BotCon 2016 date and location announced

[Paulbot]

Date and location for BotCon 2016 have been announced

April 7 to April 10
Galt House Hotel
Louisville Kentucky

Details for hotel reservations here
http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2016/

They are getting in early this time!

[griffin]

Since it is in April, it's not really getting in early. Last year they made the announcement in October for end of June... this one is start of April, so by last year's timing this should have been announced in July/August.

Pre-registrations will probably be in April again though... :p

I was half expecting it to be in California this year, so I'm surprised that it is in the mid-west again (two years in a row), and a little out of the way, but I guess it's considered "central" to get more people in. The city isn't huge (https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Galt+House+Hotel/@38.2017658,-85.7717684,12.08z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x886972a355b38283:0x2a7bf7e9638df bf6?hl=en), but the airport is only about 5kms from the hotel.

Let's see how many people here are keen at the current exchange rate, or a lower exchange rate by the time registration and the event starts.
I guess that will mean Pasadena for 2017 for the next Movie.

Hmmm... there's a baseball museum about 400 meters from the Hotel and a baseball stadium about 500 meters on the other side, which might tempt UltraMarginal.


Some details for future reference...

Galt House Hotel/Schneider Hotels, LLC
140 North Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(0011 1) 800-The-Galt (800-843-4258) or
(0011 1) 502-589-5200
http://www.galthouse.com/

Amenities include internet (hopefully free), parking (hopefully free), airport shuttle.
Discount period (US$139 plus tax - currently 16.07%) includes the nights of April 4th to April 10th (checkout the 11th).


Galt House Hotel, the Heart of Louisville, boasts 1,320 guest rooms and suites, 128,000 square-feet of convention space, two ballrooms, an exhibit hall and more than 50 meeting rooms. Galt House Hotel features six full-service restaurants and lounges, including RIVUE, a 25th floor revolving restaurant with amazing cuisine, as well as the Rooftop Garden and Terrace, Club 360° Fitness Center and the three-story Conservatory that connects the two towers over 4th Street. It is located within a day's drive of two-thirds of the U.S. population, offers 2,500 covered parking spaces and is located just 7 minutes from Louisville International Airport and the Kentucky Exposition Center. Galt House Hotel is connected to the KFC Yum! Center and the Kentucky International Convention Center, and within walking distance of Fourth Street Live! entertainment district, the Muhammad Ali Center, Kentucky Science Center, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum and Frazier History Museum. It is also within walking distance of unique shops and restaurants.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Kentucky is the home of Bourbon, a very good reason to go :p:D

[fatbot]

I'm thinking of going, depending on the cost of flights. Louisville isn't easy to get to or cheap, I'll be looking at going thru New York or Chicago then a train to get there.

[Paulbot]

The link I was at earlier said Internet was available for a fee.

[griffin]

The link I was at earlier said Internet was available for a fee.

Internet and parking most likely have a fee... but it would have been nice to be included without a fee or a daily "resort fee" that you can't avoid, just to make the hotel rate sound cheaper. :rolleyes:

The location will make it worth visiting somewhere on the way, if the budget allows it, as I would expect an exchange rate of about 60 US cents by then. :(

(at least it should be the "off season" for flights, so you should get cheaper airfares, and maybe better sale prices)



Looking at the email announcement, we get a few advance bits of info for next year...


In the coming weeks, fans and collectors will be able to register for BotCon 2016 through the BotCon.com online registration system. Fans and collectors who register for BotCon as a Primus package holder will receive a five-figure TRANSFORMERS convention set, admission to the Friday private sales room experience, priority seating at all panels and seminars throughout the weekend and admittance to the Saturday night Casino Night and Awards party. Finally, Primus package attendees will also receive a special bonus TRANSFORMERS figure to go along with their convention box set. General Admission for non-registered guests will be available on Saturday and Sunday only.

