Continuing on with TequilaCon Week here at Blogography...
As Jenny was organizing the massive blowout that was TequilaCon 2007 PACNW, there was one concern that kept popping up in my head. What can you do you to make sure that people don't spend all their time hanging with bloggers they already know, but instead branch out and want to meet everybody? How do you make sure that those people who might be shy around groups or are new to blogging feel welcome, comfortable, and involved? The name badge lanyards were a start, but was there something else I could do to help out?
Having been to a number of Hard Rock Cafe pin collector events, I knew that most of the fun was wandering around trading pins with all the attendees. With this in mind, I decided to put my button machine to good use and make blog buttons. I didn't know everybody showing up... or even if everybody who said they were going to show up would actually be there... but I figured if I picked a dozen bloggers, gave them custom blog pins, and then brought a big bag of eclectic pins for everybody else, maybe it would encourage people to wander around so they could trade. Just maybe attendees would end up talking to more people than they usually would if they were trying to find pins they didn't have. It was worth a shot...
It seemed to work out okay, because everywhere you went TequilaConners were wearing pins on their shirts and had pins stacked on their lanyards...
The problem was that not everybody had custom pins to trade. I feel kind of bad about that, so once Jenny compiles a final list of attendees I'll fix those blog pins I got wrong, add the blog pins I missed, then build a complete set I can send out to those who would like to have them. If Jenny and Brandon end up wanting to do this again next year, hopefully I'll be better organized.
And now for a few of those TequilaCon Moments I never get tired of re-living...
Knowing my love of all things Batman, Karl surprised me with an early birthday present... A BATMAN ALARM CLOCK! It's retro cool and will look superb sitting on my Batman Lego shelf. And, as if the clock weren't enough, Karl also included a battery. The man has class, I'll give him that much (though I will always remain jealous that the bastard looks better rocking Hilly's tiara than I do).
Then, just as I was beginning to think that this was the best TequilaCon ever, Michelle shows up with another present... THE NINJA-POPE LIL' DAVE ACTION FIGURE! This means not only is she Portland's favorite taxi driver, president of the TequilaCon Doughnut Procurement Office, and somebody I love more than my Cinnamon Crest toothpaste, she's also got talent. No photo could ever do justice to the detail that's sculpted into the piece (he's even sporting his Ninja Papal Power Staff!), but he's been added to my toy shelf, right between the starship Enterprise and my Plastic Brain, as you can see here...
Pretty sweet! And if you are not reading This Fare City, you should be. In all seriousness, many of Michelle's stories are better than the rest of our blogs put together.
Alrighty then. Will tomorrow finally see an end to all these TequilaCon entries? Probably not. I've barely touched upon all the goings on from the weekend. TequilaCon was much bigger than anybody could have anticipated, and the aftershocks will be felt for days (if not months) to come!
You're more than welcome, dude. You know, I realized too late that I didn't save any of the 2HT buttons for myself! Argh. Gave 'em all away, which is I suppose what we were supposed to do. Still, if you wind up making more, I wouldn't mind one for myself. Great idea, the buttons.
And the little Dave Pope statue is just freaking amazing. I want to know how Michelle made him.
Good golly. It keeps getting better and better! More, more! hehe
Posted by Kentucky Girl on March 12, 2007 | Reply
I'll be serious for one moment and say that you went above and beyond cool. Don't beat yourself up for trying to make us all happy and forgetting some buttons. Of course, I have tons of them so who the hell am I to say that but still...
On the lighter side, is it sad that I am playing "guess the chest" right now?
Jellybeans!
Aw shucks Dave, we were all honored to meet YOU!! Truly, you were pretty much the life of the party.
I'm glad you like the lil' Dave guy. I am kinda shocked you remember ... you were, um, feeling no pain when I gave him to ya. :o) But in a good way! Gawd that was FUN!
To those that wish to know, he's made outta polymer clay. As I told Dave and Hilly: '... ya just make it and bake it.' That easy. heh.
Thanks Dave!
jenny and i were just discussing how tequilacon 07 was almost ruined by your poor organization skills, weren't we jenny?
-*-- * *** (that's jenny's new morse-enabled phone for 'yes')
oh, hey and you were probably drunk when you agreed to this, but don't forget you and i will be debriefing tequilacon 07 in a couple of weeks in wenatchee and maybe start some false tequilacon 08 rumors for next year in order to keep the buzz alive and dash people's hopes, dreams and frequent flier accounts. the TequilaCon 08 'Nome Place Like Home' contingent will be especially disappointed and fun to mess with.
For the record, I only wore pins that other bloggers GAVE me...unlike DUSTIN who I caught feverishly digging through a bag of them, clearly drunk on greed.
P.S. Dave - I keep looking at TC pics and covering my face waiting for an egg shot to show up [Blush]
Michelle... I don't care what you're up to, when somebody gives you a gift this special, you're going to remember it! My only fear was that I would break it on the flight home. Fortunately, he survived the trip thanks to layer after layer of packaging! He looks quite at home sitting next to me as I work, so thanks for that!
Brandon... =sob!= I am so sorry! Though I think it is to your and Jenny's combined credit that TequilaCon ended up being the massive success it was despite my pathetic organization skills. And don't worry, I carved a reminder for the Wenatchee dinner on my arm with a breathalyzer test strip so I wouldn't forget.
Sultana... Hmmm... I'm not sure if Alabama will host TequilaCon any time soon. I'm pretty sure most of the stuff that happens at the event is banned in Mobile, Birmingham, and Montgomery, so we'd have to hold it in Tuscaloosa or something. Maybe New Orleans will be a contender though, and that's pretty close! :-)
Karla... Well, you'd better be showing up for the next one then! My tongue will be there waiting to tattoo you.
Jessica... I have all those "egg" shots. I'm taking the time to Photoshop us naked before any get posted. :-)
I'm so sad I missed it. Next time....
It's funny when I got the e-mail from Jen about the Lanyards I thought about your earlier post about the buttons a few months back. I'm jealous...
Okay, that's it for now. I hope to hear more antics from Portland and I'm off to check out Michelle's blog.
Posted by Gary LaPointe on March 12, 2007 | Reply
Awww, you mean I missed out on having an adorable button made with that freakish 70's doll I have representing me on my blog?
Rats. ;)
Glad you kids had a great time!! Somewhat bummed I didn't make it, but I had a great weekend of R&R. Anyway, I know there will be one hosted in Chi town one of these days!! :)
the buttons were really the icing on the tequilacon cake, partly because they were a total surprise to me. so very cool!
you do realize, however, that you are now in the tequilacon gang and therefore have no choice but to continue to play this integral role. because something tells me that if i start handing out "hello my name is" stickers and a sharpie next year, i will be burned at the stake...
Yay, buttons! I would love a complete set, although I think you should charge us. No kidding. I'd pay up!
Posted by Long Story Longer on March 13, 2007 | Reply
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