Botcon 2021 announced

[griffin]

After a 5 year gap, the iconic Transformers convention called BotCon is coming back.
It's only an initial announcement and it doesn't say much, like if it is supported or endorsed by Hasbro, or where it will be.
It does have a couple of old names in the new team though.
https://www.allspark.com/2020/02/its...otcon-is-back/

[griffin]

I'm cautiously optimistic because two of the three names involved are Karl Hartman and Andrew Hall... but it didn't have anything noting Hasbro involvement, which they would have been the ones issuing a press release. And they need Hasbro for the toy displays, the presentation panel and importantly, exclusive toys. Having guests and a dealer room will be enough to get in Americans but it needs the Hasbro element to get long distant fans to fly in.
A year and a half will be a long wait, but if I go, it will be great to see the old "family" again.
Great timing though with HK losing its appeal.

[Raider]

As a fan that has never been to Botcon, this is very welcome news. If they manage to pull this off and the timing works, I might actually be able to go!

[DaptoDog]

As a fan that has never been to Botcon, this is very welcome news. If they manage to pull this off and the timing works, I might actually be able to go!

Here here! I'm most interested in the timing and location. If I can make it work where it lines up with other family interests (NBA season, Disneyworld etc) then it's an easier sell.

[BigTransformerTrev]

As a fan that has never been to Botcon, this is very welcome news. If they manage to pull this off and the timing works, I might actually be able to go!

Yeah I’ve never been either.

Here here! I'm most interested in the timing and location. If I can make it work where it lines up with other family interests (NBA season, Disneyworld etc) then it's an easier sell.

I’d like to go solo but now my kids are older and my son is so into TFs there is no way I could go without taking the family

[Bladestorm]

I always wanted to go to a Botcon but never got the chance so this is exciting and welcome news.

Depending on the guests, timing and location of this I may very well be interested in trying to fly across. I hope they are able to release dates and location sooner rather than later so planning can be easier for those having to travel longer distances.

[Raider]

I’d like to go solo but now my kids are older and my son is so into TFs there is no way I could go without taking the family

We are doing the whole Disneyland trip with the kids next year and visiting a friend in Missouri so with a bit of luck the location and time will fall into those plans. My eldest wouldn't speak to me if I went without him!

[reillyd]

Now I'm even more confused. How could you 'license' Botcon for merchandising? Just slap there word botcon on shirts and hats to sell, what, dozens? I thought it was somewhat bizarre when I clicked on the store link (I was hoping for a cache of unsold past botcon toys) and saw the shirts. I assumed it was just a prelude to what might be coming, and not the entirety of their efforts

[griffin]

Now I'm even more confused. How could you 'license' Botcon for merchandising? Just slap there word botcon on shirts and hats to sell, what, dozens? I thought it was somewhat bizarre when I clicked on the store link (I was hoping for a cache of unsold past botcon toys) and saw the shirts. I assumed it was just a prelude to what might be coming, and not the entirety of their efforts

That's what I don't get either. I know that "BotCon" is an iconic concept or word, but only really among a small number of hardcore Transformers fans, so licensing it out for producing non-toy merchandise, seems a little weird. Even during BotCon's golden periods, around about 2000-2002 and 2007-2011, when it was more positive than negative, prompting most fans to consider it the one event they needed to attend at least once in their lives.... there wasn't really a demand for non-toy items with "BotCon" written on them. I went to all but one BotCon since 1999 and was always buying stuff at the convention for others back here in Australia, but very rarely did I get requests for non-toy BotCon items. And those non-toy items weren't being requested because they had BotCon on them, but because of what they were or what they had on them (like comics, stickers, shot glasses or hats that just had regular Transformers logos on them).