it up). That is 186 miles north of San Diego. I make $625 a month, with an estimated $225 going towards bills and other expenses. Now add the amount of gas it would cost me just to attend even a single day. And also add the fact that I am also in talks of possibility of attending Anime Expo within the same week. That is held in Los Angeles, once again, and I will be lucky not to pay for gas and parking. Atop of that, I am on the verge of needing my car replaced... I need to have all my current Transformers (see list below) be graded by AFA... And have other expenses that may disallow me to attend Anime Expo for a second year.

Yeah... If I am on a pedestal, then it must also mean that Botcon is also hosted by Rod Sterling, and is going to be seen in the Twilight Zone.

And that's why Dairycon, Slagacon, Charticon, and TFCon exist. As you will notice, all these conventions are in the north and the east. There is a serious vacuum left open with the absense of Botcon in the northeast. People have tried to influence Botcons decision making, but nothing the fandom will say will affect it.

And that is also why I did what you chose to do: Use facts and logic. Such as the fact that from 1994-2012, BotCon was held within the eastern portion of the United States. It was only held in one area twice. And if you bothered doing your research, you will also find that the decision is based on the fact they want to test out another region of California... And can always choose to go to a different state if it does not work out for them.

As long as Botcon stays in the southern 1/3 of the country, I won't be going. I'll instead opt for the other smaller conventions and possibly TFCon.

And as long as you keep up this attitude, you will never receive the respect you seem to think you deserve. Because your fanbase is based on your attitude. And since your attitude towards this sucks, it means you can either be treated the way you are acting... Or get over it and hope that the fans who attend have fun. Up to you, as I don't give a damn about those who have to be the way you acted when there are those who have managed to grow up and move on.

Rodimus Prime wrote:I think there is a good way of settling this. FunPub and all other participants of BotCon (HasTak, etc.) should do an official poll on their website. The question should be "What is the main draw for fans to the convention?" If the majority vote for the talent, then it's a valued argument. If they vote for the exclusives, the cost of shipping them to CA vs. anywhere else is also a valued argument. The point is, whatever the fans choose as THE main reason for their attendance is the valued argument. It's a good way of settling this debate.

I see the point of saving costs by having it in CA all the time. I also agree with you, Ryan, about them picking at date and location and sticking with it. But until they do, it just looks like favoritism and quite frankly, laziness.

I do agree with Fender Bender on his statement about the stats. Just because 1/8 of the traffic on this site comes from CA, doesn't mean it's a clear winner for the location. There's the other 7/8 of the fandom. Granted, people from AZ, OR, WA, even some other Western states might not mind as much, but some of us on the East Coast can't make the trip every single year. Especially when the exclusives aren't really that appealing. But then, I guess it comes down to the reason a fan wants to attend. The atmosphere? The talent? Etc.

My 1st (and for the forseeable future my last) BotCon was in 2011, so I'm probably a bit spoiled. That event was worth the trip, even if it was with 3 women all on their periods. No joke.

Just for the record, TOMY has no say in the United States. They allowed it to be held twice in Japan, but show no real regard for it to be a staple among their fan-based events.

Also, Fender Bender also dismissed a large number of other facts tied to this decision. Such as availability, costs, risks, and who can attend when it comes to selling their wares. Because even if 7/8th of the fandom says they will go if it is held in the east coast, it does not guarantee that they will. It also does not guarantee that they will obtain a quality (read: issue-free) convention center, sales persons that will be willing to follow any or all regulations, and the security for the fans outside the convention center (or hotel). Plus, also, it does not also guarantee that every fan is guaranteed a chance to attend the convention... As a larger location with better security and other aspects could turn a $20 entry fee into a $50 entry fee - And that does not include any real extras.

Then again, he dismissed a lot of what I said despite ignoring the previous locations, as well as the fact that my "back yard" is 186 miles away... And that I even said I might attend Anime Expo, which costs around $50 to attend.

KUMA-NIN Maximus wrote:Fun Pub does not have that benefit as they are on a constant tightrope wire. Meaning that atop of them licensing the rights to do anything with Transformers, they also know that any missteps can cause them to lose the rights to this convention, much less cease being a publication tied to this franchise. Which is why they have to play it safe and go with areas that they are very familiar with, can get the best rates at that time, and can be beneficial if any contingency plans need to be enforced.

