Conventions
Wizard World
Sep 1st
Last week, I attended Wizard World Comic Con in Rosemont, Ill. Wizard World is a tremendously popular and well-run convention featuring celebrities, vendors, speakers and exhibitions. It all started in 1991, when Gareb Shamus founded Wizard Entertainment, and it has been growing ever since.
This year, the big guests were Adam West, Julie Newmar and Burt Ward from TV’s Batman, along with William Shatner of Star Trek fame. Long lines of fans waited to meet their favorite stars. Even some of the stars wanted to meet the other stars.
Pro-wrestler Shane Douglas was hoping to meet West, a childhood favorite. Douglas talked about his passion for comics and how excited he was to attend the convention.
Being the intrepid reporter that I am, I came away with a celebrity scoop. Actress Beth Horn, who appeared as ‘Venom’ in the 2008 season of American Gladiators, told me about plans for an American Gladiators movie next summer, and she will be auditioning. Horn is also excited about the upcoming release of her film Fancy Pants. Horn’s favorite vacation spot is Florence, Italy, because she loves the people and culture.
Not everyone is interested in the celebrity aspect, however. Attendees Dave Pauwels (of Sisters Grimm Comics) and Joey Rodriguez were more interested in the Artist Alley. Rodriguez thought the event was pretty cool, but was disappointed that Marvel and DC and some major publishers such as Darkhorse were not there. Hopefully, as Wizard World continues to grow, this will change.
Conventions like these are huge business. Unfortunately, attendance figures are not released. As an indicator, all hotels in the area were booked solid, according to the concierges. That doesn’t even take into consideration all of the local attendees.
Additionally, since most people spend a major portion of each day at the convention, they tend to dine nearby (thus bringing more money into the area). The total revenue it brought into the Rosemont area was tremendous.
In 2010, there were Wizard World conventions in nine major U.S. cities, and there are plans for adding five more cities in 2011. Wizard World keeps growing and improving every year. My friends and I are already looking forward to the first announcements about next year’s convention.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
Bright Future
Aug 17th
I’m out of the heat and humidity of Houston and back to the humidity of New York City! As summer begins to wind down, the travel industry is heating up with optimism and increased travel. Last week at NBTA, we learned of new announcements and partnerships, like LAN teaming with Visa. Programs like these help increase frequent flyers and travelers throughout the entire LAN network. Not to mention, it helps keep traffic in the sky.
This week, LAN also announced the pending merger with TAM. While the carriers plan to continue operating under their own names, they will now share the same parent company.
Other exciting news for the fall? The Emirates A380 is returning to NYC on Oct. 31. Lufthansa will re-launch WiFi service on board this year, and next year the Lufthansa A380 will enter North America.
We’re not out of the woods yet, but personally I can’t wait to leave behind the humidity and usher in the fall travel and business season.
– Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
Inside the Dreamliner
Aug 13th
As Fran, Alex and John mentioned in their blogs, some of us were at the NBTA convention in Houston earlier this week. As always, it was a busy four days, filled with meetings, speakers, convention-ing and parties. We welcomed clients to a GT event on Tuesday night, hosted at Block 7 Wine Company. Our band, The Bourbon Street Band, was the highlight of the evening for sure!
On Monday morning, Dick Evans, Chris Salem and I attended a preview event hosted by Continental and Boeing. A mock 787 Dreamliner cabin was set up in the convention center. Continental will be the first North American airline to receive the new “game changing” aircraft, and they were the first airline to announce the 787 routes. Of note, one of the other journalists in attendance asked the Continental executive if the aircraft would be delivered with United or Continental livery. The answer? United.
I’m excited to see and experience the Dreamliner for myself one day. Until then, some of the notables from the mock-up included spacious overhead bins (large enough to fit four carry-on suitcases standing up), innovative windows (no shades, but a push button control that lightens or darkens the window) and extra-large cabins.
-Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive
Wish I Was There
Aug 11th
My fellow Global Traveler staffers have been writing about the NBTA (National Business Travel Association) convention in Houston. Unfortunately, I am not there this year, although I will be in Houston later this summer.
I have attended several NBTA conventions with GT over the years. They all have involved work, of course, but I also had a lot of fun and got to experience a lot of interesting things.
The most important part is the work, which at GT always involves fun anyway. It has been really motivational to see the various GT people working the booth, discussing ads, contemplating future editorial features and meeting other business associates. Seeing the energy and synergy reminds me of how exciting working at GT really is.
I have also enjoyed quite a few food and beverage choices at the conventions. One year, I had a delicious cold pea soup. It was so good, I shamelessly asked for another cup. I have also had samples of many different airline meals like chicken kebobs and California rolls.
I have tasted a lot of beverages, too. I have tried foreign beers and wines, relaxation teas and interesting energy drinks. Not all were great, but I am glad to have tried them.
Away from the convention, I have enjoyed touring around the host cities. In Boston, we took in a Red Sox game at historic Fenway Park. In Chicago, we enjoyed an after-convention party at the InterContinental Hotel on the Magnificent Mile.
Houston is one of my favorite cities (even with the heat). It’s a great choice for the NBTA convention. I hope my GT friends get to enjoy it as much as I do. I also hope it is still standing after my GT friends leave.
I am sure everyone is having a good time at the NBTA. Although I am not physically there, I am there in spirit with them, and I look forward to reading more stories here and hearing more when we next speak.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
