47 replies to this topic

[LegoCityMann]

BrickworldBryan, on 24 June 2011 - 01:48 AM, said:

Hey everyone - thanks for the comments (both good and constructive).  I am still reading them all.  I just gave up trying to respond between this and the Facebook page.

There were a lot of people that frowned at the Wednesday night ceremonies and I was disappointed in the total number of people that showed up.  But, those that did show up (400 to 500), we treated to the best keynote address we ever had.  I am afraid that we won't be able to top that one for a while.  

Of course, just continuing to improve Brickworld Chicago (because nobody ever heard of Wheeling and the unions at McCormick Place downtown would just upset everyone, especially after paying $19 a day to park) is not enough.  We are holding public expo event in a third location this year.  Brickworld Fort Wayne will occur October 1 and 2.

whew...I think I got a day off this year   and I am probably losing my mind.

B

Bryan,

Any thoughts of bringing the show to Cleveland? I've done some decent conventions here and would be glad to help set one up.

~LCM

[nebraska]

I think they should keep it in Chicago.  Although this was my first brickworld; I agree space will be an issue if more people keep coming.  I suggest the Schaumburg Convention Center about 15 min south of the Westin.  It's down the block from the Lego Store.  Bigger center, bigger hotel, nicer amenities.  I noticed on the hotel's website they were offering a room at 89.95/night.  But I understand a loyalty to a certain establishment and it's Bryan and Adam's show.

Edited by nebraska, 24 June 2011 - 03:27 AM.

[Modulex Guy]

nebraska, on 24 June 2011 - 03:24 AM, said:

I think they should keep it in Chicago.  Although this was my first brickworld; I agree space will be an issue if more people keep coming.  I suggest the Schaumburg Convention Center about 15 min south of the Westin.  It's down the block from the Lego Store.  Bigger center, bigger hotel, nicer amenities.  I noticed on the hotel's website they were offering a room at 89.95/night.  But I understand a loyalty to a certain establishment and it's Bryan and Adam's show.

I second the Schaumburg Convention Center!

[Hinckley]

nebraska, on 24 June 2011 - 03:24 AM, said:

I think they should keep it in Chicago.  Although this was my first brickworld; I agree space will be an issue if more people keep coming.  I suggest the Schaumburg Convention Center about 15 min south of the Westin.  It's down the block from the Lego Store.  Bigger center, bigger hotel, nicer amenities.  I noticed on the hotel's website they were offering a room at 89.95/night.  But I understand a loyalty to a certain establishment and it's Bryan and Adam's show.

Way to research! Thanks Nebraska, aka winner of Best Sea Vessel, and very well deserved at that. Amazing creation, my friend! Nice to meet you this year.

[CorneliusMurdock]

BrickworldBryan, on 24 June 2011 - 01:48 AM, said:

We are holding public expo event in a third location this year.  Brickworld Fort Wayne will occur October 1 and 2.

I am marking my calendar now!  Is there more info about this?   I hope to make it Chicago next year but this should give me something to look forward to.  Plus it's just about a half hour for me to get to Ft Wayne depending on which side of town it'll be held.

[AbbieDabbles]

Re: Public Days.  Saturday is always crazy, and Sunday is MUCH calmer.  People waited in line for the BrickMania table in the vendor room for 40 minutes on Saturday, while on Sunday there was virtually no wait.  Consider Sunday next year!

I kind of feel bad for kids that attend the event.  It's hard for ME not to touch anything, I can't imagine how it must feel if your 8 years old!  I think the event could use a few more kid friendly areas for that reason.

nebraska, on 20 June 2011 - 06:40 PM, said:

My first Brickworld as well.  It was very inspiring and my thoughts are already racing on what to build for 2012.  It was an honor to meet many of you and hope we can meet again.  My only complaint was on public days was the parents who wouldn't watch their small children; besides parenting lessons on manners I don't think we can do much about that.

