Here are the reasons I don't want it to be during a con. Cons have plenty going on without us. If it were a regular Scifi Expo, then it would be over by 5 pm. Still plenty of time for having a party. My first party, I arranged it to be after a Scifi Expo. Guess how many showed up? Four. There were two dozen at my house the time it wasn't after a con. There were that many at eaviii's last year and it was not during a con.
All-Con is not Scifi Expo and goes until 2:00 am with quite a diversity of functions with many of the best functions late at night. That means that there will be none of what I like about prop parties. That is, there insular nature: just a group of us hobbyists talking and getting to know each other. Add a con and that experience is diluted. Also, it adds to the difficulties. There will be non-hobbyists there without our regard for the rarity and cost of our props. I imagine we might be able to get a closed room, of course that is just speculation. I don't know the organizers, just that they seem to be permissable to most requests. Many of the rooms the previous years were closed when events weren't held.
Many prop party attendees have to leave early because of kids or long drives home and often leave after 6:00pm. That leaves us core guys who like to drink and party and have accomodations for the evening. Well, at All-Con, unless one of us has a room, then we'll be forced to drink at the hotel bar which is expensive and a reduced selection.
Add to that, that All-Con is now twice as far away from my house (close to an hour), and it makes it more difficult to do the house thing then All-Con or All-Con then the house thing.
If it has to be centered around All-Con, then here is how I'd like to see it. Go to All-Con Friday or Sunday or both. Don't attend it at all Saturday. Maybe go to the free Fan Day of Scifi expo for an hour or two Saturday morning, I hear Ernie Hudson and Morena Bacarin were just added. Usually an hour is enough on free fan days. Have the party start around 2:00 or 3:00 Saturday at my house. Anyone that wants can leave my house in time for Saturday night's events at All-Con. The rest of us party all night.
Again, I'd prefer it were another weekend. I'd just like to see as many be able to attend as possible. All-Con has always been pretty small. I believe alcohol is largely the reason I have such a good time at them. Of course, the guests play a part in that. When they party and spend time at the hotel bar, its a lot more fun than when they don't. Many of the guests have been that way, but you can't count on it. Last year, Jay (Captain Typho) was a large part of the hilarity of the event. While most of the con goers were at the shadowcast of Moulin Rouge, Jay (last name spelling?) entertained us by telling raunchy jokes and playing humourous ditties on his acoustic guitar. He even got some women to go topless. Also, the hotel room after parties are kind of fun though many people are trashed by that point usually.
The prop party sounds FUN..
