This is an unbelievable mess - this is what gives conventions a bad name in general and also for new ones starting off - makes it very difficult!

I have posted a couple of links that should say it all - especially the ones with Aaron Douglas "Tyrol" from Battlestar galactica and he describes the mess over multiple days - very interesting reading!

http://trekmovie.com/2008/06/14/fedcon-usa-cancelled-after-one-day/

http://community.livejournal.com/aarondouglas/107436.html#cutid1

Take the time to read through Aaron's LJ postings - it is something else!

Holy Frak. What a mess.

Here is the letter of apology from the "head honcho"

http://www.fedconusa.com/main/

"Words cannot express how truly sorry all of us at FedConUSA are. It had been our hope to put on a spectacular convention, the likes of which America had not seen before. Unfortunately, we got more than we bargained for, and everybody else got less. We poured our hearts and souls and wallets into getting FedConUSA off the ground, and no matter what contributing causes lead to our failing, it doesn't change the fact that we nonetheless failed.

Our intention was to bring the unique FedCon experience to the states. In recent years, many other conventions have just been turned into money-making machines, and while many fans may have enjoyed those mega-conventions, anybody that has been to FedCon Germany knows the incredible fan-focused atmosphere and experience that one gets there. We wanted to bring that to America: a fan-focused convention. While the actors and writers and other guests are always an integral part of the convention, we wanted to shift the focus from the spectacle and show to the fans. Without the fans, there wouldn't be conventions.

There are a dozen reasons that lead to the downfall of FedConUSA, and truth be told, none of them are pretty. We could have been more organized. We could have communicated better with the public and staff and actors. We could have done more advertising. The economy was already headed to the pits a year ago when we started this thing. El Niño, simply because it's been too long since we've blamed something on El Niño. In the end, however, it all came down to money.

As anybody who has run a convention can tell you, it's not a cheap thing to do. There are a thousand little things that add up, as well as many big things. When we started off on this endeavor with FedCon Germany at our side, we had the financial backing and experience of one of the best convention organizations on the planet. However, with their understandable withdrawal from FedConUSA, we were left without the inside experience and cash reserves.

For a first time convention, getting financial support in today's economy is next to impossible. There are so many upfront costs – flights, hotel rooms, convention space, food, guest fees, etc – that need to be paid before the convention even gets under way. From day one, FedConUSA has been operating in the red, with hopes of recouping our funds and making enough to continue on and make this an ongoing and fantastic convention experience for all of America.

Obviously, that just didn't work out. We had expected much more walk-in attendance than we received, and hoped that we would have been able to pull things together enough that the show could go on. As you know, that didn't happen. We are truly sorry to everyone for what has happened and disappointed that we couldn't have put on a better show.

There are many people to whom we owe a debt of gratitude, not to mention fiscal debt. First is the Hyatt Regency DFW, this wonderful hotel has bent over backwards time and again to help us get FedConUSA underway.

Next is the FedConUSA staff, who have worked countless hours for the convention, often at great personal and fiscal cost. Without their tireless devotion to the fan-focused convention cause, we never would have gotten as far as we did. There were so many last minute changes that I know most of you didn't get much, if any, sleep. Your hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated. Health issues precluded me from making it to Dallas for the weekend, so the staff unexpectedly had to bear the brunt of what in the end is very much my fault, and for that I am sorry. As Larry Nemecek said, this was the smoothest landing of a doomed plane he's ever seen – you all did a fantastic job given some practically insurmountable odds. Get some sleep, guys.

Our sponsors, particularly IQ-145, deserve thanks as well – if it hadn't been for your support, with some of it coming in with such short notice, FedConUSA never would have made it off the ground.

The volunteers that worked the convention all Friday and Saturday morning were an integral part of any convention. Without your help and sacrifice no convention, even ours, would ever work out at a reasonable cost.

