Hello all,
Phoenix Comicon is coming up quickly and I can’t wait to see everyone. I wanted to get a thread started to see if anyone had any ideas for a dinner meetup during the Con. 
If we’re all planning to attend the Time Lord Ball, then I think doing something Friday makes sense, but I’m open. I’ll be there by 2 or 3 on Friday and then for the rest of the weekend. I have to work graduation Thursday night.
I have put in for Friday through Sunday off at work, and have reserved a hotel room for thursday through Sunday. I plan on arriving thursday evening… But I have not put together an agenda yet, so I am open to ideas. I think the place we went to last time worked out well, but I am always open to meeting at some of the various balls as well. And my number has changed, it is now 480 729-4439.
Will be at the con Friday and Saturday, would be happy to see anyone and everyone at some time.
Just ordered some swag to wear at the convention. Getting pumped and excited to hang out there and hopefully see some GWCers…
I tried not to get carried away, and leave gaps for eatting/shopping/meeting but there is just sooo much to see. And Friday had the Timelord party going opposite the High School of the Dead party which sucked, so relucantly I decided that the Timelord party would be much more PC for fellow GWCers so I put that down on my schedule. And I had no gaps in my Sat schedule to go to the Maid Cafe which reeeeeeeeeally bummed me out. And Friday some sh*t is simply going to be missed or I will be leaving early cause stuff overlaps and/or I have to run from one side of the con to the other to make the following event/panel… 
[u][b]THUR
[/b][/u]Hellgirl 8-10pm
[u][b]FRI
[/b][/u]How to Speak Japanese 101 10:30
How to Speak Japanese 102 12:00
World Building 1:30
Movie Mashup 3pm
The world of Starchild and Fool’s Hollow 4:30
The state of Trek 6pm
Kazha Concert 7pm
Midnight Movies 7:30
Talk Nerdy to Me 8pm
Doctor Who: Party like Timelord 10pm
[b][u]SAT
[/u][/b]Maid Cafes 101 10:30am
William Shatner 1:30
Eureka panel 3pm
AMV Comedy Hour or Mixing Genres not sure which yet 4:30
Geek Cabaret 6pm
Don’t Wet The Bed 7:30 (scary video games)
Double Feature: First Squad and Redline 9pm
[u][b]SUN
[/b][/u]FanFic 10:30am
Micro Publishing 1:30
Who? The different Doctors explained 3pm
Anime Obscuro 4:30
I will be swilling bottles of Monster and 5 hour Energy …
How many of us are planning to be at Dr Who Dance? Perhaps that’s the best spot for a meetup.
Aimee and I have tickets Saturday evening for Storytime with Wil Wheaton.
I will be there as well, I have listened to him do dramatic readings of some of his writings before. He is quite entertaining…
Had a great time. Going all four days gave me a better feel for the event and I can plan next years scheduling out better. Leveled up on my camera, need to get a strap for it so it is more readily available and to put fresh batteries in it so it does not die before the convention is over. Also to bring charger for phone next year…
The geek community was every bit as polite and courteous as last year, no fights or pushing despite the crowds and choke points. Great costumes, and they are always willing to have their pictures taken; and the crowds are used to it and avoid getting in your way while you take the picture. The volunteers were every bit as competent as last year, polite and helpful. Getting into the exhibit hall this year was not the nightmare it was last year, kudos for that. But the con has grown and they need to put some of the events into larger rooms, Aimee and I were both prevented from getting into presentations we wanted to attend because the rooms were not big enough to accommodate the large number of attendees that wanted to participate.
The Anime community had a bigger footprint this year which is inspiring. More screening rooms, and this year there were Host Clubs and maid cafés!!!
I would guesstimate that a good third of the exhibit hall was artists (some damned good ones too), costume makers (some exceptional), prop makers and jewelers. From the number of prints I saw attendees caring around I and the many impressive steampunk costumes I saw I believe these entrepreneurs will be back next year, and that makes me happy. I always feel that you should support that which you love so that it thrives and gives you more in return. And of course I had to get another lightsaber; so I went all out and got the works on my new one.
Got to reunite with some GWCers which was awesome, missed a few which was sad. Thank you to those who took the time to keep in touch and be such gracious hosts, sorry I missed out on meeting those others who attended; maybe next year… And meeting Chuck was the cheery on top of of my Geek weekend, we yakked for hours about everything under the sun, it was a great time. I hope he got as much from it as I did, and that he did not get groped by a TSA agent on his trip back home…
PROS:
Great panels and guests.
