Reflecting on MonsterCon 2008

Reflecting on MonsterCon 2008

I have thought for a week now what to write for a wrapup of MonsterCon 2008 and I decided that Ray Franks (promoter of MonsterCon and my very close friend) put it best with the following...so on behalf of Ray Franks, Shane Peoples and I along with everyone on the MonsterCon committee, I would like to pass on the following statement...

"We'd like to sincerely thank everyone that volunteered their time over the weekend. A ton a hard work was put into the convention this year and it didn't go unnoticed.
So what did you think? We really want constructive critism in order to fine tune the MonsterCon engine. In particular, we'd like to know what you thought about the location, entertainment, merchandise available, length of the con and the time of year for the con. Email us at: comicmonstore@bellsouth.net
In reflection, here are our thoughts. We saw nearly 1,000 people (attendees, guests, artists, authors, vendors, and musicians) having a wonderful time over the weekend. It's safe to say that we saw nearly twice as many people this year than last year. We heard lots of laughter and fun.
We also thought Brad Loree, Ken Kirzinger, Chuck Williams, Brian Krause, Dean & Starr Jones and Robert Harris were incredibly friendly and wonderful guests. Thanks guys.
Prior to the show, we had a two page spread in the area newspaper, we were mentioned on the radio, ten thousand postcard flyers were circulated, we were on countless forums, websites, and My Space bulletins, we were listed on http://www.comicbookconventions.com/, and in Comic Buyers Guide, and our website had nearly 6,000 views during the week leading up to the con.
While our attendance definately grew over last year, we were expecting a larger turnout. We were a bit baffled at first but I do believe we discovered the biggest problem. On my drive home, I passed 3 gas stations that were completely out of gas. After doing more research, it appears that the Concord/Charlotte area experienced a worse weekend with the sporadic gas shortages that have been plaguing the area over the last several weeks.
For this reason, the MonsterCon proudly supports the Energy Independence Plan at http://www.pickensplan.com/. When Americans feel restricted to travel due to our dependence on oil, something needs to be done soon to remedy the situation.
As for next year, we are hopeful that with a new president and fresh sense of optimism, the economy will be in a healthier state and things will only get better from here. "

Thank You on behalf of Ray Franks, Shane Peoples and I