Supernatural Midwest Gathering

My winchestmidwest report is HERE if anyone wants to check it out.

Wow.  The weekend was a blast, and I have the pics to prove it!

 

winchestmidwest RAWKED!  An awesome time was had by all.  We met new people, shared our love of the show, and had ourselves an awesome weekend.

The hotel rooms were awesome and roomy.  We could hook up out laptops to watch movies on the flat screen 42 inch TVs.  Our conference room was a normal square this year and it didn’t feel like we were sitting on top of each other.  No ghetto screen this year, and all the AV equipment worked without a hitch.  We even had a free continental breakfast included with our rooms.

Friday:
We started off with recap videos of the first 3 seasons.  Then we had an open discussion ala SNL’s Coffee Talk about various topics which katelennon led the discussions on.  Ultimately, we concluded that we wanted Dean to come back from Hell naked like Angel did, and they need to either bring back Ellen or write some better strong female characters.  Partying promptly began afterwards and the guitar hero competition was fierce.  I have some epic footage of anteka rocking out to hush.  Hee!

Saturday:
There were a variety of panels to be had on Saturday.  There was a panel on the history and navigation of the Supernatural Fandom on LJ and elsewhere online.  We even covered wank.  And samazon13 had an awesome presentation on misogyny in SPN and on TV in general.  Then, we had a brilliant panel by trillian276709 on where the show could go from season 3.   Plastic!Dean and Plastic!Sam made an appearance during the P!WT Panel where we got to see a behind the scenes history of P!WT and see the season finale of P!WT thanks to anteka.  After my demonology panel where I was accompanied by the mother of all rain and wind storms, agt_spooky and charityflint hosted a fanfic panel.  Fanvids closed up our panels for the day and we ended with the EPIC  Indiana Winchester, a fanvid by </a></b></a>luv4elvis about Dean Winchester set to the theme from Indiana Jones.  





As a side note we had a total "happy accident" in that a classic car " show was happening in the parking lot across from our hotel.  While they didn't have a 1967 black 4 door Chevy impala, there were two other Impalas and some Chevelles.  There was even a demonstration on flames coming out of tale pipes once the sun had set.



Sunday:
jaimsie has a awesome panel on how to make icons and header for LJ.  It was awesome, and now I know a better, easier way to do some things I was doing the hard way,  We finished up with an hour of classic rock clips from 3 seasons of SPN.  I'm gonna edit down my Metallicar video and post it later this week up on youTube.

We've been hearing some great feedback on the Ghost Tour and hope to see some pictures, and hear more about from the ones who went.  anteka and I were wiped out and headed home by 4 PM.  Hope to see you all next year.  We've already begun coming up with some brilliant ideas.

...but I think some sushi is in order.

On Saturday, bailey_bear and I are headed north during the lunch break. There is this fabulous sushi restaurant where cute little boats of sushi glide around a ring of water. You just nab what you want to try! Portions are small so you can try a wide variety of things. Of course, they offer other Japanese fare (for those averse/allergic to fish), so you don't have to just go with sushi. And let's not forget the Kirin, sake, and plum wine!

I shall be the designated driver for bailey_bear's autobus, should she choose to imbibe. I'm sure there are folks from the area who are also driving, so we can carpool and head up. I will warn you now that the chances of missing some of the Ghosts of the Prairie panel is pretty high. I mean, really. What do you expect when you combine a gaggle of fangirls, liquor, and cute food? But, the wait staff at Kampai is friendly and speedy, so we should be able to wrap it up quick so that we can head back and indulge in all the wonderful stuff our con staff set up for us.

So, who would like to come? *nibbles on some gari*

Hey guys!

Just wanted to give all of you a heads up to bring your wallets to registration on Friday, because I'll have a table full of SPN goodies for sale. :-)

I'll have calendars and keychains and music cd's and photo cd's, buttons, trading cards, scripts, songvids, art prints, and a few other things as well.

I'll also be moderating the panel on writing fanfic on Saturday, so all you authors start thinking about how you come up with your story ideas so that we can have a lively discussion. :-)

See you all tomorrow! Yay!

We need a minimum of 10 rooms rented at the hotel to keep our conference room rate or we cannot afford the room.  If you find a cheaper rate for the other days just cancel the extra day, not the entire stay.  We're currently renting two rooms ourselves to keep the room number up to 10.  You need to stay with WinchestMidwest for Friday and Saturday night.

I got an email today from Broadway in Chicago, letting me know that the current run of Shout! is closing, and the tickets (regularly priced at $50) can be had for $20. Also, if we go to the Saturday 9 p.m. or Sunday 6 p.m. showings, we get a bag full of goodies, including a very cute silver jewelry box.

Check out the promo stuff here.

Also, the current run of Wicked has performances all through that weekend, and you can see when they are on this handy calendar here.

Would anybody be interested in going to one of these shows as a group? Shout! will definitely be the cheapest, but I'd be willing to bet that Wicked is the best (I've seen it once already).

I thought the Sunday matinee of Wicked might be our best bet, since I know a lot of us are hanging around to do the Ghost Tour, and there's nothing planned, convention-wise, for us to do that afternoon.

If you're interested, let me know, and we'll see if we can't get a group together. There seem to be plenty of tickets available, but the longer we wait the crappier the seats will get, especially for Wicked. 


ETA: Spoke to the people at BiC who do group sales. If we get together a group of more than 20, we get a special group rate, which is significantly cheaper. I didn't write down all the prices she quoted me, but the most expensive orchestra seats, which normally run $150, would be $90. So that's 40% off, folks. I'll let you do the math on the rest of the tickets.

