In any given year, there are several LEGO conventions that take place in the United States. BrickFair, BrickCon, Brick Fiesta, Bricks Cascade, Bricks by the Bay, and the just completed Brickworld in Chicago are some of the better known conventions in the country. One of the main reasons why these conventions exist is to provide a platform for LEGO builders and artists to show off their own creations. It also allows fans of LEGO to gather at a single place to discuss the hobby and to meet new people.
The county’s East Coast is home to BrickFair VA, located just outside the nation’s capital, Washington DC, and BrickFair NE which took place in Manchester, NH about an hour north of Boston, MA. This brings us to Philadelphia, the second largest city on East Coast and the fifth most populated city in the U.S. The City of Brotherly Love has everything you could possibly want in a big city including famous landmarks, sports teams, and iconic cuisine. The one attraction Philadelphia has been without is a major LEGO convention…. until now! With the closest major convention a few states away, Philly Brick Fest 2014 is primed to attract a new audience and create another longstanding Philadelphia tradition.
Our very good friend, Chad “Stud” Collins from YourCreativeFriends, has embarked on a mission that will bring Philly its first ever LEGO convention. “Philly Brick Fest will open up a world of imagination and creativity never seen before in our area.” says Collins.
Like many of us in the community, Chad believes that the more time children spend building with LEGO bricks, the more creative they become. “In addition to being fun, it can also lead to greater benefits in life in general. Following directions and problem solving skills are just a couple of things our kids learn from playing with their LEGO,” Chad told me. And he wants to use Philly Brick Fest to spread his message.
The dates of the inaugural event are April 24, 2014 – April 27, 2014 and will be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (www.phillyexpocenter.com). Being 10 months out from the event, it is in the early stages of planning, but event organizers are confident that they can build an event that will last for generations. Like other conventions, the first two days will be filled with activates exclusively for AFOLs, LUGs, vendors, & MOC setup in preparation for public viewing over the weekend.
Organizers know that setting up a convention is challenging, especially for a first year event and Chad has enlisted the help of LEGO’s Community Coordinator, Kevin Hinkle. Kevin is very excited to see Philly Brick Fest 2014 become a successful convention and has even mentioned it in one of his blog posts from a few weeks ago.
“I’ve had several wonderful conversations over the last couple of weeks in response to everything from guidance on forming a new LEGO User Group (LUGs) to initiating a new LEGO fan convention!” Hinkle wrote.
A LEGO representative will be at Philly Brick Fest 2014 to answer questions from the LEGO community and their loyal fan base. Chad has also reached out to Ryan and Amanda from BrickWarriors who have signed on to be event sponsors and vendors. Additionally, popular YouTube LEGO reviewers, The Brick Show will also be event sponsors and will have key roles at the event. Wait, that’s not all! Pennsylvania’s LEGO User Group (PennLUG) will also be there to display their latest creations and David Hall, aka Solid Brix Studios from Minifigs4u will also be there as a vendor.
It looks like a lot of well-known people from the LEGO community are already on board with Philly Brick Fest 2014, and organizers will be actively reaching out to various LUGs and artists throughout the United States to introduce them to the convention.
A block of hotel rooms for the event are reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn Valley Forge. Organizers were able to negotiate a reasonable rate of $100.00 per night which even includes two (2) breakfast vouchers per room, per night. There are a limited number of rooms that will be available so reserve yours early if you are attending the convention.
If you have any questions about the event, don’t hesitate to contact Chad at [email protected]. We will continue to keep you up to date on new details of this event as they are made available. Until then, here are some other ways to stay current on the happenings:
Website: www.phillybrickfest.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/phillybrickfest
Twitter: @phillybrickfest
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