Celebration V should return to Indianapolis!

OK, I've now seen enough to conclude that Celebration 4 at the LA Convention Center is a big step down from the C3 experience at Indianapolis. Celebration 3 - and Celebration 2 for that matter - were better organized and had alternative choices for the times when most fans wanted to go to something like the Opening Ceremonies. The alternative at C4 was to wait in line while the convention center was evacuated except for the 6,000 who made it into Hall K for the Opening Ceremonies. From most reports, the OC was quite lame anyway - but organizers didn't have to lie to the fans who were waiting line because of a suspicious package (bag of clothes) that wasn't even inside the convention center. If the suspicious package found about a block away truly had been a bomb, we would have been safer inside the center than outside waiting in line.

To be fair, there have been a few improvements at C4 over previous celebrations: the fans-only first day and reasonable line-wait times (though this is likely due to a lot less people here). Other than these, C2 and C3 at Indy were superior in every aspect. The hotels there are connected to the convention center by skywalks, there are real restaurants and more things to do within easy walking distance and the whole experience just seemed a lot more fun. Sure, George Lucas was at C3 - but he wasn't at C2 - so while disappointing, I don't think his non-appearance was that big a deal. I know many of us were hoping to see some clips from the new animated TV series and hear more about the live-action TV series. But in the end, C4 was a disappointment for other reasons.

How many of you agree with me on moving C5 back to Indianapolis?

 

Disagree strongly. The ONLY significant problem I've had in LA is the Opening Ceremonies thing, which was a fluke, rather than a problem with LA in specific. I don't understand why people keep harping on it like they do. Yes, the hotel thing is kind of lame, but I don't think that's enough reason to move the con back to Indy. The wait times are amazing, there is so much more room that everything is way spread out

As a side note, apparently the LA Convention Center got a contract for 3 Celebrations, so it looks like V and VI are going to be here.

 

This was my first Celebration, but as far as venues go, I think the LACC was just fine.

Lots of room for everything, including lines!

I did a LOT of walking between the 2 halls, and ended up injuring my foot, ouch!

I do wish there were more restaurants close by, including cheap fast food. The food in the courts was terrible! Not nearly enough choices.

Shuttles weren't a problem when we actually knew where they were picking up at.

The staff at LACC were very helpful and friendly, IMO.

Weather was perfect, except a bit warm at times when wearing a costume.

Even with all the faults (as stated in another thread), I'll definitely spend the time and money for Celebration V, especially if they have it again in LA.

Martha

 

Los Angeles is certainly great for me personally, and regardless, from what I understand, it'll be in Los Angeles again.

The convention center is enormous, and I'm pretty sure it's far beyond anything Indy can provide.

 

I'm all for C5 being held in Indy because a) it's within driving distance of where I live and b) I had a great time at C3. It was undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my life to this point.

 

I agree with the dashing one. I'd much rather go back to Indy. I'm not at C4 because I hate the LA Convention Center and LA in general.

 

I hope CV will be at the LACC. I had a great time for the most part on Saturday. What will Celebration 5 be celebrating anyway? The 30th anniversary of Empire Strikes Back?

 

LA:
Pros:
Not much chance of C3 cruddy weather
Nice place for an 'extended' post-con vacation
LOTS of space in the convention center
Convention center has more emmenities (if not expensive)

Cons:
Hotels too far
driving is horrible
'cost of living' so much higher
non-central US location

Indy:
Pros:
Nice compact downtown with walkways
More stuff to do around con, so not much need to drive
Central US location

Cons:
Cramped space
Boring city for 'extended' vacation (unless you're into racing, and they BETTER not put the two at the same time).

So, the real suggestion is find a place that combines the pros and avoids the cons that they've learned from these events. I've heard some suggestions for cities up to the challenge, such as Orlando and Nashville. Seems Chicago would also be a choice, and while I'm not sure what their convention load is like, St. Louis...

All in all I'm having a better time here because the lines are a LOT less worse and while I don't like the higher prices, at least I'm getting more for my money this time instead of standing around waiting for everything. There's room for more improvement still, but the show itself is pretty good.

 

I think logistically and organizationally the C4 experience has been superior to C3. The crowds are easier to maneuver, there is more room all around, lines and mobs are being controlled a lot better and I have yet to see a line that was "temporarily capped" and the store is such a vast improvement over C3 that it's hard to even compare them. I like the space at the LACC better, there's more sunlight and it's easier and more straightforward to get from one event to the next.