The boxset has five figures and there will be a Saturday night Casino event again.
It also says "in coming weeks" for Registration, but I'll believe that when I see it. (last year they were promising December, then promising January, then promising February... and eventually it was done in May)

[griffin]

Latest email from FunPub (for something else) had noted at the end that their discount Hotel rooms for next year are 90% reserved... so if you have even a slight possibility of going next year, reserve a room and cancel it later if you don't end up going. (you will need to pay a day as a deposit, but it is refunded if you cancel before the cut-off)


So.... their allocated discounted rooms are not sold out yet after a full month. I think that's a first, because even 2005 had their allocated rooms sold out (as I came across the email update from 2005 just the other day).
Ever since 2007, the rooms were booked out within a day to a week of the announcement and there would be a second or third hotel on offer. Last year it took a few weeks, but the St Charles Resort was huge.
I think they are really going to be cutting back on the toy units this year just to make sure they don't have unsold stock 5 years in a row... even after trimming back on the numbers in the last two years.

[UltraMarginal]

Hmmm... there's a baseball museum about 400 meters from the Hotel and a baseball stadium about 500 meters on the other side, which might tempt UltraMarginal.


Apart from the lack of interest I have in beast wars and the lack of excitement I have for multiples of the combiner wars toys, it might be almost enough except that our wedding anniversary is on the 4th.

Mrs UltraMarginal is very understanding of my interests, but to drag her to the middle of Kentucky on the week of our anniversary, or even worse, not be together on our anniversary might be pushing my luck.

[griffin]

The Brochure is up on the BotCon website (http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2016/). (direct link to the PDF file here (http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2016/Lexington%202016.pdf))

Still just the two major guests, so maybe that is all next year.
David Kaye (Megatron) & Alec Willows (Tarantulas).

Noted in several places is that the 2016 BotCon will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Beast Wars... which so far with the toys and guests, looks to be better than their early promotional material for 2014 that was supposed to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Transformers.

Possible Registration date or timing is not noted (that I could see), but their FAQ page from the main page says "later this Fall", which would be by the end of November... if they ever keep to their schedules and don't have problems with the registration website again.

Costs in US$.
Primus - $399 (five toy boxset plus attendee toy)
Minicon (kids/partners, no toys) - $140
Protoform (no toys) - $210
Iacon (non-attending) - $399

100 Golden Tickets - $325 (down from last year's $400 which had to pay for Frank Welker, but up from the usual $300) Totals $724 with Primus pack.

250 Loose sets - $295

Custom Class (Wed & Thurs) - $120
unpainted toy - $75

Wed Tour - $115 - Horses & Kentucky Bourbon Tour
(8am-4.30pm) Kentucky Derby racetrack, White Castle for lunch, Jim Beam Distillery, Evan Williams Distillery.

Thurs Tour - $115 - Caving and Museums Tour
(8am-5pm) Marengo Cave, Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, Louisville Slugger (bad) Museum, Frazor History Museum.

Saturday has a Casino night and Awards dinner.
The Costume contest is back, as is the Filmfest for Friday (with submissions required by March 15th).

Theme outline from the Brochure.

As they sat aboard their own personal space station orbiting Cybertron,
the Tripredacus Council seemed to defy Maximal Intelligence in every
way. Shrouded in mystery and shadows cast by a single hanging
lamp, this trinity of high-ranking Predacons plotted their own path to
restoring greatness to the Predacon faction. While fans never saw them
in combined form on the show, we know that the Predacons General
Seaclamp, Cicadacon, and Ramhorn combined to form the fearsome
and towering Tripredacus!
Of course, what good is a conspiracy without operatives to carry it out?
And the Predacon Council had some of the best operatives for that task!
Working as a covert specialist for the Tripredacus Council, Ravage was
described as one of the few Generation 1 Decepticon warriors who was
rebuilt and reprogrammed... as a Predacon. Given new stealth abilities
and one of the Predacon’s most advanced ships, Ravage made his
presence known shortly after his arrival on ancient Earth by capturing
the renegade Predacon Megatron and dispersing his troops. Although the
crafty Megatron soon turned the tides back on the famous feline with his
own manipulation and offer, Ravage soon made his true loyalties known -
“Decepticons Forever!”
But the former Decepticon wasn’t the only one who had previously
sworn loyalty to the Council. Sly, secretive, and scheming, Predacon
Secret Police Lieutenant Tarantulas had been a mole inside of
Megatron’s crew from the very beginning! Turning into a disgusting,
giant spider with the ‘occasional’ mad scientist tendencies and
personality gave fans a character the likes they had never seen before in
the Transformers mythos.
As BotCon 2016 celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Beast Wars
TV series and toy line, fans can relive these great characters through
new toys and a new story! With FIVE new head sculpts spread across
the box set and utilizing the awesome Combiner Wars molds from
the Transformers Generations toy line, Voyager Class SEACLAMP,
Deluxe Class RAMHORN, Deluxe Class CICADACON, Deluxe Class
RAVAGE, and Deluxe Class TARANTULAS are ready to join fans’
Beast Wars shelves individually OR joined together as the unstoppable
Predacon Battle Master PREDACUS!


