GottaCon 2010 – Victoria, BC Based Gaming Convention

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In this post we will update you on our convention as it evolves. We will post summaries of our announcements relevant to your community and answer questions you have. We hope you find this of benefit and we look forward to seeing you at GottaCon 2010.
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GottaCon 2010 is a Canadian gaming convention to be held in Victoria British Columbia on February 5, 6 and 7, 2010 with over 20,000 square feet of gaming space. The convention doors open at 5:00pm Friday and do not close until 7:00pm Sunday.

GottaCon is a broad spectrum gaming convention to be held annually that embraces the science fiction and fantasy genres, covers many related hobbies and offers a one stop experience for the fans and enthusiasts of those genres. The vision of GottaCon is to host something for everyone including tournaments in collectible/non-collectible miniatures, collectible trading cards, role-playing games, board games, and electronic games as well as special guests, demonstrations, contests, information sessions, workshops, a variety of vendors and sponsors. Our goal is to deliver a high quality and exciting environment that will establish GottaCon as an annual destination that participants will return to for years to come. February 5th, 6th and 7th of 2010 will be our second show and will continue to take place annually on the first weekend in February for the years to come.

GottaCon 2009 saw over 600 people – an amazing turnout considering it was its inception year. GottaCon intends to deliver another successful year and is projecting attendance levels to be between 750 and 1000.

Where will it be held?
GottaCon will take place at Pearkes Recreation Centre at 3100 Tillicum Rd. Victoria BC with approximately 20,000 square feet of floor space.

Who do I contact about getting my school/club/community involved?
Please contact Evan Hatch - ehatch@gottacon.com

Who do I contact about running events at GottaCon 2010?
Please contact Evan Hatch - ehatch@gottacon.com

Who do I contact about becoming a sponsor at GottaCon 2010?
Please contact Michael Lum - mlum@gottacon.com

Who do I contact about becoming a vendor at GottaCon 2010?
Please contact Michael Lum - mlum@gottacon.com or Evan Hatch - ehatch@gottacon.com

Who do I contact if I want to volunteer at GottaCon 2010?
Please contact Carson Upton - cupton@gottacon.com

Where can I see a list of events being run at this convention?
Please stay tuned to our website and message board for our events listing.

For more information on our convention please visit us at www.gottacon.com or send us an email. Also follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/Go....

GottaCon 2010 Ticket Prices and New Family Pass Announced

GottaCon is pleased to announce the weekend and daily ticket prices for GottaCon 2010 as well as our new family pass option which will be available for purchase this fall. Please find below the list of prices. Special package prices are still being developed and will be announced in the fall.

Here is the ticket pricing (all pricing in Canadian dollars):
• *Full weekend pass purchased before January 22, 2009: $30.00
• *Full weekend registration at the door: $40.00
• *Friday admission only: $15.00
• *Saturday admission only: $20.00
• *Sunday admission only: $15.00
• **Family Day Pass: $50
Maximum 4 People per Family, Maximum 2 Adults 18+
• **Family Weekend Pass: $100
Maximum 4 People per Family, Maximum 2 Adults 18+
• Children 8 and under get in free (must be accompanied by an adult, provide proof of age if asked, maximum two free child admissions per adult)

GottaCon 2010 Family Pass Details

We all know that you’d like to take your family out to GottaCon 2010, but sometimes it’s just not in the budget to do so. This year, we’re introducing the GottaCon Family Pass as a way to make it more affordable for families to explore all the exciting events at our convention!

The Family Day Pass**
A regular day pass costs up to $20 per person at the door; so a family of four could cost $80. With our family pass, we’re offering a way to save up to $30 off of that cost!

We are offering a one day family pass for $50. The pass covers the entry fee for up to four people (a maximum of two adults, 18 years of age and over, and up to 2 others 17 and under). This also works for one adult and three non-adults.

