PAX East

[BrainWalker]

So, this is a thing I'm pretty sure I'm going to attend. I haven't actually done any research yet on how I'm going to make that happen, but I do still have 11 months.

Their website apparently went up recently, and they're already taking reservations, so I figure this might be a good time to start talking about it. Figure out who else might be interested in attending. Shit like this is always better with friends.

[PriamNevhausten]

Hell, I'm interested. We'll see how it looks in a month, as to whether that will actually be feasible, but I am hopeful.

[Ganonfro]

I'm down with this, as it's in Boston, and I currently live in RI. Hell, if anyone is at Anime Boston, I'm part of the security staff. Shoot me a line if you're showing up.

[pd Rydia]

'Bout time! I will talk to Mike about this, cuz this sounds great to me!

[ChristianC]

I'm probably going, if this means I'll be meeting my favorite Amerikaner(s)!

[Spleen]

I'd love to get to this, but I dunno. It's an 8-hour drive. Dia and Mike, how are you guys getting there?

[pd Rydia]

Oh, right, this thing!

Well, it looks like the cheapest way to get there--short of (and perhaps inclusive of) driving--is to get a round-trip plane ticket ($220 for both of us, versus Amtrak's $340 combined price for a departing+returning train). It's $169 a night for a hotel that's on site (or more for a hotel that's within walking distance, or less for a hotel that's 2 miles away). That's a total of $727 for transportation and three nights, provided they don't sell out/book up in the interim of discussing and buying tickets/rooms. Plus whatever it'll cost for a taxi to get us to the hotel (I think it's about a 5 mile ride, so maybe $10 or so, unless the rates are particularly outlandish), expensive con food, etc.

[pd Rydia]

We're flying in late on the 25th and leaving late on the 28th. We're staying at the Sheraton Boston Hotel (39 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02199), which is apparently 0.0 miles from the event.

The Sheraton is damned expensive, but for a double, it's the second cheapest available that the site refers you to ($169 a night; a triple is $199 a night, and I forget what the four occupancy is)). The next cheapest is 2 miles away. Without needing to rely on public transit or Mike/someone else to drive, we'll be able to attend late panels and events.

[BrainWalker]

Wow, way to be on the ball.

[pd Rydia]

Even if no one else comes (and you will be, right?) PAX will be sweet to attend. That's completely unlike most anime cons, which I could take or leave, really. And, of course, buying now means paying less.

If you want to put a list of "confirmed attendees" up in the original post, maybe the confirmed attendence of Mike and me will encourage others to get their stuff going, too. :]

[ChristianC]

I am going.

I have not purchased tickets yet, which I will do as soon as I have the money and financial stability to... so probably within a month or two.

[BrainWalker]

I definitely really want to go, but I definitely really don't want to go by myself, which is why I need to engage the local crew about potential financial planning for this thing.

[Spleen]

I'm engaging my locals, as well.

We would be interested in organizing a situation in which we shove people into a room like sardines, much as my roommate's friends and I did at Otakon. This will cheapen the room price enough to make my poor college student friends want to go!

[ChristianC]

Ladies and Gentlemen! Lend me your ears!

I will MOST LIKELY be attending PAX, but to make sure that things won't get messed up, I'd like to ask if any of you guys could do me a favor. The PAX 3 Day pass is available, but it's going to cost extra for me to have it sent here to Sweden. I therefore propose a deal of sort. Someone will buy it, I will send you the money over PayPal or some such, and once I arrive at the US of A I will retrieve my much desired booty.

What say ye?

[BrainWalker]

Makes sense. I've got PayPal, and I know Shini does too, and I'm pretty sure he wanted to go.

Glad this got stickied, actually. I just started an email discussion with the local crew (RPGWW and non-RPGWW alike) about it. It's gettin' closer every day.

[ChristianC]

Awesome-sauce!

If we get the tickets pre-31st December, they're just 45$. Catch me on AIM or send me a PM if you or anyone else gets them and I'll send you the money, alternatively I'll send them before.

[PriamNevhausten]

I'm still on the fence about this. I'm not a conventiony guy, even though this stuff looks, judging from all the videos I've seen, to be the kind of thing I'd be down with. And it's in an unfamiliar location, which is historically bad for me. I kind of want to go, but I also kind of want to stay home instead. MY ASS HURTS FROM SITTING ON THIS FENCE.

[Idran1701]

That's why you cut the barbed wire off first.

[BrainWalker]

Local discussion on the topic of PAX has been slow for the past month, and that's largely my fault. The Sheraton is already booked, so I'm not sure exactly where we'll be looking to stay, or even how much will/financial capability there is around here to attend. Also not sure how willing the local crew is to do the sardine thing with Spleen and Darkknight, but I have presented it as an option. Personally, I'm not excited about cramming 10 people into a room designed for 4, so even if other people want to do that, I may get a room where I am guaranteed the ability to sleep through a night. Preferably on a bed.

[pd Rydia]

Good to hear we won't be alone. :]

Got this in an email 3 days ago:

You asked us to let you know when BYOC registration opens, so here we are doing just that. All the details are on our forums -- if this is something you're interested in, it would be wise to sign up quickly (byoc always sells out far faster than we'd like!).

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at pax_pc@penny-arcade.com, and we'll see you at the show!

[BrainWalker]

So, the bad news is, PAX sold out before the Ohio crew could get its shit together.

The good news is... ummm... we've learned a valuable lesson for next year?

I dunno, I honestly feel kinda crappy about this.

[ChristianC]

You should. No Swedish love for you then.

[pd Rydia]

Wow, that really sucks. I'm going to miss you guys. :[

[BrainWalker]

Yeah, I was really looking forward to seeing you guys again, and Christian for the first time. I think next year I'm going go go ahead and register and book a hotel room as soon as possible, and work on the details with the local crew later instead of waiting for a consensus to do anything.

[pd Rydia]

I come out to visit my family in KY/IN every so often. Maybe next time I can arrange to fly into Dayton and stay with someone up there for a couple days, before shuffling my way down to the 'rents in Jeffersonville. My break between spring and fall semesters will likely allow for some of that.

[BrainWalker]

That would be pretty sweet.

[Spleen]

Who does that leave from the forum still attending the con? Me, Darkknight, Christian, Dia, and Koss? Dammit. I live with Darkknight and see Dia and Koss (mostly Koss) pretty much every other weekend. All I have to look forward to is meeting Christian. And Christian is lame. >:-(

Oh, and attending the rest of the con, which should be sweet.

If someone from the Ohio group winds up with a ticket through some sorcery, at the moment (to my knowledge) our room only has four people, so we would eagerly welcome the opportunity to split the cost another way.

[ChristianC]

:[ I am not lame

[ChristianC]

Just a week left until I'm off to the states, have you guys taken a gander at the schedule? Personally I've only glanced at it, but having close to no con-experience, I'm relying on you guys to get me around!

[pd Rydia]

Mike's looked at it, I haven't. We're leaving in a bit to go to the airport. WHEE!