 

C5 *and* C6 are in LA, 2009, 2011. Get used to it.

 

If they move CV back to Indy. I would suggest waiting till after the Convention Center expansion has taken place in Indy. Because it's only going to be more crowded and alot harder to get around.

Also CV should be in a month like June in Indy, because the weather tends to be more predictable that month around here.

Also if they decide to keep using Gen Con, they need to request that Gen Con creates another branch of itself just to take care of Celebrations stuff and not be stuck juggling both Celebrations and Gen Con. Because it's killing me that I know nothing other then my events and it's the end of May. When I already at least have the Guest of Honor and the Band for Party in the Plaza.

But I wouldn't complain if it came back to Indy neither would the people of Indy. And there are things to do around her besides racing, especially during the Summer. Their is Conner Prairie which is fun to go to and ask the people pretending to be from Indiana past about the Colts and other things. Then there's the Children's Muesum, and Indian's baseball, and basketball, also the zoo.

But I live here, so it's not fair of me to promote the amaziness of the city.

~PK~

 

So what can you tell me of this expansion of the Indy convention center? I know they're demolishing the RCA Dome because the Colts are getting a new dome a few blocks away.

 

I AM 100% READY FOR IT TO BE BACK IN INDY....

NOT THAT LA IS A BAD PLACE, BUT INDY IS SO MUCH MORE CONVENIENT FOR A MAJORITY OF FANS. THE LOCATION IS KINDA CENTRAL AND THAT GIVES EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO. ALSO, THE COST OF LIVING WAS MUCH CHEAPER IN INDY, HERE A 6 PACK OF POP WAS $4.99, AND THAT IS RIDICULOUS.

I WENT TO BOTH THE CONS, ONE IN INDY AND ONE IN LA, AND I HAVE TO SAY....INDY....WINS HANDS DOWN FROM US!!!

SORRY LA, BUT THE FORCE IS STRONGER IN INDY!!!

 

Yes the INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER will be expanded greatly with the demolition of the RCA dome, so here's hoping for a future convention back in Indy!

 

I think logistically and organizationally the C4 experience has been superior to C3. The crowds are easier to maneuver, there is more room all around, lines and mobs are being controlled a lot better and I have yet to see a line that was "temporarily capped" and the store is such a vast improvement over C3 that it's hard to even compare them. I like the space at the LACC better, there's more sunlight and it's easier and more straightforward to get from one event to the next.



I think that all has more to do with the organization itself, not the building the con is held in. They have had three conventions before this one, now it seems like they are finally getting most of the bugs out.

 

C III was awesome, but that place was tiny. It was just uncomfortable to walk through rooms looking at stuff because it was so crowded. If Gen Con had stopped selling badges at a certain point like most cons do, it would have been better. Also, the marketing was misleading. They always say the SW Archives room is "gonna be the best ever", and you get in there, and it's just some helmets sitting om a table.

 

Like I said, the Indiana convention center will be expanded greatly soon.

 

It's not going to be expanded to anything beyond what the LA Convention Center already is.

 

I've been to all 4 celebrations and let me tell you...LA wins HANDS DOWN.

The lines here ACTUALLY MOVE. Imagine that.

There is also so much more room. There are sections that are crowded, (like the exibit hall. More on that below,) but for the majority of the location there is plenty of room for everyone to move around in without rubbing shoulders with the person next to you.

Lines? They are very well managed. There are alot of employees telling you where to line up and they keep everything moving.

The store? There is NO comparison. I've been in there 3 times on 3 different days. Each time I walked right in, grabbed what I needed, walked right up to a cashier and left. I was in and out in 15 minutes. It's a far cry from C3 where I had to wait 4 hours to get my stuff.

I know someone complained about the food but there is a wider selection here than in Indy. Is it more expensive? I don't know. I don't remember what it cost at Indy.

Now I do have 1 complaint: the exibit hall. They jammed all of the vendors as well as the art show and autograph section into the same area. It was VERY crowded. My suggestion for next time is to move the autograph section next door where the "fan activities" were. (Diorama builders, fan club booths, young Jedi training stage, etc.) There looked to be plenty of room and it wasn't as crowed as the exibit hall. If they did that then the exibit hall could be expanded nicely and not be so cramped.

