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[Pete The Greek]

I know I'll be in the minority here, but i'd much prefer the con to stay in a place like Hamilton, and away from major metros like Toronto.  Seriously, it's less than an hour drive to get to Hamilton from Toronto.  Everytime I go to a big time convention, I have to contend with horrible or expensive parking, bad traffic and expensive hotels (if I'm staying at one).  This con is in a not too big and not too small town.  But that's just me, and I'd go to toronto if it was there anyway, so it's not like changing would lose me as a customer

In my view, if the convention is to grow and attract more out of towners, then it can't be in Hamilton every year.  Hamilton never has or will be a tourist destination. Part of the reason why I went the GIJCC Orlando and New Orleans conventions was the tourist aspect.  Hence, Niagara Falls and Toronto should be next to host the convention.  If those work out, why not places like Ottawa or Montreal down the road. 

[spiderpumpkin]

Really liked the staff, set, guests, seminars, vendors, convention center and large number of attendees.  I thought there were a lot of cool things to see around the area.  I liked visiting Niagara Falls, St Catharines, Welland Canal, Fort Erie, Royal Botanical Gardens and seeing more of the Great Lakes.  Most likely will make the trip next year and check out Toronto and more of Ontario.

[roshan]

In my view, if the convention is to grow and attract more out of towners, then it can't be in Hamilton every year.  Hamilton never has or will be a tourist destination. Part of the reason why I went the GIJCC Orlando and New Orleans conventions was the tourist aspect.  Hence, Niagara Falls and Toronto should be next to host the convention.  If those work out, why not places like Ottawa or Montreal down the road. 

OK, but, we're talking 45 minutes of driving to get to those spots.  If you had the con in a spot like london, yeah you're getting a bit out of the way, but Hamilton's right smack dab between the two tourist spots. 

Now if you go to Montreal, that would rock, cause I love any opportunity to speak french, and there could be an all french themed set!  Go to Calgary and it could be a mountain forces theme set. 

[dryhawk37]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Got  home yesterday at 9:52 Pacific time (left at 2:00am from Detroit). I'm freakin exhausted, but had a BLAST. It was great to finally match up the faces to the names and catch up with people that I have known "online" for years. It took a total of 8000 miles (yikes) and over $1100.00 in travel expenses, but it was well worth it!!

The only thing I would want to see different for next year would be a multiple day convention. I left California at 5:00am on Friday, flew to Phoenix, then landed in Detroit at approximately 5:00pm. Watched the Red Wings game, then hopped in a car and drove 5 more hours up to Hamilton. Got there at about 3:00am, waited in line until 8:45 to pick up the set, and at that time I had been awake and travelling for over 25 hours straight, so I had to take an hour nap.

It was hard to stay awake and enjoy the show after all of the travel/waiting in line, but if there was a 2-3 day event I could have just slept it off the first day, and not meet everybody and have them think I am some kind of Zombie

I still thought that it was very well planned out, the exclusives are second to none (just watch my TV interview if it makes it through the editing stage), the staff was awesome to deal with (unlike another show I know of) and the attendees seemed to be having a TON of fun.

Hope to make it again sometime, but would hope it is more than 1 day so I can rest up when I first get there.

Either way, thanks for a great unforgettable weekend!!

And I'm still not getting the Stealth Viper Jr. joke (is that a Canadian thing or something

[Pete The Greek]

And I'm still not getting the Stealth Viper Jr. joke (is that a Canadian thing or something

To me, you look like a younger Ed Dam, but with a much larger Funskool collection.   

By the way. great shooting the shit with you.  I am hoping for a two day event next year as well.  One day doesn't seem enough to talk and get to know other collectors.

[narceron]

I know I'll be in the minority here, but i'd much prefer the con to stay in a place like Hamilton, and away from major metros like Toronto.  Seriously, it's less than an hour drive to get to Hamilton from Toronto.  Everytime I go to a big time convention, I have to contend with horrible or expensive parking, bad traffic and expensive hotels (if I'm staying at one).  This con is in a not too big and not too small town.  But that's just me, and I'd go to toronto if it was there anyway, so it's not like changing would lose me as a customer

In my view, if the convention is to grow and attract more out of towners, then it can't be in Hamilton every year.  Hamilton never has or will be a tourist destination. Part of the reason why I went the GIJCC Orlando and New Orleans conventions was the tourist aspect.  Hence, Niagara Falls and Toronto should be next to host the convention.  If those work out, why not places like Ottawa or Montreal down the road. 