(if this update generates enough interest, I'll split it off to a new News topic... I'm just pairing it up with the previous topic that had the dates and location for convenience of not repeating those details)

[Verno]

For those that are going, have fun. Let's hope some good news comes out of it.

[griffin]

I skipped over the bits about room-to-room trading, but have now seen it pointed out on other fansites, that FunPub have now prohibited non-Hasbro items from being allowed on site, not just in the room-to-room trading.


please do not bring any items for sale during Room-to-Room trading that may infringe on Hasbro owned intellectual property. Products that may infringe on intellectual property rights of others are not welcome on the premises at any time. Violation of this policy could result in expulsion from the event and hotel property. I think that's a big mistake.
I was strongly in favour of keeping the Transformers Dealer Room pure of Transformers, but even I'm against banning 3rd party toys from being brought onto the Hotel premises just to make sure they don't get sold among fans in their own private rooms, or even having items in your room to show to others... that's way too heavy-handed, and is not going to win them back any friends.

They are supposed to be private rooms in a hotel, so FunPub are really making a stretch if they think they can have the Hotel expel a patron from staying there because of a 3rd party toy. There may be some fine print about no illegal items (like drugs, unregistered guns, etc), but I would be surprised if the Hotel would be keen to have the bad publicity of throwing out a paid guest for having an unlicensed toy.

It will also mean that if you bring a 3rd party toy on site at any time (even as a walk-in or staying in a different hotel), you could be banned from the premises and convention... which could mean bag checks just to enforce it.

[Megatran]

Rather than shoot the messenger, people ought to take their 2 cents worth & aim at Hasbro.

[Trent]

I skipped over the bits about room-to-room trading, but have now seen it pointed out on other fansites, that FunPub have now prohibited non-Hasbro items from being allowed on site, not just in the room-to-room trading.

I think that's a big mistake.
I was strongly in favour of keeping the Transformers Dealer Room pure of Transformers, but even I'm against banning 3rd party toys from being brought onto the Hotel premises just to make sure they don't get sold among fans in their own private rooms, or even having items in your room to show to others... that's way too heavy-handed, and is not going to win them back any friends.

They are supposed to be private rooms in a hotel, so FunPub are really making a stretch if they think they can have the Hotel expel a patron from staying there because of a 3rd party toy. There may be some fine print about no illegal items (like drugs, unregistered guns, etc), but I would be surprised if the Hotel would be keen to have the bad publicity of throwing out a paid guest for having an unlicensed toy.

It will also mean that if you bring a 3rd party toy on site at any time (even as a walk-in or staying in a different hotel), you could be banned from the premises and convention... which could mean bag checks just to enforce it.

I'd like to see them try to enforce it.

Funpub guy: *knocks on private room door*. "Hello, can I come in? I have reason to believe you are in possession on third party items."

Guest whose room it is: "F%$& Off!!!!" *Slams door*


What are they gonna do next?

[griffin]

They can't do random room searches, but the rooms doing in-room sales that have advertised on the foyer noticeboard, will be open to people... and I bet FunPub staff will spend the evenings going to each of those rooms and looking to see if any 3P toys are visible or being offered.


And I thought it was already going too far this year at BotCon when people were saying that Brian was going around the hotel and tearing down any flyers of any room advertising 3P toys... this takes it even further.