I've been taking an informal poll of fellow attendees while waiting for shows or taking pictures and I haven't talked to a SINGLE PERSON that didn't agree LA was better than Indy.

That's the truth.

 

I agree that the numbers should be capped on future conventions, but even with the wider hallways and more open feel at this convention center, I think the real difference is that it seemed like twice as many people attended C2 and C3. I think the lower numbers at this convention make this convention center seem larger in comparison than it actually is.

 

If there are going to be more Celebrations I have to vote for Indy. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to go to LA which I really regret. I know I had an awsome time at CII and CIII.

 

Unlike Indy, the LACC already has enough space for a SW Celebration and doesn't need any expansion. We can actually walk around in here comfortably without having to kick people out of our way constantly. Saying CV should be elsewhere just because of the Opening Ceremony screw up doesn't make sense. If anything, CV should be given to someone other than Gencon because they're the ones who seem to be making the greatest numbers of gaffes (though I'll admit it could have been much worse, and by my experience here at least, I don't have much to complain about).

 

I second what Dark Lady Mara said.

 

Why is it that wikipedia says Indiana convention center and L.A. convention center BOTH have 140,000 sq ft of space. Unless they are mistaken.

 

Went on Sat only. The line to buy tickets was HUGE, stretching into one of the main LACC parking lots. But it moved FAST! We were up to the door in about 30 minutes,and then someone had the BRILLIANT idea of selling single-day tickets OUTSIDE, to adults IN LINE. They could only do adults only, leaving the family types still in the moving line, but I have to give a shout-out to the staff who were doing brisk business in the line. My partner got a media four-day pass but I was attending only Sat. But props #1 for the selling-tickets-to-the-line idea...saved a lot of time, but the line was going good already.

Sat was CROWDED, as most cons usually are, but we still saw everything we wanted to see. The store was a breeze, no line whatsoever at Sat about 3:00 p.m., BUT most of the 'cheap' stuff was sold out, including the program books! Note to Gen Con for next time -- limit of one program per person (have it as a hole-punch on your badge), how about? Every single paid attendee should be guaranteed the ability to purchase ONE $5 program, I can do it at any other event, for crying out loud... Well, that's what eBay's for, now... Anyway it was nothing like SDCC, everyone got in pretty fast, moving around the various areas was easy, lines not too bad or nonexistent even on Sat.

Minor catastrophe when the fine on-site microbrewery Gordon Biersch (steps away from the exhibit hall) ran out of their fine draft products mid-Saturday and were forced (heh) to serve bottle Bud or Bud Light (ick). Many unhappy pros and artists (and a few celebs) over that in the bar when we were, I can tell you... Overheard the manager say to another staff member, "I didn't order extra, because I didn't know any of these people drank..."

Richard LeParmentier (Motti) was a total riot, I loved getting stuff signed by him. He was the only signature I wanted. He told wonderful stories to those of us around his table.

I've only been to C1 "Mudstock" previously -- it was horrible and cold and muddy, and I didn't care about II or III after that negative experience (not to mention the movie C1 was attached to...), and based on reports from friends who did go. I only went to IV because it was in town. I had a good time, other than listening to some fans argue with each other over who had the most accurate costume. Please. It doesn't matter. First, it's only a movie. Second, when those of us in '77 were part of the inception of the Star Wars phenomenon, our Lukes were in karate gi's and Ace-bandage leg wrappings, and our standing-in-line wasn't for charity or determining who had the most hours to get tickets. I'm wistful that everything has to be a big production 'event' now, instead of just going to a movie for the sake of it, and that some club membership is determined by how accurate your costume is. I understand the rationale (so don't flame me, please), but I'm simultaneously sorry for the inherent "tiered fandom" divisiveness of it. Nobody's a 'better' fan just because of their costume or their volunteer work. We're all fans.

Which comes to what I think is also part of the difference about CIV: Yes, there are TV, other productions and Indy IV peripherally involved, but this is the first Celebration that is NOT directly linked to a new SW movie opening. I'd use this as the benchmark for future shows, which likely will be under the same or similar condition.

Anyway, it was overall fun, I hooked up with some people I hadn't seen in awhile and bought a lot of art, which is exactly what I intended to do. Now, on to Comic Con...

Mary Thomson
So Cal