Tight rope? Yeah ... if they were on a tight rope that credit card fiasco should have cost them the rights already.

And I am also aware that I am neither ignorant nor stupid. However, your responses have me think you do not fully comprehend that. So here is the simple clue: I am not.

He never said you were. Don't try to turn this into a flame war.

Oh wait, I'm on a pedestal.

And you also know that you are not making a good case for your ignorance, right?

And as long as you keep up this attitude, you will never receive the respect you seem to think you deserve. Because your fanbase is based on your attitude. And since your attitude towards this sucks, it means you can either be treated the way you are acting... Or get over it and hope that the fans who attend have fun. Up to you, as I don't give a damn about those who have to be the way you acted when there are those who have managed to grow up and move on.

Any further attitude like this towards other members will result in a warning. Just stop it now. Whether you feel Fender Bender deserves respect or not, you don't need to take that attitude towards him.

Let's all discuss this without turning it into personal attacks.

Ryan, that map was very interesting showing the traffic from the website. I do want to bring up an interesting point though.

The traffic numbers are skewed for California because, of the 300,000,000 people in the US, full 1/6th of this population lives in California. By that fact, that California only has 1/8th of the Seibertron traffic indicates a lower level of usage per capita than other states. This means a LOWER INTEREST LEVEL in Califonia. If it was directly indicative of the state's population percentage in the country, then 1/6th of the traffic should come from that state. So any argument using those numbers is technically invalid. ALso, by the same argument, ALL conventions should be in SoCal because that is where the most people are. If you continually host in the same location, you are also not spreading the brand as effectively as you could be by varying the location. If I were them I would be looking more at numbers like your "new web hits"; if you have increasing interest, a convention in that area could conceivably cement the growth of that brand in the area.

ANd it WILL be in Pasadena next year.

As for those talking the lack of star power in Dallas vs SoCal, that basically says that BotCon does not hold much weight from a marketing or sales standpoint, or general appeal. If it were really going to be a profitable trip, they would go no matter where it was.

Having read a lot of these posts, I would like to chime in with a few things. I do hope to receive some constructive criticism. I would like to point out responses framed along the lines of the resident great bear ninja will be ignored - I'm rather disappointed to see those; truth be told.

Funpub's Shipping Charges: We, as consumers for FunPub; are getting shafted on shipping. I was in the middle of putting together a mailing package for my employer based on FunPub's shipping and found a good mailing company could save FunPub 25% - 30% on shipping costs. Whether this is because FunPub doesn't try to find lower shipping or merely charges the consumer more to bolster profits is irrelevant; all FunPub consumers are getting screwed in shipping costs from FunPub. In terms of BotCon, if shipping into a port in CA and then air dropping it on the East Coast is too expensive, charter a ship that goes through the Panama Canal or around South America. Another couple weeks would be needed in planning. It would certainly cost less than Air, yet not much more than accepting shipment in California.

Seibertron made a good comment about saving money for BotCon by placing it where it is easily accessible by talent. I would like to mention FunPub could offset a great deal of costs by hosting BotCon on the East Shore. California is a miserably expensive state to visit. Hotel rooms, food, travel - many of these things are cheaper (outside of New York City, Orlando, and few more) on the East Coast. Room rates alone can be as low as half of what major cities in CA charge. This is part of the draw of Baltimore and its convention center.

Seibertron.com's traffic from CA is likely due to the number of major metropolitan centers compared to other states. Compare San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco to Chicago. Or even New York. At least Texas has Houston and Austin; Pennsylvania has Philly and Pittsburgh.

The East Coast also has the best snack food; period. Forget Rold Gold; I got Martin's and Utz. Junk food alone is the perfect draw for a fan crowd.

(Edit) Apologies - two more things: The point of all this is any cost associated to FunPub to hold it in another part of the country should be considered minimal. While I personally would have loved BotCon on the East Coast again since I've never gone; I'll wait or scrimp and save the money if I really want it.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate it.