HasCon (PonyFair 2017) info

[drusilla]

woohoooo awesome to hear something 

looking forward to seeing whats next

[cookhuman]

Wow, this is really great news!  Thank you so much for advocating for the community, Summer.  This has the potential to be a real bonus for vendors...we pay a price more in line with what we have in the past, but get the exposure of a much larger con.  I don't think I'll be able to go with details coming in a little too late to submit for vacation and such, but since we have a better idea of what to expect for next year, I'd definitely want to attend/vend in the future.  So happy for this update!

[wizzer218]

this is surprising
and WONDERFUL 
 
thank you Summer!


re: presentations
Here are options from me (note: I'd prefer to do only 1)
I can update my G1 Petite Ponies presentation that I gave a few years ago
I can update my Customizing 101 presentation that I gave a few years ago
I *might* have time to create a new Nirvana presentation....but I won't know till later this month

If you need help....I can help with Nirvana presentation

[Wardah]

To get a discount I need to have attended a previous fair?
Does the fair database get purged? My last fair was in 2011 (and I still have the receipt & photos to prove it!)

No worries, we'll cross that bridge when/if it comes to that. I have databases that go back to 2011. Before that, I do not, but the events were so small then that it isn't hard to verify who was there.

What if we paid at the door? The last fair I attended was 2011 since I live in RI but I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it until last minute so I only got the door ticket.

[lginoh3]

Thank you Summer!
Will there be a room block reserved anywhere for pony fair people specifically?  Does anyone know which hotel(s) offer the HasCon discounted rate?
Will the pony fair portion run Friday through Sunday?

[Foxtale]

*happy dance!!!

Yayay so happy to hear. I hope the con doesn't "sell out" before we are able to get special pricing. I'm so excited!!!!! 

"There are limited hotel rooms in Providence. To help ensure that our attendees have the best opportunity to reserve a room, we will send you the link to the reservation system with your ticket purchase confirmation. Please note that this does not guarantee you a hotel room, but it does give you access to our special discounted rates while supplies last."

So question... if we book a discounted "pony fair price ticket" will we have access to this special discounted rate? Is there another way to access this?

[drusilla]

foxtale where did you see that written?   



Post Merge: June 06, 2017, 11:41:13 AM

also this is kind of difficult as my attending the fair / hascon is partially based on the cost of the hotel.... i dont want to have to purchase event tickets only to find out the room even with the discount is to expensive?  would the event tickets be refundable ?

[ashlyne]

foxtale where did you see that written?   



Post Merge: June 06, 2017, 11:41:13 AM

also this is kind of difficult as my attending the fair / hascon is partially based on the cost of the hotel.... i dont want to have to purchase event tickets only to find out the room even with the discount is to expensive?  would the event tickets be refundable ?

It's under the "Travel" tab on the HasCon site, scroll down to the bottom where it says WHERE TO STAY.  That was my concern too.  I will have a cheap rental car, so I'm currently booked at an airport hotel but I'd much rather stay at the convention hotel if the cost is reasonable.  They may get booked up before HasCon works out this special ticketing pricing, though, unless there's a specific room block for Fair goers that they're working on?       

I booked another reservation at the Hilton Providence.   I don't know if that's even the hotel with the special discount, but it's right next to the convention.  If all the hotels sell out, maybe they will be able to apply the room rate to my room after the ticket thing is sorted.  It's a shot in the dark, but if it doesn't work out, I can always cancel.   Rates were around $220/night with something like $25/night parking, so if we're unable to get a room block for a lot less than that, I'll just stay at the airport hotel.   

Event tickets are probably non-refundable.  That's been the case with Fair tickets, and it's HasCon's policy too.  Tickets and booth, are the only things I haven't booked yet, because of that reason. 

[drusilla]

yeah this year is really looking bad for me,, its just bad news after more bad news.

i phoned over 20 hotels since feb to get "good" rates was for dbl bed, queen beds, kinds beds, fold out beds, rooms and suites.  the prices are just really bad.   i am now holding 3 different hotels from 615, to 832 to 1500 for 4 nights.  problem is 2 of those are in warwick and will require me taking taxis to and from  the event so the cost will be even more for transportation. 

greyhound bus tickets have gone up by a few hundred dollars making it so expensive to take a bus when my plan tickets for past fairs were not that price. 

factor in the fact that NOTHING is bought and paid for yet is the biggest problem,  to have to pay for all tickets, transportation and hotel relatively close to each other i think it going to be impossible. 

i might be sitting this year out 

[octocorn]

I'm waiting on an airbnb to approve my request for a reservation, but those rates were crazy reasonable!

[Foxtale]

I just booked the Hilton Providence as well. It's a bit on the pricey side but it's the closest, nicest hotel. I may cancel if I find a better rate because ill have to drive anyway. ;p

Does anyone know if the Hilton Providence is a doable walking distance to the convention center... with stuff to sell?

[ashlyne]

I just booked the Hilton Providence as well. It's a bit on the pricey side but it's the closest, nicest hotel. I may cancel if I find a better rate because ill have to drive anyway. ;p

Does anyone know if the Hilton Providence is a doable walking distance to the convention center... with stuff to sell?

I think it's the closest hotel to the Dunkin Donuts part, just a little one-way street that separates the back side of the hotel and the south end of the DD Center. Note that the front of the Hilton doesn't face the DD Center.  From Google Maps street view, there looks to be an exit out the back of the hotel, cross the street, to a side entrance of the DD Center.  Whether or not the MLP Fair is in DD or whether it's in the RI Convention Center part, we don't know yet (DD and RI Con Center are connected).  And it may be that only the front entrance of these places are open, but to me, the Hilton is about as close as you get.  Hasbro is across the street from DD front entrance.

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The Omni is on the north side by the RI Convention Center, and I *think* it's connected to it via skybridge.  So there's a good chance that the Omni is the discounted hotel for HasCon.... or one of them, we don't know  where they've got room blocks.  It's super expensive at their advertised rate though!

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By the way AirBnB, VRBO, and HomeAway are great alternatives, especially if you can get a small group of people to go in together.   I did that recently for a ponymeet, and it was cheap split between all of us, and a whole lot of fun too.  The downside is that you need to be careful about cancellation policies, and some downtown places don't have free parking available.   

[octocorn]

My airbnb reservation just got approved, and the lady seems super nice! I'm only paying around $400 and it's a one bedroom apartment. There were some others on there that were inexpensive as well!

[MoonStars]

For those who are staying out of town, not at a connected hotel, will there be a decently convenient access door for vendors to use to haul in all their stuff? I assume there is a parking garage at the convention center (for a cost of course)?

And oh by the way, awesome maps, ashlyne!

[Foxtale]

I tried to get more information regarding the group rates for the convention and the representative told me that the blocks are actually at two hotels that are farther away, Hotel Providence and the Hilton Garden Inn. Once you register for the convention you have access to the group rates for these rooms. Since details are still being worked out, the group rates for exhibitors have not been released yet. This mean there is a chance everything will change but I just wanted to give an FYI based on the information I have now. 

Accordingly you also can't book and then have then later have the room rate applied. You have to book direct using the information received after registration.

Love the map ashlyne... stupid question.. did the Hasbro headquarters move since the last Fair that was there?