Downtown LA is the business district, which runs Monday through Friday, normal business hours. Everything around the convention center is closed weekends. BUT the constructions many people saw is going to change that. It has new hotels, shops, eateries, and such. It will be done before C5, regardless where C5 will be held. Yes, due to the size everything is spread out in LA and transportation will be needed to get to different sites. Indy didn't have much of any sites to see in it's down town, but then again I was too busy with CIII...

 

I agree! I spent two entire days flying to get to LA and back to Western Australia, and it was worth every second (and dollar).

 

Is there a site in San Francisco that a future Star Wars Celebration could be held in?

 

Probably not. The exhibit hall in Moscone that is the largest is 100,000 sf smaller than South Hall in L.A., and that is probably a deal-breaker. And hotel rates are always a consideration up there.

 

Let's have it in Detroit! [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobo_Arena]Cobo[/link] is almost as big as LACC, and it's right on the river. Really!

I kid. Although I did have a dream right before C4 that the whole con moved here and no one told me until the plane took off.

I wouldn't mind L.A. again. Yes, I love Indy and more importantly, know Indy, but now I have a good clue about L.A. as well. And if all those new hotels and restaurants are done by then, all the better. (The shuttles were C4's biggest weak point, IMHO.)

I don't actually expect anything of interest to come to me (auto show/sports events don't count) so I'm out 4/5 hours travel either way. Why not L.A.? As much as I love Indy I have to admit that the space for C4 worked beautifully.

I was a bit shocked that downtown L.A. is dead in the evenings. I expect that at home, but... it's Los Angeles! Although, if there's a Lakers game or something one night, I bet you see the downtown shape up quick. Not that I enjoy the jock/geek confusion that goes on with such things (it seems every GenCon/Celebration has at least one night with a Colts game) but that's what happens here when there's a game on.

 

I sincerely and wholeheartedly agree with all the above sentiments, to be sure; heck, as technically one of those International fans for whom this was the first SW Celebration ever - though aaaahhhhhh, yes, but the first of *many* upon countless many, I'm sure - okay, yes, admittedly I wasn't flying down there, and even if I did it wouldn't have been anything like a ten-hour flight or however long, what with it being just across the ol' 49th anyway....still, though, for all that it *did* make for quite the lengthy and involved trek down regardless, it was a *heckuva* drive and an endeavour that definitely required some serious, intensive planning and sketching-out, believe you me....yet I personally loved absolutely every single breathless second of it, start to finish it was positively *the* most wonderful experience that I have ever known - I have absolutely *no* gripes, qualms or complaints with LA for Celebration, and in fact far as I'm concerned it was *the* best place imaginable!

And, thus, I of course can't wait for the announcement that CV, whether 'tis in two years or three (though I personally wouldn't say no to 2009 for it....whee, 10th anniversary of TPM, that's *excellent* by my reckoning!) will return to LA....because it's a given and bounden certainty that I will ahhhhhh-bsolutely be there....I loved, *loved* LA for the last one - the weather, the location, *all* of it (and next time I'll have an even better idea of whereabouts to eat in the area, it was a learning experience this first time 'round, and hey....so much the better, right? ) - I swear I was positively thriving on it, being there....heck, being back here in podunk-ville, ahem, I mean on the Island, I personally can't wait to get back to SW Celebration-land in LA....it's like being right in the midst of invigoration, energy, excitement and possibility, where *anything* could happen, and I only loved and appreciated that about it all the more. *exuberant happy look*


Dawn.

 

Here is the latest news on the Indy Convention Center expansion. I do not want to see C5 come back to Indy. I can tell you from working at C2 and C3 it is a lot of work for the hometown 501st garrison and fan force.


The biggest-yet expansion to the Indiana Convention Center will feature a three-story glass entryway facing Georgia Street that will be lit with seasonal colors.

Designs for the $275 million project, to begin after the RCA Dome is demolished next year, were presented Monday to the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority.

The design plays off the existing convention center, nearby buildings and Indiana's flat landscape, said architect William Browne Jr., president of Ratio Architects of Indianapolis.

The public's main view of the 420,000-square-foot expansion will be along Capitol Avenue, where a new entry will be built with a sloping roof that projects well out over the sidewalk.

Another prominent feature of the addition is a covered walkway that extends south under the railroad bridge over Capitol, becoming a tunnel under South Street and feeding pedestrians into Lucas Oil Stadium, which will be used for conventions.

"This is exactly what is going to benefit us," said Bob Schultz, a spokesman for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association. The added space, which will includes a new kitchen double the size of the current one, amounts to a 73 percent increase to the center's 724,000 square feet.