The Family Weekend Pass**
A regular full weekend pass costs $40 per person at the door; so a family of four would cost $160. With our family pass, we’re offering a way to save $60 off of that cost!

We are offering a full weekend family pass for $100. The pass covers the entry fee for up to four people (a maximum of 2 adults, 18 years of age and over, and up to two others 17 and under). This also works for one adult and three non-adults.

Remember that our family pass options are intended for families only. We hope that this option makes it easier on the budget for families to attend our convention. If you have questions, please contact Evan Hatch at ehatch@gottacon.com for more details.

*These prices include entry to GottaCon 2010 the "Event". Some designated activities require preregistration and/or payment of a separate, additional fee.
**Offer for families only, ID may be requested

GottaCon 2010 to Host Ticket to Ride Western Canada Qualifier

GottaCon is pleased to announce that it will host the Western Canadian Regional Qualifying Tournament for the North American Ticket to Ride Championships.

For more information check out our forums.

Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria Exclusive Hotel Sponsor of GottaCon 2010

GottaCon Conventions is pleased to announce that Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria (http://www.hojovictor...) is our official accommodations sponsor for GottaCon 2010. The Howard Johnson has provided our convention goers with special rates on their rooms as well as at their restaurant and pub. The GottaCon 2010 room rates are as follows:

Standard Room - $55/Night (plus taxes)
• Two Double Beds or One King/Queen
• TV
• Voice Mail
• Hairdryer
• Iron & Ironing Board
• In room complimentary coffee
• Work Desk
• High Speed Internet (Wi-Fi)
• Complimentary Newspaper
• Air Conditioning

Mini Suite with Kitchen - $65/Night (plus taxes)
• Two Double Beds or One King/Queen
• TV
• Voice Mail
• Hairdryer
• Iron & Ironing Board
• In room complimentary coffee
• Work Desk
• High Speed Internet (Wi-Fi)
• Complimentary Newspaper
• Air Conditioning
• Full Kitchen with Dining Area

Executive Suite - $85/Night (plus taxes)
• Separate Bedroom with TV
• Living Room with Two Double Beds or One King/Queen
• TV
• Voice Mail
• Hairdryer
• Iron & Ironing Board
• In room complimentary coffee
• Work Desk
• High Speed Internet (Wi-Fi)
• Complimentary Newspaper
• Air Conditioning
• Full Kitchen with Dining Area

In addition the hotel offers the following amenities:
• Heated Indoor Pool
• Restaurant
• Sports Lounge
• Fitness Room & Sauna
• Free Wireless Internet
• Complimentary Parking
• Free Lobby Internet Use
• Guest Laundry
• Mini-Fridges, Microwaves available

The Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria is located at 310 Gorge Road East along the Galloping Goose Trail and across from the Gorge Waterway, only minutes from the GottaCon 2010 convention, Victoria’s Inner Harbour, major attractions, shopping, dining and sports arena. Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria offers clean comfortable rooms with a modern décor.

The Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria is the winner of the Howard Johnson franchise 2006/07/08 GOLD AWARD for service & quality and community involvement. They take pride in their hotel, their services and provide excellent service to all their guests. To contact the Howard Johnson Victoria to book your room call 250-382-2151 or 1-800-952-2151. Remember to mention you are attending the GottaCon convention to benefit from our special room rates.

Once again, we are pleased to have Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria sponsoring our convention on the weekend of February 5th to 7th, 2010.

If you have questions regarding sponsorship or would like to sponsor GottaCon 2010 please contact Michael Lum at mlum@gottacon.com with the subject GottaCon 2010 – Sponsorship.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Go...

GottaCon 2010 Warhammer Lineup

GottaCon is pleased to announce that it will be hosting Warhammer 40K and Warhammer Fantasy tournaments at GottaCon 2010 on February 5 to 7, 2010. Come take part in what will surely be the largest Warhammer event ever to have been run on Vancouver Island. Please visit our forum for more information:
http://forums.gottaco...

