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Convention Report for Toronto
Trek
written
by Amanda (Elemental)
Toronto
Trek 2006 was a brilliant con. Celebrating it's 20th
anniversary in style at the Doubletree International, one
of my favourite con hotels, the con boasted a great
collection of Sci-fi and fantasy guests, panels, a
dealer's room and artist showroom, masquerade, charity
auction, costumers, video rooms and a great Saturday night
dance.
The
only issue I had with the con was the space limitations of
the hotel: sadly, all the programming rooms available
inside the Doubletree are pretty spaced out, so it's easy
to get confused as to where things are. Thankfully, Trek
makes sure there are numerous signs, maps, and staff
available to help point you in the right direction.
The
dealer's room was small, and carried mostly fandom
merchandise (action figures, books, t-shirts, patches,
mugs) as well as costume accessories (Star Trek uniforms,
lightsabers, swords, wigs). I was hoping to snag some DVDs
on a bargain, but they were actually overpriced in
comparison with only one table offering a small selection
(this probably stems from the fact that most sci-fi series
are available in mainstream stores such as HMV).
The
high points of the con were many- A fantastic guest list
including Michael Shanks (Stargate), Garret Wang (Star
Trek Voyager), Amber Benson (Buffy), and George Takei
(Star Trek) made for some outrageously funny Q&A
sessions, as well as guest photos and autographs. One of
the most amusing moments was realizing the Opening
Ceremonies were hosted by none other than Ed the Sock and
Liana K, two Canadian 'pop culture heroes.' (Yes, Ed the
Sock really is a sock!).
I
participated in the masquerade and found it very well run.
Twenty-five entries long, the event ran smoothly and the
staff was fantastic. The stage ninjas were a little
overzealous, but since they are there for our safety I can
forgive that. ^_^ After the masquerade came the dance,
which is always excellently run. The DJ played a great
selection of kitsch, catchy, new and old, and thanks to
the "Dance Like No One Is Watching" panel, there
was an interlude of dancing Oompa Loopas right before the
Masquerade awards were announced.
Trek
has some of the best panels I've ever come across, and
it's a very fandom-based convention. Panel titles include
"All Hail His Noodly Appendages!" (dedicated to the Flying Spaghetti Monster who started the
universe), "But Lucas, what do
we do now?" (questioning what can come next for
Star Wars), "A Career in
Lasers, Phasers & Lightsabers" (discussing 'photonics
in the modern world') "Costuming on a Shoestring", "Dance
Like Nobody's Watching"
(Coordination is optional, but enthusiasm is a
must!) "Ethics, Morality and Human Behaviour", "Fanfic Etiquette", "Quidditch
101", "Trekkies vs.
Trekkers" (The ultimate death match
between proper nouns) "What
Not to Do at the Masquerade"
(Rule # 89: Do not use the stage ninjas as a target
for your pyrotechnics. They do not like being set on fire),
and many more.
Toronto
Trek is a great, long-running con with a very welcoming
atmosphere. Costumes are always welcome, no matter the
source, and the fans are incredibly friendly and helpful.
While the anime content is small, if you have an interest
in Buffy, Stargate, Battlestar, Star Trek, Star Wars,
Andromeda, Babylon 5, Lost,
Dr Who, Harry Potter, Firefly, or any other series I
haven't mentioned, I highly recommend you check it out!
http://www.tcon.ca/
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