Dragon*Con Implements New Measures to Speed Up Registration

26 May 2011 2 Comments

by hmrpotter in dragon*con Tags:

If you’ve ever been to Dragon*Con in Atlanta, you know that it’s probably one of the best (if not the best) multi-genre, fandom, cultural, everything convention around. With over 30,000 (at least!) in attendance each year, registration is one of the biggest challenges Dragon*Con faces. Fans who purchase their memberships months in advance can wait upwards of 4 hours in line to pick up their badges, which is about the same amount of time that fans purchasing on-the-spot will spend purchasing their badges. And let’s face it: 3-4 hours in line, in September, in Georgia humidity, is not an appealing thought.

However, it looks as though Dragon*Con has taken steps to alleviate the problem, judging by a recently posted announcement on the official website:

Dragon*Con will be using barcodes to speed up the registration process for 2011. Those of you who have purchased your memberships in advance will receive (or have received already) a postcard with a barcode on the mailing label. Please bring that postcard (with the mailing label intact and legible) AND a valid government-issued photo ID with you to the registration area at the convention. That will greatly speed up your (and everyone else’s) registration experience at Dragon*Con 2011. Forgetting to bring the postcard or the valid government-issued ID will slow down your registration process.

For those of you who are paying on-site, you can shorten your time in line as well. Click here and fill out the form, submit it, and it will generate a .pdf file with a QR code that you print and bring to the on site registration area at the convention. This form is not connected to any database, it is merely a utility for printing your own QR code.  The QR code will contain all your demographic information, mildly encrypted and base64 encoded. As always you will need to have a valid government-issued photo ID with you as well to complete the on-site registration process.

I’ve had the opportunity in the past to speak with both fans and Dragon*Con staffers who have been frustrated with the delays in registration and genuinely trying to find reasonable solutions to make the experience better for everyone, and it looks as if they are traveling down the right path. We shall see this Labor Day weekend, when celebrities and geeks from around the world take over the streets of downtown Atlanta for the four-day fandom celebration.

“Lord of the Rings” Returns to Theaters This Summer

24 May 2011 Leave a Comment

by hmrpotter in Movies, News Tags:

If you missed your chance to see any of the “Lord of the Rings” films in theaters, you’re in luck! Fathom Events and Warner Bros. Home Video have announced that all three titles in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy will be re-released in theaters next month.

The films, which will each be presented in extended cut for the first time onscreen, will be released as a three-night event in many cities across the nation. A listing of participating theaters nationwide can be found on the Fathom Events website; tickets can be purchased by following this link, but hurry because seating is limited.

The event will begin on June 14 with “The Fellowship of the Ring”, followed by “The Two Towers” on June 21, and concluding with “The Return of the King” on June 28. Each event is scheduled to begin at 7pm. local time.

Ten theaters across Georgia will participate in the three-day event:

AMC Mansell Crossing 14 – Alpharetta

AMC Phipps Plaza 14 – Atlanta

AMC Parkway Point 15 – Atlanta

Augusta Exchange 20 – Augusta

Hollywood 24 @North I-85 – Chamblee

AMC North Dekalb 16 – Decatur

Tinseltown USA – Fayetteville

AMC Barrett Commons 24 – Kennesaw

AMC Discover Mills 18 – Lawrenceville

AMC Stonecrest Megastar 16 – Lithonia

McDonough 16 – McDonough

AMC Southlake Pavilion 24 – Morrow

Savannah Stadium 10 – Savannah

Eyecon: Vampire Diaries to Return to Atlanta

23 May 2011 6 Comments

by hmrpotter in Conventions, News, Television, vampire diaries Tags: , , ,

In response to the overwhelming popularity of its debut Vampire Diaries convention, Florida-based Eyecon Celebrity Conventions has announced plans for a second convention, Eyecon: Vampire Diaries 2, to return to Atlanta Halloween weekend.

Seeing the need for a larger facility, Eyecon has chosen the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel as the venue for events which will include Celebrity Q&A, photo-op and autograph sessions, a Celebrity Banquet, a 60s themed dance (similar to the one in the season 2 episode “The Last Dance”), and a Mystic Falls Halloween party. There will also be fan panels, a dealer/vendor room, and a concert by musical guests The Nova Echo.

As the convention has just been recently announced, the only confirmed guest so far is Nina Dobrev, who brilliantly does double duty on the show as Elena Gilbert, the object of affection for both of the Salvatore Brothers, and as Katherine Pierce, the controlling vampire who is responsible for turning the brothers into vampires in the first place. The first Eyecon: Vampire Diaries convention included stars Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore), Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore), Michael Trevino (Tyler Lockwood), Stephen R. McQueen (Jeremy Gilbert) and Robert Pralgo (Mayor Lockwood).

Eyecon is not all about just fun and games, though. The event in March included a successful Blood Drive, and several auctions that benefitted the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which focuses on restoring and protecting the environment.

Ticket sales for Eyecon: Vampire Diaries 2 will begin on June 13 at noon; ticket prices and information can be found at this link. “The Vampire Diaries” will return for season 3 in the fall on The CW network; it will now air on Friday nights at 8pm, right before “Supernatural”.

More “Supernatural” Guests Added to Dragon*Con Guest List

19 May 2011 1 Comment

by hmrpotter in Conventions, dragon*con, News, supernatural, Television Tags: , , ,

Wow! Looks like Atlanta will be a city of angels, demons, and hunters this September, as four more stars from the television show “Supernatural” has been added to the guest list for Dragon*Con 2011.

In addition to earlier announcements of guests Misha Collins (Castiel the Angel) and Mark A. Sheppard (Crowley the Demon), the updated Dragon*Con lineup now includes Jim Beaver, Samantha Ferris, Julie McNiven and Christopher Heyerdahl.

Beaver has become one of the favorites in a fandom well known for an almost obsessive fixation with the two main stars/characters, Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) and Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester). As fellow hunter Bobby Singer, he has become the father figure, reluctant hero, and pain-in-the-ass needed to keep the Winchesters on their toes and constantly thinking in a profession where a stray thought can easily get you killed.

Credit: The CW

Bobby and Ellen in "My Heart Will Go On"

As the tough-as-nails-with-a-heart-of-gold hunter Ellen Harvelle, Samantha Ferris has become one of the very few females on the show that the fans actually like. The Supernatural fandom is known for their extreme dislike of female characters that “take away” from the storyline involving the brothers; Ellen and her daughter Jo are exceptions. Both Harvelle’s were killed in action during the latter part of season 5, although we have seen Ellen return (in the season 6 episode “My Heart Will Go On”).

Julie McNiven’s Anna was the fallen angel; one of the first that Dean and Sam would encounter who’d convince the brothers that angels do indeed exist. Once an ally (and lover to Dean), she quickly changed sides once she regained her wings, going back in time to try to kill the brothers’ parents in a misguided attempt to prevent the Apocolypse. Needless to say, her character did not last much longer after that; no one survives for very long once the Winchesters have you on their hit-list.

Christopher Heyerdahl only appeared in three episodes in season 5, but made his mark known as the demon Alistair, who was responsible for Dean’s punishment/torture during his time trapped in Hell. Heyerdahl is also well-known for appearing on “Stargate Atlantis”, and he is one of the feared Volturi members in The Twilight Saga films, playing Volturi leader Marcus.

Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film. Every Labor Day weekend, about 40,000 people crowd the streets and take over the hotels of downtown Atlanta to meet friends, celebrities, cosplay and totally geek out. Ticket information can be found on the official website.

You can read more about my experiences at Dragon*Cons past at this link.

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