 

Side effect of LA car culture, I suspect. When people want to do something at night, they hop in their cars and drive to Hollywood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, or other suburbs to get their fix.

 

Not the best area to be hanging out... I'd have to say areas of Baltimore are the same way. I live here and I wouldn't suggest that a bunch of teens hang on the street corners with their pockets full of convention money. Not a good mix.

 

::cough:: [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Convention_and_Trade_Center]Seattle[/link]::cough::



JF

 

Too small, I'm afraid. One exhibit hall in L.A. (West Hall) is the size of your entire tradeshow space. That wouldn't leave room for much else.

 

My vote is Indy or Orlando

 

I second that motion Echo....

 

I will third it!

 

I will fourth it!

 

All in favor say "I".

I.

 

Its "aye" btw.

I can't believe this topic is still continuing. Ah well. +1 on the post count.

 

I'll vote nay, I prefer either LA again or going back to Denver (assuming the facilities at Denver's CC and the surrounding area are just as good as people here describe).

 

Admiral, I'll ditto your statement.

 

Let's just have our own gathering at Ike and Jonesie's or we can go down to the Slippery Noodle and listen to some rockin' blues! Indy is such a cool place to party. Or we can meet Jorg Sacul down at the Rathskellar and boogie to Zanna-Doo.

 

Much as us C3 attendees would love to see it return to Indy, lets get real, it makes NO sense from GenCon's perspective to put it back in that venue. It makes me mad, it makes lots of us mad, but that's business.

If LA brought as many or more fans to the convention, then they're going to be chomping at the bit to have it in LA. Which is an inconveniance because of the lack of anywhere to go outside the con. My observation of conventions is, I go nuts if I have to spend every moment in the convention center. Yeah, you can make snide remarks about "oooh, lets go to the mall, won't that be exciting?" and no it wasn't exciting, but it was a place in conveniant walking distance you could go to kind of get away from the madness for a while, and jump back in recharged. Or, even more important than the mall was the restaurants and bars. Tons of them, everything from cheap fast food to grab on the go, to really expensive, hoity toity restaurants to enjoy your dinner with other fans at. There was the conveniance of the hotels, the ability to hold the 501st party. I'm not arguing for Indy, I'm arguing for a similiar arrangement, because I know I wouldn't want to be stuck with my options being either stay in the convention center every moment of the convention, wander arund aimlesly down the streets, or go through the huge inconveniance of either renting a car and parking it, or hiring cabs. That's out of the question for me both financially and because it's way more trouble that it's worth to go 5 miles to a nice restaurant, whoo hoo.

So the obvious solution is for LA to do something with their con center area. Which makes sense anyway. I'm sure Celebrations arn't the only conventions there, why not have a bunch of easily accessible hotels and restaurants right there? They would make tons of money off convention goers.

 

hello all, this is my first post but I had to chime in when I saw the remarks regarding the possible location of C5. I would like to recommend the Tampa bay convention ceter. It has plenty of hotels with in 2 minutes walking distance. there are plenty of things to do at night. they have Busch Gardens 10 mins away and right down the street from that is Adventure Island. the beaches are second to none and you can drink on the beaches there unlike a lot of other beaches south of there. Walt Disney World is only 75 miles away, and for you freaks we have quite a few nudist resorts. This is Florida, all they do down here is Party!

 

I know it's hopeless, but I shall fight for Seattle still. Our exhibit space is over 200,000 sf according to the office WSCC site. All the major hotels are within a few blocks (except the Four Season). The center is surrounded by shopping, including 2 medium sized malls and several department stores. Walk a few blocks at night and there are lots of bars and places to hang out. Pike Place Market is down the street. The Monorail to the Seattle Center (on the Science Fiction Museum!) is connected to one of the malls.

Seattle = Awesome.

JF

 

Seattle's convention center isn't as big as LA's but I do have to admit Farfy, that you make some good points! Seattle is a great town... and I'm not just saying that because I live here... or maybe I am! LOL!

 

Many of those who attended C4 received an online survey today from GenCon. Those who think LA is a done deal for C5 should check out Question #20:

20) If Celebration V is held in the spring of 2009, but is not held within driving distance of your city, how likely is it that you would attend?

Highly likely
Likely
Unlikely
Not very likely
Unsure

Even though attendance at C4 was slightly up from previous Celebrations, I believe GenCon and Lucasfilm were a bit disappointed. It sure doesn't seem to me that LA is a done deal for C5. Indianapolis is in easy driving distance for much of the country whereas LA certainly is not.