Botcon 2013 plans and recruiting

[Omicron the IceQueen]

*waves*

Okay this is an endeavor and an half I'm going to try- and just coming back to boot! I'm doing this not just here on BWint, but DA as well. As most of you know, Botcon this next year is coming in San Diego on June 27 through the 30th and now is the time to plan for it I’ve learned.

What I’m planning is having a few locals who live nearby, up to a few hours away, who are willing to host people. So the guests are saving on the horrid hotel costs, but they must pitch in for gas and food. Even doing that you are saving several hundred dollars, even more so if you’re adventurous to stay longer like I am for a week-ish.

I have two potential housing hosts lined up already, and will re-confirm that its okay to put their name down, and estimations of gas per day and gas cost to pick up/drop off from the nearest airport to them. As a backup plan we can also group together in a room or two of a motel six or something at 60 a night and split the cost, but I found people in general feel better in a house.

The second part of the plan is for as many people to get the Primus Package experience, and all the advantages that go with it. How to do this is simple, as I’ve done it before by having those who do get the Primus Package add on Minicon add-on packages.

HOWEVER, the Minicon-add on people MUST pay for their own packages by forwarding the funds to their package-host. Those with Primus Packages as well if you want to stay at a Host House you MUST have one Minicon buddy at least, to be fair to everyone. I will update when I find out how many Minicons can be on a Primus' package, or if there's another midway level again and how many Minicons they have.

Remember this is trying to make it cost effective and fun for everyone! This takes a good deal of cooperation from everyone but the result is worth it. This also needs to be sorting out as early as possible, so anyone who wants to pop in can be wedge in as well.


House hosts: 2

Host 1 is 2-3 hours away

Host 2 is 2-3 hours away


Possible Primus Package hosts: 2

Omicron the IceQueen; myself am going to try to grab a Primus [or at least tried]
Minocon[s] for her: N/A

Beastbot ;
Minicons, mom, and [possably] Starath +1



Please contact me by PM/IM/Email to be put on the list

Cheers!
~Omie

[Nurann]

I'm half considering it, but my vacation time is pretty much being used up by Africa, so if I do go it's only for 2-3 days to visit people. No Primus package this time lol.

[Omicron the IceQueen]

you don't 'have' to be a primus package sweetie

[Starath]

Howdy. It's been awhile. ^^;

I cannot type much right now (injury problems) but I wanted to throw my helmet in the ring and say I am interested in going to Botcon in 2013.

I will be graduating in May, and my best friend has wanted to go to a Con for years. And it just so happens that Botcon's location is her home town.

I will talk to her about what I have read here. However, my biggest sticking point is funding. I will be near broke when I graduate. I really, really, REALLY want this to work out anyway, because I would consider this trip to be my celebration of graduating from college for the final time (I have been in college for 10 years now).

So. There you have it. I hope it works out.

[Omicron the IceQueen]

Cool! You won't be the only one who's celebrating their graduation from a college by going to Botcon! Storm [not sure if you know her] is graduating in may as well, I promised to go down and be there for her. Oddly it's over the weekend my birthday is on O,o But the big thing is I think getting down there and the fair, depending on who you stay with, maybe even helping out with house work or something will work? I'll have to ask

Oh! And to everyone else I'm throwing in a fun bonus! to who want to stay at a host house, I have two transformer boardgames. One is a Dreamwave monopoly aaaaaand I found my old Beast Wars bored game to geek out over! *proudly holds up TF Geek flag*

[Nurann]

Lol Omie it's not that I can't afford it by then, it's just that it would be such a waste for the only 1 full day I could be there! Better to save a minicon badge for someone who can use it properly

(No, seriously, I'm going to Kenya/Tanzania in 4 days and will be using up both this year's and next year's vacation time in one go. Attending Botcon would be fly out friday night and home sunday. If there is enough of us going though, I will gladly do it! I miss hanging out with BWInt people!!)

*perks ears at the idea of Star going too*

[Beastbot]

I will very likely be going (not 100% yet, but fairly sure), though I'm already covered with the hotel room and all that.

[Baron Fel]

I'm going! And I'll be getting the Primus Package, though I have 1 minicon on my badge already.

I'll happily pick up another if that's allowed.
(Also already have a hotel room though. So I don't need lodging.)

[Haystack]

I'd love to go so hard but I'm looking at the location and the timing and this is literally two weeks from SDCC...aaargh. SDCC or BotCon? I'm a college student, I can't afford to take a 2.5 week vacation and shoot for both, and I can't take too much time off of work either or I run the risk of not getting hired by anyone this year (and this NEEDS to happen or I will go broke paying for school next year). What's pricing for the Primus package like? I'm looking around the Con website but I can't find anything for it.

[Beastbot]

I'd love to go so hard but I'm looking at the location and the timing and this is literally two weeks from SDCC...aaargh. SDCC or BotCon? I'm a college student, I can't afford to take a 2.5 week vacation and shoot for both, and I can't take too much time off of work either or I run the risk of not getting hired by anyone this year (and this NEEDS to happen or I will go broke paying for school next year). What's pricing for the Primus package like? I'm looking around the Con website but I can't find anything for it.

