Good Evening Everyone!
First off, I would like to apologize for my absent from the blogging world and twitter world. With overtime at work and the first summer as a homeowner, time is becoming a depleting resource, not a awful aspect though. My wife and I have done amazing improvements on our house and are excited to use the outdoor space all summer long!
Okay, that's out of the way, now onto the blog!
In March I did a preview on Indiana Comic Con before I attended Saturday of the convention, now it is time to showcase the highlights and possible issues that may arise for INDY POP CON!
I wanted to make a note before my preview though. One of my earliest blogs was an interview with Indiana Comic Con. Shortly after being published, I was contacted by Shawn, the communications director from PopCon,to do a interview. Let me tell you, this is just the tip of how amazing I believe PopCon will be. This is one the biggest highlights of PopCon. This convention was created by guys like me who are locals of the Indy area and because of this they constantly contact attendees, promote local artists, and are making an experience that we want. Hell, they contacted me for an interview! They are a group who wants to spread the word and really connect to fans.
Okay! To the preview!
The Good
1.Guests (Artists/PodCasters/Celebrities/And So Much More): What makes PopCon so successful in this category is the simple fact that the organizers have not limited themselves. This is a Pop Culture convention. You will see Youtubers, celebrities, extraordinary artists, creative cosplayers, gaming companies, and podcasters. This allows the convention to not limit who they sign on to join the fun. I look forward to meeting new people and even learning from them during talks and panels.
2. Pricing: Simple. You buy presale, you save money. You buy Indy PopCon tickets, you don't pay fees. The organizers did this so well. Presale tickets end tomorrow night at 11:59, if you haven't purchased yet....GET ON IT! I also must applaud them on allowing the printing of said presale tickets, this was not an option an Indian Comic Con. This meant that my wife and I had to wait in the same line as those who did not purchase presale tickets......just to pick up out presale tickets.
3. Interaction: As mentioned at the beginning, Shawn from PopCon reached out to me ( a new blogger) for an interview. This was one of many interactions where either Shawn or other members of the PopCon team have gotten back to me on emails quickly and even taken the time to respond to twitter questions and support my blog as well. Just take a quick look on their Twitter. Constant messages to guests, attendees and new information are constantly being posted. This group is great on interacting with others and makes sure that everyone knows it too. I look forward to the live tweeting the next few days!
4. Space: Another simple one. You have a lot of people, in small space.....things get crowded and stinky. The best solution.....get more space. The organizers heard the masses and are just plain smart. Instead of an overcrowded convention, they made sure to purchase plenty of space to accommodate a huge crowd!
5. Additional Community Involvement: Building the Circle on Minecraft, fun commercials, food trucks on Georgia Street, creative VIP experiences ( especially the Game of Thrones at Scotty's), FREE HEAD SKETCHES, and so many other small details! Make sure to bring your food cans on Saturday for free swag too, all donations go to Gleaner's Food Bank!
The Bad & Ugly (What could go wrong?)
1. My biggest concern is organization on entering the convention. Indiana Comic Con still has a bad taste in my mouth. My wife and I faced an overcrowded line with no direction to where we were to go and just destroyed any hope of enjoying the day before we even got in( which is another story, one of which I'm not concerned about with PopCon,convention space.) This is the first year of PopCon and anything the first time is difficult. If the organizers don't have enough volunteers, signage, and proactive social media then it could be a repeat. With the encouragement of presales, the organizers obviously have a rough estimate on crowd numbers, but that is just one key step on making the entry into the convention smooth.
2.Panel schedule is another concern. Although I believe the amount of panels being offered is more than enough, but I feel topics that are "hot" are lacking in the schedule. This concern is off my own opinions though, I know many would believe that the topics on the schedule are perfect. To me though, as I browse the list, I see panels that I am looking forward to while at times while planning my days there is no feeling of a difficult choice. I haven't come to pass where I must choose one panel over another. I know I know, many would think "Isn't that the best though?". The answer in my opinion, no. I want to know there is so much to decide on and that I may have to struggle on what exactly what I want to see. Why though? Because that clearly means that the material at the convention all around is superb. Hopefully all panels will go off without a hitch and material is fantastic.
3.24 Hour gaming hall: I was excited to hear about the announcement of the 24 hour gaming hall, but a little worried about it as well. I would love to play on the Oculus Rift, but how long will I have to wait in line? I would love to play Mario Cart 8, how long for that line? I don't know the organization of the gaming hall, but if done poorly (especially without proper supervision) long lines and kids wanting to play more than their turn could cause headaches that I just don't want to deal with. Also is it worth keeping the hall open 24 hours?
Well there you have it! My highlights of what I am most excited about and the areas that I still feel iffy about. Regardless I believe the convention will be a great time and am excited to meet new friends!
Tweet me @Shwoodylove for concerns and highlights about the convention on your end!
Until next time!
Kyle
ShwoodyLove
