Turtle Con 2009 - Cancelled! Lack of help and funding

[Michaelangelo]

25 Years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!    This deserves a HUGE party, and where better to hold it than really close to NYC?   

This is my most recent project, no this time it's not going to be a booth at convention like the last three times, those were my test runs on seeing what needs to be done and learning the feilds of conventions.   This is going to be a full scale convention.   

And now it's time to start hitting the grin stone in making this a real TMNT event.  I'm going to be inviting guest, I'm going to be looking at getting dealers and I'm even already looking at getting prices on convention centers/hotels.  So a web site and more information will be posted here as it comes through.  Though I want to annouce that for Turtle Con 2009 I'm making this the offical message board to help with decisions on this convention.  Meaning if I want to know what the Turtle Fans want this is the only message board where I'll be coming to ask.  I will hold polls on what time of the year it should be held.  I want feedback from people on what they think we should have at Turtle Con 2009 and what would make it easier for the fans to make it to this convention.

Since this is the first big annoucment I'm doing on this convention I'll like to list some of the events that I already have in mind, please note that just because I'm planning these events, it doesn't mean they'll all work out.

TMNT Guest:
Pat Fraley

Location:
Crowne Plaza Hotel
SECAUCUS-MEADOWLANDS
2 HARMON PLAZA
SECAUCUS, NJ 07094
UNITED STATES
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hd/nycmd

Events that are being planned[/u]

TMNT NYC Tour :  Going to as many stops that we can that are TMNT related, explaining how it's connected with the Turtles and get photos.  Please note that if we do any in building Tours on this trip, I will arrange it ahead of time so that the buildings know we're coming and make sure it's ok with them.  If not ok, we won't be stopping at those places.

TMNT Screening : I'll have rooms at the convention doing screenings of the Turtles, from the Original series, the movies, the tours, the next mutation, and the 4Kids series.  What ever we can get on screen to share with people, we will (As long as we get the offical permission to do this.).  I will also see about getting dealers that'll be able to sell offical copies of these shows. 

Voice Acting work shop with Pat Fraley:  Pat Fraley has offered to do a voice acting work shop for the convention.  On how to do character voices!  This should be a specail treat for anyone who's interested in voice acting!

TMNT Guest : I've already talked with many guest on the subject of doing a Turtle Con and most of them are totally for it.   The amount of Guest we get, depend on the amount of money we can raise up for this event.  I'll like to be able to get guest from every area of TMNT to do this convention, the movies, the shows, the comics, and the tours.  To get Guest the convention (which will be me and who ever else joins in on running this event) will have to come up with the money to fly the guest in and get them hotel rooms.  This is something that all cons do for their guest.  Usually giving the guest a little extra so they can afford to get food while in the area as well.   So getting guest is not going to be a cheap thing, which is why I'll have to find how to raise the money for this event.

TMNT cosplay contest  :  Most conventions have their costume contest and I don't want this one to be any different.  So we will hold a Saturday night party plus costume contest so people can come up with their costumes, their skits to do on stage, and enjoy going around for photo shoots.   With all the different areas of TMNT this could be fun, esp if people get creative and do different characters like Mighty Mutanimals, side characters in the show, even the Turtles and Splinter.   It'd be great to see what people come up with!

TMNT displays : At the convention we will have lots of displays up to look at, maybe a room just for that.   Where people can see original art work on display, movie props, different set up of TMNT figures, and so much more.   Photos will be allowed in the display room so people can bring home memories of anything they liked seeing.

TMNT Autographs : TMNT Guest, means TMNT autographs and hopefully they'll all be FREE.  I do not plan to ask any Guest to charge for autographs.  So if the guest do decide to charge it'll be of their own free will.  Though I know that the VAs from the new series and the Next Mutation do not usually charge, and most comic artist including the Mirage crew does not charge as well.  So this should not be to much of a problem.

How does this event sound to you all so far?   This is something I'll like fans to be invold in.   So once I find out more information on the size and cost of the place that I'm looking at, I will put in information on seeking Volunteers for the convention.  Volunteers will get into the convention free, though be required to work at least 6 Hours of the convention.  As of now I am not looking for Volunteers so please do not ask till I annouce that part of the planning.

The first part of this event which is very important is picking the dates.  My perfered dates is May 8th, 9th, and 10th 2009.  The reason I'd like those dates is because of how close it would really be to the 25th anversary of the TMNT.  Though I know because some people are thinking of school years and stuff that this may not be other people's perfered dates.  I'll be posting a poll for this in the General Discussion area soon.  The date listed for this event will be edited if the poll chooses other wise, but I wanted to have something there for people to see that this is not around the coner just yet.

The poll for this event is over.   The dates choose are August 15th, 16th, and 17th.   