[griffin]

Another significant thing that has been spotted on another fansite that I missed.
They didn't mention the prize drawing on the Sunday for the free entry to the next BotCon... and it is one of the standard paragraphs that they recycle each year, so cutting it out is very significant.


At 3:15 pm on Sunday, we will draw for two free trips to the 2016 Convention from the registered guests who have completed their evaluations (airfare up to $450 along with lodging, transfers and package). You must be present in the Exhibit Hall to win!

If they were no longer doing the prize draw, it will be a very quiet end to the Sunday.
This year had very little on for Sunday, and a lot of people were only hanging around (sitting around the edges of the Dealer Room) because of the prize draw at 3.15pm.
Even most dealers were packing up an hour or two before the close because of the departure of most walk-ins and many pre-registered attendees, and if they didn't have the prize draw this year, the Dealer Room would have been empty after midday.

[Megatran]

Sounds like you'll be giving BotCon 2016 a miss. That'll be a real shame. Really enjoyed the pics and write up of past ones.

[CHILENO20]

FunPub are really shooting themselves in the foot. I doubt I'll ever be able to go an international convention again but if I ever did, it'll be to one of the other Cons. FunPub are just sucking the life out of the whole thing. I understand completely the 3P policy in the dealer room but the rest is really low, nanny state type thinking.

[griffin]

A recent podcast that Pete was on (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvmkxPli9wI) (within the last 24 hours) has responded to a few of the issues, and talked about some related club items.

It's a 2 hour podcast, so check it out if you want to sit through it all.

More guests and events are to be announced, as the Brochure was released "early".
But nothing "significant" to effect a decision to get the Primus pack registration.
Something else for Beast Wars to come, plus some non-Beast Wars stuff.

Registration will be "soon", because they want it to be open before they have to give their numbers to Hasbro, in order to adjust the production numbers.

There should still be a prize drawing. He suggests that it could be a different prize this time.

They don't have the Samples of the BotCon toys yet.

They are doing the new heads from a new company this year - The Four Horseman.

Some issues with Ravage and Seaclamp heads with the first versions, but fixed it easily.

The attendee figure will be a Deluxe with a new head.

Of their at-show toys, one is going to be their centrepiece toy for BotCon, which is not a Combiner Wars toy.... and they will be making it extra limited to drive demand.
Of the other at-show toys there will some Combiners, and a Generations toy using "not American" tooling (so a mould released in Japan).

The convention comic will NOT be in the "Uprising" story universe, at this time.

No comment on the the Cybetron Con trademark issue.

At about the 41 minute mark Pete talks about the 3rd Party issue, but it rambles a bit, so I don't want to try to interpret everything that he was saying. Basically it is a Transformers Convention and that dealers and private rooms shouldn't be selling non-Transformers products.
Apparently they won't be looking for it, either in the rooms or in someone's hands walking around with it... it is really just aimed at the Dealers. People are just blowing it out of proportion - as the policy isn't really new, it is just being made more obvious to exhibitors beforehand.
The problem is the way FunPub communicates these things, often in a vague way (like this one, in that they could have reassured attendees that it only applies to Dealers)... and save themselves the criticism, or having to clarify it above the noise of complaints.

The 2015 BotCon had a rating of about 8-8.5 out of 10 from the people who filled in the survey form. And 20% of the feedback forms were from people attending their first BotCon, which was noted as being a bigger number than usual. (I guess when greater numbers of the regulars drop out, the proportion of first-timers has to increase)

And a mention about the sales for the fourth subscriptions set.
As expected, they managed to get an increase in the sales of the third set, but still less than their best year, which was their first set.
The description is that the first year was their best, with numbers dropping for the second set and even more for the third set, but a 40% increase on their third year only brought them back up to second year level.... which I thought this year would be their best year, but I guess the best toy ideas of theirs still won't win back enough fans to break sales records.
The toys haven't been produced yet, or samples, so it will be some time before actual toy images are released.

Subscription series 5 was approved with Series 4, so it is likely to be fully revealed at BotCon. Some are Combiner Wars, but not all. And all tie together, but not as tightly as Series 4 (the Mayhem Attack Squad).
The bonus 7th figure will be a Deluxe again.

