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Event Planning
BrickUniverse, August 25-27, 2017
BrickUniverse is coming to Knoxville this year! For those unfamiliar, BrickUniverse is a traveling LEGO fan convention much like other conventions we've attended. This year's show in Knoxville is billed as more of an "expo" with the possibility of next year becoming a full blown convention. That means, this year will be more focused on the public visitors with less after-hours focus on the exhibitors. However, we'll be dipping in to our support packages from The LEGO Group to make up for that difference with the hopes of making it feel like a regular convention for our club members. Registration: Free for participating club members and family! Let Pete know who from your family is coming so he can secure your passes. Location: 701 Henley Street Knoxville, TN 37902  Dates/Times: Setup: Friday 8/25 12PM-8PM Saturday 8/26 8AM-10AM Public Hours: Saturday 8/26 10AM-4PM Sunday 8/27 10AM-4PM Club Games/Giveaways: Saturday 8/26 4PM-7PM Teardown: Sunday 8/27 4PM-10PM MOCs: Henley Street Bridge - 4 club tables Assorted - 5 folding tables: Willie/Yvette, Chris - 1 table (Superheros) Marty - 1 table (Post Apocalyptic) Harold - 2 tables (Sumo Bots) Katie/Laura/Mike - 1 table (Micropolis) GBC - 2 folding tables: Frosty - 3 modules Pete - 2 modules Marty - 1 module Katie - 1 module Clay - 2 modules Eric - 1 module Collaborative Train/Town - 21 club tables: Chris - 3 tables (end section) Ed - 4 tables (amusement park) - to borrow track from Charles via Chris Katie - 1 table (beach) Ron & Clay - 2 tables (modular city) - to borrow track from Pete Pete - 11 tables Joys - 6 tables (tentative - add later) Ron - Monorail Charles - Tables & track as needed  |
BrickFair, AL, January 12-15, 2017
Checkout our new exhibitor guide. Also, you'll notice the inside of the collaborative layout is walled off. All club members are welcome to use this space to store their stuff during the day or escape the crowds for a break when needed. Location BJCC East Hall. 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N. Birmingham, AL 35203 Setup Thursday, Jan 12: noon - midnight Friday, Jan 13: 9AM - midnight Public Hours Saturday, Jan 14: 10AM - 4:30PM Sunday, Jan 15: 10AM - 4:30PM (preview hour from 9AM-10AM) Schedule For the official BrickFair schedule, see here Additionally, our club schedule is as follows: Saturday 5:00PM, Bingo Area - Club wide meeting Saturday 5:30PM, Somewhere in the convention center - Pizza & games until everyone leaves or we're kicked out! Sunday 9:30AM, Collaborative Layout - Group picture Transportation Pete will be transporting his tables as well as 3 tables for the Schusters. Will will be transporting 2 tables for the collaborative layout. Ideally, all tables need to be setup on Thursday, so that the whole layout can be arranged before MOCs are set out. Pete and Will will be unloading at the BJCC on the 12th around noon. MOCs If you're part of the layout, register any of your MOCs under the "Tennessee Valley LEGO Club" collaborative. All that means is that your MOC is on the layout as opposed to a theme table. By registering your MOC, it will be eligible for voting, which could lead to prizes! If you've got a standalone MOC, register it under the appropriate theme. Do not register it as a collaborative. If you do, you won't have a place to put it! Town & Train Participants Bill: 1 table/town Brian & Melissa: Campground, trains Charles: 6 tables, trains, controllers, track for Ed Chris: 2 tables/town Joys: 8 tables Ed: 6 tables/amusement park Pete: 13 tables + 3 tables for Schusters, extension cords, power strips, trains, banners Contributors Will: 2 tables Clay & Judy: 2 tables Brian Rippetoe: Track for Ed  |
The Muse, April 16, 2016
 Less than a week to go... hope everyone's ready and excited! The Muse is really looking forward to having us and they're doing a bit of rearranging to give us a very nice spot for for the day. This is only our second event in Knoxville and our first with The Muse. I think we've found another really good partner for the club which is especially great given our relative newness to the area. If you’re not on the list below and want to participate, by all means let Pete know. He's more than happy to work you in. If you’re on the list and your space requirements have changed, let him know that too. Otherwise, ask any questions you might have. See you this weekend! Location: The Muse 516 N Beaman St Knoxville, TN 37914 Date: Saturday, April 16 Public hours: 10AM - 5PM (it's being advertised up to 4, but they close at 5. We'll plan on packing up at 5 unless the crowd is unusually light). Setup: 8AM GBC: (1.5 tables) Frosty & Michelle Pete - 2 modules, baseplates and fencing MOCs: (1-2 tables) Clay & Judy Katie Michael & Jeannette Ron Post Apocalyptic: (1 table) Marty Ron Micropolis: (1/2 table) Mike Chris (possibly) Trains: (5 tables) Pete Supplies: Pete - tables, skirt, banners, stanchions and chain |
