San Fran, CA Celebration 4 in L.A.....

Just saw on theforce.net that the rumors are Celebration 4 will be in May 2007 at the L.A. convention center. I guess moving down here has one benefit.

Stickied!
Unstickied!

 

Of all the.....why LA???? Could you have it in a more crowded, dangerous, polluted place? Sorry LA people, but I lived down there most of my life. I really hope it's just a rumor. Yes, they can handle big events...but there are a lot of downsides to having it there as well.

 

Yeah, I've lived here in LA my whole life, and I'm not too happy about it. I'd rather go somewhere else. It's not the same if I have to go from home to the convention. I guess I can park in my office parking lot and walk over 5 blocks to the Convention Center. They are developing the area around the Convention Center to make it more of an exciting place to be, but I don't know if it'll be ready by next year.

 

At least it's on this coast for a change. Love to see it in the city, but the cost of the hotels, the complex, etc.

And like the lovely gas prices, the costs always get passed on to the consumer. So when do I get to pass the costs on to some other poor sucker? Never in my line of business.

NVM, sorry, rant off

Annyway, I'd rather see it in Anaheim so at least if things get slow or the lines get too long there's always the park next door...

Where there are long lines too.

But at least I can fast pass it and go ride some other cool stuff in the meantime.

 

In the words of Public Enemy, "Don't Believe The Hype". My Bothan spies have let me know of a west coast C4 for some time now. But if tradition is a pattern, then Lucasfilm has always had a knack for diverting fans and the press. Everyone thought they knew of the titles of the prequels, the cast, etc. and this is no different. I'll just wait and see until the OFFICIAL announcement is made. Personally, I'd like it on the west coast, but people will go no matter where it is. In terms of weather, Indianapolis was great for Celebration 2, but they moved it two weeks earlier for C3, to allow fans to buy tickets for the film and look what happened!

As Yoda might say, "Patience you must have". But if we do have to drive, why don't the local 501st and Fan Forces rent a bus (er, I mean shuttle) down there?

 

Hmmm..methinks this is a topic to be discussed at the meeting of the masses in May (alliteration is fun kids!).

 

Yes, the LA rumor has been going around for some time. I think it's been pretty well established that the LA convention center was one of the places Lucasfilm looked at and was (maybe still is) considering. Until an official announcement is made, I don't think we should get too excited or worked up about anything.

I personally wouldn't be all that thrilled about it being in LA - and it's not because I want San Francisco either. I don't think there are many hotels that are adjacent to the convnetion center in LA. Aside from the Holiday Inn, they all seem to be several blocks away or in 'short driving distance'. This is a BIG negative IMHO. Last thing I want to worry about is finding transportation, possibly having to scramble for parking and then walking for blocks in costume to the convention. I'd take Indianapolis any day. Why not just schedule it there at a nicer time of year if people were unhappy with the rain and snow?

- kay dee

 

Yes, I have heard rumblings about LA.

It makes sense from a historic context.
Depends on your point of view.
The 10th Anniversary was held in LA.
Almost full circle.

But as JedHead1 stated, wait until the official annoucement.

My guess it will be announced at SDCC in July if not sooner on starwars.com in May around a certain date.

Always in motion the future is.

 

What, the future likes to dance or something?

 

Please don't take this personally Mark...I have had some fun times in L.A. too, as I say this (cause of friends who have lived there)...but I hope it's not in L.A. I just don't really like the area. I will go if it's in L.A., but it would be cooler if it were in SD, at least, or up this-a-way, somehwere. It's cool, it does seem that it could be on the west coast this time. I think that's a good idea. I'll just be going really to be around all my Star Wars friends, and to see everybody. The lines have me afraid already, and I've never even been to one of these shin digs before. So, I'm just prepared to have fun with people who love Star Wars. Bleep the lines, and the merch...it aint THAT important. ......

 

I hope it is not in LA either. Dont like the area, the drive down is the pitts and what about the hotels? San Francisco makes more sense. Indianapolis , yes the wheather for celeb 3 was bad but the whole convention was not well put together. Since this is Lucas home base , it would make more sense to have it here. That way , people from around the world who come in can also see the Presidio and drive up north to see the coutry around his ranch. More for people to see and do here, not to mention the typical tourist attractions which Sf area has to offer. Lets wait and see what the final announcement will be.

 

Well a certain someone from Central Garrison who shall remain nameless (cough cough initials MCL ahem) called the convention center to see what was going on in May 2007. They told him E3, and some Star Wars thing. Could be LFL booked it to throw people off?