Off Island Incentive Packages for GottaCon 2010

It is no secret that travel to and from Vancouver Island can be expensive and GottaCon Conventions recognizes that. In an effort to aid off island gamers in attending our convention GottaCon is offering the following incentives to those that must bare the expense of traveling to and from Vancouver Island to attend our convention on February 5th to 7th 2010.

1) *One complimentary Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria (310 Gorge Road East, 1-800-952-2151) hotel room for one night for anyone who brings a car load of five or more people from off island. Please note that rooms are booking up fast so reserve your room ASAP.
• Each participant in the car must purchase a full weekend pass to GottaCon 2010.
• Participants must all be from off island.
• Participants must provide proof of ferry travel for the car and five or more people.
• All five or more individuals must be present and show their full weekend badges to GottaCon 2010 staff.
• All participants must be over the age of eight (8)
• GottaCon Conventions will reimburse the participants the cost of one standard hotel room rate of $55.00 + taxes upon presentation of proof that the participants are staying at the Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria the weekend of our convention (February 5–7, 2010).
• If all Howard Johnson Hotel Victoria rooms are booked, GottaCon will reimburse the participants the value of $55.00 or less upon presentation of proof that the participants are staying at a hotel on the island.

2) *One free weekend pass to GottaCon 2010 with the purchase of three or more weekend passes to GottaCon 2010.
• Each participant must purchase a full weekend pass to GottaCon 2010.
• Participants must all be from off island
• Participants must provide proof of ferry travel for 4 or more people
• All four or more participants must be present and show their full weekend badges to GottaCon 2010 at the time of redemption.

Not to forget about the intrepid gamers from far up island (Nanaimo or further north) GottaCon Conventions would like to help you out as well. Contact us via email at ehatch@gottacon.com if you put together a group of five or more people to come to our convention.

*Only one package available per proof of travel. Only one offer available to each person/group. Proof of ferry, helijet, airline, float plane or Pacific Coach Lines travel required. Participants may be asked to produce proof of residence off island. All travel to Vancouver Island must have occurred within seven days of the opening of GottaCon 2010 to be eligible for this promotion. All dollar values are in Canadian dollars. GottaCon Conventions reserves the right to refuse any request.

Magic: The Gathering Tournament Line-up for GottaCon 2010

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Mike MacPhee and his team of certified DCI judges will be returning and running most of our Magic: The Gathering events at GottaCon 2010. Mike will be coming over from Vancouver with his operation and staff to ensure that all our events are run smoothly and professionally. Besides Mike two other judges will be running the show. There will be one level two DCI judge, Max Knowlan, and one level one judge, Niko Skartvedt overseeing the operations.

What does this mean? It means all major events, such as the Worldwake launch parties as well as the Vancouver Island Magic Community (VIMC) M:TG Open will be run at a rules enforcement level of competitive. Also we will have three official Worldwake launch parties with promos, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Mike and his team bring experience, professionalism and a reputation which are sure to attract a larger player base.

Below find a brief list of the Magic: The Gathering events you will find at GottaCon 2010. There will be thousands of dollars in prizes to be won in our MTG line-up. If you would like to see more in depth information on these events please stay tuned to our website for when we release our event listing.

For more information see our forum: http://forums.gottaco...

GottaCon 2010 Tickets and New Membership Package Now On Sale

As of today, GottaCon tickets are now available for purchase from our http://www.gottacon.c... website as well as our http://warhorn.net/go... website. There are different prices for each day as well as a full weekend pass price, family package prices, special packages which include entry into some of the major events as well as our new membership package (more on this later). There are a number of reasons why you should get your tickets in advance of the big show.

- If you purchase your ticket in advance you receive a 25% discount on your full weekend cost (you pay $30 instead of $40).

