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Words cannot express how truly sorry all of us at FedConUSA are. It had been our hope to put on a spectacular convention, the likes of which America had not seen before. Unfortunately, we got more than we bargained for, and everybody else got less. We poured our hearts and souls and wallets into getting FedConUSA off the ground, and no matter what contributing causes lead to our failing, it doesn't change the fact that we nonetheless failed.
Our intention was to bring the unique FedCon experience to the states. In recent years, many other conventions have just been turned into money-making machines, and while many fans may have enjoyed those mega-conventions, anybody that has been to FedCon Germany knows the incredible fan-focused atmosphere and experience that one gets there. We wanted to bring that to America: a fan-focused convention. While the actors and writers and other guests are always an integral part of the convention, we wanted to shift the focus from the spectacle and show to the fans. Without the fans, there wouldn't be conventions.
There are a dozen reasons that lead to the downfall of FedConUSA, and truth be told, none of them are pretty. We could have been more organized. We could have communicated better with the public and staff and actors. We could have done more advertising. The economy was already headed to the pits a year ago when we started this thing. El Niño, simply because it's been too long since we've blamed something on El Niño. In the end, however, it all came down to money.
As anybody who has run a convention can tell you, it's not a cheap thing to do. There are a thousand little things that add up, as well as many big things. When we started off on this endeavor with FedCon Germany at our side, we had the financial backing and experience of one of the best convention organizations on the planet. However, with their understandable withdrawal from FedConUSA, we were left without the inside experience and cash reserves.
For a first time convention, getting financial support in today's economy is next to impossible. There are so many upfront costs – flights, hotel rooms, convention space, food, guest fees, etc – that need to be paid before the convention even gets under way. From day one, FedConUSA has been operating in the red, with hopes of recouping our funds and making enough to continue on and make this an ongoing and fantastic convention experience for all of America.
Obviously, that just didn't work out. We had expected much more walk-in attendance than we received, and hoped that we would have been able to pull things together enough that the show could go on. As you know, that didn't happen. We are truly sorry to everyone for what has happened and disappointed that we couldn't have put on a better show.
There are many people to whom we owe a debt of gratitude, not to mention fiscal debt. First is the Hyatt Regency DFW, this wonderful hotel has bent over backwards time and again to help us get FedConUSA underway.
Next is the FedConUSA staff, who have worked countless hours for the convention, often at great personal and fiscal cost. Without their tireless devotion to the fan-focused convention cause, we never would have gotten as far as we did. There were so many last minute changes that I know most of you didn't get much, if any, sleep. Your hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated. Health issues precluded me from making it to Dallas for the weekend, so the staff unexpectedly had to bear the brunt of what in the end is very much my fault, and for that I am sorry. As Larry Nemecek said, this was the smoothest landing of a doomed plane he's ever seen – you all did a fantastic job given some practically insurmountable odds. Get some sleep, guys.
Our sponsors, particularly IQ-145, deserve thanks as well – if it hadn't been for your support, with some of it coming in with such short notice, FedConUSA never would have made it off the ground.
The volunteers that worked the convention all Friday and Saturday morning were an integral part of any convention. Without your help and sacrifice no convention, even ours, would ever work out at a reasonable cost.
Thanks absolutely must go out to our guests. Despite all of the miscommunications and missteps we may have encountered, most all of you came through and we greatly appreciate it. John Billingsley, Chad Cooperman, Billy Dickson, Gigi Edgley, Menina Fortunato, David Franklin, Bonita Friedericy, James Hampton, J.G. Hertzler, Anne Lockhart, Lindsey McKeon, Larry Nemecek, Robert O'Reilly, Connor Trinneer, Amber Wallace, and Garrett Wang all made it out to Dallas for FedConUSA, many coming for just the cost of a plane ticket and hotel. Thanks also to Lolita Fatjo, who came as the agent of several of our actors, and despite the fact that she was getting no reimbursement, stepped up at the last minute to fill in for a guest who could not make it. The fact that most of you stayed in the convention hall even after it all went down was enormously generous and greatly appreciated by both the FedConUSA staff and the fans. Even after we cancelled the remaining convention events from Saturday morning onwards, many of you came down to the autograph room and met with the fans that had come, turning around what could have been a horrible day for everybody involved.
To our guests that were due to come in after the convention was cancelled – Brad Rowe, Thomas Dekker, and Paul McGillion, I'm sorry you weren't able to make it out to Dallas and am very glad that you all committed your time to coming to FedConUSA to be with your fans.
And to our guests with whom we had issues getting flights, contracts, and the like, namely James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Richard Hatch, Jack Marshall, and Anthony Montgomery: I am so very sorry. The blame for our communications issues lands squarely at my feet and I hope that you will not hold that against any of the FedConUSA staff, FedCon Germany, and all other conventions. The money shortfalls that lead to the cancellation of the convention was also responsible for our not being able to rebook flights in a reasonable timeframe to accommodate your changing filming schedules. I really wish you would have been able to make it and think that if you had, you would have had a wonderful time.
Lastly, but certainly not least, an apology is owed to the fans. From the start, we set out to make a convention for you, a convention that catered to the fans. It would have been entirely understandable for you all to be upset and angry when we cancelled the convention right in the middle of the show, but by and large the reaction was not overwhelmingly negative. I know you were all disappointed, and so am I, that things were not able to go on, and all things considered, the convention that we did have was lots of fun. You all took the cancellation in stride, and we all greatly appreciate your understanding. I know that many of you came from great distances and had airplane tickets and hotel flights and the like booked and paid for, and that the cancellation of FedConUSA meant that you had spent a good deal of money for naught.
On the money front, with the cash that we had on hand we refunded as much of the tickets that we purchased on site as we could. We are working to issue refunds to everybody else, and those who pre-purchased their tickets online or via phone, but it may be a while before we are able to arrange for that. Quite frankly, we weren't anticipating having to issue so many refunds, and were not prepared to even have a system in place to do so, so it may take a while. I ask for your continued patience and understanding while we work to get refunds set up. If it comes down to it, I will go into personal debt in order to get everybody their money back.
We shot for the stars and aimed to bring the exciting atmosphere that FedCon is known for worldwide. I hope that everybody still had a great time in Dallas and regret that I wasn't able to make it. I know that everybody on all levels that was involved with FedConUSA must be incredibly disappointed. I hope that your experience with FedConUSA was still a positive one, and that what happened has not tarnished the reputation of FedCon Germany or the convention business as a whole. I also hope that none of you have been turned off from attending many of other wonderful conventions around the United States and worldwide.
Tim Brazeal
President, FedConUSA |
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