BotCon 2016 date and location announced

[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 (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.

[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.

Are fans displeased with FunPub?