As I touched on very briefly the other day, the Great British Brony Convention (GBBC) Twitter account has suddenly been revived after a long silence. Unsurprisingly, this piqued my attention, given that I've been one of those wondering what the post-BUCK convention landscape might look like. GBBC have put out several tweets in the last few days, and here are a few that caught my eye:
It's thanks to the massive positive feedback from 2015's GBBC that we're even thinking of doing another. Couldn't be here without all you !
There's no doubt that GBBC was quite popular with the few people who attended that I've spoken to. One or two did voice small complaints that it felt more like an overgrown season finale event than a con as such, but I haven't heard anyone say they hated it and wished they hadn't gone. Considering the expensive tickets (and yes, £60 is expensive, even in the UK) that does speak of a convention that got plenty of things right.
A lot of conventions disclose their finances. We sort of didn't do that, and people assumed we ended massively in debt. We didn't.
Did people assume that? If they did, it wasn't in places I frequent. I certainly didn't assume anything of the sort. I have said that I was a little uncomfortable about the comments made (eg on UK of Equestria) before GBBC 2015, which gave the impression that the con was basically being bankrolled by one person. That's never a good idea, however well-heeled that person is. Of course, I don't know that was the case, but I can't remember it being contradicted. It's true that cons vary in terms of financial transparency – BronyScot is the gold standard, with BUCK putting out a general breakdown and UK PonyCon not really publishing much. However, UK PonyCon has been running for over a decade, and that track record is worth a lot. GBBC right now has a track record of one convention. Better than zero, of course!
What are we planning? It's a secret... ssh... we're not telling
Well, that's really helpful. :P But seriously, unless they're planning something substantial this year then I wouldn't expect details yet in any case. My guess right now is that they're aiming at 2017, in which case I wouldn't be surprised if it's a few months yet before anything appears. I can't help thinking that an announcement just before the UK PonyCon/BronyScot season (Oct-Nov) would be rather handy for building buzz, so I wonder whether we might hear something in the autumn – at least a more detailed hint, even if not full details.
Showing posts with label great british brony convention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great british brony convention. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 May 2016
Saturday, 21 May 2016
Pony Music Library 7: "A True, True Friend"
Yes, two PML entries in two days! Before I begin, though, the recent hints that the Great British Brony Convention (GBBC) may resurrect itself – in some form or another, anyway – are interesting, but nowhere near enough information has yet been released to form any realistic judgement on them. I'll keep an eye on any developments, of course! Now, back to music, and today's track is another show song – like "Babs Seed" (PML 3), it's from Season Three. This is a piece that really captures the essence of what My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is about.
What? "A True, True Friend"
Who? Daniel Ingram; orchestrated by Steffan Andrews
Which? Show song
When? February 2013
Why? Because it's so perfect for this show. Everypony is involved and the magic of friendship is at its very heart. The song builds as it goes, with (naturally) Pinkie stealing the show near the end. The style changes slightly for each pony, but the track remains a coherent whole. It's also great fun to sing, especially in a group. The version on official albums is slightly different (listen to Rarity's speaking part), but as with "Babs Seed" I'm sticking with the show original, cast voiceovers and all.
What? "A True, True Friend"
Who? Daniel Ingram; orchestrated by Steffan Andrews
Which? Show song
When? February 2013
Why? Because it's so perfect for this show. Everypony is involved and the magic of friendship is at its very heart. The song builds as it goes, with (naturally) Pinkie stealing the show near the end. The style changes slightly for each pony, but the track remains a coherent whole. It's also great fun to sing, especially in a group. The version on official albums is slightly different (listen to Rarity's speaking part), but as with "Babs Seed" I'm sticking with the show original, cast voiceovers and all.
Sunday, 26 July 2015
GBBC
As I write this on Sunday evening, it looks as though the Great British Brony Convention (GBBC) in Manchester has worked out. It's impossible to tell from the photos I've seen what sort of attendance they had, but credit where credit is due: GBBC does seem to have succeeded. It's no secret that I was a bit sceptical – not setting up a limited company is dangerous, for example – and I don't think UK of Equestria was wrong to lock its official GBBC thread given the organisers' lack of contact. (GBBC talk itself was absolutely not banned; it just went to a general "Conventions" discussion.)
But I would never wish failure on a pony convention, so I'm glad it did what it set out to do, and I hope anyone reading this who attended had a good time. I'm guessing that it won't run again in 2016, given the return of BUCK in the same city, but maybe it will encourage someone else to put together a smaller-scale con. To my mind, BronyScot remains the example to emulate in this department, but there's certainly an opportunity for someone, especially given the con desert south of Leicester. London may well be too expensive, but what about Bristol or Birmingham? It could happen!
