Three Stargate Creation Cons in the US this year ...

[JacksLover]

Hi,

I had no idea GateCon wasn't an offfical thing but I don't think it matter if the stars are willing to go and particpate. Tehy are giving up their free time to come out and meet their fans. :-)

As for the auctions if the money goes to charity it should not matter what is being auctioned. I would love to be able to see the set and if I was attending GateCon I would consider bidding on something like that.

I will be attending the auction in Burbank and maybe if I am lucky I can pick up something from the show.

I have only been a fan for about a year or so. Thank goodness for dvd's so I have been able to see all the episodes in order.

I am looking forward to going to Creations Con. I have enver been to one even as a Star Trek fan

[Rowan Green]

heimdall: Go on, give us the gossip! Heck people should know before booking. I've never been to a Creation con myself, but even before this I wasn't too impressed with what I'd heard.

Jackslover, I think you missed the point. I was being negative about Creation not about Gatecon.

Does anyone know if Creation raise any money for charity? I was under the impression they were purely into earning profits for themselves. Which is not a bad thing in itself, but is if it causes problems elsewhere.

I really feel for fans in the US who've been waiting for a Stargate con near them, and now there is one.... but... All I can say is last year I sold things and went massively into debt to get to Gatecon from the UK. If I can, I reckon anyone can afford to travel to another contry for a con if it's that important to them.

[JacksLover]

I really don't have an opionon on either GateCon or Creations since this will be the first that I attend. I will let you all know how it is when I get back.

I have missed a couple of opportunities close to me recently. One was Amanda Tapping up in Seattle. But I didn't hear about it until the day before so I couldn't drive up. I wish they would have a big one up there its a lot closer to me than Burbank. But I feel for you who are in the UK or Australia.

I thought about going to GateCon but they had already sold out of the super passes (or whatever it they call them). I figure since I probably won't be going to many convention I was hoping this one in Burbank will let me meet them even if its for a few minutes.

I am splurging and I plan on getting the phot with them too.

According to the Creations page there is a Charity breakfast on Sunday morning.

Rowan I hope you do get to a convention soon to see the people responible for the best show on tv.

Cathy

[skydiver]

The actors do give up their free time, but they are compensated for it. It's just a job to them. Now i'm not saying they don't enjoy it and have fun....but they're not coming for free. They get paid. that's one reason con attendees pay to attend, they're paying the actors for their time.

It is really a horrible shame about the gatecon auction. Gatecon, in the past 4 years, has raised over 100,000 for Make a Wish--a charity that gives wishes to children with life threatening or terminal illnesses. Creation is a 'for profit' entity.

that's not saying some of thier profits don't go to charity, but ALL of gatecon's do. No one at gatecon is getting rich doing this.

In previous years, the studio tour auction raised thousands of dollars for Make a Wish, 150 bids at an average of $175 or so each...dat's a lotta money (i think the high bid was 300ish, low bid a little over 150, the others scattered around in between). the previous year there were only 75 spots and the bids ranged from 500 - over 200 each.

That is a lot of money that the charity won't get now thanks to corporate greed

[Highlander II]

Originally posted by skydiver
That is a lot of money that the charity won't get now thanks to corporate greed

Guess Gatecon will just have to pledge to try to get lots of money for Make-A-Wish anyway --- rally 'round and get more fan-donated items. I know they don't bring as high a price, but more items = more money in the long run.

(this is kind of O/T - so, back to the Creation Con discussion now)

[Rowan Green]

Hey I'm sort of torn. I do hope folks going to Creation have a good time. Just there's also part of me right now wants to see Creation do a massive nose dive.

[skydiver]

Originally posted by Highlander II




Guess Gatecon will just have to pledge to try to get lots of money for Make-A-Wish anyway --- rally 'round and get more fan-donated items. I know they don't bring as high a price, but more items = more money in the long run.

(this is kind of O/T - so, back to the Creation Con discussion now)

yeah, but there isn't enough fan donated stuff in the world to make up the 10,000 or so the auction would have generated.

I don't have any creation cons around here, they won't come to the midwest....ain't enough profit in it for them. but even if they were, i wouldn't go. I'll find other more fan friendly cons or i'll do without

the lovely atmosphere of gatecon has spoiled me for the 'make money at all costs' cattle calls of other cons

[JacksLover]

I saw on the Creations website that they will be in Chicago sometime this summer.
Not sure where in the Mid west you are but I almost went to that one instead of burbank because I have never been to The Windy City except driving thru.

:-)

[philoSCIFI]

Hmm....

Aside from the possible Gatecon 'fiasco' for a lack of a better word (?)... ((Seriously, don't know the facts (particularly who has the rights and licenses to what) so I'm not going there))...

I've heard so much muck about Creation cons, in the serious way (aside from the "cremation" name calling and the like). It's not intimate. It's expensive. You get rushed through lines and don't really get to talk to the guests. The list goes on and on.

I would really like to hear the other side though. Has anyone gone to a Creation Con and actually enjoyed it and/or thought it was at least worth the time and money to go see something you love?