And also someone in the 501st forum, who's cousins nephew neighbors daughter (or something like that LOL) ran into Ray Parks publicist. His publicist confirmed C4 in LA and Ray will be there May 25th 2007. Maybe just more LFL rumors to throw everyone off the trail?

 

The 501st is turning Bothan Spy on us.

 

Well, I'd doubt LFL would book the convention center just to throw people off.

Gosh darn it! I like visitig LA, but I don't like that location downtown for a convention due to the stupid hotel situation and semi-cruddy downtown LA atmosphere.

Oh, and as far as the convention not being run well in Indianapolis - there's nothing that says changing the location will make that any better. If it's the same group running the convention (Gen Con), regardless of actual location it's bound to have the same crummy line problems unless something drastic changes in the way the entire event is managed.

Just my 2 cents. I normally don't like to be negative.

- Kay Dee

 

There's one point on the side of me not going.

 

Would they really use the same group given that they know how unhappy everyone was with C3? Maybe this time they will get the fastpass thing working. It works at Disneyland. At least LA would be easier to get to. Would not have to go by way of Texas.
The real question is what did the 501st do to their sources to get their information. But I agree that we should just wait till we get official word before we start worrying too much.

 

What else? A probedroid

 

I have no idea if gencon will run it again. As for fast passes, I really don't think there is a need for such a thing (the early entrance for the Hyperspace members was a joke. It was of no help IMHO). Just do things similarly to Comic-Con or any other huge convention. Let people enter in the morning well BEFORE the panels are scheduled so they can line up for what they prefer to see inside the convention center. There also has to be more than one or two doors open - no wonder it took hours for people to get in. Much larger convenions have many doors which people can enter through and there is hardly any kind of wait.

- Kay Dee

 

I seriously hope Mary Franklin considers the ideas I gave her to make C4 better than C3, and maybe have ME plan the party this time. The only thing that went smoothly at C3 was the autograph area, and that was NOT run by GenCon, but by Official Pix.

 

LOVE to see the Comic Con San Diego folks run the con, they know how to do crowd control and manage the events.

And my hope is that if it's in LA they will take advantage of the lower cost of transporting items and the shorter distance and bring out stuff never seen before or rarely seen. Or maybe people that are a little harder to get.

And it's not likely to SNOW/SLEET/ICESTORM in LA in March. The Grapevine is another matter.

 

I'll add my own two cents and agree with general consensus... I've been to a conference at the LA convention center before, for work, and I'm sad to say it was a really, really crappy place for a convention. As kay_dee said, the hotel situation is not good. My recollection is that the restaurant situation wasn't good either; that there was hardly anything around. Overall, the entire area just wasn't good. Things might have changed, but in the past there was nothing there to support a con and the streets turned into a ghostown after 5pm. I mean, it was creepy.

 

Yup, what you said about restaurants and the slightly creepy after 5 atmosphere is correct in my opinion as well. I know people in LA who are offended when I voice this opinion (I guess it's all what you are used to), but then again my Husband lived in the LA area throughout high school and college and his opinion of that downtown area was the same.

That's why when a group of us from Costuming and Props went to FIDM for a weekend we just stayed all the way out near Westwood. At least we could walk around the area with restaurants and shops in the evening and find something different each night - and not feel like we were in a ghost town. But for those who are not familiar with LA - that would not be practical AT ALL for going to a convention. I can't imagine dealing with driving 20 -30 mintutes each day and trying to compete for parking. (It was OK for FIDM because it wasn't a huge draw and we could even change into our costumes there). When we were in the area around FIDM we found a lot of restuarants were not open in the evening or the weekend because they catered to the day time downtown work crowd. IHOP and Dennys get boring fast, and I don't see them being able to accomodate a lot of people at a convention. IHOP couldn't even deal with us one morning and we left in disgust because they never came to take our order. I haven't really hung out in the exact vicinity of the convention center though. Maybe they have put in some restaurants or something in recent years. It still won't have the feel that Downtown San Diego or Indianapolis (or Atlanta for that matter) has to it. It's not the touristy part of LA.

 

Hey all, well don't fret....you got me here and when we aren't at the convention...trust me you guys will be having more fun than if it was in Indyland.

 

Yup I've stayed in downtown LA before and it is indeed like a ghjost town after 5. It really can't support a huge convention of fans.