Next poll being done now is who do you want as the Turtle Con Mascot.  Follow this link... http://www.tmnt-l.com/index.php?topic=1101

This poll is over now as well, the mascot for Turtle Con 2009 is Keeter.  Please feel free to take part in Keeter's topic at: http://www.tmnt-l.com/index.php?topic=1270

The new poll is now if we should have an RPG ran at Turtle Con.  Here's the link for this poll, please let us know what you think.  http://www.tmnt-l.com/index.php?topic=1355

Why am I planning this so early some may ask, the answer to that is so we can make sure to do this the way all the fans who speak up want to.  And so we can make this one huge event for everyone to enjoy.   TMNT has touched so many of our lifes, and the best we can do is share with others.  Let's see this become an event that everyone can take part in and enjoy, no one should be left out and no one is taking all the credit for it.

Let's here your feedback!

Email: turtlecon@itsjustadream.com  (for anything you don't want to post on the board, recommendations and stuff, though remember to put "Turtle Con" in the topic.  Otherwise the message will be filtered out).

[Kazari]

I will have to check on this. But maybe! Just depends on where I am living at that time and what I am doing!

[WolfofMibu]

I would LOVE to go.... and would be happy to help if I can with anything!

[AristaNiara]

I'm with you on this.  If Disney's Gargoyles have "The Gathering" which is their version of a Gargoyles convention, why shouldn't the TMNT?  It would be easier to have a con like this now that the internet's widely used as well.

As for the dates, as a college student right now, although I won't be in college come 2009, my concern is for those high school students who will be.  Most colleges (I didn't say all) have exams in the middle of those times.  So I'd say probably later in the summer and not during the school year.  But again, that's just my take on it.

If you need any help, give me a call and let me know.  You know that I'm always willing to help times, I'm use to planning events and stuff like this, I have to do this all the time at work.

[Danceingfae]

To me this sounds like a great idea! The dates i'm not sure on because that's the same month as Chorus competition is but with this much notice if those dates hold i should be able to save up for it. (Heck with the should i will no matter time or place, just not late May please!). I'll discuss the date more when you put the poll up.

As for idea's on raising money for the con a good idea is fundraisers, do personal fundraisers and donate the money you make from it for the con and just plain donations themselves. Those are the only things i can think of at the moment.

And i'll be right on that list when you ask for volunteers!   That will be no problem for me at all!

Lovin it!

[Brinatello]

This is something I've been thinking about for a very long time, and when you mentioned it to me awhile back, I was almost wondering if it could really become a reality.  It'd be like planning for a wedding only bigger and more complex.  It's good to discuss it now, two years before, and it'll allow us to send out the invites.

[cynlee]

You might be able to get the interest of Mirage and/or 4Kids (by that time will they care?) in order to help with this-- after all, if you can interest them, it might help offset any money you would need to raise.

I would SO go to this.  I've wanted to visit N.Y.C. again ever since 9/11-- never really cared to do so before that date.  This would be something I would plan on attending.

[Michaelangelo]

When I did the past Turtle Con events (booths at other conventions) Mirage left it all up to me to do.  They'd help send stuff for the convention, but they didn't fund it.   So I'm not going to rely on them for this.   Though I'll get things laid out price wise and stuff, than will bring it to their attention more.  Esp since I want them as guest.

[Onatello]

If you need any help, I''l help when I can.

[Dark Angel]

Wow this actually soumds like a great idea. I"d love to be a part in helping this. If you find great sellers it be a great addition. I use to help at a Transformers con and dressed up as a character.THat was fun.They made me in charge of the cermony.

But sadly i was backstabbed because transformers was a BOYS domain and for THOSE kinda bratty girls.

But if you can be TRUE to me that the staff working on this isn't all arrogent,greedy & Full of themselves I"d love to help.

Sorry to sound so mean but I had a lot of bad experiances in my time with fans of popular things.

[Michaelangelo]

As I mentioned in an earlier post I am not looking for staff at this time, it's too early in the game to even start looking in that area.  So there is no promises of anyone being staff just yet.   I've worked conventions in my past too and I got a lot of friends who run conventions now so I have some help already with where we're going with this.   Though until I know the size of this event and got some dealers lined up and so on, I won't be opening up for staff yet.

Though when we do need staff, there will be post here on TMNT-L, saying what would be needed and sheduals.

[Lisardo]

I remember you mentioning this to me long ago and it sounds like alotta fun.  It is a ways off of course so I'll havta see closer to the time, but I definately want to go and will try to!  If it's anything like the con we had back in 2000, I'm all for it!  Sofar everything you mentioned sounds ok.  The cosplay for the TurtleCon is a new one, but I like that idea alot!  I have seen at other cons that TMNT fans cosplayed their fav TMNT characters, so it'd be fun to do something like that for the TC 2009.  The TMNT guests I also like but like you I'm also wondering how we'd raise the money for it.

[Dark Angel]

Hmm..Maybe some good sponsors. Like in your are a who are dealers. I knew a few who do Transformers and most 80's stuff. They might donate money. It just depends. But hey maybe do some ebay auction stuff or sell stuff in your area

Just ideas I'm tossing out here

[Michaelangelo]

Hey everyone, just adding this up here.  I made a flyer, these flyers can be something to help raise awareness of this event being worked on, and help get support for the event.  Let me know what you think of the flyer, and feel free to make flyers of your own and share them here.

[Michaelangelo]

PG made a flyer as well, it's really good!  So here's the second Turtle Con Flyer!