Celebration V should return to Indianapolis!

Granted I have nothing to compare this too, seeing as C4 was my first Celebration. But, I thought LA was a interesting place. The convention center itself was pretty huge and I thought everything was well-managed because of it's size. It wasn't that bad of an experience for me.

 

lol That's true I really wouldn't want to smell a sweaty Stormtrooper in June. But if it's at the beganning of June....Then it can't be to bad. I just know Mid-May to end of June is when we have our most predictable weather in Indy.

Now 2009 probably not the best time to move Celebrations to Indy has that would be in the middle of construction. Though if Construction finished by 2009 that would be awesome! But I've already been told that's the year to expect even less space then this year as it's the year they are doing most of the expanding.

Which the project's not slated to be done till 2010. But that could change with weather being pleasantly nice this last year. I wouldn't mind Indy it's in my own backyard. But not if the next Celebrations is in 09'.

~PK~

 

I will concede that the lack of nearby restaurants and hotels in downtown LA is a problem. But I think with all of the renovation and new construction that there will be more places to eat at least by 2009 or 2010.

But as for the convention center itself, LA beats Indy every which way. It's bigger, brighter, (Indy was very dark and cramped,) the food, while more expensive WAS better in LA and there was more selection.

And how about a shout out to the employees in LA. I was AMAZED at how organized, informed and (gasp) POLITE everyone was. Security was better, line management was better. There were guys puching ice-cream and soda carts throughout the center so you wouldn't have to trek to one of the food courts to get a drink.

I just had a better time in LA than in Indy. I got to do more because the rooms held more people and the lines really moved.

Content WAS lacking a little bit, but that's Lucasfilm's fault. By the time C5 comes around we should be in the 2nd or 3rd season of the Clone Wars 3D series and LF should be able to show us some footage of the live action show. They might also have the movies in 3D ready to go.

Either way, my vote goes to LA for C5.

I believe the weather is also a major factor. Correct me if I'm wrong those of you back east but doesn't it get really hot and humid in Baltimore, Indy and Orlando?

 

Here here. I agree with the above post! Besides, it looks like prob. will be 2009 in LA anyway.

 

And at this point things are subject to change... they could decided to hold the con in Timbuktu for all we know. I haven't even left LA yet and am talking about the next one.

Still, when Lucasfilm says Baltimore or Orlando, I will stick with that. There is no better "source" than that.

 

I keep seeing a lot of people saying CV and CVI will be in 2009 and 2011. Has this been confirmed? It seems strange that they would not return to doing it every 3 years to coincide with the original trilogy's anniversaries. No complaints though, I would love to have 3 celebrations in 6 years as opposed to just 2. Hope you all had fun, it was great seeing you all this weekend, and I will see most of you next time.

 

For those who may have missed this, I also wanted to update my post.

1) "Center City" Philadelphia has a bunch of hotels within comfortable walking distance of the convention center (a lot more than LA). See for yourself: Hotel list (also features the distance).

2) Countless eateries and restaurants in the area, a small indoor mall right at the heart of the city (The Gallery), historical attractions, and etc, all contained in a 2 mile wide to 1 1/2 mile high downtown area (which is a huge plus for tourists, since everything isn't so spread out). A lot of punch in a small package, don't let the size fool you.

3) It's an extremely walking-friendly city, the scenery in the eastern section (Independence Mall) is beautiful. Philly's blocks in Center City are mostly small squares, they aren't long rectangles like LA's. Philadelphia's downtown was voted the most walkable in the country.

4) South Street, which is only 7 blocks south (along the southern border of downtown) is the "hip" part of town. Containing a lot of unique shops, eateries, bars, and clubs.

5) The downtown area isn't dead, but rather vibrant most of the day. Lot of activity in the area, with over 90,000 residents currently living in this relatively small area alone.

6) The convention center is literally next to Chinatown, bonus points if you enjoy Asian cuisine.


I can go on, but I'll stop there. I have no idea if the expansion of the convention center will be finished by 2009, but if so, I can't see why it wouldn't be a good idea to hold it in Philly.

 

Indianapolis would be closer for me, but it needs to be run the way C4 was as far as line movement and shopping. Personally I'd prefer if the theoretical C5 came down south to either Atlanta or Nashville.

 

I wish I could have gone, but with the race & all, I couldn't. People seem to get fanatical defending their city while complaining about others, so it would have been nice to go just to compare how LA ran things compared to the last two here. It would have also been interesting to see a non-movie promotion con too.

Anyway, package deals not withstanding, there were plenty of rumors at the end of C3 stating that the paperwork was already signed for C4 being in Indy, coming from people high up at LFL, so you just have to take all that talk with a grain of salt until something more solid comes down the pipeline, which most likely be quite a few months from now.

 

Exactly, it all comes down to context. After chatting to Steve Sansweet briefly at the FF table, I'm not going to go out shouting that there will be a Celebration in Australia. He said to me that it's something they'd like to do, and the breakdown of attendances would give them an indication of whether it would be something that they could look at, but it's just some idle ideas of what to do.

While here over the weekend, I've heard so many rumours about where and when that there's obviously no actual plan, other than to hold another one sometime in the near future.

 

Just like Dingo said, guys -- if any of you want to start up a meeting planning company, can provide a business plan, can prove you have a ton of money and the "street cred" to get celebrities to come to your convention, Lucasfilm would love to talk to you. They (Steve and Mary) just don't have the ability to plan all these things themselves. He inferred that if someone in another country (like Australia) wanted to plan a celebration, and can prove they could put it on, it's not outside the realm of possibility.

 

I'm all for LA again.

 

I wouldn't absolutely hate it if it was Indy again, but I liked how open the LACC was and the wide hallways. That being said I missed not having close restaurants and such, which as others have pointed out won't be as big of an issue in the near future.