Since this was my first; is public day usually that crazy?  I couldn't believe how many people showed up to view the creations.  Lego should have really had more of an appearance with that many people showing up.

Re: Public Days.  Saturday is always crazy, and Sunday is MUCH calmer.  People waited in line for the BrickMania table in the vendor room for 40 minutes on Saturday, while on Sunday there was virtually no wait.  Consider Sunday next year!

I kind of feel bad for kids that attend the event.  It's hard for ME not to touch anything, I can't imagine how it must feel if your 8 years old!  I think the event could use a few more kid friendly areas for that reason.

nebraska, on 20 June 2011 - 06:40 PM, said:

My first Brickworld as well.  It was very inspiring and my thoughts are already racing on what to build for 2012.  It was an honor to meet many of you and hope we can meet again.  My only complaint was on public days was the parents who wouldn't watch their small children; besides parenting lessons on manners I don't think we can do much about that.

Since this was my first; is public day usually that crazy?  I couldn't believe how many people showed up to view the creations.  Lego should have really had more of an appearance with that many people showing up.

[AbbieDabbles]

This was my fourth BrickWorld, and as always it was awesome!  Each year it seems to improve in its organization.  

It was announced that they will have the event for 5 more years at the Westin, and this is a really scary proposition to me.  With the rate of growth they've had over the past 5 years I don't know how they will manage.  The rooms felt pretty packed this year, and there isn't really any room for more tables/MOCs.  

As a vendor I did like having all the vendors in one room, though it was a double edged sword.  It was nice that everyone knew where to go to make purchases and could understand that MOCs weren't for sale in the other rooms.  However, it did get pretty crazy in there on Saturday, which was the only down side for me.  It's probably against code, but could we put anyone in the hall?  There's a few vendors that only have a table or two that I think could swing it.

My one major complaint has to do with nominated MOCs.  In my opinion, I don't think one MOC should be up for multiple awards. I don't think anything actually won in multiple categories, but still it would be better if more people were nominated.  

Speaking of nominations, I want an FFOL award category!  If they want to promote women builders, that's a great way to do it!  The MOCs I bring have changed over the years because I am trying to fit into the categories they have.  

THANK YOU for relocating the auction to the restaurant!  Huge props for that!  Much more comfortable!

[fallentomato]

BrickworldBryan, on 24 June 2011 - 01:48 AM, said:

(because nobody ever heard of Wheeling and the unions at McCormick Place downtown would just upset everyone, especially after paying $19 a day to park)

Yeah, the Union guys at Kidsfest were pretty scary (one yelled at me for trying to move a chair).

One other great addition this year were the tubs of free soda! They were very appreciated, especially in the vendor room during public hours.  

[BrickworldBryan]

CorneliusMurdock, on 24 June 2011 - 03:53 AM, said:

I am marking my calendar now!  Is there more info about this?   I hope to make it Chicago next year but this should give me something to look forward to.  Plus it's just about a half hour for me to get to Ft Wayne depending on which side of town it'll be held.

Brickworld Fort Wayne will be held at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne.

Displays are by invitation only at this event as it is not a convention.  Like Brickworld Indy, Brickworld Fort Wayne is about the public.  Displays are by invitation only because there are shares paid (and hotel rooms are also covered by Brickworld) for being part of this event.  Again, it is not a typical convention.  We set up displays on Friday and have public in on Saturday & Sunday.  If you are interested, please let me know via the contact us form on the Brickworld web site.

Just as a side note, we are very excited to be the first AFOL run event to expand to 3 locations.  This is only possible because of everyone's support.  Thank you!!

Bryan

[lotsobooks]

This was my 4th Brickworld - 3rd as a full registrant. In response to some previous posts, I don't think that the quality of the event can survive a much larger space. With just 2 organizers and a bunch of others who donate their time, it would take a huge increase in price for registrants or major donations in order to hire someone to organize the event. I personally am appreciative of the reasonable price for the event - $60 for 4 days can't be beat for 4 full days of action. Also, the hotel rates were reasonable considering the typical cost of conference and convention hotels is a minimum of $150/day for other conferences and conventions that I attend. A packed smaller venue allows people to run into one another in the ballrooms, elevators and lobby giving people a chance to make new acquaintances. It helped to build a camaraderie among the participants who did not know anyone before attending.