[UltraMarginal]

Sounds like you'll be giving BotCon 2016 a miss. That'll be a real shame. Really enjoyed the pics and write up of past ones.

He might not, it would be a shame to miss out if it's the last Botcon, before Hasbro kick Funpub out the door and either do it themselves or hire someone else. #cybertroncon.:D

[Verno]

He might not, it would be a shame to miss out if it's the last Botcon, before Hasbro kick Funpub out the door and either do it themselves or hire someone else. #cybertroncon.:D
Are fans displeased with FunPub?

[griffin]

Are fans displeased with FunPub?

There are a lot more people willing to speak out against FunPub than for them these days, compared to five years ago, or any time before 2010 really.
The handling of the credit card security breach was probably the turning point, prompting people to be more critical, making it more noticeable that FunPub were always pretty distant from the fandom, because none of their original staff were Transformers fans, and still aren't. Being more sporadic with news and contact (or even direct replies), has made them be seen as just a regular toy dealer business who just happens to have the license to the Transformers club and convention.

The Hartmans and 3H had a big presence in the fandom, and were embraced to the point of very few people had issues that they wouldn't give 3H the benefit of the doubt over. (at least while the Hartmans were involved, so not Glen's 2003/2004 conventions)

FunPub don't do damage control or try to make up for problems. They either blame the fans or ignore it completely.
So now, after five years of problems and minimal or sporadic communication by FunPub to the fandom they are needing to make money from, is just extraordinary.
The main assets left that still draw in fans are BotCon and their exclusive toys... both of which are suffering in recent years.

The stats don't lie, even if people dismiss criticism as just being a vocal minority... and the stats for BotCon have been showing an inability to sell out their preregistrations and at-show toys for the last few years, despite reducing the amounts of toys each year.
The Movies are driving more and more people to Transformers, and yet the BotCon attendance and sales is not only plateauing, they are falling. The most successful Transformers Movie in terms of dollars, was in 2014, and yet 2014 and 2015 had a fall in success of BotCon pre-selling registration and at-show toys.
Even though I felt that this year had a notable drop in attendees on site, FunPub would never reveal attendee numbers, so the amount of exclusives they have for sale and if they sell out, is the only objective statistic we can rely on.
This site keeps track of the stats (http://gbblackrock.capturedprey.com/), showing that 2013 was the last time they had something sell out during it's initial sale period, and 2012 was the last time that they sold out their boxsets during the pre-registration period.
And I think it is telling that this year's Subscription set of classic Gen1 characters (the Mayhem Attack Squad) was noted as not being able to outsell their first Subscription year which was their best year... when five years ago, these significant characters done as Classicverse toys in a unified set would have been like Punch/Counterpunch - everyone would be wanting them.

[Verno]

Cheers for the in-depth reply, Griff. It doesn't bode well.

[UltraMarginal]

Are fans displeased with FunPub?


Cheers for the in-depth reply, Griff. It doesn't bode well.

huh, and I thought you were being sarcastic in your first post:o

Griffins appraisel is pretty much on the money for me. two years ago I was still giving them the benefit of the doubt.

this new subscription service though just doesn't interest me. If I didn't already have 5 aircraft with almost identical transformations, I might be more interested but the semi-necessary repetitiveness of the combiner wars toys just doesn't excite me past getting the original combiner teams.
that and the current state of the dollar makes me uninterested in this set.
that and the timing of Botcon against my 7 year anniversary and the fact that beast wars just doesn't cause a tingle like other toy lines does for me make Botcon less attractive this coming year.

[Verno]

huh, and I thought you were being sarcastic in your first post:o

Griffins appraisel is pretty much on the money for me. two years ago I was still giving them the benefit of the doubt.

this new subscription service though just doesn't interest me. If I didn't already have 5 aircraft with almost identical transformations, I might be more interested but the semi-necessary repetitiveness of the combiner wars toys just doesn't excite me past getting the original combiner teams.
that and the current state of the dollar makes me uninterested in this set.
that and the timing of Botcon against my 7 year anniversary and the fact that beast wars just doesn't cause a tingle like other toy lines does for me make Botcon less attractive this coming year.
No, I was genuinely curious, and gloriously unaware of the problems. I've never been to a BotCon and have never entertained the thought of going to one, so when BotCon news rolls around, I read it with a general disinterest (when really, as a fan of some 19 years, I should be their target market). I was unaware of the background goings on.

