Who's up for a "Weird Al" convention in 2012?

[jbracciante]

For this to go anywhere someone needs to either start a fund or pony up a few thousand dollars. Without the finical support this simply can't happen. The last Al Fest charged $50 for tickets, which nowhere near covered the costs. If you make the tickets too much ($150) you lose people.

Does anyone have any idea how to make this financially work?

[DrSteggy]

I've been involved with running a large, multiple day event for the model horse hobby for several years. The big issues are that you need to be in a place that a lot of people can/are willing to get to easily. There has to be something for non interested SOs and parents to do. You need to attract a lot more than just the hardcore people, because there are not enough of them to cover costs of the event.

The show I have been involved in regularly loses between $2000-$10,000 depending upon the location and time of the event. I have not seen numbers for the 2011 event, but I am pretty sure we went over $10K in the hole on it.

We generally hold an auction or raffle, but those can have multiple problems as well. Running one of these legally with less than a year to do so is hard-every location has it's own set of rules and costs. The time we ran in Las Vegas, our entire auction had to be of the silent variety because you need to use a licensed auctioneer in Vegas, which cost $1000 at the time. We tried to figure out a way to put a volunteer in this post, but they had to have schooling and between that and the license fees (oh, yeah, and the time to do it) it quickly got cost prohibitive.we'll never know for sure, but a live auction generates excitement and bids in ways a silent one just doesn't, so we think that auction didn't bring in what it could have. Our last auction, btw, has resulted in some super fun attention from lawyers when the person running our auction refused to remit expenses properly or ship items as she was supposed to, and that cost money too. And still is, as more than a year after the auction (July 2010) it's still unresolved.

While I love the idea if a con, putting one on for a small group is going to be a huge money loser. It might be a lot more feasable to just hold a get together at someone's home or local VFW hall

[pigletk]

No just tired of rejection after rejection....tired of spending hours by a bus in the rain while watching the same people go backstage over and over.....tired of crying after every concert after having my hopes and dreams crushed.....just plain tired of it.....

I was really really hoping the fact that this year is my 20th year of being cancer free would pull at some heart strings....nope - nobody cares about that kind of stuff anymore...oh well. Just hurts me to that nobody seems to care about real stuff anymore....so this whole Al fan thing was just a dream that didn't and will never come true and that is why I have to let it go....I'm tired....

Time for me to move on......

Does anyone know how to delete their WOWAY profile?

I hope no one made you angry or hurt, pigletk. We could get 'em for ya

[Yankomaniac]

Isn't that you and Al in your avatar?

[TMBJon]

No just tired of rejection after rejection....tired of spending hours by a bus in the rain while watching the same people go backstage over and over.....tired of crying after every concert after having my hopes and dreams crushed.....just plain tired of it.....

I was really really hoping the fact that this year is my 20th year of being cancer free would pull at some heart strings....nope - nobody cares about that kind of stuff anymore...oh well. Just hurts me to that nobody seems to care about real stuff anymore....so this whole Al fan thing was just a dream that didn't and will never come true and that is why I have to let it go....I'm tired....

What the?? Why are you speaking so vaguely about whatever happened that made you want to give up being a Weird Al fan altogether? Whose heartstrings were you trying to pull at? Who are you saying doesn't care about real stuff? Who has let you down? I think everyone on here has been generally supportive of the idea of an Al convention.

[DrSteggy]

Wow, sorry. I am not sure what has happened. I was just posting my experiences on this sort of thing, and I sure hope it wasn't a trigger. I didn't read through the entire thread.

I had absolutely no clue you were a cancer survivor, and I am sorry you went through that. It isn't that I don't care.

I also don't know that you need a connection beyond the email address of Jay Levy to try and get Al to come to something like this. I think that would be the appropriate avenue anyway. It's what I would do if I were plotting a convention of some sort.

I feel bad that something has you very upset, and I wish that you did not feel you need to leave. I don't think a profile can be deleted without a mod though.

I'm sorry Kelly. Please reconsider.

[minnick27]

Kelly I think you got overwhelmed very quickly. Just take a step back. 2012 would be tough to organize for. If its gotta be pushed back that's fine. It looks like you got prices from Jim and Ruben and realized it would cost alot more money than you thought. As far as the waiting in the rain, that's really you're own doing. It's been said countless times you pay for a concert not a meet and greet. And the people going backstage, well they are friends of the band or win a radio contest. If you want to get passes win a radio contest or befriend the band. Jeremy goes to more concerts than anyone and has been backstage the same amount of times as I have. There are reasons people go backstage, and sorry if it sounds harsh, being a cancer survivor may not be one. Or they just don't know about it. Or they don't know you well enough. It's not personal

[Vargas Chick]

You might want to assemble a committee first to help plan and set things up. Anything is possible if you have enough cooks in the kitchen.

We all love getting together and seeing each other and enjoying Al together, so...anyone out there willing to step up and help work on plans to make this happen?

[pigletk]

OK everyone - paint me pink I'm embarrassed! I am sorry for being such a poooooo!! I was just being bratty and jealous everyone...nothing mean was done to me...I was just being impatient and thought pulling the cancer card would work

I think I am destined to be a "Weird Al" super fan for life!! The moment I try to quit and give up hopes of ever getting backstage and knowing the band on a more close personal friend level......backstage passes are literally just handed to me.....I was not expecting it and I didn't even ask or say anything!! I was just in the right place at the right time (think of the movie signs...LOL). I am still pinching myself to see if I am dreaming!

The funny thing was I was not planning on staying after the concert....Will and I got some fastpasses for the Star Tours ride and everything....we were going to hightail it out of there afterwards....LOL so I had Al sign the fastpass And I got a hug finally....ahhh.....

Yeah the quotes I got seemed pretty reasonable to me....It is dooable in 2012 if we want it...I think it should be a shorter official event with maybe small unofficial gatherings afterwards....Alfest was a bit long....I am thinking 4 hours max....what do you think??

[pigletk]

I even talked to Ruben a bit backstage and he is very interested in the idea and wants to talk more about it

Does anyone else think the event should be shorter and more like a "reunion" type event? That would be less expensive - because we have to consider people having to travel to the event as well.

I am up for helping to coordinate since I already made contact with Jim and Ruben.....anyone have close enough access to Al to ask him what he thinks about the idea? And Steve - I know he didn't make it to Alfest...