Guest Chat

[Richard]

As the guest-list announcement thread is a locked one here's a thread for general guest chat

[Highlander II]

ALL the guests! GIMME! XD

[schulzmk]

Looking forward to seeing everyone again.  New addition:  Erick...Yea!

[schulzmk]

Welcome back Alexis.  I look forward to seeing you again.

[2gamin]

I'm not even really a fan of Dark Matter but I love the idea of bringing some of the people on board from that show!
Especailly Stargate alum Rodger Cross and Jodelle Ferland!

The more the merrier (unless there is some sort of cap on how many actors GateCon is willing/able to have?).
But I say, let's have a REAL party! Why not make it bigger, maybe even have more than one panel happening simultaneously?

I would really LOVE LOVE LOVE it if Brad Wright and some his people from 'TRAVELERS' were invited. I want to see some of the amazing people who are a part of that show... especially Eric McCormick.

Also, it would be amazing to see a writer's panel that includes notable alum like Marin Gero.
PLEASE DON'T insult us by dedicating a panel (or any time) to the writers of the 'books' which most fans reject as canon.
They are an insult to the spirit of the show and we are all SO SICK of hearing about them.

As far as Stargate actors go, there are a few who always seemed to be in attendance (at the Creation events) so I'm less worried about whether they will show.

But there are others that would be a REAL treat have:

DAVID HEWLETT!!!!
CLAUDIA BLACK!!!!
BEN BROWDER!!
ROBERT PICARDO!!
MORENA BACCARIN!!
(and of course) JASON MAMOA!!!!! - if he's not too big a star by then.

-I'm betting Joe Flannigan will be there, so I hope I don't have to worry about that.
-And Michael Shanks will surely show with his usual snarky attitude.
-Amanda always says she'll be there but rarely shows.
-Christopher Judge's panels are the BOMB! I hope he's there.
-Since RDA is throwing the party I'm assuming he'll be in attendance.

Whether or not they''ll admit it to YOU GUYS, most of us didn't care for SGU.
-No fault to the actors who worked on the show -they are sweethearts.
David Blue and Peter Kelamis are probably the two who are best in person.
But PLEASE DO NOT FILL OUT THE ROSTER WITH A BUNCH OF SGU people. (They couldn't even sell out Aliana Huffman's meet & greet at the last Creation Con)
Instead, bring in more of the quality actors who worked on the classic shows we loved!!! (SG1 & SGA)

There is the roster of actors who seem to show at every event. Let's have some new blood please? I've seen Sussane Braun, Gary Jones, and the various 'system lords' like Baal present so many times... they are given way more stage time time than they need. I'm not saying they shouldn't be there. But give more time to other people.

I have to give a HUGE shout out the Rainbow Sun Francks. He is such an amazing entertainer!!!
In addition to a panel, you should have Rainbow doing some Emcee work or an additional group panel -instead of the same tired people.
Rainbow is SO much more entertaining. Why does it always have to be Alex Zahara, Dan Shea, and Gary Jones, etc? I know they have won over a lot of people over the years and get an E for effort, but please lets have something new.

As much as everyone loved to hate Amanda Tapping's boyfriend Pete...
In person, David Deluise is a consummate performer and a hilarious guy.
I bet he and Rainbow would be a crazy/fun duo to have doing some extra stuff!!

-Everyone loves Paul McGillion & Jewel Staite... David Nikl is fun too.
-Chuck Campbell is less of 'star' but he is such a great addition because of his winning personality. He's great fun.

What about Willie Garson?!??! The amazing actor who played Matin Llyod the 'alien' in some of SG1's most iconic episodes? Yes, please!!!

Personally, I adore Peter Williams. What Con would be complete without the 1st original baddie Apophis? He has to be there!

(Okay just saw Rainbow is already signed on -yea!!)


***So, personally, I missed out on the early years of the official GateCon -back when the actual stars of the show attended, and people even got to walk through sets used for filming (so jealous).

By the time I was looking to attend GateCon, the major line-up had dwindled down to "Baal! And the guy from the gate room!" so I didn't bother.
When Creation took over, it was nice that they at least got some of the bigger stars. I was very sad that they chose to close that chapter but heartened by the news that RDA was reviving GateCon.

I assumed that 2016's lack of big name attendees (at GateCon) was due to the fact that the Creation's event (date-wise) was taking place so close to the GateCon revival...

I really hope GateCon will return to its old glory and provide the many Stargate fans around the world with a place to revel in our favorite show. Especially since DragonCon has now eliminated the 'Stargate track' from their roster

Where else can we hope to celebrate the greatest space opera ever made?
All things considered, the writing, acting, and special effects on SG1 and SGA were superior to StarTrek.
With no other contenders for the fan base, I have my fingers crossed that GateCon will begin a new legacy in Vancouver that will be comparable (at least a little bit) to Trek's annual Las Vegas event.

[Highlander II]

Putting on my fan hat for a moment here...

What are you talking about? (your post is v long and reads like an agenda.)

Gatecon 2008 was essentially RDA's first foray back into conventions since the 80's. This is not a 'small' deal. He was also at the 2016 Gatecon - is he not 'big name' enough for you? Was Gatecon supposed to get Kurt Russell and James Spader? (If so, there wouldn't have been any other guests b/c those two would've taken all of the money.)

RDA isn't 'throwing' the party. Gatecon is run by fans. If RDA is asked and he accepts, then he'll attend, but there isn't a guarantee on any of the guests until the convention actually begins and they show up.