But I would never wish failure on a pony convention, so I'm glad it did what it set out to do, and I hope anyone reading this who attended had a good time. I'm guessing that it won't run again in 2016, given the return of BUCK in the same city, but maybe it will encourage someone else to put together a smaller-scale con. To my mind, BronyScot remains the example to emulate in this department, but there's certainly an opportunity for someone, especially given the con desert south of Leicester. London may well be too expensive, but what about Bristol or Birmingham? It could happen!
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
More thoughts on this year's Britcons
Although I'm sure it's in the back of all our minds, BUCK 2016 can be put to one side as far as this post is concerned. I'm just going to give my current feelings with regard to the four My Little Pony conventions that have been announced for the UK during this year. As usual, please remember that I have absolutely no official links with any of them, other than that I may attend one or more over the months. So...
UK PonyCon
If I only attend one pony convention in 2015, then it will probably be this one. We have an advantage in this community over others (furry, for example) in that all our cons are all-ages affairs – but UK PonyCon is the event where that means the most. Unlike the brony-centric cons, it's not a case of 90% 16-25-year-olds, and the wider spread appeals a lot. I also like the lower-key, more informal approach compared with the likes of BUCK – and, yes, the lower ticket prices!
GBBC
This may have pushed itself into second place in my possibles list. Being in Manchester city centre helps, as does the fact that guests have been announced who actually mean something: Glaze, for example. It's probably going to be the most expensive of the four: the £60 Standard ticket includes a Friday-night concert, but just being cheaper than BUCK (or ConFuzzled) isn't in itself good enough. I also have some concerns about GBBC being run effectively by one person, however sincere that one person may be.
BronyScot
If it weren't so damn far to Edinburgh, this would be in second place – but it is, so it isn't. Scores points for being run by a limited company, having handled itself very well last year and being willing to engage with its fellow con organisers. (They liaised with UK PonyCon to ensure no repeat of last year's clash of dates.) Ticket prices will probably be reasonable, but I've seen slightly too many potential attendees for comfort talk about how much of each evening they're going to spend drinking, and that doesn't attract me at all.
MLC
Unfortunately, this has to go at the bottom of the list, simply because there are still far too many uncertainties for it to go anywhere else. The guests announced so far largely consist of relatively low-profile YouTubers; there's nobody who a casual fan would have heard of. For £50, I think they need more than that. Southport is an okay host town, but it's not as good as an actual city and a little close to Manchester for comfort. Finally, there are still too many uncertainties about MLC's organisation and funding.
UK PonyCon
If I only attend one pony convention in 2015, then it will probably be this one. We have an advantage in this community over others (furry, for example) in that all our cons are all-ages affairs – but UK PonyCon is the event where that means the most. Unlike the brony-centric cons, it's not a case of 90% 16-25-year-olds, and the wider spread appeals a lot. I also like the lower-key, more informal approach compared with the likes of BUCK – and, yes, the lower ticket prices!
GBBC
This may have pushed itself into second place in my possibles list. Being in Manchester city centre helps, as does the fact that guests have been announced who actually mean something: Glaze, for example. It's probably going to be the most expensive of the four: the £60 Standard ticket includes a Friday-night concert, but just being cheaper than BUCK (or ConFuzzled) isn't in itself good enough. I also have some concerns about GBBC being run effectively by one person, however sincere that one person may be.
BronyScot
If it weren't so damn far to Edinburgh, this would be in second place – but it is, so it isn't. Scores points for being run by a limited company, having handled itself very well last year and being willing to engage with its fellow con organisers. (They liaised with UK PonyCon to ensure no repeat of last year's clash of dates.) Ticket prices will probably be reasonable, but I've seen slightly too many potential attendees for comfort talk about how much of each evening they're going to spend drinking, and that doesn't attract me at all.
MLC
Unfortunately, this has to go at the bottom of the list, simply because there are still far too many uncertainties for it to go anywhere else. The guests announced so far largely consist of relatively low-profile YouTubers; there's nobody who a casual fan would have heard of. For £50, I think they need more than that. Southport is an okay host town, but it's not as good as an actual city and a little close to Manchester for comfort. Finally, there are still too many uncertainties about MLC's organisation and funding.
Friday, 26 December 2014
Cons, cons everywhere!
Well, everywhere in the UK, that is. In the last few days and weeks, we've seen no fewer than four pony conventions announced for 2015 in this country, plus another one for 2016. Two of the events in question are returning after successful outings last year, while another two are newcomers aiming to take advantage of the absence of BUCK next year. And talking of BUCK, the behemoth of British brony bashes will be coming back as well, albeit not until 2016. So, here's the run-down:
Great British Brony Convention – 24/25/26 July, Manchester
A completely new venture, the GBBC takes the "BUCK replacement" concept almost literally by being held in the Manchester Conference Centre, only a few hundred yards down the road from Manchester Central itself. This con is intended as a one-off event, as the organisers don't wish to compete directly with BUCK when that returns (see below). Nevertheless, it takes several cues from that con, such as a Friday night concert. Captain Hoers and Mush have already announced their attendance, but it's highly ambitious, especially with another con happening 40 miles down the road just a month later...
