To our attendees,
Last year, a company named Force Start came to BronyCAN staff and claimed to be able to provide several services, including the sourcing of exclusive/pre-order merchandise, and the provision of bus trips to the convention from elsewhere in Canada. It sounded great, and in our first year, we were grateful for the assistance. BronyCAN 2013 promoted their services online with every expectation that they would be delivered on time. This was not the case, as attendees were left behind by the bus trips, and merchandise was not received by many who had reserved it; it was, to be frank, a disappointing mess.
The convention staff and board members were understandably displeased, to say nothing of the attendees left out of pocket. We felt a responsibility to attempt to find a resolution on their behalf. Contact was attempted on multiple occasions and no answers were forthcoming. Eventually, after a discussion with Force Start in December of 2013, a statement from them was finally posted to our Facebook group. Over 3 months after the convention, there was finally progress. We watched the thread eagerly, hoping to see a positive resolution for our attendees. The first deadline, January 31, came and went with nothing but promises. Now another self-dictated deadline, March 31, has come and gone, with the only response from Force Start being to wait yet longer.
BronyCAN has been monitoring the situation with increasing concern. The lack of action taken in the 7 months since the convention, coupled with the astonishing condescension towards attendees who have made enquiries as to progress, have led us to make this post.
There are several questions that we would like to see answered, on behalf of our attendees:
Where is the money that the attendees originally gave for the merchandise orders and bus trips?
If Force Start have that money available, why have they not processed the requested refunds?
If the money is not available, what happened to it? It’s fairly clear from comments made by Force Start that the original Funko order never occurred, and we know that Force Start did not pay for hotel rooms for those on the bus trip to BronyCAN. Was it spent elsewhere?
What proof exists of the order for merchandise, and will it be made available? We would like to know that our attendees will receive the merchandise they have paid for.
What plans are in place to refund those left stranded by the failed bus trip?
If our attendees wish it, BronyCAN will gather together those affected by this issue, along with details of their respective owings. Depending on the answers provided by Thomas Legros and Force Start on this issue, those attendees may wish to take further action.
For our part in promoting the disastrous bus trip and failed merchandise orders, we can only humbly apologise. While we have not previously made such a public statement, we have not ignored this matter. We wished to give Force Start ample time to resolve the issue. Our members’ happiness is our first priority, their attendance our lifeblood, and we are determined to be there for them on this matter. Their friendship makes our convention magical.
Your faithful servants,
The Staff and Board of BronyCAN
Posted on April 22, 2014
Princess Poutine
Canada’s 2nd Princess
Greetings, my faithful subjects! Hello? Is this thing working? I don’t really know about web stuff. They don’t normally let me use expensive things. It’s the mane, you see. Drips everywhere.
I am Princess Poutine! I’m Apricity’s younger (and prettier) sister. But then, you already know that, I’m sure. Apricity isn’t around right now. She went to see Annabelle over on the Prince Edward Islands to have her mane fixed in time for spring, but apparently some white unicorn tried to help out, and now all her leaves are the wrong colour or something? The message scroll I got from her was all tear-smudged and torn. At any rate, she has to stay and get it fixed or her magic won’t work right, so spring is late, and no-one is around to run the embassy.
Naturally, being the clever one around here, I always try to help out my elder sister, so I sent her a message saying I’d take care of the place while she was gone. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the help. I’ve already done some good in Saskatchewan! Some of the two-legged ponies that live there were complaining about how cold it still was, and who better to help than me, so I turned one of their rivers into nice, hot gravy. That should keep them toasty, I should say. You’re welcome!
You know, it’s strange; Apricity didn’t reply to my letter. I wonder if she’s already on her way home.
Anyway, I’ll be taking over at BronyCAN until my sister returns. (It was either me or that Chaos Gun , and I don’t think he’s right in the head.) You can expect some major improvements around here as a result. For a start, that banner is a bit grim. Let me do something about that…
Posted on April 1, 2014
Want to promote your business or event in our lovely conbook this year at BronyCAN 2014? Then head on over to our Vendor page to check out the guidelines and process to get your advertisement in our book for all attendees to see!
Posted on March 25, 2014
We have more great news for BronyCAN 2014 that’s sure to brighten your Monday!
BronyCAN is exceptionally fortunate to be based in the same province where the show itself is produced, but that doesn’t stop us from reaching out to guests who’ve contributed to the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series in other formats! And so we are pleased as punch to announce Amy Mebberson as one of our guests of honor for BronyCAN 2014! Best known for being the principal artist for issues #5-8 of the MLP comic book series, along with several of the Micro-series issues. Amy has been a comic book artist on other well-loved series such as The Muppets, Strawberry Shortcake and many works from Disney including Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and more. Amy will be at BronyCAN 2014 for the entire weekend to participate in events and meet fans of the comic book series! She will also have a table in the vendor’s hall where she’ll sell her art and take sketch requests!
And that’s not all! We know that many of you have been waiting very eagerly for this announcement, so we’re pleased to announce that vendor hall registration is open this year! This is the chance for those of you who wish to sell pony merchandise, art works, and more at BronyCAN 2014. The prices will be $50 for a vendor pass, $50 for a half table, and $100 for a full table, with all prices in $CAD. Please get your table through our registration system while we still have space in our vendor’s hall!
Don’t forget to reserve your room at the Executive! Book alone or with friends or family and you’ll only be steps away from all the excitement at the convention. Use our promo code “BRONYCAN” and you’ll earn a sweet discount, as well as complimentary extras: overnight parking, high-speed Wi-Fi, and access to the airport shuttle. You can head right to the booking page here.
And finally (for now), we are still very eager to hear your panel ideas for BronyCAN 2014! Just submit through our application and share your passions on writing, art, costuming, music, and more with your fellow fans! Our programming application can be found here.
Posted on February 24, 2014
For those fans who have had the chance to collect and play the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic collectible card game from Enterplay since its recent launch, we are happy to announce that BronyCAN will be hosting its very own tournament for players who wish to match their decks and wits against others for the chance at some exciting prizes! For a $15 entry fee, players can compete for the chance to win door prizes, BronyCAN-exclusive playmats and merchandise, and a special prize for the champion! More details about the prizes and rules will be announced at a later date, and spots for the tournament can be purchased as of today through our registration system! If you’ve already registered for BronyCAN 2014, you can add a tournament ticket to your pass by going through the registration system again.
Posted on February 18, 2014