The Celebration V Speculation Thread

[Jesse James]

As cities go, Baltimore is a cesspool, but outside it are many historical places...  It's not high on my list of travel destinations, but I've been there a lot so that's probably why...  Still, it's not a cool city by any means either.  The only reason to go would be the con...

Still, that's why you go...  That's why I'm not a fan of Orlando and I doubt LFL is either.  They don't want you looking for other crap to do, they want you spending time (and moolah) at the con...  Flights are cheap enough, but I've been to Orlando too and really I hate Florida in general for any reason other than to see the beach...  And even then there's a plethora of places on the East Coast I'd rather go to do that.  Florida is truly the U.S.'s limp penis and taint (Sorry Rob).

I'm still all about Chicago...  I'm all about the Northern area though, as downtown's just too congested and people there have said hotels are more expensive and fewer in number.  The North is easily accessible to downtown, so it balances it all out.  I've been to Chicago and enjoyed it and think it'd be probably the best area.  Never been to Minnesota that I recall so I'd not mind checking that out, though the drive may be out of my range.  Chicago's kinda the fringe for me so Minne may just not cut it.

[BrentS]

I live in Chicagoland now.  So that would be sweet.  My parents and brothers live in Indianapolis so that makes for easy transportation.  I could live with Minneapollis as its driving distance.  I'd probably pass on Orlando and Baltimore.

[DSJ™]

Posted over at RS in the C5 Will It Happen?? thread:

I read this in our OSWCC Forum from a memeber who attended Dragon Con last week -

 "I was at Dragon*Con over the weekend and Steve Sansweet was there. To clear up some rumors:

- No C5 until 2010
-There are NO "finalist" cities at this point.
-It looks like C5 will be somewhere from the midwest to the east coast
-They are looking at Chicago, Indy, Baltimore as well as others. Again, there are no finalist cities
-No dates have been set
-No company has been picked to run the con"

[evenflow]

I know i say this over and over again but i still don't understand why they seem to not even consider NYC.

[Jesse James]

I'm guessing it's the congestion...  I could be wrong.  NYC's also not got a really great suburban con center that I'm aware of, like Chicago has north of it near the airport.  I dunno...  NYC would be ok by me, train trips there are cheap actually, but those would be my guesses.

I wish it'd go to Pittsburgh but our hotel space could be an issue...  The con center's pretty big though actually, and the city's gorgeous with lots to do.  Public Transit though, could be an issue.  By 2010 though, the T-extension would be done, and would get most people to their hotels easily so that's really no excuse at that point.

[Morgbug]

Minneapolis is the ideal location for an event of this size.  Really.

[Jesse James]

Besides Chicago, yes.   But I'd probably try to make Minneapolis too so either way fine, but I'm more a Chicago fan.

[Nicklab]

Rosemont, just outside of Chicago and near O'Hare, is where Wizard World Chicago has been based for some time.  It's an okay con location.  I definitely think the Chicago area has more to offer people than Indy.  I also hear there's a bigger convention center that's closer to downtown.  But that has the potential to drive up the hotel expenses.

I was also thinking that Orlando might be good.  Florida's a plane trip for me, but I think there's so much else there that it would make it somewhat worthwhile as an actual vacation.  There's multiple theme parks.  Lucasfilm has a relationship with Disney/MGM.  And there are TONS of hotels to choose from.

I went to Baltimore for the Baltimore Comic Con last year.  The inner harbor is okay, but Baltimore as a whole isn't.  I hope it's been scratched from the list.

[Jesse James]

I also hear there's a bigger convention center that's closer to downtown.  But that has the potential to drive up the hotel expenses.

Yeah it's right in the middle, but I think the same problems would exist with the hotel prices and I've heard the hotels aren't quite as numerous (at least in terms of proximity to the center) for the downtown place as they are near O'Hare...  I forget what JACKOFTRADZE or CorranHorn have mentioned on that issue but I know CH is rooting for the North place since he's out that way or something, and he's had glowing stuff to say about it.

I'm not a big Florida fan myself...  Besides flying making it a trip I'd be less inclined to make, I would think Lucasfilm would probably not want people looking for other distractions at the parks and stuff.  At least I got that impression.

Agreed on Baltimore too...  It's a close drive for both of us but Baltimore is a real cesspool of a city unfortunately.  I've had family down there for ages, and anything beyond the bay just bites the big one.

Pittsburgh's problem is kind of like the downtown Chicago one in that hotel proximity is an issue, but at least they've got lots of transportation options like hailing cabs, the elevated train/subway thing.

[I Am Sith]

Being from the Chicago area as well, I can chime in that the Rosemont area is very easy to get to and it's right next to O'Hare airport.  However, there is nothing to do outside of the convention center or the hotels people would be staying at.  If they were to do it in downtown Chicago at McCormick Place, then you have to contend with all the traffic/construction/congestion of the city, but there is an unlimited number of things that people could do at night being right downtown.

I'm hoping that they pick somewhere in the Midwest (Chicago, Minneapolis, Indy) just because I'd be able to make it this time.  If it's outside the Midwest, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to attend...

[CorranHorn]

Everyone of course suggested that they have CV at the same location as WW Chicago - the Rosemont Convention Center as suggested by BrentS. The venue is certainly large enough to handle hosting CV and there are many hotels nearby - several are "connected" to the con center - and of course O'Hare Airport is just a couple miles away. Also there's a mass transit train station in walking distance which would help people out who want to visit Downtown Chicago or other tourist locations. Being in the midwest I would think works out perfectly for the majority, unlike LA last year. So yeah my vote's for Rosemont, because it fits just nicely for their needs, plus it's like 10 miles from my house. 

From my post on July 1 - the Rosemont Convention Center is the ideal choice in Chicagoland to have CV as stated above. While Rosemont isn't hopping with late night activity, was downtown Indy any different? Access to downtown Chicago is easy by the train station 2 blocks from the con center and all the hotels will be immensely cheaper than the ones near McCormick Place. So let's hear for Chicago and the Rosemont Convention Center for CV! 

[Nicklab]

There was some recent news that an announcement about a potential Star Wars Celebration should be forthcoming later this year.  My money's on an announcement at Comic Con.

[Jeff]

Sansweet is going to Chicago Comic-Con

Think the reason they didn't announce the date/place during SDCC was because they wanted to wait 2 weeks and announce the date/place in the actual place C5 will be?  Makes you wonder, don't it!     

[CorranHorn]

Sansweet is going to Chicago Comic-Con

Think the reason they didn't announce the date/place during SDCC was because they wanted to wait 2 weeks and announce the date/place in the actual place C5 will be?  Makes you wonder, don't it!     

He was at Wizard World Chicago last year too running the SW event here and he heard a TON of requests from everyone in attendance to have CV here in Chicago in the same building. I hope you're theory is correct Jeff, that would be AWESOME! 

[Nicklab]

Sansweet has done Wizard World Chicago a number of times.  I don't think his visit is indicative of anything other than maintaining a Star Wars presence at the con.