PANEL #5: BOTCON AND 3H

(I use the term "3H" to refer to any-or-all of Glen Hallit and Jon
and Karl Hartman.)

1. How does the site of a BotCon get chosen? It's a combination of
who's available when, with how much program space, for what price.
BC has the problem that the dealers' room puts it into the
"exhibition" category, and some convention centers will thus insist
the con occupy the gigantic, high-priced exhibition room -- even
though a smaller, cheaper one would work fine.

2. Why do some BotCon's have fewer events than prior years? Because
a monotonic increase would rapidly lead to burnout, jaded appetites
and the depletion of the guest base. 3H has opted to shrink
alternate years to keep things fresh. They admit they goofed with
big BC97 and 98 and small 99. A second strategy to keep fans
returning is the "Omega Point" story: part zero in BC98, one-three
in 99, to be concluded in 00.

3. Why are there preregistration exclusives, like BC99's Friday
night pizza party? To *encourage* preregistration, which makes
planning a lot easier. 3H plans other benefits for preregistrants;
Part Two of Furman's "Omega Point" appeared first in the
confirmation letter. (This is part of the strategy to keep interest
periodically buoyed during the long months between announcement,
prereg and con.)

4. How does the recolored toy get chosen? One, the
molds/dies/tooling have to exist. Two, those molds must be in use -
- Hasbro's producing the toy for sale *somewhere*. Third, the
mechanics of plastic and paint colors limit the choices. In former
years, 3H negotiated the colors over the phone, over the course of
a month; this year 3H got to visit Hasbro and physically played
with paint chips, reaching a satisfactory decision in a day.

5. When Hasbro produces a packaged toy, the packaging (cardboard,
printing, blisterpack) can cost as much as the toy itself. With its
lower print runs, 3H pays *six times* as much for packaging (design
services plus printing) as the toy.

6. Why can't a fan artist do the package art? BC97's packaging was
by comic artist Andrew Wildman and BC99's by Mainframe. 3H *has*
thought of asking certain fan artists whose work they admire, but
then to be fair *everyone* would have to be allowed in subsequent
years. It's too much hassle.

7. Why can't we get more support from Hasbro? Because there are
exactly *six* people assigned full-time to the Transformers line --
design, legal, liasing with Mainframe and Takara, etc. (There are
others, but they're shared across lines.) They're frequently forced
to hangup in the middle of phone conversations with 3H.

8. Why does BotCon Japan have different kinds of exclusives, like
T-shirts patterned with Optimus Prime's torso? Because in Japan,
*Takara* is in charge, and their licensing policies differ from
Hasbro's. 

9. Why were there only two fan panels? 3H *asked* for
suggestions/volunteers, but those were the only two that happened.

10. Why can't we get certain guests? Sometimes they're busy.
Sometimes 3H can't advertise them. For instance, Frank Welker (who
was scheduled but couldn't quite make it to BC97) now requires that
his attendance not be advertised until *two weeks* prior to the
con. (Ed.note: this is probably because of his volatile schedule,
but might also IMHO discourage hordes of Welker-but-not-TF-fans
from clogging the con.)

11. How many people attended BC99? 1050 total, 729 of them
preregistrants. 1000 of each of the photomontage posters were
produced, and 1000 of each toy. (But 1200 of each *package*, if I
understood correctly.) This is the biggest BC yet (BC94 had
175/125), and this year, for the first time, IT MADE A PROFIT.
Which isn't really a profit; any black ink is rolled into paying
off prior BCs or planning future ones. (A "forward balance.")

12. Where's BC00? In Fort Wayne, Indiana, where It All Began. But
whereas BC94 occupied only the top floor of the Grand Wayne Center,
next year it will occupy *the whole thing.* However, there are few
hotels in the city, so make your reservations early. (Another
poster has provided this url: www.fwcvb.org.)