- Once you have purchased a ticket you will be able to sign up to our http://warhorn.net/go... site where, once approved by us, you can start to preregister for events in advance. You will also be able to change your events at anytime up until preregistration is closed. Preregistration helps to ensure your seat at the events you want as seating at most events is limited. It also avoids you having to stand in the event registration lines the days of the convention to sign up for the events you want.

- Pre-paying for your ticket also gets you past the lines at the door as we will have an advance tickets line especially for you. Once you arrive just look for this line to get your convention pass, swag bag, program and get directly into the action of the vendors and events.

Here is the ticket pricing and special packages available (all pricing in Canadian dollars):

*Full weekend preregistration: $30.00
*Full weekend registration at the door: $40.00
*Friday admission only: $15.00
*Saturday admission only: $20.00
*Sunday admission only: $15.00
**Single Day Family Pass: $50
**Full Weekend Family Pass: $100
*Special Package 1 - Full Weekend Pass + VIMC MTG Open Tournament: $55
*Special Package 2 - Full Weekend Pass + World of Warcraft TCG Realm Qualifier + WoW TCG GottaCon Champs: $60
*Special Package 3 - Full Weekend Pass + Warhammer 40K Invitational to North American Championship: $40
*Special Package 4 - Full Weekend Pass + Warhammer Fantasy Invitational to North American Championship: $40
*Special Package 5 - Pokémon Pre-Release: $10

Children 8 and under get in free (must be accompanied by an adult, provide proof of age if asked, maximum two free child admissions per adult)

There are multiple ways to get the hottest gaming ticket to hit Vancouver Island! Methods of payment that will be accepted will include:

1) Paypal – Pay from the comfort of your own home
2) Certified cheque – Send in your payment via post to address below
3) Money Order – Send in your payment via post to the address below
4) Purchase a ticket at a local participating retail location (see below)

Local participating retail locations where tickets can be purchased:

- Skyhaven Games: 3458 Tillicum Road, Victoria BC - 250-477-1519
Payment methods available include cash, credit and debit
Hours of Operation: Tues to Fri 11am to 10pm, Sat to Sun 9am to 10pm

- Evo Games: 754a Goldstream avenue, Langford BC - 250-590-3869
Payment methods available include cash only. Please speak to Dwayne
Hours of Operation: Tues to Fri 11am to 9pm, Fri/Sat 11am to 11pm Sun 11am to 5pm

- Dragon Impact: 764-B Yates Street, Victoria BC - 250-590-8880
Payment methods available include cash, credit and debit. Please speak to Alex
Hours of Operation: Tues to Sat 11am to 5:30pm, Closed Sun/Mon

- Dice Bag Games: #1-60 Queens Road, Duncan BC - 250-597-1992
Payment methods available include cash, credit and debit, please speak to Jon, Colin or Paul

It is very important to remember that when you purchase your ticket that you include your first and last name and the full name of the individual(s) that the ticket(s) are for as well as a phone number and/or email address we can contact you at to confirm your purchase was received. Once you have purchased your ticket we will update our records, then all you have to do is sign up for events and show up on February 5th to 7th and enjoy the show.

If you are going to send in your payment via post (snail mail) please make your cheque/money order payable to GottaCon Conventions. All payments sent via post must be received at least two weeks in advance of the convention. Do not send cash via post, GottaCon Conventions will not be responsible for lost or stolen payments. Please send your payment to this address:

GottaCon Conventions
4129 Cabot Place
Victoria BC V8N 4V9

!!NEW!! – GottaCon 2010 Membership Package

Do you just know you’re going to be attending GottaCon 2010? Well then our new membership package is for you! And just what is a GottaCon Membership? Well, you get a bunch of benefits, not the least of which is a guaranteed ticket into GottaCon 2010! The benefits include:

*Full Weekend Pass - GottaCon members receive a Full Weekend Pass to GottaCon 2010.

GottaCon 2010 T-Shirt - GottaCon members receive a T-Shirt (sized per their request) with the GottaCon 2010 logo.