As for the Public Day times, we went shopping at a Lego store on Saturday and enjoyed the company of some Chicago-area friends at Brickworld on Sunday. Thank you for the free tickets for our friends. We don't see them very often and to be able to offer them free admission and the ability to go to the front of the line made the visit even more special.

The Information Desk was a great idea, although it needed to be staffed more often. That means more people will need to step up to volunteer for a couple of hours here or there to allow for someone to be there the whole time. Also, I found myself being seen as an expert on public days just because I had a badge and nametag:) As long as people who know even a little bit, such as myself, are willing to share that with others, I believe that we can meet the challenge of continuing to make Public Days a success.

My only real hang-up is the raffle Thursday through Sunday. (We couldn't stay for the closing ceremonies.) There is no randomness when the tickets were numbered consecutively and the numbers chosen were in blocks of consecutive numbers. One of two things needs to be implemented: 1) mix up all of the tickets before putting them in goody bags, or 2) use a random number generator on Excel (or however you choose to generate random numbers) to pick, say, 20 numbers between 123456 and 234567 (or whatever the numbers were) for each drawing. Also the numbers need to be posted all day for people to check to see if they have won anything instead of having to stand in line to find out they have or have not won and claim their prizes. Then, they can stop by at 9-9:30 or 4-4:30 to claim their prizes. I say all of this even though we ended up winning 5 prizes (on tickets all in sequential order) on Sunday morning. It just seems that more people winning one prize beats one family winning 5 prizes.

One last thing: I volunteered to work at the Registration Desk on Friday. The biggest frustration for people picking up their materials up for Light Registration was the lack of a program. It might be helpful to include a piece of paper with the Friday-Sunday schedule on it for them to know what events they could attend.

All in all, a great family-friendly event enjoyed by my husband and I, our 13-year-old niece and my 70+-year-old in-laws. Great to have one event that can be enjoyed by people of all ages! Thanks!!!

[nebraska]

I have an additional thought for Brickworld 2012 and it has nothing to do with space.  Two words:  Open Bar

Westin has a pretty nice bar area and I think we should open it up on Wed. after opening cermonies.  It would be a great chance to unwind before being wound up.  It would provide a wonderful setting to sit down and get to know fellow AFOL while enjoying a adult beverage.   I'd pay up for a keg to start off as long as Westin doesn't overcharge.  Maybe at 1:00 am have a building contest and see how AFOL's do while being a bit tipsy...

[JediJeffri]

Is there a list somewhere of the award winning MOCs from Brickworld 2011?  I looked on the Brickworld web site, but don't see it.  Thanks.

[lotsobooks]

nebraska, on 27 June 2011 - 06:37 PM, said:

I have an additional thought for Brickworld 2012 and it has nothing to do with space.  Two words:  Open Bar

Westin has a pretty nice bar area and I think we should open it up on Wed. after opening cermonies.  It would be a great chance to unwind before being wound up.  It would provide a wonderful setting to sit down and get to know fellow AFOL while enjoying a adult beverage.   I'd pay up for a keg to start off as long as Westin doesn't overcharge.  Maybe at 1:00 am have a building contest and see how AFOL's do while being a bit tipsy...

While I would be against serving alcohol due to the event catering to teens as well as adults, I would agree that using the bar area for sodas and snacks would be a nice way for people to hang out together to unwind.

[BrickworldBryan]

JediJeffri, on 27 June 2011 - 08:20 PM, said:

Is there a list somewhere of the award winning MOCs from Brickworld 2011?  I looked on the Brickworld web site, but don't see it.  Thanks.

We have the pictures posted on the Brickworld site under the 2011 scrapbook...but there is something funny going on there.