 

SWEEEEEEEEEEET. I'm totally at Celebration V in Sydney!

 

Man, if they did a celebration in Sydney I'd be ALL over that

However, I'd be doubtful, just as the population that would be able to go is very limited. I mean, you hold Celebration in the U.S. and you have maybe 400 million people on the continent.
You hold it in Europe, you've got Europe, the middle east, and northern africa close.... you hold it in Australia though, and its really only Australia thats close, and thats like 20 million.

 

I'm going to CV no matter where it is.

 

Well, yeah, i'm probably in that boat too. I just love Sydney.

 

It would be great to go to Sydney! I would love to visit Australia.

All those accents.
They could say anything to me and I would love them.
I'd probably do anything they told me to in those lovely voices.

 

Even more importantly...LA Live is opening towards the end of the year. Did y'all see all those buildings going up near the LACC? That's LA Live. Huge food court, movie theatres, a large theatre about the size of the one where they hold the Oscars in every year, a huge sports bar, etc. etc. etc.

It will be in FULL EFFECT in 2009. Running for about a year and a half, all the bugs worked out.

Oh yeah: HUGE hotel going up as part of the complex.

Just to be fair, my gripes about Con: RASN FRACKIN' FIRE MARSHAL. We could have had the biggest SW costumer pic ever, 501st+RL+JA, if it weren't for the meddling authorities. And what the freak was up with putting the 501st in the foyer of Kentia Hall? If there actually WAS a fire that broke out during the shoot, guess what, geniuses: all those bucketheads would have been as vulnerable as the folks in Steerage on the Titanic. At least if the shoot had gone off where it was intended to, it would have meant enough space for the picture. Then again, the LA Fire Marshal's office is well-known for being killjoys. So many music venues have been closed down by those folks. Concerts have been broken up. (Particularly punk rock)

Another thing that chapped my hide, and makes me hope Lucasfilm picks someone else to run the con other than GenCon: YOU DO NOT GIVE THE VENDORS FIRST CRACK AT THE SWAG!!!! I wanted a C-IV patch for my RL patch jacket. I really REALLY wanted one. Guess what? I was there helping an exhibitor (my in for the con, being broke) and THEY weren't even able to get a patch. Someone must have gone in with a wad of Benjamins and bought out their stock. I'll be able to find one, of course. Just wait a couple of weeks. eBay. For ridiculous bucks. Wait, lemme look...a bunch of Renegade Squadron patches are up, but no triangular C-IV official patches yet. Trust me. Two weeks, tops. The $20 C-IV patch. I guarantee it.

Face it, folks: LA is the place. For the next couple of Celebrations. Done deal. I guarantee you that in 2009 there will be plenty of places to go for a change of scenery right next to the con. Then again, all you needed to do to enjoy a change of scenery was to take the DASH F line on Thursday or Friday or the DASH Downtown Discovery on Saturday or Sunday to go see Chinatown, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, the Geffen Contemporary Art Museum, the LA Museum of Contemporary Art, etc. etc. Heck, if the "Where Science Meets Imagination" exhibit running at the California ScienCenter was only held over for a few weeks that would have been worth checking out for y'all. Just hop on the Metro Bus 81 and you're right there at Exposition Park. Heh, the collection of props and other goodies at that exhibit was way better than the "Lucasfilm Archives" exhibit at the con.

Oh yeah: they should have held the opening ceremonies in Staples Center. There were no sporting events going on, no concerts...it was available. Someone cheaped out...I'm lookin' at you, George...

 

I always hear talk about, "you can take the DASH bus...".

I'm not from LA. Going into a new town and just hopping on a bus isn't something I'd feel comfortable doing on my own or with my BF. Getting lost in LA wouldn't be fun, IMO.

I think it was a shame that those of us who didn't want to catch a cab or catch a bus couldn't find food or things to do around downtown. Like you said, more will be built up by 2009, so hopefully we won't be stuck with only LACC food to eat.

Martha

 

I'll still go if it does return to Indy, but I see no reason why it has to as at least for me, CIV was a far better experience than CIII. I'm closer to LA but I wasn't paying for Air Fare etc. so it's a non-issue as I actually got to Indy faster than I did to LA(since we drove to LA but flew to Indy.) If Gen-Con remembers the lessons that they appear to have learned since CIII then I think it will be good no matter where it was. I do think that the theater they used for the Fan Films was far better than the room they appropriated for the purpose in Indianapolis though.

 

You do raise a dangerous concern with a Sydney Celebration.

 

I'd think it would've been better if they'd at least given out some info about how to travel easily... like, from downtown to hollywood is pretty easy, I beleive, by subway, but that should've been info GenCon handed out so people could get around to food and stuff.

 

This is my first post here, but I also think C4 was great.
I don't think the difference is really between LA and Indy but between how GenCon managed things.

C3 was terribly mismanaged. The lines were insufferable, it was difficult to get accurate information, there was nothing in the area to do other than the mall... I think GenCon learned a lot from Indy and made C4 a wonderful event. Since I live in Northern California LA is better for me, but really what made the difference was that this time GenCon did a great job.

 

Guys, don't go wild with the C Oz stuff, I was just making a point.

That said, Steve (and even a couple of the Celebs) said that it would also provide a chance for Asia and NZ fans to get in on the action too. Syd or Melbourne are the only places to look at, but also something for thought is that after the US and Canada, Australia has the highest sales of SW and SFF books world-wide, and I think also the largest number of sales per capita along with having been the site of filming for 2 films.


Anyway, don't worry the small stuff and just wait. If it is going to be a 2009 con, then we'll start getting details by probably Feb next year. I think it will take that long for some of us to get down from this high.