Padu, KY Our own C4 planning thread

I have been wanting to start this thread and have been waiting till we got our own forum. We can post our C4 hopes and wishes and also some planning ideas on being able to go as a ff chapter. I would like to do C4 fund raisers to raise money for the club to go so any ideas on those please post them in here.

My hope is that there is a C4 and that it is in either in Indy, for tradition sake, or Las Vegas and that it is not run by Gen Con. I hope that it is in 2007 to celebrate the 30th but would not be surprised if it was in 08 to celebrate the tv show premieres. I would like to see the show hosted and run by lucasfilm, I may get jumped on for that statement but they could pull off a great show, god knows they make enough money off of the celebrations anyway, it would not take much for them to host it. Granted, Sansweet would be running it but it might not be so bad. Let me know what you guys think. pacervader

 

I THINK THERE WILL BE A C4. THEY (ALL INVOLVED OTHER THAN THE FANS) MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THERE NOT TO BE ONE. GEN CON HAS THIER PROBLEMS - POOR LAYOUT, LACK OF PLANNING, PURCHASING BADGES, I COULD GO ON. HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW OR THINK LUCASFILM IS THE ANSWER. I MEAN JUST LUCK WHO/HOW THEY RUN STARWARS.COM./INSIDER. I ALSO HOPE THAT IT IS IN 07'. AS FAR AS LOCATION I HOPE IT IS IN INDY. OR CHICAGO. HOWEVER I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL NOT BE IN INDY. ANYMORE, DUE TO LABOR UNION PROBLEMS. I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE VEGAS THING THAT MUCH. IF I GO TO VEGAS IT WOULD NOT REALLY BE FOR STAR WARS, BUT IT WOULD BETTER THAN SAN FRANSICO, WHICH IS WHERE I HEARD THEY WAS LOOKING LIKE FROM SANSWEET AT W.W. CHICAGO. BUT IT COULD BE IN BAHGDAD AND I WOULD STILL PROBABLY GO. HOPEFULLY A MIDWEST CITY OR THE EAST COAST, WHICH ARE BOTH LEADING THE POLLS. IF/WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN HOPEFULLY THERE ARE PLENTY OF HOTELS CONNECTED TO THE SITE. MY GROUP HAD TO DRIVE ABOUT 7 MILES EACH DAY AT C3 BECAUSE ALL THE CLOSE ROOMS WERE SOLD OUT, AND THIS WAS ABOUT A YEAR OUT. FOR NOW, ALL WE CAN DO IS SPECULATE.

 

Well reading into what Sansweet said on the latest SWAN podcast, there will probably be a C4 announced in a couple months. If they hold true to form they will announce it in April, a year in advance like they did for the first two celebrations. Which means C4 will probably be in late April/early May of 07. I would love to go with as many members of the fanforce as possible which means fundraisers. So any ideas for different kinds of fundraisers? We could do walk-a-thons, car washes, etc.. or even something as crazy as having the worlds longest lightsaber duel, where in we could get sponsers for each hour we go. We could have Guinness world records involved and I'm sure the news would cover it. And it would be a claim to fame no other fanforce on the planet would have but us. It could be a lucrative fundraiser. No matter where C4 is at with airline costs being what they are, it will probably be cheaper to rent a van and drive. Even with gas prices high. Unless we can find a great air deal early on, but the problem with that is we would have to come up with the money when we found the deal where in if we drive we can save up. Post your thoughts and ideas so we can be prepared and maybe stay ahead of everyone else.

 

You know, I wonder about a few things.

C-III was a blast for me, but for some, it was a huge nightmare. In fact, from what I read, all of the Celebrations had major problems of one sort or another.

Hopefully things have been learned over the experience of the past - but as some fans rightfully note, Gen Con apparently did not - and the lines at C-III were the worst - even for many die-hard fans whom lines are part of the experience.

What would prevent a conglomeration of Official Fanforce chapters to plan and put on a C4 themselves? Is it that the time involved to do something so huge requires "professionals"? Is it the time involved and needed to put it together? Is it that official contracts and companies are required by the legal beagles to undertake such a massive event?

I would think for a C4 event - it makes sense that FANS would put the next one together, rather than "professional conventioneers". I think lines, attractions, shows and spectaculars would be better organized, planned and put on by the fanforces, unless LucasFilm themselves puts on the show. Perhaps someone could ask Sansweet if the Fanforce chapters could work together in cooperation with LucasFilm to put on such an event? By, of and for the fans would probably help make it one of the better Celebrations ever held if profit motive was taken out of the mix and the event was driven by the love of the films and fans. If most of the cash raised for the event went to cover expenses, and the rest to a charity - I do not see why a volunteer event could not be a better success than an inept convention company that piles us in like sardines, and handles the crowds and fans badly for the sake of making some bucks. Don't get me wrong - I'm all about free market capitalism, but when money becomes the motive for driving fan-based events - they tend to take all the enjoyment out of it for the fans.

Who better than we fans and die hards to organize such an event? Or are egos, politics, indifference and the inevitable controlling personalities too great for us to work together to make such an event a reality? Thoughts to ponder.

Locations is a toughie. Many of us in the Midwest and East cringe over the thought of a C4 in CA or Vegas. Could there be TWO locations with satellite links for big shows and appearances? Is St. Louis a possibility for a convention? Of course Vegas is well-suited for conventions - and maybe that is why the discussions have suggested Vegas as a better option. If the Union problem prevents Indy - then I would Imagine Chicago would be worse (Union deal there too). A heartland location does make for a good central hub though, where most fans on the big East and West coast cities have to travel equal distances and not one group has an extraordinary travel burden over another.

I might entertain a caravan to Vegas if they have i there - but not to CA or LA. Having C4 there would opt me out of going. Vegas might be pushing it, and I do not think fuel prices are going to be coming down - in fact with all the war talk about Iran, I would bet on skyrocketing prices that may dump many a plan folks may have to journey to a faraway C4.

But it is still early.

Something tells me the corporate entities of LucasFilm would prefer to deal with corporate entities such as Gen Con for hosting events such as C4. As C-III has shown, "professional" entities are not always the best choice for a fan-based event. But I wonder aloud here on this thread, and it's just a musing of a possibility.

Our local event this weekend has spurned the notion that a big event can be organized and put together with some success by fans.

Even fans from little old podunk Paducah.

 

Unfortunately I am sure C4 being put together by fans is a pipe dream. Although I am pretty sure we could do better than Gen-Con. By the way Sansweet talked Indy. is pretty much out of the running. I don't want to go to San Fransisco but I am willing to bet that is where it will be, hope I'm wrong. I wonder if the people that do the "San Diego Comic Con" have been approached? HMMM, Makes you wonder about the location now doesn't it? That is one of the largest and smoothly ran cons in the world. I mean there has to be a good reason to have it on the West Coast instead of a more central location. I think that theory is plausible. I'm not much on flying but if it is anywhere west of Vegas I think that really is the only realistic option. I still hope for somewhere we could drive to but I'm not holding my breath.