Thanks absolutely must go out to our guests. Despite all of the miscommunications and missteps we may have encountered, most all of you came through and we greatly appreciate it. John Billingsley, Chad Cooperman, Billy Dickson, Gigi Edgley, Menina Fortunato, David Franklin, Bonita Friedericy, James Hampton, J.G. Hertzler, Anne Lockhart, Lindsey McKeon, Larry Nemecek, Robert O'Reilly, Connor Trinneer, Amber Wallace, and Garrett Wang all made it out to Dallas for FedConUSA, many coming for just the cost of a plane ticket and hotel. Thanks also to Lolita Fatjo, who came as the agent of several of our actors, and despite the fact that she was getting no reimbursement, stepped up at the last minute to fill in for a guest who could not make it. The fact that most of you stayed in the convention hall even after it all went down was enormously generous and greatly appreciated by both the FedConUSA staff and the fans. Even after we cancelled the remaining convention events from Saturday morning onwards, many of you came down to the autograph room and met with the fans that had come, turning around what could have been a horrible day for everybody involved.

To our guests that were due to come in after the convention was cancelled – Brad Rowe, Thomas Dekker, and Paul McGillion, I'm sorry you weren't able to make it out to Dallas and am very glad that you all committed your time to coming to FedConUSA to be with your fans.

And to our guests with whom we had issues getting flights, contracts, and the like, namely James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Richard Hatch, Jack Marshall, and Anthony Montgomery: I am so very sorry. The blame for our communications issues lands squarely at my feet and I hope that you will not hold that against any of the FedConUSA staff, FedCon Germany, and all other conventions. The money shortfalls that lead to the cancellation of the convention was also responsible for our not being able to rebook flights in a reasonable timeframe to accommodate your changing filming schedules. I really wish you would have been able to make it and think that if you had, you would have had a wonderful time.

Lastly, but certainly not least, an apology is owed to the fans. From the start, we set out to make a convention for you, a convention that catered to the fans. It would have been entirely understandable for you all to be upset and angry when we cancelled the convention right in the middle of the show, but by and large the reaction was not overwhelmingly negative. I know you were all disappointed, and so am I, that things were not able to go on, and all things considered, the convention that we did have was lots of fun. You all took the cancellation in stride, and we all greatly appreciate your understanding. I know that many of you came from great distances and had airplane tickets and hotel flights and the like booked and paid for, and that the cancellation of FedConUSA meant that you had spent a good deal of money for naught.

On the money front, with the cash that we had on hand we refunded as much of the tickets that we purchased on site as we could. We are working to issue refunds to everybody else, and those who pre-purchased their tickets online or via phone, but it may be a while before we are able to arrange for that. Quite frankly, we weren't anticipating having to issue so many refunds, and were not prepared to even have a system in place to do so, so it may take a while. I ask for your continued patience and understanding while we work to get refunds set up. If it comes down to it, I will go into personal debt in order to get everybody their money back.

We shot for the stars and aimed to bring the exciting atmosphere that FedCon is known for worldwide. I hope that everybody still had a great time in Dallas and regret that I wasn't able to make it. I know that everybody on all levels that was involved with FedConUSA must be incredibly disappointed. I hope that your experience with FedConUSA was still a positive one, and that what happened has not tarnished the reputation of FedCon Germany or the convention business as a whole. I also hope that none of you have been turned off from attending many of other wonderful conventions around the United States and worldwide.

Tim Brazeal
President, FedConUSA"

HOLY FRAK!

My jaw dropped after seeing the offer from Aaron to send him a letter about the con to receive a signed photo :O

HOLY FRAK!

My jaw dropped after seeing the offer from Aaron to send him a letter about the con to receive a signed photo :O


I know - talk about CLASS PERSONIFIED!!

I was blown away with that offer to people who were wronged by FedCon USA - Aaron deserves big kudos for that generous offer!

The "fall-out" is getting very nasty in this!

Chris McKeown (who was the Guest Liason who pulled out shortly before the convention has posted on the FedCon USA forums) ther following:

"I have just been waiting for someone to say exactly this type of thing and I have to say thank you for saying so Richard, so I can go on and open this can of worms I been sitting on for over a month.