The reason Gatecon tends to attract the 'same old guests' over and over is because those folks live in Vancouver. They're already in town, so it's much easier for them to swing by the convention, even if they can't commit to the full weekend. Alex Zahara has done this - he was working one year, but he stopped by anyway just to say 'hi'.  A lot of the 'regular' guests love coming to Gatecon to talk with fans they've seen before and meet new ones. Sure, these five or six guests have been every year, but not every fan can attend every year, so there are always new fans in attendance who haven't seen/met/gotten a photo with certain guests who would like to. If Gatecon doesn't invite those guests, those fans might not get that opportunity.

You don't speak for all fans. Whether or not you liked SGU or the tie-in novels, there are fans who did. Skipping those guests is doing a disservice to the people who worked on those properties, and also to the fans who did enjoy them who may want to meet some of these folks. There's no reason to skip them, since many of them did other things that people might have also enjoyed.

Bottom line - Gatecon isn't Creation. Creation paid for the 'official' Stargate convention lic (and it ain't cheap), so Creation gets 'first dibs' on pretty much everything. This is also why Gatecon didn't have some of the principal actors - Tapping, Shanks, etc - during some years, b/c they *couldn't*. Creation has rules about when those lic'd under a property can attend conventions that aren't Creation events, which makes it difficult for other cons, especially smaller, fan-run ones, to invite those guests. Creation Entertainment is a business. Running conventions and other events is the ONLY thing they do. Gatecon is a business, but it's a side-gig for the folks who put it together. It's not their only job, so it's smaller.

With that said: Is there a limit to the number of guests? Technically 'no', aside from how much money is available. However, also, technically 'yes', because Gatecon had 52 guests last year and it was too many. It was great, but it was also a burden. Trying to coordinate that many high-profile people at the same time is a logistical pain in the mikta. (Full disclosure, I'm also a Gatecon volunteer and worked the 2016 con.) While it's awesome to have a huge line-up of guests, it also makes the convention more difficult to coordinate and run, which means far more things have to overlap and the volunteer need starts to multiply. So, a smaller guest list is actually better for the convention overall.

To your suggestion about running multiple panels at the same time: No. As a fan, at Gatecon, I wouldn't want that. I like that the panels are one-at-a-time. I also like it better when panels don't overlap other things like photograph or autograph sessions. Single panels means that, as a fan, you don't have to decide which panel you have to skip when two of your faves are up at the same time on different panels. That's a horrible decision to have to make and I'm glad Gatecon doesn't make the fans do that.

TL;DR: Gatecon is a smaller, fan-run convention that has no intention of matching 'the big guys' and the fans of the con itself like it that way. New guests are always welcome and encouraged, but the Gatecon family also likes to see old friends as well. XD

[Atlantia]

Well said.

I also love the Gatecon events, and whoever attends as a guest or fan.

I just wanted to add that any guest who accepts the invitation to attend, does so with the intention of attending. That said, if they then obtain work, then that takes precedence. They work in an industry that has highs and lows. They can't afford to turn down work!

I look forward to seeing everyone in 2018. 

[starfreak10]

My Dad said I would get to go back to gatecon if David Hewlett and Paul McGillion would show up...but I think there are a few other guest he is hoping for that he is not telling me

I would love to go back again. so hoping he says yes

we go to con's as a family thing so I need everyone to say yes

[jchu100]

Paul McGillion is at the Star Trek Convention and when I asked him whether he was coming to Gatcon next year, he said he knew it was occurring but he was not invited. He sounded like he would be very interested in attending!  I believe he also said that he lives in Vavcouver so he would be right there.

[schulzmk]

Looking forward to seeing Teryl and Michael again.  I have photo ops with both of them from (the other) Stargate Convention in Arlington, VA way back in Feb '05.  Maybe I can talk them into signing the photos.  Also present was Alexis Cruz.  It will be nice to see him again too.  And the illustrious Don Davis.  I so miss him.  This will be the first time meeting Lexa.  I'm enjoying her in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series on Hallmark.  Thank you Richard and Fryn for gathering so many of favorites together.

[jchu100]

This is a reply to Highlander II post of 21 July:
I attended Gatecon for the first time last year and had a blast! After attending the Creation Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas last week, I can honestly say that Gatecon was much more organized, better run, and definitely a better overall fan experience!  I definitely preferred it over the big Creation event. Although I enjoyed the Star Trek Convention, it was run more like a business and seemed so much more impersonal and unorganized.

Of course there will always be small hiccups and glitches whenever planning/organizing an event of this magnitude. You will also always have guests cancel at the very last minute due to one reason or another - this even happened at the Star Trek Convention. They were celebrating TNG's 30th anniversary and Jonathan Frakes cancelled the day after the convention started due to unforseen circumstance.
Finally, there will always be people complaining (some more chronic than others) about one thing or another - I learned a long time ago that people are always happiest when they have something to complain about.

I want to thank all of the hard working organizers for putting this together again this year. You are really appreciated!! I plan on volunteering again this year and encourage everyone else to volunteer - its the best way to do your part (in my humble opinion).

Finally, if you know who I am (which you probably don't) and you hear me complaining, feel free to kick me (very gently please). Thanks again for making this happen!

[Richard]

Thanks for the great comments - it's always good to know what we try to stage is overall on the right track. Like you say no event will go without hitches and our army of volunteers each year are a huge part of its success.

Oh but please don't volunteer for this year's event as there isn't one - do it for next year's one (September 2018)!!

[jchu100]

Oops. I knew that - I meant next year. Thanks.

[admaggies]

I see that Sabine Bauer is going to be there again. I love the books and wonder if any of the other Stargate authors will be coming - like Melissa Scott and Jo Graham, Geonn Cannon, Sally Malcolm?

[Richard]

I see that Sabine Bauer is going to be there again. I love the books and wonder if any of the other Stargate authors will be coming - like Melissa Scott and Jo Graham, Geonn Cannon, Sally Malcolm?

A general invite has been sent so fingers crossed