I just dont' want to ever have to go buffalo, again. .. ever.  The town has potholes, poverty, and NFC.  And NFC is mobile,

So anywhere with an airport and a more proximal hotel would be great.

Also, next year I will be sure to ask for bits ahead of time, no bitz benders.  I still need a large gun cap, a small gun cap, and a gun chair to complete my terrordrome and the vendor did not like me asking to buy his "parts" from his very nice terrordrome,

My only suggestion is to have more people bring timbits.  Our pal Chad bought some. . . they are fantastic... I want some right now, actually.  I'll do my best to bring some next year to add to the heap.

[Bandalero]

Definitely no real surprises or big revelations in the slideshow (they save all that stuff for SDCC

Hence my plea for more pretty marketing assistants! =) But in all seriousness, it's nice to have Hasbro Canada endorse the convention but the reality is Hasbro USA controls all the business decisions, so while I can appreciate Greg trekking out there each year, there's really nothing new or surprising being brought to the table.  Hasbro Canada's still working out distribution with the big box retailers here, and they are still working out ways to allow Canadians to purchase from the online toyshop, we still wont get product in Quebec if it isn't in french, bah it's like the Q&As we do every month...same questions, same answers.

Like all previous movies before G.I. Joe we ALL should expect a glut of movie toys clogging our shelves by mid-Summer because that's what the big boxes want - that's just reality.  Any word on future new-era single carded joes after the movie?  They can't say.  Any word on Resolute expanding?  They can't say.  It's a vicious cycle.

[canprime]

Definitely no real surprises or big revelations in the slideshow (they save all that stuff for SDCC

Hence my plea for more pretty marketing assistants! =) But in all seriousness, it's nice to have Hasbro Canada endorse the convention but the reality is Hasbro USA controls all the business decisions, so while I can appreciate Greg trekking out there each year, there's really nothing new or surprising being brought to the table.  Hasbro Canada's still working out distribution with the big box retailers here, and they are still working out ways to allow Canadians to purchase from the online toyshop, we still wont get product in Quebec if it isn't in french, bah it's like the Q&As we do every month...same questions, same answers.

Like all previous movies before G.I. Joe we ALL should expect a glut of movie toys clogging our shelves by mid-Summer because that's what the big boxes want - that's just reality.  Any word on future new-era single carded joes after the movie?  They can't say.  Any word on Resolute expanding?  They can't say.  It's a vicious cycle.

Hey at least they answered my question finally.  The one about what happened with the wave 1 vehicle case change.

[Storm.Shadow]

Hey at least they answered my question finally.  The one about what happened with the wave 1 vehicle case change.

What was the answer?  Sorry if it's staring me in the face, but I don't see it mentioned anywhere.
Thanks.

[martin-montreal]

If those work out, why not places like Ottawa or Montreal down the road. 

[move:1qnw8hdl]Go! Montreal Go![/move:1qnw8hdl]   We also have many  :timbits: here  :lol: People are friendly, many board members are from Montreal and it is actually pretty cheap  .

You guys in Hamilton put expectations pretty high, so we would have to think about something pretty big!

Martin

[morgardee]

Hey at least they answered my question finally.  The one about what happened with the wave 1 vehicle case change.

What was the answer?  Sorry if it's staring me in the face, but I don't see it mentioned anywhere.
Thanks.

The short answer is Walmart.

[Scramble]

Hey at least they answered my question finally.  The one about what happened with the wave 1 vehicle case change.

What was the answer?  Sorry if it's staring me in the face, but I don't see it mentioned anywhere.
Thanks.

The short answer is Walmart.

I believe that's also the answer Greg the Hasbro rep said not to spread around.  :wink:

Here's how it was explained. Some stores have demands for how cases are packed. Those stores don't like half cases lying around because the stock tends to get overlooked or misplaced ie not sold ie profit lost. So those stores asked that the cases be smaller, which means only a couple of boxes from the wave could be included. Hasbro decided on the HISS and Armadillo/Serpentor Air Chariot set. Greg believes that the stagnant vehicles is less because the sets are unpopular and more because demand for those two sets dried up more quickly than demand for a four vehicle wave would have.

Greg said they will be using the failure of the vehicle wave due to the demands set down as a negotiating point to get full vehicle waves in Canada in the future.