Toronto Meetup? (FanExpo)

[Flickerdart]

So. Fan Expo (http://www.fanexpocanada.com/) is happening August 27th through 29th. For those who don't know what it is, Fan Expo is awesome. In addition to being awesome, it's also a convention for sci-fi, comics, anime, video games and horror. In addition to the addition, it's enormous. And also Stan Lee will be there.

Now, I don't think that there's a Canada meetup for the Playground (there were plans for an Ottawa one back in January or something but that never amounted to much). So I propose that it would be totally sweet if a meetup was arranged near or on the Fan Expo date, so that Playgrounders coming to either one will have two things to do. I know for a fact that there are quite a few of us in Toronto, and probably quite a bit in the periphery that will be coming to Fan Expo anyway.

Is anyone interested in this plan, or are we all antisocial shut-ins? :smalltongue:

[SMEE]

I should be there if there's no problem with my visa request.
I'm looking forward to meet a friend I know from another hobby that doesn't come here at GitP.

If there's a meet up there, though, I'll make sure to drop by. :smallsmile:

[Kyouhen]

Hmmm, I may show up for that. Schedule/finances depending and whatnot. Never have been able to get to FanExpo. :smalltongue:

[Zocelot]

I'll definitely be there. I like going to FanExpo, and a playground meetup makes it even cooler.

[Krade]

While I will not be attending, I do encourage people to attend the meet-up. The first time I met Playgrounders was at GenCon a few years back and I have to say that Cons/Expos are an excellent oppurtunity to meet-up in a safe environment (if you are concerned about that sort of thing).

Hell, half the reason I go to GenCon at all is to hang out with Playgrounders.

[Flickerdart]

I am quite confident that there are more than three people coming to Fan Expo. :smallfrown:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Oh, I`ll go, just to hang out with you guys!

[Flickerdart]

So, just under three weeks until Fan Expo is upon us! I figured I'd give this another shot, since more people will have decided whether or not to come. For the few people that are actually coming, we should plan...stuff. The sort of stuff you normally for meetups. For instance, the meeting-up place. And such.

Protip: There's a place near the convention centre with fantastic muffins.
Protip 2: There are a bunch of D&D games that people run, seems topical for this board. We could all show up for one.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

So, just under three weeks until Fan Expo is upon us! I figured I'd give this another shot, since more people will have decided whether or not to come. For the few people that are actually coming, we should plan...stuff. The sort of stuff you normally for meetups. For instance, the meeting-up place. And such.

Protip: There's a place near the convention centre with fantastic muffins.
Protip 2: There are a bunch of D&D games that people run, seems topical for this board. We could all show up for one.

Count me in. For stuff. And things. I don`t mind where, wherever. Let the slightly-less-lazy people decide.

[Zocelot]

Yep, still in. And I will force some of my fellow GitP friends to come too.

[Frojoe21]

A random meet up with internet folks? If that isn't something to de-lurk for, I don't know what is. I'm in.

[B-Man]

A shame that I'll be in the Centre of the Universe the week after Fan Expo or else I'd've loved to've joined you guys. :smallannoyed:

[ZombieRockStar]

You guys would have to pick a year I decided to waste all my money at GenCon instead. And I won't even be back in Toronto until the week after, so I can't even just hang out. You guys have fun; I had a ton the year I went. Met my very first playgrounder, too.

Also, me & Indurain were thinking that we should have a more proper Canadian meet-up sometime, where it's just an excuse for us all to hang out for a weekend, rather than being based around a con, like the JC meet-up is. Problem is, we both live in apartments, so there's no place like the Hippie Hut to serve as a central HQ.

[smellie_hippie]

Can I just say that it makes me feel warm and fuzzy that "The Hippie Hut" is considered a central meet-up location? :smallredface::smallbiggrin:

[Flickerdart]

Also, me & Indurain were thinking that we should have a more proper Canadian meet-up sometime, where it's just an excuse for us all to hang out for a weekend, rather than being based around a con, like the JC meet-up is. Problem is, we both live in apartments, so there's no place like the Hippie Hut to serve as a central HQ.
We tried that, but then all the Ottawa people wanted to host it in Ottawa, and all the prairies people were saying both are too far, etc etc.

[Thorcrest]

Yes, the problem with meetups in Canada is that the country is so large and sparsely populated, some of us live in Ottawa, such as myself, others down by Toronto, some in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, some near Vancouver etc. Basically, other than the few in each city, you have AT LEAST a few hours before getting to the next small group (or a few days for you Vancouverites).

Anyways, I won't be able to go since I have to work all those days... you guys have fun though.

[Flickerdart]

Shame that the schedule isn't up yet. I think that meeting up for a game of something or other would be a good way to kick things off.

[SMEE]

My visa won't be issued in time for this. :smallsigh:

It seems I'll have to wait for next year. :smallfrown:

[Flickerdart]

Ding! The schedule, she is up! There are 3.5 games every day (Friday 5-9, Saturday 7:30-12 AM and 3:30-7 PM, Sunday 12-6) and 4E on Saturday (11-3 and 7:30-12 AM) in case we decide on a game as the starting point.