Depends. Are you a member of the Transformers Collectors' Club or not? If you're not, you might want to join simply because the cost of membership alone is less than the difference between the price of the Primus package for non-members vs. members. Plus you'll get the Club freebie for this year anyways (an alternate-universe Depth Charge figure) and a bimonthly magazine. (Base cost is $45-62 for the membership; last year, the Primus package price was $415 for non-members but $340 for members.)

As for the pricing this year, usually pricing for the Primus package goes up about $10-20 each year because of inflation and rising oil prices. However, this year there are 5 figures compared to last years' 6 figures, so that may make the cost stagnate for this year... we'll see. Anyways. if you're a member of the club already, expect to spend ~$350 for the Primus package; if not, expect to spend ~$390-$435.

[Haystack]

Thank you BeastBot for the heads up, it is much appreciated. I will definately have to consider it, as I'm comparing prices between SDCC and BotCon. Not gonna lie, my eyes did this when I saw the price, even with the TCC discount. Gonna give me some food for thought.

[Beastbot]

Keep in mind that you don't have to get the Primus package if you don't want the exclusive toys. There is the Protoform package (between ~$150-225, depending on whether you're a club member or not), which lets you attend all the panels and get into the dealer room (though you can't attend the special after-hours events like the Hall of Fame dinner or Casino night).

If you know someone who is getting the Primus package and doesn't already have a "Minicon" package in "reserve", you can also attend as a Minicon, which gets you into all the Protoform stuff plus Casino night for between ~$90-135. (The Hall of Fame dinner changes from year to year-- once it required an additional admission fee, twice it's been free for Primus and Minicon attendees.) If you do go as a Minicon you will need to check in your registration with your Primus package holder, though, so you'd need to make sure to synchronize your schedules fairly well.

You could also attend as General Admittance, which is pretty cheap at ~$20/day-- though the downside to that is, in addition to the restrictions of the Protoform package, you can also only attend on Saturday and Sunday.

Another option to consider is that you could get the Primus package and flip the box set on eBay, making a pretty good majority--if not all-- of your money back. (Of course, how much you'll get back depends on how much the box set is desired by the collector community-- given that no toy from this year's set has been revealed yet, it's hard to gauge how wanted this set will be at this point, but the toys from the core box set have always at least been partially revealed by the time Preregistration opens.)

[Starath]

Howdy ya'll, again.

So, I can't type long cuz of injury, but I'm gonna throw myself out here anyway.

My friend and I still want to go to Botcon. But both of us are dirt-poor college students. In addition, I am student teaching this semester, and my funds are going to get eaten up from commuting costs. I'm graduating in May, so no more student financial aid for me.

I would love it if both of us could be someone's "Minicons". We are currently looking to see if taking a bus or train out west is an option; as taking a flight is not possible (for reference, we're both in Minnesota).

Here's the thing: Basically, to make this happen, I am willing to beg people for money and/or favors. There's no way this will happen otherwise. Any suggestions, advice, ect., would be greatly appreciated.

Omie, at some point can we discuss this whole thing on Skype or via phonecall? You seem to be in charge of this whole thing. Chatting via IM isn't good for me right now. Let me know please.

[EDIT]

I think I have just experienced a miracle.

My father has decided he will pay for train tickets out west.

Now I need to figure out how to pay registration and somewhere to stay.

I'm... not sure what to think right now.

[Beastbot]

The first exclusive of the 2013 set has been revealed-- a remold of Generations Kup as Machine Wars Hoist!

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... ed-176790/

(Given the mold sharing in the small line back in '90s, it's also all but certain that this mold and headsculpt will also be reused for Hubcap:)

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... ubcap/213/

[Omicron the IceQueen]

Okay, sorry for not popping up again for a little while, between working full time to help keep the family business going and my wisdom teeth coming in [might have to get surgery for one X_x] I was kept very busy but I really want to make this to work.

Hey Beast Bot? Could we talk I need to get some info from you since I'm not apart of the collector’s club. [do you know how many minicons a Primus and/or protoform packages can have?]

And yes, Starath I have skype, it’s the same as my msn was [did you know msn is going to be shot down? >.<]. In fact a good skype/conference call is in order for those committed to make this work.

One of the host houses is a little iffy at the moment but I think we still have it with Storm. Tentatively 5-6 people [some spots may be take] and Storm has requested girls only if possible. Warning, Storm’s house DOES have animals [cats, dogs and horses] if you’re allergic let us know a head of time.

Zucca I think can take 4 people but I may have those lined up. I’ll double check with him.

[Anyone else in the area to be a host?]

The hosts have asked for a utility charge of $20. dollars a person, and this seems perfectly fair since you/we will be using the utilities. The charge of staying hasn’t changed from helping with gas and food, I will be cooking at one places.

To those that have a hotel room, would you be interested in having a roommate, of course only if that 'roommate' is willing to help with the cost. Pretty much like what’s going on with the host houses.

As another note, several people wanted to go to the Universal Studios Transformer’s ride, so I am trying to work that in for earlier in the week just before Botcon.

I think I am going to do a conference chat/call on this Sunday [February 10th], at 10;30 am Pacific time. Will that work? Hopefully it will be the first of a few. [Starath you can call me any time if you need to chat before that]