Who's been to BotCon then?

We have a strange pattern when you look at when we went.

2003 - Chicago (held a few weeks after the 3H breakup)
2007 - Rhode Island
2011 - Pasadena

So, unofficially, it's turned into a four yearly trip. Another odd pattern. David Kaye .. he was a guest in 2003, then a guest in 2007 and a guest again in 2011 - we're not stalkers honest

2004 - BotCon / OTFCC Europe (I'll sneak that in)

I've thought about going for a long time but money's always been too tight and now I'm in a position where I don't think I'd ever be able to afford to go.

Saying that, I think it's probably grown too large for my liking and is probably a bit too impersonal. I've been to large Star Trek conventions over here that have had 2,000+ people in attendance and even they have seemed too large and over crowded so I dread to think what something with 5,000+ people would be like.

I'm not mad on the exclusive toys (I'm quite picky about what I collect!) and it's hit-and-miss whether you can get access to the guests, so the registration fee is a bit off-putting as well to be honest.

I could maybe stretch to a Botcon trip in the next few years (pending me calling in a few loans from people lol) but the thing that gets me is the sheer size of it.

My only real comparison - and I appreciate it's very different - is Memorabilia. I had a really nice time there, but that's because I was with a group. The second you get split up, you could literally not bump into a friend again all day. So that's what puts me off Botcon more than anything. I'd happily give it a whirl, but it would have to form part of a friends-holiday rather than just being all about the con.

The endless queuing puts me off.

I've often said I would go to the hotel it was at with a tshirt with BARCON across the front and back and spend my day in the hotel bar!

Andy

Went to BotCon for the first time this year. It's unlikely I'll go there again anytime soon.

Not impressed, I take it dude?

I'd like to go to one one day. But unless i win the lotto doubt it will be soon.

I went in 2009 and 2010, really enjoyed both years, but mostly because I've got a great group of friends there. The actual convention itself I'm not that fussed about. The exclusives are more about quantity than quality, I've never even bothered trying to meet the guests because there is no one on this planet I'd queue for hours to meet (although I did run into Weird Al and Bob Budiansky in hotel corridors, which was cool), dealer room is generally overpriced, the Hall of Fame is a joke.. some of the panels and displays are interesting though. Don't even get me started on the booking system and FP's general incompetence at doing anything.

Despite all that I'll be going again next year, but it's only for the people. And to scalp exclusives.

I've been to
2004 - Pasadena (the unofficial Hartman/Sinclair run Botcon)
2005 - Fort Worth
2006 - Lexington
2007 - Rhode Island
2008 - Cincinatti
2009 -
2011 - Pasadena

The earlier ones were a bit better in some ways, to be honest; 2011 felt like it was catering too much to walk-ins at the expense of preregistered attendees. Still, I have a lot of awesome memories from all of them, and a lot of really good friends that I've made from going to them.

Pete, do you ever feel that too much emphasis has been made about the guests and toys over the last few years with Botcon? I've been saying for about 6 or 7 years now that I've wanted to go, but money aside I just get the feeling now that the thrust of it seems to be about the exclusives, pushing guests and product news.

Toy wise I've been really picky with my collection lately (probably bought less than 20 in the last 18 months!) so the exclusives and probably the dealers room don't hold any appeal to me at all!

I've never been outside the UK [not of the mainland]. I'll just stick to Uk events.

I do like a good convention, but I think im in much the same thought frame as billy in that I like to see my friends, we recently hit collectormania and memo together and I think a lot of the fun is seeing your friends in a geeky setting, i know I get a kick out of AA as much for the people as I do for the convention itself. If i ever go to botcon it would be to see people, or at least 1 person. That said a holiday in the US is always a nice change.