Tag: MFF

As I sit here typing this out I feel emotionally drained, I literally have tears of joy running down my face and trying to clear a stuffy nose. Why read on…

Literally the first thing I noticed when I got to the con that the crowd was down by no less than 60%

Next the artist I hired wasn’t there so a friend and I arranged to have our art mailed to us.

But that wasn’t the only surprise that day at MFF it seems Flayrah’s editor Sonious (Tantroo McNally) was hosting this panel on journalism. It seems he took over the job at Flayrah in the last couple of months. After the panel we talked and to my amazement he apologized for the site’s actions against me. He even sad it was wrong not allowing me to get my side across. We actually came to an agreement and now after over a year this matter is finally settled.

The remaining panels I saw were great, the Fursuit games had the largest crowd in like ever. More fursuiters, more audience. But shorter time 90 mins vs the 2 hours it normally runs.

I only found out why when next I went to get in line for the Closing Ceremony, yes a line had already started by then a good half hour before it began. But being a day of surprises, I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t figure out why they were bringing out the signs and panels and laying them on the floor somewhere between us regular folks and the sponsors. They were selling them for charity. make a donation and get one. So I did.

Finally we were let into what would be the best Closing Ceremony in MFF history. Why here are the facts and figures mind you there is nothing official yet but they are estimates.

Total Attendance 8700. That is a full 1200 over what Anthrocon had this year and 1700 over MFF 2016. I have to check my figure but that could be the largest jump in attendance of any fur con ever. Let me tell you everyone cheered, the board even topped it off with a quote from Uncle Kage, who not only said he didn’t care we beat Anthrocon but also congratulated MFF.

I had heard that the Hyatt was going to offer souvenir coffee mugs and glassware it seems the mugs sold out in less than 30 mins and the glassware in 3 hours.

But that wasn’t the best news it seems this year’s charity the Chicagoland Rescue Intervention and Support Program was flat broke when they contacted MFF, their rep said that much. They were only operating on borrowed money for a time to help the best way that they how. I am so damn proud to be a furry right now, Between MFF, The Hyatt and all the donations they had raised $85,000 a record for any con, $12,000 alone was raised during the closing ceremony and they still were taking donations even afterwards. I can’t wait for the official numbers to come in.

Usually I post 2 images which I always hope you find interesting. But today only I wish to talk about the best closing ceremony MFF has ever had. The Chicagoland Rescue Intervention and Support Program was so broke when they contacted MFF they were only operating on borrowed money. But there literally was not a dry eye in the entire audience when it was announced that through the efforts of MFF, Hyatt and many donations they has raised a total of $85,000 and still counting.

I am so proud to be a furry.

As I type this very early Sunday morning all I can say is that I am tired, but I know I have to go back for yet another day of fun. From roughly 1PM to 6PM I got it all planned out but in the meantime. Yesterday I could call it Friend’s Day, I met a whole lot of people I know including a couple of friends I have not seen in a very long time. That’s cons for you, you meet people from all over from a few Facebook friends. To include Joe Strike who is just as nice in person as he is is online.

Yesterday a friend and I decided to have some art done. The artist sorta kinda promised to have it done late yesterday…but it wasn’t done. Another reason I have to head back today. Which is kinda the reason I am tired, it must be at least a half mile walk along that passageway from the hotel to the Dealer’s / Art Alley. I completely lost track of how many times we went back and forth…yes it was that many.

The panels were great…again.

My first time at Whose Lion Is It Anyway PG-13 version was very funny.

But what I really want to talk about is The Furry Variety Show. REally MFF do you have to run that and Floor Wars at the exact same time? More people naturally see Floor Wars and it was reflected in that very…very…very…very long line. Meanwhile I was in line to see the Furry Variety Show which was excellent and encourage all my readers to see at least once. MFF had some great acts singers, musicians, comedy and acrobats

Obviously not the same artist but this is an example what you missed.

Every since MFF had been running Floor Wars and The Furry Variety Show at the exact same time, attendence at FVS has dropped. They really need to move one or the other to a different time.

As tired as I am back to day 3 in a few hours.

Geez where to start I guess at the beginning when I arrived at the Hyatt I was greeted with 2 lines…both massive. Thankfully I had pre registered so my line wasn’t all that long, 90 mins compared to more than 2 hours in the regular line. If you’re familiar with the hotel that line extended all the way down to the Grand Ballroom and halfway back to the main doors. Was it crowded? I say yes but it was friendly crowd. I went to a couple of panels really had a great time like always. I thought the Memorial The Staff there set up for Quazi (A local fur we lost so tragically) was sweet.