So, I posted a Flickr set with the award photos:  Brickworld Awards

Thanks everyone.

B

[brickmack]

nebraska, on 27 June 2011 - 06:37 PM, said:

I have an additional thought for Brickworld 2012 and it has nothing to do with space.  Two words:  Open Bar

Westin has a pretty nice bar area and I think we should open it up on Wed. after opening cermonies.  It would be a great chance to unwind before being wound up.  It would provide a wonderful setting to sit down and get to know fellow AFOL while enjoying a adult beverage.   I'd pay up for a keg to start off as long as Westin doesn't overcharge.  Maybe at 1:00 am have a building contest and see how AFOL's do while being a bit tipsy...

Somehow it seems like a bad idea to have an open bar at any convention. It'd probably end up with someone getting super drunk and punching someone or some other stupid thing... Not for sure, but I certainly don't think it would be pleasant to find out (Especially as the one getting punched) The idea with the sodas and stuff isn't a very bad idea though (And the under 21 people could come).

[Hinckley]

I agree. Nobody should ever drink at a convention.



Nebraska, next time, hang with us. We'll show you where it's at. Shhhhhh...

[CopMike]

Hinckley, on 28 June 2011 - 08:12 AM, said:

I agree. Nobody should ever drink at a convention.



Nebraska, next time, hang with us. We'll show you where it's at. Shhhhhh...

[lotsobooks]

Hinckley, on 28 June 2011 - 08:12 AM, said:

I agree. Nobody should ever drink at a convention.



Nebraska, next time, hang with us. We'll show you where it's at. Shhhhhh...

I have no objection to those over 21 going to the hotel bar and drinking whatever they want. My point is just that if there is to be a sanctioned event, all (even those under 21) should be able to attend.

[Chumley]

it should say no one should be drunk at a convention.  Saturday was really rough but friday night was fun.

[CopMike]

But it was great that the B-52´s (no, not the drink - the real deal!) sank a couple of cold ones with us ?!

[Hinckley]

lotsobooks, on 28 June 2011 - 06:38 PM, said:

I have no objection to those over 21 going to the hotel bar and drinking whatever they want. My point is just that if there is to be a sanctioned event, all (even those under 21) should be able to attend.

Sanctioned events that serve alcohol aren't allowed to my knowledge, so the debate can end if that's the case. I'm basing this on the "Room Crawl" that serves pop and the MOCTail FFOL party that is also dry.

[BrickworldBryan]

Officially, the event is dry and alcohol is not allowed in the event area.  This will always be the rule because it is the rule of the hotel and pretty much every convention center I have ever been at (unless the alcohol is catered by the event center).

It was very heart warming for us to see so many people in the event areas at 2 and 3 AM having fun.  People had to be asked to leave all rooms when I tried to close them every night.  I don't want to ever discourage the comraderie that was clearly evident amongst the attendees.  But, I did receive a couple of complaints from the hotel that our attendees need to handle things more discreetly later in the evening.

And that is all I will say on this subject.  

Thanks, Bryan

[Deathdog]

BrickworldBryan, on 24 June 2011 - 01:48 AM, said:

Hey everyone - thanks for the comments (both good and constructive).  I am still reading them all.  I just gave up trying to respond between this and the Facebook page.

There were a lot of people that frowned at the Wednesday night ceremonies and I was disappointed in the total number of people that showed up.  But, those that did show up (400 to 500), we treated to the best keynote address we ever had.  I am afraid that we won't be able to top that one for a while.  

Of course, just continuing to improve Brickworld Chicago (because nobody ever heard of Wheeling and the unions at McCormick Place downtown would just upset everyone, especially after paying $19 a day to park) is not enough.  We are holding public expo event in a third location this year.  Brickworld Fort Wayne will occur October 1 and 2.

whew...I think I got a day off this year   and I am probably losing my mind.

B

I am certainly interested in the fort Wayne event. Shoot me an email with more info when you get the chance, Bryan.