I pulled out of FedCon USA for several reason the first being that you and Tim cancelled a Guest Star (Major Victory from "Who wants to be a Superhero") without notifying the him or me (and yes I have documentation to back that and other things that I'm going to post here), I had to find out from a very furious agent that he had been cancelled and pulled from the site.

Then less than a week later during a FedCon USA staff meeting Tim said he was going to cancel James Callis and others from the lineup about a week before the convention. (Their contracts called for at least a 30 day notice of cancellation by either party). So basically Tim was leading the guest on and using them to sell more tickets and was going to break the contracts. (And yes I have this meeting recorded it's audio folks!!)

Yes I did book guest, but all was approved by Tim and he was well aware of all aspects of those contracts before he approved them. And yes the 30th Anniversary of BSG Theme was my idea at the get go. Tim told me he wanted about 25 Guest Stars for this convention, if you look at the original line up you will count 24.

As for Press, there was never no money to advertise (except Google Ads which by what I understand was paid for by the ad revenues created here at TU but I have no proof of this), no sponsors, No ticket for me to go to Dallas and try and find sponsors or to set up some advertising in the local area.

After all this I saw what was coming and would not be apart of it (I don't go around telling non truths and will not be apart of breaking contracts), so I had no option but to quit.

For over a month I tried frantically to talk to Tim, but like everyone else he would never get back with me. I kept in contact with agents and actors to make sure everything was good, of course starting two weeks out from the convention some actors were due a portion of their fees, they never received them they listened at Tim that he had sent it, it was on the way, etc.... then I start getting calls from agents looking for the plane tickets for the actors from Tim, and they all tell me Tim isn't communicating with them at all and can I get in contact with him, again Tim won't return my calls or emails on these matters. Then from there I think everyone knows the rest actors posting on the forums at FedCon USA waiting on tickets and monies, actors posting statements on their websites about how FedCon USA has treated them. Actors like Conner Trinner is upset when he gets to hotel to find they can't pay him his advance as promised. Actors still be told that their plane tickets are on the way.

Then to Top it all off the Hotel not Tim shuts down the convention due to none payment, (that was confirmed by both FedCon USA Staff and the Hotel to other media folks there on the scene).

So my point of view Tim and the Manager (that was you Richard Anderson) screwed over the Fans and the actors. Shame on you and Tim!!

As for SciFi United first off all the content on main site was mine or my key staff, also we pulled the forums that we came in with and our content. Some one from here shut the site down, it was not us, the forums and main site was still there as was witnessed by several media groups after we pulled out.

There is a lot of other things I can say but I think that's enough for now.

Tom and Bill you two are great guys, but you really need to see what is going on and who and what you are associating with. If you ever need anything feel free to let me know.

We are at ScifiUpdates.com for those of you that care."

NOTE:OK guys here is the posts at TU (Trek United), pretty much I have been silent but thanks to Richard I now can respond freely. For those of you who don't know Admiral Rooster is Richard Anderson, and also he was the Manager for FedCon USA so in other words Tim's right hand man. Seems he has been learning from the master of redirection and putting the blame on someone else. As Manager he was aware of all aspects of what was going on with FedCon USA and was carrying out Tim's orders despite what the outcome would be, people getting screwed, fans and actors alike.

Wow. That's all I an say here. Wow.

Here is one last link I will post to add to this - I think if I post anymore it would be like that dead horse getting beaten.

http://www.syfyportal.com/pagetogether.php?id=5128&page=1

This has been "fun reading".

Wow again. Sounds like some shady dealings there.

Wow again. Sounds like some shady dealings there.

Actually some of the con-goers are looking to do a class-action suit against the con organizers.

Personally I don't think when this is sorted, the guy running it will have any money to his name anyways but if it makes you fell better to sue him.......

I feel for the people who got screwed, it's wasted flights, hotel and travel time over and above the refund ...