Boomsday, September 6, 2015
Our first Knoxville event, and by all accounts so far, this will be Knoxville's biggest, best and ...final... Boomsday. :( We're setting up shop in the Kid's Zone and anticipate this to be very similar to NormalPalooza, just with a much bigger crowd. This is the first event where we've been required to obtain insurance and we owe a special thanks to Chris Bolton's employer, Mesa Associates, for sponsoring us!  There are lot's of road closures associated with this event, and there are active road construction projects in and around the UT campus, so plan ahead! What's posted here is thought to be fairly accurate, but check the following sites prior to making any travel plans:  Due to the logistics of entering the site, anyone who wishes to display a MOC or provide cumbersome items such as folding chairs should drop these items off at Pete's house no later than Saturday, September 5th. If you don't have Pete's contact info, send an e-mail to the club's group account and Pete will reply with the necessary information. Schedule Saturday, September 5 Last day to drop items off at Pete's house! 9PM: Neyland Drive closes 10PM: Henley Street Bridge closes Sunday, September 6 8AM - noon: Load in, must have permit to access Neyland Drive 10AM: Pete, Brian & Chis depart Pete's house 10:30AM: Pete, Brian & Chris arrive on site Noon: Neyland drive closes to ALL vehicles! 1PM: Setup complete 3PM: Event opens to public! 5PM - 8PM: Peak crowd 8PM: Teardown begins 9PM: Teardown complete 9:30PM: Fireworks! Monday, September 7 2:00AM: All vendors must be off premesis 6:00AM: Neyland Drive reopens to all traffic Setup The Kid's Zone is in lot C15 on the north side of Neyland Drive and just to the west of the railroad trestle. Our general location within the Kid's Zone is as shown here:  We will have MOC tables under tent and play brick out in the open. The center section of the MOC display will be a town and train layout with side tables for individual MOCs.  Supplies Visit Knoxville: 10' x 30' tent 3 Folding tables 20 Folding chairs Bill: Robotic MOCs 1 folding chair Chris: Playbrick Business Cards MOC Clay & Judy: Drink cooler 2 folding chairs Frosty: Mosaic MOC Michael: ETCH MOC Pete: Transportation for all supplies 7 tables & table skirt Banners (club and sponsor) Stanchions & chain Town & train MOCs 3 folding chairs Participants Anyone is welcome to help setup, but Pete only has room for 4. Everyone else will need to find parking elsewhere. Be prepared for a very long walk, lots of traffic and a large crowd! Setup should occur between 10:30AM and 1PM, with finishing touches up until 3PM when the event opens to the public. We don't need many people for setup, but anyone is welcome to come. Peak crowd begins around 5PM and this is when we'll need the most people to supervise the display. Teardown begins around 8PM and should take about an hour. Fireworks begin at 9:30 and typically last 25 minutes. Again, expect heavy traffic after the event, and there's really no telling when Pete's truck will be able to leave, though all vendors have to be cleared out by 2AM... Bill Brian (10:30) Chris (10:30) Clay & Judy (baby permitting... :) Frosty & Michelle Jon, Jenni & Becca (before 3PM) Marty & Katie (3PM) Michael & Jeannette Pete (10:30) Shannon & Shannon Other notes There will be food vendors everywhere! Dinner should not be an issue, but make sure you bring adequate cash. For those setting up, lunch could be a problem as most vendors may not open until 3PM. Plan accordingly. Noise: There will be several large, loud "sound towers" positioned along Neyland Drive broadcasting the choreographed soundtrack during the fireworks display. These will active throughout the day as well. One is positioned very close to the Kid's Zone. It would be wise to bring ear protection, just in case it's an issue. Also consider sunscreen, headache medication, comfortable shoes, etc... |
BrickFair, AL, January 15-18, 2015