[griffin]

A third Voice Actor guest has been announced (http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2016/bc16guests.cfm) - Scott McNeil (voice of Silverbolt, Rattrap, Dinobot, Waspinator).
That's three Beast Wars voice actors, who make up half of the first (10) characters introduced in the first episodes of the cartoon.

Attending - Megatron, Waspinator, Dinobot, Rattrap, Tarantulas.
Missing - Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Cheetor, Terrorsaur, Scorponok.

Considering the voice actor for Scoponok has never been a BotCon guest, I would have liked to have seen him be a guest this year... or the other three who haven't been guests either.
Don Brown - Scorponok
Colin Murdock - Quickstrike
Lee Tockar - Ravage (would be very applicable due to the boxset toy)
Carol Slavenkoff - Predacon Computer
(unfortunately the voice for Rampage died a few years back, and he was never a guest either)

Scott must have been a late signing to have missed being included in the brochure that was only released a couple weeks ago.


Only five days left of November... and pre-registration was noted a few times to be starting in November. But that's not likely to happen, as we still have announcements of other minor guests and events, plus the image of the Predacus combiner, and any of the other merchandise or artwork that comes out before pre-registration.

[Krayt]

Anyone else not fussed if registration doesnt happen for a while??

I can just scrape one botcon into the budget a year... still recovering from this years!!! and with xmas and all the family bdays in the next 2 months, i'm more than happy to wait!

[griffin]

I think if they get too much closer to christmas, it will impact on their pre-registrations. And if they decide to wait until after christmas... it probably won't make a difference, because they are already known to be reliably late on things.

[griffin]

It has almost been 2 months since the last reveal or event announcement... which loses momentum of the hype for the event.... and it took the cancellation of a Voice Actor guest to hear something new from FunPub.

Alec Willows (Tarantulas) will no longer be at BotCon this year, due to signing up to a new Stage Production role that will have him busy over the April period.
To fill his "Beast Wars" position at the Transformers Convention, Venus Terzo (Blackarachnia) has been signed up (http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/01/13/venus-terzo-attend-botcon-2016-alec-willows-no-longer-attending-307741)... joining the other two Beast Wars Voice Actors - David Kaye and Scott McNeil.

This will be the third BotCon for Venus, who like Alec Willows, hasn't been a BotCon guest since way back in 2000. The first BotCon for Venus was 1997.

[Paulbot]

Cool that Venus is going, but at this rate of promotion and publicity there will be few fans to meet her!

[UltraMarginal]

If I was going I'd definitely take a MISB Takara Black widow for her to sign. I don't usually get stuff signed but I think that would be an exception.

[Paulbot]

In a reply comment on their Facebook page post they've said registration starts next week. See the combined form reveal post https://www.facebook.com/BotConOfficial/

[griffin]

In a reply comment on their Facebook page post they've said registration starts next week. See the combined form reveal post https://www.facebook.com/BotConOfficial/

I wonder if that means they will try to start registration next week and then find out the new program doesn't work... and then spend the next week or two fixing the bugs. :rolleyes:

The question they replied to was amusing - someone asking how quickly the boxsets sell out so that they don't miss out on Predacus.
Not that FunPub would reply to it by saying that they didn't sell out in the last four years which should make it fairly safe to not miss out. :p

[Megatran]

To the few who are attending this year...

Botcon 2016 Hotel Update (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/botcon-2016-hotel-update/35074/).
Source: mirrored by Seibertron, courtesy of the host hotel.


We have received an update notifying us of more hotel rooms now available in the host hotel and the message has been mirrored below.



Hello members!

This just in from the hotel: They had another group release hotel rooms so if you are not staying at the host hotel, you can change your reservations, so give them a call:
800-The-Galt (800-843-4258) or 502-589-5200!

See you this week in Louisville!


Brian