I'm not that familiar with the area, but I assume there will be somewhere to eat properly, should we decide on that.

[Zeb The Troll]

As a veteran of several convention meetups, let me recommend against having an event as your start point. You'll want to have at least introduced yourselves and had some opportunity for chit chat before being flung into a situation where casual conversation is discouraged.

Try to find a map of the convention center and mesh it with the schedule and see if you can find a spot that's suitable in size and will be both furnished and unoccupied at any point during the convention. It should be easy to locate and obvious what you're doing. Choose a time that has the least amount of potential conflicts with what everyone wants to do. Give yourselves an hour or so to find and get to the meeting place and say hello to each other.

Have something planned. This is important, otherwise you could end up with a few people staring at each other in awkward silence. Make it something that encourages interaction. Something I'll probably do at GenCon next year is to have an official Introduce Yourself period followed by our traditional game of werewolf. Whatever activity you plan should be something that's both easy to learn and easily adaptable to the number of people who show up. Steve Jackson's Zombie Dice is a great example of this, but I'm sure there are other things equally or better suited.

Have a designated mediator, someone who's got the plan and will run the show. This doesn't mean that you need someone to have iron fisted control of the assemblage, but if conversation lags, there should be someone that everyone can look to get things rolling.

[Dallas-Dakota]

I recommend Flux as a very easy to learn but great fun game.

[MarkusWolfe]

I'll be there on the Sunday. Anyway to identify each other/designated meeting place?

[Alteran]

I'll probably be at FanExpo on Sunday, too. If a meetup happens, I'll do my very best to be there.

[Flickerdart]

Nothing's been decided yet, but if you're going to be cosplaying, tell us who to look out for.

We should decide on something soon, though. Maybe meeting up for lunch of something before the start on Friday is worth considering, especially since the convention centre's prices would be awful.

[Zocelot]

I think somebody's got to step up and be in charge of organizing this thing, otherwise it'll never happen. Any volunteers?

[Flickerdart]

Doesn't look like it. I've never organized a meetup before, so I don't want to step up only to mess up. :smallfrown:

[Zocelot]

Alright, I think "Organizing a meetup" sounds a little too ominous. We just need to all decide on a definite place and time to meet, along with suggestions on what we can do as a group.

[Deth Muncher]

Huh. I kinda want to go to this, if only I knew how to leave the country, or had money to do it. I mean, I do want to visit the birthplace of Scott Pilgrim, after all.

[SensFan]

Moving up to North Bay for University that weekend, or I'd make the trip to Toronto.

[Zocelot]

Alright, I suggest we meet between 9 and 10 on Sunday, so we have a chance to do something before swarming a 3.5e game.

Any ideas for where we should meet would be great, even if it's just "The Pizza Pizza down the street", since we need to meet somewhere and Sunday is rapidly approaching.

[Flickerdart]

Sounds good. I recall a semblance of a food court at Union. There was, I think, a Subway and a Mmmuffins, but I'm not sure if there's somewhere to sit down near there. I, at least, will be down there for the entire weekend more like than not, so I can scope the place out on Friday and propose likely candidates for the location.

[Flickerdart]

Woo, just got back from day 1. The lineup was rather monstrous, but it's clear sailing for me now, with the deluxe pass. I've snapped a few photos of cosplayers, too; there's a phenomenal Witch and Deadpool and the usual gaggle of TF2 cosplayers, as well as a Darth Vader and Boba Fett made entirely of lego.

For the meeting place, I propose the Tim Horton's up at York St. and Front St. which is reportedly good, according to friends, and in close proximity to the convention centre.

[Alteran]

So, I should be there tomorrow. Anybody else?

[Flickerdart]

Correction: the Tim Horton's is not precisely at the intersection, but rather a bit north along York St. (not University St. which joins it on an angle, it's a dumb intersection). I'll be inside, wearing a navy blazer, by 9 or so. The con doesn't open til 10 anyway, so I'll hang around until more or less that time.

[Alteran]

I don't know when you'll actually read this, but I need to get a ticket before anything else. I therefore don't have any place to meet you or other GitP people, but I expect I'll be hanging mainly around the sci-fi and gaming areas. If you or anybody else notices a person around 5'9" wearing blue jeans and a brown shirt that says "Stuff is Awesome," that's me.

[Alteran]

Well, I didn't meet any GitP people, but I met up with some other friends and still had an awesome time. The best part was very possibly when I got this (http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs398.snc4/46131_424963987630_617292630_4977786_3793358_n.jpg ) sketch (warning: scan quality is mediocre). That's me on the left, and Bill Nye on the right. Yesss. :smallbiggrin:

[Flickerdart]

Your hand appears to have been consumed by SCIENCE. That's pretty cool.

One GitP person dropped in on the D&D game to say hi, but otherwise I didn't see anyone. Got a bunch of loot from the Artist Alley, and this year's round of free swag from the DC booth.

[Frojoe21]

I went to that Timmies at about 9:45 and saw no-one in a blue blazer. Also, Ernest Borgnine ran over my foot.