Plus, if I order them directly from group sales, instead of online through Ticketmaster, we don't have to pay that lame $10 per ticket convenience charge. Still have the $2 per ticket processing fee, but I don't think you'll ever see a cheaper ticket than that.

Please, let me know if you're interested. I'm willing to book them all on my credit card, if I have some measure of assurance y'all won't stiff me on them.

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!

Just a reminder that today is the LAST DAY to register for WinchestMidwest at the $35 ticket price. After today the price goes up to $40 for the weekend.

If you plan on mailing a check, you need to contact me (winchestmidwest@gmail.com) TODAY to register at the $35 ticket price!!

Hey all!

Just wanted to give a heads up that classic rock icons Boston and Styx will be performing here in Chicago on Wednesday night, July 23rd.  I want to go.

The tickets that are left are way over on the side, and are at three price levels:  $21, $41 and $71.  I wish they had lawn seating - there's nothing more fun than spreading out a blanket under the stars and just letting it wash over you.

Anyway, thought I'd toss it out.  Time is ticking, so if no one replies within a day or two, I'll make my own arrangements.

Have a great day!
Sam

We're now accepting submissions for Supernatural fanvids to be played between panels during WinchestMidwest. We're accepting up to two submissions from any vidder. All submissions must be gen, specifically about Supernatural, and under 5 minutes long. If you have any questions or would like to submit your video for the Con, please leave a comment or send an email to my contact info.

All submissions must be sent in a downloadable copy for the presentation.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to the icon panel.

But for now, here you go:

( WinchestMidwest Icons )

***Today is the last day to book a hotel room at the WinchestMidwest rate.***

Reservations made after the cut-off date will be subject to regular room rates and will not be in the WinchestMidwest wing of the hotel. Keep in mind your reservation can be cancelled up to 24 hours before the convention and your credit card will not be charged until your stay.

The number for Hyatt reservations is (630) 875-1400 Ext. 4 (for Group Reservations). Remember to mention "WinchestMidwest" as your group name to receive the group rate of $95 for single occupancy and $110 for 2 or more occupants.

If you have any questions or if you are in need of a roommate, please let me know.

Also keep in mind the registration cut-off date is June 13th. After the 13th, registration goes up to $40.

We have a really good crowd this year and it looks to be a bigger and better event than last year! I look forward to seeing you all in June!

This is just a reminder that the last day to book a hotel room at the WinchestMidwest rate is just over a week away. All hotel rooms must be booked by:

May 27th, 2008

Reservations made after the cut-off date will be subject to regular room rates and will not be in the WinchestMidwest wing of the hotel. Keep in mind your reservation can be cancelled up to 24 hours before the convention and your credit card will not be charged until your stay.

The number for Hyatt reservations is (630) 875-1400 Ext. 4 (for Group Reservations). Remember to mention "WinchestMidwest" as your group name to receive the group rate of $95 for single occupancy and $110 for 2 or more occupants. 

If you have any questions or if you are in need of a roommate but have not yet been paired, please let me know.

I look forward to seeing you all in June!

If you've registered for winchestmidwest you should have received and email last night confirming your registration.

Important upcoming dates:

● Registration for WinMid is due by June 13th. After June 13th the price goes up to $40.

● Hotel rooms need to be reserved by May 27th to get the WinchestMidwest rate.

● Convention dates are June 27th - 29th.

We are going to have an excellent line-up this year. I hope to see you all there!! :)

This question has come up a couple of times so I thought I'd try to clear up the confusion.

The WinchestMidwest room rate for the Hyatt is as follows:

1 person/suite: $95
2 - 3 people/suite: $110

If you go to the Hyatt website the advertised rate for 3 adults in the room is $99 per night. HOWEVER, if a reservation is booked via the website under this rate plan, the credit card is charged the same day the reservation is made. There is also a non-refundable fee of $50 if you cancel at any time. If you cancel without at least 72 hour notice, there is no refund, meaning you'd pay the whole $109 for 2 nights plus tax.

If you book through the WinchestMidwest rate, there is no fee if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance and your credit card will not be charged until the time of the convention (June 27th - 29th). Also, we have blocked the rooms together in one wing, if you use the website you may not be near the other WinchestMidwest attendees.

If you have any further questions, please let me know.

So the question today is what would you all like to see covered in a Urban Legends Panel?  Last year I covered H.H. Holmes,  selling your soul at the Crossroads, Bloody Mary, and the Hookman.  I'm guessing Lilith will be at the top of your list this year, but what else?  Please leave any and all ideas in the comments.

It turns out that Wizard World (Comic Con's red-headed step-sibling. Think more comic books, less pop culture. However, Christian Bale was there last year promoting the new Batman movie.) changed it's dates and will now be in Chicago the same weekend as WinchestMidwest.

http://kissrocks.livejournal.com/143807.html - da rulez.

Need to. Must.

Okay, don't have to but... Zombie games!

I am incapable of making a decision so I offer you the chance to weigh in your opinions.

Poll #1149524 Name That Panel
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Graphics Panel: How to...

I would like to see examples of

Thanks for your time!

I am happy to announce...

REGISTRATION FOR WINCHESTMIDWEST IS NOW OPEN!!!!

Thanks to the lovely angieb5 , this year we have a website devoted to the convention.

http://www.winchestmidwest.com

( Want to know more? Click the cut... )