My Little Convention – 29/30 August, Southport
Another newcomer for 2015, this con's venue has been announced as the Floral Hall in the Merseyside/Lancashire resort. Early bird tickets are already on sale (£45 for Standard tier) and planned events include a Saturday night concert, an area for up-and-coming musicians (apparently modelled on BUCK's Cadance Stage) and the inevitable CCG tournament. No guests have been announced yet. MLC was originally planned for Norwich, but has chosen to move across country for better transport links – although holding the con over a Bank Holiday inevitably means that there'll be rail engineering works to contend with.
UK PonyCon 2015 – 10/11 October, Leicester
This is a two-day convention covering the entire My Little Pony fandom, with a strong emphasis on collectors but also catering for families, bronies and other ponyish types. This means that the attendee profile (and therefore the atmosphere) is very different from other cons, with everyone from young children to grandparents coming along. The venue, the Mercure Grand Hotel, is the same as this year's, but 2015 will see the con gain the use of the entire hotel, not just half of it as happened this year. This should do a lot to alleviate the crowding problems that affected it in 2014.
BronyScot – "October/November", Edinburgh
Scotland's very own brony con faced challenges in its debut year, resulting in the decision to reduce the planned two days to one. This disappointing outcome was responsibly handled, though. This, together with good organisation, resulted in a well-received convention, so it's good to see it returning in 2015. After an unfortunate clash of dates with UK PonyCon last year, the two organising teams are on good terms and have made sure that this won't happen again. The popular Rock Nessie concert is set to return, while tickets look likely to remain attractively priced.
BUCK – "early 2016", venue TBA
Yes, the big beast of the UK pony convention scene is returning, probably in a new spring slot. Plenty still needs to be thrashed out before exact details will be made public, but I can guess at several things: it will be the biggest of all the British conventions, the tickets will be the most expensive, it will have the best range of guests and events and it will be the most slickly run event. BUCK's membership of the European Pony Convention Union is also a big plus, indicating that it abides by a number of rules to protect con-goers and staff alike.
Great British Brony Convention – 24/25/26 July, Manchester
A completely new venture, the GBBC takes the "BUCK replacement" concept almost literally by being held in the Manchester Conference Centre, only a few hundred yards down the road from Manchester Central itself. This con is intended as a one-off event, as the organisers don't wish to compete directly with BUCK when that returns (see below). Nevertheless, it takes several cues from that con, such as a Friday night concert. Captain Hoers and Mush have already announced their attendance, but it's highly ambitious, especially with another con happening 40 miles down the road just a month later...
My Little Convention – 29/30 August, Southport
Another newcomer for 2015, this con's venue has been announced as the Floral Hall in the Merseyside/Lancashire resort. Early bird tickets are already on sale (£45 for Standard tier) and planned events include a Saturday night concert, an area for up-and-coming musicians (apparently modelled on BUCK's Cadance Stage) and the inevitable CCG tournament. No guests have been announced yet. MLC was originally planned for Norwich, but has chosen to move across country for better transport links – although holding the con over a Bank Holiday inevitably means that there'll be rail engineering works to contend with.
UK PonyCon 2015 – 10/11 October, Leicester
This is a two-day convention covering the entire My Little Pony fandom, with a strong emphasis on collectors but also catering for families, bronies and other ponyish types. This means that the attendee profile (and therefore the atmosphere) is very different from other cons, with everyone from young children to grandparents coming along. The venue, the Mercure Grand Hotel, is the same as this year's, but 2015 will see the con gain the use of the entire hotel, not just half of it as happened this year. This should do a lot to alleviate the crowding problems that affected it in 2014.
BronyScot – "October/November", Edinburgh
Scotland's very own brony con faced challenges in its debut year, resulting in the decision to reduce the planned two days to one. This disappointing outcome was responsibly handled, though. This, together with good organisation, resulted in a well-received convention, so it's good to see it returning in 2015. After an unfortunate clash of dates with UK PonyCon last year, the two organising teams are on good terms and have made sure that this won't happen again. The popular Rock Nessie concert is set to return, while tickets look likely to remain attractively priced.
BUCK – "early 2016", venue TBA
Yes, the big beast of the UK pony convention scene is returning, probably in a new spring slot. Plenty still needs to be thrashed out before exact details will be made public, but I can guess at several things: it will be the biggest of all the British conventions, the tickets will be the most expensive, it will have the best range of guests and events and it will be the most slickly run event. BUCK's membership of the European Pony Convention Union is also a big plus, indicating that it abides by a number of rules to protect con-goers and staff alike.
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