Maybe I'm stretching here, but I seriously need to hear... something. A change... maybe not a change...just something different. It doesn't have to be the "other side". Just... something. Like, "I liked it. I got to see *insert guest name here* in person. I love *insert show title here*. However, there could have been a few things done better, etc..." I dunno. Something?

Ugh, please. Anything? I'm die'n' here... :dead:

[heimdall]

Creation has been trying to get into the UK but with only minimal success as they get ok crowds but they are massively more expensive than the "amateur" cons here.

Plus they are run in teh American mode where you don't get near the guests. Overe here the guests get to mingle and they seem to enjoy it. Ask Chris Judge, Michaek Shanks, Alexis Cruz, Terryl Rothery, Don S. Davis etc. etc. etc.

They've all been here and enjoyed it.

In fact the organisation is so much better at the "Amateur" cons, with the parties, cocktail parties, photo sessions where you get to hug the guests, autograph sessions where you don't just get pushed onwards.

Plus teh amateur cons are run for teh fans and do donate money to charity.

Unfortunately Cremation is going for the stranglehold on STar Trek and now is going after Stargate.

They don't even bring many guests considering the number you get at a Wolf, Starfury, etc. etc that you do over here.

In fact usually the main guest just appears on stage, does a talk or a play and then leaves, they don't attend any cocktail parties or have photos or autographs.

I just don't like Cremation, sorry.

But by the sounds of it the US hasn't got the number of people willing to put together conventions liek we do over here.

I help out at a convention where ALL the profits go to charity and that's amateur run.

Better stop now :rolly2:

[Gary Berman]

Rowan:

Just wanted to let you know: Creation had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with any decision concerning tours held with Gatecon.

We don't know who made this decision, or why any such decision was made.
We only heard about it because of posts being made on-line.

Would appreciate you checking in with me next time. All of us here are working very hard on producing tons of Stargate merchandise and the three conventions. As fans of the series (we started our company because we were fans!) ourselves we are happy to be involved and looking for input and suggestions.

Thanks
Gary Berman
gary@creationent.com

[JacksLover]

You guys are scaring me. I have invested a lot of money into going to Burbank not to mention the fact that I am driving from Oregon.

I hope its going to be worth it because I don't want to be disappointed.

There is no way I can turn back now.:-)

[Rowan]

Originally posted by Gary Berman
Rowan:

Just wanted to let you know: Creation had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with any decision concerning tours held with Gatecon.

We don't know who made this decision, or why any such decision was made.
We only heard about it because of posts being made on-line.

Would appreciate you checking in with me next time. All of us here are working very hard on producing tons of Stargate merchandise and the three conventions. As fans of the series (we started our company because we were fans!) ourselves we are happy to be involved and looking for input and suggestions.

Thanks
Gary Berman
gary@creationent.com

Gary, I hope you're replying to Rowan Green, not myself. You might want to use full handles here on the board to prevent confusion.

BTW: Thank you for visiting our forum and helping pass out the straight information on stuff like this.

Rowan <Mod for Asci-Fi and staff worker at Gatecon

[skydiver]

Originally posted by heimdall
But by the sounds of it the US hasn't got the number of people willing to put together conventions liek we do over here.

I help out at a convention where ALL the profits go to charity and that's amateur run.

Better stop now :rolly2:

i don't know if it's as much not wanting to as simply being a space issue. as in there are more uk folks in less space than there are here in the states. which means, unless you live near a large city (chicago, burbank, new york, etc) you have to drive for hours and hours or fly to go to a con.

they're simply too far away and massively too expensive for us-ers. I mean, the ticket to get in is???? whatever it is. and, living where i live, it's 200 minimum for air fare, 100+ a night for hotels, incidentals, being expected to chuck up dollars for every little thing, at times i think they'd charge me for air to breathe if they could.

they're way too honkin expensive and held in far too few places. literally around here, i can get a porn magazine easier than i can a scifi one.

scifi in the states is treated like a dirty little secret and something to be ashamed of.

I would LOVE to live in the u k and have access to all the cool fan run cons...but short of coming up with 1000+ for the airfare/accomodations etc. i just can't.

gatecon is the ONLY fanrun con in decent distance to me, although i may check out tulsa trek sometime in the future, i hear good things about it.

for me, if i'm expected to shell out hundreds of dollars, i'd like to actually meet the actors. If i want impersonal contact, i'll just send them a letter and ask for a pic.

[skydiver]

Originally posted by Gary Berman
As fans of the series (we started our company because we were fans!) ourselves we are happy to be involved and looking for input and suggestions.

Thanks
Gary Berman
gary@creationent.com

maybe it's time for folks to look into how various fans really feel. I persoanlly have never heard positive comments about creation cons. All i ever hear is to avoid them unless you're willing to walk around with an open wallet and be treated like cattle.

not bashing in anyway, and meant respectively, but that's what i've heard from various friends that have gone. Most of them leave with the opinion that they'll never go back.