BJCC East Hall. 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N. Birmingham, AL 35203 Setup Thursday, Jan 15: noon - midnight Friday, Jan 16: 9AM - midnight Public Hours Saturday, Jan 17: 11AM - 4PM Sunday, Jan 18: 11AM - 4PM Transportation To handle the transportation aspect, Chris is securing a van that will accommodate all of the tables and any MOCs aside from Pete's contribution. Coordinate with Chris to pickup your items by Jan 14. He will need all tables so that they can be setup Thursday, permitting everyone to setup their displays as they come in. Pete, Chris, Bill, Will & Logan will be unloading at the BJCC on the 15th around noon. If you can't be present then or if you can't make it to the show, but want to send items, no problem, just let Chris know. Checkout our new exhibitor guide MOCs If you're part of the layout, register any of your MOCs under the "Tennessee Valley LEGO Club" collaborative. All that means is that your MOC is on the layout as opposed to a theme table. By registering your MOC, it will be eligible for voting, which could lead to prizes! If you've got a standalone MOC, register it under the appropriate theme. Do not register it as a collaborative. If you do, you won't have a place to put it! Town & Train   Participants Bill: 1 table, GoPro train cam Brian & Melissa: 2 tables, trains Caleb & Will: 2 tables, Logan train Charles: 10 tables, trains, controllers, track for Schusters, 3 straight tracks for Chris, table skirt Chris: 3 tables, business cards, banners Jenni & David: 1 table Jennifer: 1 table, track for Le Le: 1 table (minus track) Pete: 12 tables, extension cords, power strips, trains Contributors Matt & Lisa: Engine shed for Pete Minicon  Basically, a miniature version of your MOC. For our layout, the scale is 1 table = 5 x 10 studs. The table is 5 bricks high. The whole convention will be modeled, we just need a copy of our layout and any MOCs to drop in the display. Pete will supply the 'tables', you just need to provide your details. See here for more info. |
BrickBlast, December 13-14, 2014
This is a new venue, a new event and a new name! With the loss of Southerland Station, we're moving to a new venue which is a big milestone for the club since that's where it all started way back in December of 2007. While we'll miss our friends at Southerland, this is a big step up for us in terms of available space which will make this the largest LEGO show Huntsville has ever seen! Here's what we're planning: Town & Train Micropolis Great Ball Contraption Mindstorms MOCs Rocket City Junior Club Bingo, pics with Emmett, Santa & Mrs Claus, plus other events and giveaways for the public This will be a ticketed event and all proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Making Connections Autism Spectrum Disorder Networking Group. Location Trinity United Methodist Church Gym 607 Airport Rd SW Huntsville, AL 35802 Public Hours Saturday, Dec 13: 9AM - 5PM (9AM - 10AM: Making Connections hour) Sunday, Dec 14: noon - 5PM Setup Friday, Dec 12: 9AM - 10PM Teardown Sunday, Dec 14: 5PM - 10PM Town & Train  Participants Bill: 1 table, GoPro train cam Caleb: 1 table Charles: 10 tables, trains, controllers, posts, chain, track for Le, 3 straight tracks for Chris Chris: 3 tables, business cards Jennifer: 1 table Le: 1 table (minus track) Pete: 12 tables, black table skirt, banners, extension cords, power strips, trains Brian & Melissa: 2 tables, black table skirt, trains Contributors Matt & Lisa: Engine shed for Pete Micropolis This is a new theme which Jennifer is coordinating. Please let her know if you're going to contribute! Great Ball Contraption This theme seems to be gaining momentum. Please let Charles know if you plan on contributing. Follow this link for the standard. Robotics Got a robotic themed MOC? Let Bill or Renee know! MOCs We'll have lots of MOC space this year. Contact Caleb Ellett if you have a MOC you'd like to display! Also needed: Tables for MOCs, etc... TVs for Train Cam, slideshows Slideshow content: Pics of MOCs, stop motion projects, etc... Playbrick  |
Normal Palooza, November 8, 2014
This is our third appearance at NormalPalooza. Compared to some of our shows, space is limited so we're focusing on a small display while leaving room for plenty of play brick, which is the main attraction. Hours: Public: 10AM-5PM (Eastern) Load in: 7:30AM - 9:30AM (Eastern) Location: 1219 W. Mississippi Ave Chattanooga, TN 37405  Attendees: Chris: Banners, business cards Pete: 7 tables, controllers, trains, extension cords, table skirt Jon & Jenni: GBC module Charles: GBC module, chain, 6 standards, play brick Tim & Franklin Renee Bill Provided by organizers: 20 Chairs 2 Large folding tables for play brick 1 large folding table for MOCs Cover in case of rain Power |
Summer Show, June 21-22, 2014
