Stargate Atlantis: Joe Flanigan at Chicago convention

[wraithfodder]

Well, got this email today from Creation Con...

Great news for our fellow Stargate fans as today we are happy to announce that one of our favorites, JOE FLANIGAN, the star of STARGATE ATLANTIS, will be part of the fun of Creation Entertainment's upcoming Official STARGATE SG-1/ATLANTIS CONVENTION coming to Chicago on AUGUST 21-23, 2009!

Joe joins already announced AMANDA TAPPING and PAUL McGILLION (with lots more to come!)

NOW is the time to grab your top of the line GOLD WEEKEND PACKAGES which set you up "deluxe-style" for the entire weekend. Check out the details at http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgchi.htm and keep watching for more announcements!

CHICAGO, IL AIRPORT AREA
Fri., Sat. & Sun. August 21-23, 2009
Wyndham O'Hare
6810 N. Mannheim Rd.
Rosemont, IL 60018

I would love to see Joe again, but man, $389 for gold, $55 for the autograph... plus I'd have to pay airfare to get there ($200 minimum I'm sure) plus transport to the airport on my end(not cheap no matter what, alas).

Ah, to win Powerball. With the economy in the state it's in, heck, blowing that kind of money for a con is a bit extravagent (looks shiftly at ancient car, which would probably fall apart the weekend before I'd go)

Comments

[vecturist.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about Creation's cons. They're very business first, fun second and expensive, but the Burbank con was convenient for me. However, I think the cons in the UK are a better deal - I'm going to Chevron 7.2 and splurged on the most expensive package - £195 (or $370 with the exchange rate at the time). That includes autographs, photos with each of the guests (plus a group one), and a cocktail party with the guests. Chevron does base seating on what type of ticket you got, but seats aren't assigned - you are assigned a row, which I think I like better.

Luckily plane tickets are cheap (I paid $620), but it's a huge time commitment, since I live in Phoenix and fly from LA (12 hours nonstop LAX to London).

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Having done real conventions over the years, I don't have the highest opinion of Creation (I think the fact they outright lied to me once is part of it). Real conventions have real programming - not just "buy this at auction" or do a trivia contest and win something you've already bought ;) Now, Comic Con is a real convention.

But everything I've read on the web, fans DO enjoy the UK cons a lot. You rarely hear anybody talking about the Creation cons, which is bizarre in itself.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Cocktail parties? All I've ever seen at the NJ cons were 'dessert parties'. Ice cream, cookies if you're lucky. What do you get at cocktail parties??

[vecturist.livejournal.com]

I'll tell you in about a week! From what I understand, there will be alcohol, but it's for the 100 people who purchased the top-tier tickets. It's supposed to last an hour or so with the guests moving around the room - they aren't tables, so people will be standing around chatting.

Chevron will be my third con (I've been to Creation's Burbank con and Pegasus3), so I guess I'm not totally up on what a con is. I will say it seems the UK cons generally focus a little more on the con as a social event (there are parties every night for everyone) and seem a little more relaxed in the handling of guests (who seem to have a few more chances to interact with attendees). What's also interesting for Chevron are the guest encounters - there will be 2 auctions with 20 slots for each of the guests, people can bid on (it's on paper - everyone who wins pays the lowest winning bid amount) a 45min- hour long tea.

Apparently the talks will also be multiple guests on stage together - so Joe and Jason together!

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I've been doing cons for... a while ;) A true convention has guest talks, autographs, photo sessions, but also actual panel talks with other guests. Not just auctions of the same stuff at every con (which is basically waht Creation does) or the usual trivia contest. Comic Con, although massive, is a good example of a variety of things to do. Plus Creation's dealers room are pretty pitiful (at least the ones on the east coast). Wow, parties every night for everyone? Don't see that here.

Creation has also sewn up the US market, for the most part.