Dice Set - You’ll receive your own full set of GottaCon 2010 dice! The “6” on the d6 will read “GottaCon 2010”. This is the first year we’ll be doing these sets, so you’ll have our premiere set!

Meal Coupons - You know you’ll need all your money at the convention for that special something you’re sure to find at the auction. Who has time to worry about saving money for food? That’s okay – as a GottaCon member you’ll receive 2 coupons that will each get you 2 slices of pizza and a drink (soda, juice box, coffee or water)!

Early Badge Access - Hate waiting in line for your badge? That’s time at the convention that you’re going to miss! Never fear as a GottaCon member you will have your badge ready and waiting at the doors and will be brought to the front of the line so you can get in fast and start checking out the deals! Maybe you’ll even get in a little early.

Forum Tag - What’s the point of being a member if you can’t brag about it? Every time you post on our forum boards, your name will bear the special tag of a GottaCon member!

Bag/Coat Check - With all of the stuff you’ll be getting at the convention, you don’t want to be slowed down by actually carrying it! Our bag/coat check service is free for all GottaCon members, so nothing can slow you down!

Prize Draw - Conventions are a great time for free stuff, and a GottaCon member gets a chance at even more free stuff! GottaCon members will be entered in a members-only prize draw, once per day, at the convention – and yeah, it’s all free!

GottaCon 2010 memberships cost $75 and get you everything listed above! The membership package will only be available for purchase via our website (http://www.gottacon.c..., our warhorn site (http://warhorn.net/go...) and at Skyhaven Games (details above). To add a membership package onto a special event package it will cost $45 extra.

*These prices include entry to GottaCon 2010 the "Event". Some designated activities require preregistration and/or payment of a separate, additional fee. More information on this will be contained in the event listing which can be found at http://warhorn.net/go....

**Offer for families only, ID may be requested

Video Gaming at GottaCon 2010

Today we announce our electronic gaming line-up planned for GottaCon 2010.

This year casual play on all GottaCon provided computers and consoles will be free with purchase to the convention. All tournaments will have a small entry fee.

This year we are pleased to announce that Silver City Theatre and Future Shop are our major sponsors for the video gaming area. Both of these fantastic companies have provided substantial support in the way of prizes.

First let’s start with the Local Area Network (LAN) we have planned and the games and tournaments available.

GottaCon will host a LAN that will be able to connect up to 40 computers. Six to eight computer systems with games will be provided by Stain Internet Café with an additional one or two provided by GottaCon Conventions. These stations will be considered public stations and attendees will be able to use them for casual play at no charge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own systems and hook up to our LAN at no extra cost.

On the LAN we will be hosting the following scheduled tournaments:
Counter-Strike Source Deathmatch Tournament Day: Friday Time: 8:00PM
Warcraft III Defense of the Ancients (DotA) Tournament Day: Saturday Time: Noon
Left 4 Dead: 2 Team survival Challenge Day: Saturday Time: 8:00PM

Console games will be provided and run by Evo Games (http://www.evogaming..... Evo will be setting up gaming stations which will consist of 16 Xbox 360’s, two to four PS3s and one Wii.

In addition to Evo Games, Sony PlayStation will be back and setting up a booth on Saturday where they will show off their PlayStation 3 and PSPs. Check them out as there may be some swag in it for you!

Major Video Game Events(all on Xbox 360):
Street Fighter 4 at Silver City Cinema 2 – Sponsored by Silver City Day: Saturday Time: 9:00am
Halo 3 - 3 vs. 3 Teams Tournament – Sponsored by Future Shop Day: Saturday Time: 8:00PM
DJ Hero Spin-off at Silver City Cinema 2 – Sponsored by Silver City Day: Sunday Time: 9:00am
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 – 4 vs. 4 Teams Tournament – Sponsored by Future Shop Day: Sunday Time: 1:00PM

For more information please check out our forum: http://forums.gottaco...