Nice facility and nearby hotels.
Good place to recharge your geek batteries.
Wonderful potential to make new friends and learn of local geek clubs.
Exposure to new media, writers and artists.
Rich with Cosplay.
Inspiring as Hell.
The locals get into it, the vendors get a kick out of the costumes, and even the rickshaw operators were wearing costumes!
Great security and lots of volunteers in case you get lost.
If you lose something there is a tremendous chance you will get it back, Geeks are great that way…
CONS:
Growing pains, but I am sure the sponsors will adjust.
A few panelists were very unprepared, some never even showed.
Some rooms were down right cold. I wanted to go slice open a Tauntan to try and keep Dawn from shivering.
A few of the local vendors were unprepared for just how many people were going to descend on the area, and were understaffed or running out of product.
The hotels elevators snafu’d late Sat evening, had to climb up 17 floors to get to my room.
It cost a pretty penny to hangout there, but it was worth it. Whenever my plans had to change or I needed to drop off some of my booty, I had a place to go to. And that was wonderful. And it was kinda nice to have someone else prepare my meals for a change… It would have hurt more had I not found a parking garage right near the hotel that was less than half the price of the hotel’s parking, and I lucked out on the internet access too, they did not charge for it.
Definitely will go back next year the good lord permitting.
Had a great time. Going all four days gave me a better feel for the event and I can plan next years scheduling out better. Leveled up on my camera, need to get a strap for it so it is more readily available and to put fresh batteries in it so it does not die before the convention is over. Also to bring charger for phone next year…
The geek community was every bit as polite and courteous as last year, no fights or pushing despite the crowds and choke points. Great costumes, and they are always willing to have their pictures taken; and the crowds are used to it and avoid getting in your way while you take the picture. The volunteers were every bit as competent as last year, polite and helpful. Getting into the exhibit hall this year was not the nightmare it was last year, kudos for that. But the con has grown and they need to put some of the events into larger rooms, Aimee and I were both prevented from getting into presentations we wanted to attend because the rooms were not big enough to accommodate the large number of attendees that wanted to participate.
The Anime community had a bigger footprint this year which is inspiring. More screening rooms, and this year there were Host Clubs and maid cafés!!!
I would guesstimate that a good third of the exhibit hall was artists (some damned good ones too), costume makers (some exceptional), prop makers and jewelers. From the number of prints I saw attendees caring around I and the many impressive steampunk costumes I saw I believe these entrepreneurs will be back next year, and that makes me happy. I always feel that you should support that which you love so that it thrives and gives you more in return. And of course I had to get another lightsaber; so I went all out and got the works on my new one.
Got to reunite with some GWCers which was awesome, missed a few which was sad. Thank you to those who took the time to keep in touch and be such gracious hosts, sorry I missed out on meeting those others who attended; maybe next year… And meeting Chuck was the cheery on top of of my Geek weekend, we yakked for hours about everything under the sun, was a great time. I hope he got as much from it as I did, and that he did not get groped by a TSA agent on his trip back home.
PROS:
Great panels and guests.
Nice facility and nearby hotels.
Good place to recharge your geek batteries.
Wonderful potential to make new friends and learn of local geek clubs.
Exposure to new media, writers and artists.
Rich with Cosplay.
Inspiring as Hell.
The locals get into it, the vendors get a kick out of the costumes, and even the rickshaw operators were wearing costumes!
Great security and lots of volunteers in case you get lost.
If you lose something there is a tremendous chance you will get it back, Geeks are great that way…
CONS:
Growing pains, but I am sure the sponsors will adjust.
A few panelists were very unprepared, some never even showed.
Some rooms were down right cold. I wanted to go slice open a Tauntan to try and keep Dawn from shivering.
A few of the local vendors were unprepared for just how many people were going to descend on the area, and were understaffed or running out of product.
The hotels elevators snafu’d late Sat evening, had to climb 18 floors to get to my room. (down one floor to access the stairs, and then wind my way up to the 16th floor)
It cost a pretty penny to hangout there, but it was worth it. Whenever my plans had to change or I needed to drop off some of my booty, I had a place to go to. And that was wonderful. And it was kinda nice to have someone else prepare my meals for a change… It would have hurt more had I not found a parking garage right near the hotel that was less than half the price of the hotel’s parking, and I lucked out on the internet access too, they did not charge for it.
Definitely will go back next year the good lord permitting.