 Huntsville - Madison County Public Library Auditorium 915 Monroe St SW Huntsville, AL 35801 Hours: Saturday, June 21: 9 - 5 (public hours 9 - 4:30) Sunday, June 22: 1 - 5 (public hours 1 - 4:30) Public to be charged $5 Setup: Friday, June 20: 9 - 5 Click here for the thread on our Google Groups forum: See the library's ad here. New this year are 2 "fan favorite" awards for best MOC: One on the collaborative layout and one for a standalone MOC! Otherwise, this year's show should look fairly similar. We'll have a comparable collaborative layout, MOC tables, a play area and bingo. The town and train layout will occupy more or less the same space it was in last year. While the column is a bit of an inconvenience, this just seems to be the best placement for traffic flow.  Town and Train Participants: Bill: 1 table (Pete to provide track, Josiah to provide 1 32x32 building), GoPro train car Brian Rippetoe: Trains Caleb: 1 table Charles: 4 tables, trains, controllers, post & chain Chris: 3 tables, black banners Josiah: 1 32x32 building Le: 1 table (Pete to provide track) Pete: 4 tables, trains, track for Bill & Le If you have any updates, please let Pete know. MOC Participants: ? Other: Jennifer: Prizes Schusters: Table skirt We'll also need the following: 4 tables for MOCs Play brick |
BrickFair, AL, January 9-12, 2014
 Location Birmingham, AL. BJCC (East Hall). Public Hours Saturday, Jan 11: 11AM - 4PM Sunday, Jan 12: 11AM - 4PM Setup Thursday, Jan 9: noon - midnight Friday, Jan 10: 9AM - midnight There are also lots of fun events Thursday and Friday, so plan on sticking around for most of each day. We will need to be finished with all setup Friday night! We'll also need to have at least 3 or 4 people manning the display during the public hours. It will be packed! As of 12/9 it appears everyone has registered and paid! If you're part of the layout, feel free to register any of your MOCs under the "Tennessee Valley LEGO Club" collaborative. All that means is that your MOC is on the layout as opposed to a theme table. By registering your MOC, it will be eligible for voting. If you've got a standalone MOC, register it under the appropriate theme. Do not register it as a collaborative. If you do, you won't have a place to put it! To handle the transportation aspect, Chris is securing a van that will accommodate all of the tables and any MOCs aside from Pete's contribution. Coordinate with Chris to pickup your items Jan 4-8. He will need all tables so that they can be setup Thursday, permitting everyone to setup their displays as they come in. Pete, Chris, Will & Caleb will be unloading at the BJCC on the 17th around noon. If you can't be present then or if you can't make it to the show, but want to send items, no problem, just let Pete know. Participants Will & Caleb: 1 table plus 1 table for Pete Charles: 8 tables, trains, controllers, ballasted track for Jennifer (1 table), plain track for Brian (1 table) Chris & Bill: 3 tables, also transporting engine shed for Pete Jennifer: 3 tables, trains, black banners, business cards Le: 1 table (minus track) Pete: 7 tables, extension cords, power strips, trains, time lapse camera Brian & Melissa: 1 table, table skirt plus 1 table for Pete Tim & Franklin Alex Contributors Matt & Lisa: Engine shed for Pete David & Tammy: Ballasted track for Le Minicon This is new this year. Basically, it's a miniature version of our layout. The scale is 1 table = 5 x 10 studs. The table is 5 bricks high. The whole convention will be modeled, we just need a copy of our layout to drop in the display.  |
Southerland Station, December 7 & 8, 2013
 This year is shaping up to be a little thin, but the room is usually packed, so having some more space might be nice for a change. Public Hours: December 7: 9AM-5PM December 8: 1PM-5PM Setup: We have access to the room the week prior and the week after. They will keep it locked for us. Still, I recommend loading in Thursday Dec 5 and Friday Dec 6 with table joining/final setup occurring Friday between 5 and 8PM. I also recommend having everything removed no later than Monday the 9th. As far as manning the display goes, we only need to be there during the public hours and should plan on at least 3-4 people at any one time. For MOCs, I'd like to encourage labels containing the builder's name, club affiliation and a title and/or description of the MOC/display. Please send that info to Chris so that it can be printed in time for the show. Participants: Chris & Bill: 3 tables (farm) Jennifer: 1 table, event support package? Caleb: 1 table (minecraft) Charles: 4 tables, trains, controllers, standards, play brick Charles: 1 table for MOCs Caleb: MOC (MegaFIG) Josiah: MOCs Contributors: Brian & Melissa: Table skirts |
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