You might have heard they moved both the Dealer’s Area and Art Alley to the nearby Convention Center. Let me tell you it was HUGE they went from 100 Dealers to 286 now add in a reported 386 artists in total it was BIG (I will be posting photos later). I picked up a lot of stuff myself including more Vintage Furry Comics and Fanzines from M&T Comics. I even met up with Eric Risher of the Furries documentary fame. Nice guy I handed him one of my cards and told him I will be reviewing his work later. He liked when I mentioned it would be a fair review, it seems he had some issues with some sites. Okay I admit it I ran out of cash, but I will be back today.

Now for the stuff I heard.

First up The Con Staff Reports a record crowd. I was told that they predict they could have broken the 8000 mark easily. It seems this year MFF made it so easy for the Dealers, some even got there rooms comped. But here is something I heard that made me smiling. It seems many of those who follow Dogpatch Press and Flayrah are just fed up with their biased reporting, and have stopping visiting those sites period.

More tomorrow

After going to the MFF Board meeting, there are a couple of things I learned. The first is the one thing a lot of people complain about and that is the MFF room block. Generally they complain there is not enough rooms. But wait until you read this, it seems the Hyatt wanted MFF to have more rooms, but at a higher price the rooms are going to normally during the con. Like usual they sold out in 5 minutes.

That a lot of the staff are perfectionists. They take on more than 1 job, just to make sure everything is perfect. The board members all had high praise for all their heard work.

Speaking of hotels, the room block may not be at the Hyatt next year. It seems the board has already gotten offers from other hotels offering both more rooms and at a cheaper price.

The Zootopia Event turned out so great for them, they plan on doing more of these. WAY to go!!!

I went to a MFF Board meeting and here is what I heard.

MFF Officially explains in to The Donald E. Stevens Convention Center this year. How much space they are going use is still to be determined. What brought this on was both a record number of dealers (The largest in MFF history), and the crowd in the dealers area.

NEW and Better Fans for the Fursuit Lounge. Even the board members were complaining about the box fans they had been using.

The Fursuit Dance Competition gets a much larger area this year. Presumable it will be in the convention center.

There will be a much larger 2nd stage

Lastly starting in 2017 there will be a new top sponsor tier. Which will include a concierge, and direct customer service to the con staff. As well as a service when taking the Hyatt bus, where you not only get your room. But your con registration.

The sponsors get a cash bar this year

To me this was the Best MFF ever….and I know we always say that after every con. But it was the very 1st time I gone all 3 days and have the sore muscles to prove it.

Despite the record crowd things went incredibly smoothly. Except for 2 things that Confederate Flag fursuit, which promoted a lot of talk on social media. And sadly a joke that in my opinion security even though made a noticeable presence at the con kinda overreacted. It seemed this one fursuiter had a bundle of PLUSH TNT strapped to their tail. In short they got banned. Okay given the times we know find ourselves in I agree it was bad taste. But to get banned?!! I feel that security should of quietly talked to the fursuiter and maybe taking it. But getting banned was a bit harsh.

The Hyatt put a lot of effort into making this a great con, with their check in staff wearing furry head pieces with ears and creating that mascot. They really love us furries and I noticed the 20% discount on my check in their restaurant while I was there. Way to go Hyatt Regency O’Hare.

There was a HUGE improvement in cellphone service. Rarely I heard a complaint of not getting a signal, unlike previous years. If you had an older 3G phone like me, there was some issues…but all very minor.

I could go on and on over everything I saw. But I be giving myself a case of post con depression if I did.

Love Midwest FurFest and the staff and volunteers did a fantastic job!!!

2 paws way up!!!

It really sad to see a con end, but least there is good news it will be back next year. The best thing I can say nothing unexpected happened. Which given the times we live in is the best thing I can say.

I got off on a late start yesterday, as I was unsure what I was going to do given how sore my body was. But I am glad I made it, I was only able to see the Fursuit Dance Competition and the Fursuit Games.

First up due to circumstances I was unable to see Floor Wars this year, but the Fursuit Dance Competition more than made up for it. Incredible moves, there are some amazing fursuit dancers out there. They gave the audience a chance to vote for the Novice class winner, via a text message. I didn’t vote because I thought they were all good. Also according to the judges with a tie at second place they thought the same. Literally 1 vote seperated them all.

The Fursuit Games, was downright hilarious. Everyone was having fun, nobody was taking this seriously. Even the judges who awarded a cardboard box to the best cat fursuiter. There was so much silly fun, as well as a tender moment. Where one of the fursuiters kept on checking his wheelchair and mentally challenged sibling.

I am really glad I went, even though my legs are sore as heck and so is the rest of me. I wish I didn’t have to go to work today. But I must.

I am slowly uploading the 400 or so photos I took at MFF here on Flickr feel free to check them out

I want to thank the staff of Midwest FurFest for posting the numbers of fursuiters in the parade yesterday so quickly. But I am amazed by that number, we had 1,378 fursuiters yesterday. That is only 82 shy of what Anthrocon had earlier this year and up 246 over last year.. Yes it jumped by that much. On average we go get a higher percentage of fursuiters over Anthrocon.