TwiCon

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TwiCon
StatusDefunct
VenueSheraton Dallas Hotel
Location(s)Dallas, Texas
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2009
Most recent2009
Attendance3000[1]
Organized byTwiCon Partners LLC
Filing statusFor-profit
Websitetwicon.org

TwiCon was an unofficial Twilight fan convention which was held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from July 30 to August 2, 2009.[2] TwiCon featured a movie screening, live Twilight-inspired band performances, a Volturi Masque Ball, opportunities to meet Twilight cast, breakout sessions, panels, workshops, a vendor hall, and an artist alley.[3][4] Organizers and TwiCon Partners LLC co-owners included event planner Becky Scoggins and video blogger Bailey Gauthier.[5]

TwiCon's guests included Twilight actors Christian Serratos (Angela Weber), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen), Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale), Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen), and New Moon actor Alex Meraz (wolf pack member Paul).[6][7] Sam Bradley, Marcus Foster, and Bobby Long, who all wrote songs included on the Twilight soundtrack, also attended.[8][9] Both MTV and ReelzChannel had contests to choose fans to act as correspondents at TwiCon.[1][10][11]

Reception[]

Fan reception to the convention was mixed, with many con participants saying that they were very unhappy with the way things were run. Many con-goers reported sessions not lasting their full-time, as well as the con using volunteers for security.[12] The A.V. Club panned the convention overall, commenting that it was poorly thought out and that the merchandise area gave "the impression that Twicon exists solely to get impressionable fans to pay for crap".[13] Many fans noted that even the stars guesting at the convention appeared to be annoyed at the treatment given at the con,[14] though TwiCon representative Becky Scoggins insisted on the TwiCon forums that none of the stars present voiced any complaint over their stay at the con.[citation needed]

End[]

Citing both "competitive pressures" and "the persistent nature of the economic downturn", TwiCon Partners LLC announced that it would cease operations on March 13, 2010.[15] Organizers said that "non-refundable deposits" and payments to "professional service providers" left them with insufficient funds to "cover the next round of deposits due to host the event".[16] This cancelled TwiCon events planned for Ottawa in June 2010 and Las Vegas in late July 2010.[15] (The Ottawa event was originally scheduled for Toronto but was forced to relocate due to the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit.)[17] No official statements were ever released to the convention website as to the availability of refunds for ticketholders, although Scoggins claimed that her company had no control over the finances and that letters pertaining to the availability of refunds were forthcoming.[18][19]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Michels, Partick (July 31, 2009). "This Weekend, Twilight Superfans Make Downtown Dallas Their Playground". Dallas Observer. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  2. ^ "TwiCon 2009". UpcomingCons.com. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  3. ^ Kalter, Lindsay (3 August 2009). "For 'Twilight' fans at TwiCon, books are more than just a love story". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  4. ^ Koski, Genevieve (August 17, 2009). "I attended this on purpose: Twicon 2009". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  5. ^ Laucius, Joanne (February 17, 2010). "The Cinderella story of Ottawa's No. 1 Twilight fan". The Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  6. ^ "Fandom fangs come out when Twicon 2009 hits Dallas July 30 - August 2". Pegasus News. June 22, 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  7. ^ Carroll, Larry (August 3, 2009). "'Twilight' Fans Celebrate With Saga's Stars At TwiCon". MTV. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  8. ^ Paulson, Dave (July 3, 2009). "Sam Bradley Gets Boost From Twilight". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 30, 2009.[dead link]
  9. ^ "Singer Marcus Foster Would Love To Tour With RPattz". Radar Online. June 20, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  10. ^ "'Twilight' Superfan's 'Class Of '09 Shout-Out' Wins Her A Trip To TwiCon". MTV. July 15, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  11. ^ "Meet the TwiCon Fan Correspondent Finalists". ReelzChannel. June 29, 2009. Archived from the original on July 4, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  12. ^ "TwiCon 2009 Convention Report: Fan Feels Ripped Off and Mistreated". Convention Fans Today. August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  13. ^ "I attended this on purpose: Twicon 2009". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Twicon Review! And It Ain't Good". Rob My World. August 3, 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b "Decision to cease operations". TwiCon official website. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  16. ^ "FAQ". TwiCon official website. Archived from the original on 2010-03-27. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  17. ^ "Toronto to face disruptions during G20 summit". CBC News. February 16, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010. The G20 meeting has already driven stakes into the hearts of Toronto's vampire romance fans.
  18. ^ http://groups.google.com/group/twicon-discussion-group/browse_thread/thread/8124fc139474f84a
  19. ^ http://www.deadparrottavern.com/forum/showthread.php?18665-TwiCon-Toronto-2010-June-18-20-2010-Toronto-Canada
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