(Took an hour to post this because the site kept crashing)
Will be there Thursday through Sunday. Though my hotel room (base of operations) will be half a mile away, it will still be do-able. Probably no costume this year, going to the Dallas Meetup ate up my costume fund. Uberexcited about the Babylon 5 reunion, and hope to get a photo with Gigi Edgley.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAArrrrghhhh!!! The frakking website is broken, I have tried time and time again to go on the Phoenix ComiCon site futilely looking through the ‘Programming’ section so I can plan out a schedule for what to see and attend. But half of the links are busted, which makes my job; well… impossible. I have Emailed them about it and hopefully they will send me a PDF or something so I can figure this out. :mad: &%$#@*(Making angry Yosemite Sam noises)*&^%$#@#
I can access the web site but the app doesn’t work, it just sits there on “loading”
If I’ve not been clear I shall be there, arriving thursday, leaving Monday moring at silly o’clock. Don’t know my usa number yet, due to the gaps between my visits it changes every time I am over there.
Feel free to pm me, I’ll see if we can arrange to meet, I’m mostly there for babylon 5 related things though, will know my number shortly after I arrive in new hampshire on the evening of the 17th.
Alan
They Emailed me back, said that the problem with the programming pages had been fixed. The links were not actually broken but that the pages were taking so long to load that browsers were ‘timing out’ and posting error messages. So I went on the site and sure enough the pages are now loading… HOO-Frakking-RAH!! Got my ConQuest schedule printed out (with no time to eat, something will have to give…) and I registered for the Wil Wheaton event too. Once again I have no room to squeeze in a Maid Cafe…
Hope to see you there Phaze! 
The local (and epic) nerd revelry known as Phoenix Comicon arrives in less than two weeks!
Some people have been planning for months and months to prepare for this event, while others show up and “go where the con takes them.”
Either method will lead to much enjoyment - it’s hard not to have fun at these things, and I actually prefer a happy medium somewhere between the two – but either way, some basics can help enhance the experience for everyone.
Logistical
I highly recommend bringing a comfortable bag and making sure it has room for the treasures you’ll find, as well as filling it with a few necessities:
[ul]
[li]Bring snacks. Food can get expensive in the convention center, and nearby downtown. It doesn’t hurt to have something at least somewhat healthy and satisfying in your bag.[/li][li]Bring water. I mostly say this for health and safety as there are water coolers all over the convention center, but please carry at least one water bottle with you. It can get hot & crowded sometimes.[/li][li]Bring Cash. Events are catching up with more mobile card technology, but cash is still king at vendor tables.[/li][/ul]Also, chances are you’ll be on your feet much more than you’re used to for an entire weekend. Comfy shoes = good.
Social
Some unspoken rules about spending so much time around so many different geeks:
[ul]
[li]Ask cosplayers for pictures. Most people in costume are happy to stop and pose with you. Just ask first, out of respect and courtesy. If you love their costume, let them know and tell them what you like about it.[/li][li]Be patient. When literally tens of thousands of fans with similar interests get together, statistically, they’re going to congregate around certain things. Like, big celebrity panels, signature events, etc. This can mean lines. Lines can mean waiting. Waiting needs patience. (I recommend using these moments to make friends.)[/li][li]Be respectful. Everyone there has chosen to be involved in Phoenix Comicon at different levels; selling stuff, geeking out, casually observing. Be okay with hardcore fans, and casual participants alike. (I also recommend taking 3 seconds to remind volunteers how awesome they are, every time you get a chance.)[/li][li]It doesn’t matter what people are wearing - there’s never an excuse to harass, cat-call, touch, leer at, or tease anyone. Please don’t be that person.[/li][/ul]Philosophical
Quick perspectives on how to approach the comicon, and get the most out of it:
[ul]
[li]Know the schedule, then explore. There are at least 7 bazillion things going on over the weekend, so make sure you’ve scheduled yourself to be at the events you don’t want to miss. The Phoenix Comiconhas online scheduling tools, as well as phone apps to help with this. But make sure to “float” at least a little. There are rare opportunities all over to find new stories, gain some inside jokes, and meet people you’d never meet in any other setting.[/li][li]Geek out. Seriously… Geek out. Love what you love. Take pictures of everything that makes you smile. Spend way too long talking about your favorite comic books with a vendor. Let loose at The Geek Prom. Go to panels on things you’re curious about. High five the guy wearing the obscure reference t-shirt, and nod to each other[/li][/ul]