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Belated FWA 2018 Report
7 years ago
General
Whoops, I would've had this report posted earlier but things got busy for me. X3
Anyways, so last month I hit up Furry Weekend Atlanta last month. This was my third FWA and the con once again proved to be one of my favorites. I'm going to try and keep this report simple, by sectioning it off into multiple sections of various highlights/topics.
Theming
I figured I'd start with a aspect that set's FWA apart from other cons, and that's theming. When it comes to a theme for a con, for the most part it's only shown on the conventions website, the conbook and the reg badges/swag. You may also get a themed sign here and there, but that's about it. Now there are cons which would love to do more then that to play with the theme, but I've noticed most run into one or two issues. One issue is the hotel/venue doesn't allow them to do what they want with the theming. The other issue is simply the con doesn't have the budget for extra bits of theming, since even themed signs/banners can be on the expensive side.
But then on the flipside, you have a handful of cons which either don't have those issues, or work around them to still theme things up. A great example is Biggest Little Fur Con, they're able to heavily theme their con because the hotel clearly established to them that they can do whatever they wish in any of the rooms they bought for the con.
As for FWA, they're willing to put the money into theming and experiences for the con. So you not only get some nice theming, but also some cool extras which'll I'll get into. Theming-wise, they not only had neat cardboard cutouts which fit the theme, but also special sign/wraps for the hotel elevators, the wristbands for the three different bounty hunter factions (which tied into the theme and a special scavenger hunt game during the con), unique swag such as the Phuntanium soda which was part of the story for the con. They also did a nice set of videos introducing the story of the con, plus a special video for the registration line which explained the new elements of reg and whatnot. When you add up all these things, it makes for a stronger theme and it's something notice people really appreciate.
Silent Disco
Speaking of experiences the con is willing to put money into, one of the new things they debuted this year was a Silent Disco. Outside of the main ballroom was a lit up corral where you could get a pair of wireless headphones and switch between three different DJ's playing at the same time. The channels for the headphones were color coded, Red, Blue and Green, and the headphones were lit up to whatever color you were listening to.
This turned out to be a really fun surprise of the con, since there were multiple layers to this experience. For anyone passing by/watching, they see the different colored headphones and people dancing, often wondering what are they listening to. (Especially when some people were doing synchronized dance moves!) An' when you're actually in the Silent Disco, it's surprisingly intimate. You might be listening to one channel and chill out/get in the zone right there, or you look over to people suddenly going wild on a different channel and you switch over to hear what they are. I initially popped in to just check it out for a little, but I ended up staying in there till it was over for the day. It's a really fun experience that I hope comes back and get's expanded for next year!
Food
I've said it before and I'll say it again, FWA is top-tier when it comes to food. With the con being nestled in downtown Atlanta, and with the hotel being connected to the local mall's food court via skybridge, there's a ton of options for just about any budget within easy walking distance. An' it feels like there's always new stuff to try every single year. Case in point, I tried three new places for me.
Amalfi Pizza - Nestled right across the street from the mall (where Tin Lizzy's and the Metro Diner is), this place may seem unassuming, until you walk through the doors and find yourself in a little Italian alley with fountains and a stairway which leads to a very nice Neapolitan Pizzeria. I had their house pizza which came with hand crushed San Marzano sauce, spicy sausage, peppadew peppers, caramelized onions, house-made bacon jam and fior di latte mozzarella. This was the first time I had a decent sized pizza and I demolished it like nobodies business. :9
Pacific Rim Bistro - Literally right across the street up north from the entrance of the hotel (Notice a pattern here?), we have a really nice Pan-Asian restaurant which has a killer weekday lunch option, Bento Boxes! For a decent price, you get your pick of entrée with rice, salad, spring roll and Miso Soup. Definitely a nice little bit of everything to fuel you up for a busy day of fun.
Gus's Fried Chicken - Smack dab in the mall, I finally was able to try out this place after hearing friends rave about it, and it honestly delivered. Gus's specialty is a spicy fried chicken, and they do it just right as there's enough spice for you to notice it's there...but it doesn't overwhelm the taste of everything so it's just plain delicious. I also had the sweet potato pie which was also really good.
Three great meals, and this isn't even a sliver of what's to offer food-wise. That's why FWA is top tier with food.
The Fursuit Dance Comp / The Dances
FWA is the originator of the Fursuit Dance Comp, and each year it feels like FWA still has one of (if not the) best dance comps around. Everyone brings it for this dance comp, and with the way it's setup with it's prelims, it really does ensure one heck of a competition is about to go down. I tried out once again, and while I didn't make it, I know what I can improve for next year. (Admittedly I did have some prop issues, but I know how to fix that.) Those who did see my prelim routine were pleasantly surprised on what I did, and I felt good for surprising even the judges. ^^
I know I'm going to make it in some year, but even though I didn't this year, I was really happy for a lot of my dancer fam who did make it in and downright killed it. This was really one of the best dance comps to go down, cuz' every performance was just solid. An' it was all capped off with Play, Paws Rewind just bringing the house down with a beautiful group routine. I know they put a whole lot of time, blood, sweat and tears into that performance, so it was all worth it seeing them take 1st in the group category and get the praise they got. <3
As for the regular dances, FWA really threw down the gauntlet for this years A/V setup, as it was quite possibly the best one I've seen for a larger con. From the giant "Illuminati" triangle with chaser lights, to the lasers, to the C02 cannons on the stage which went off for dramatic visual effect. An' the festival quality sound system which had the bass going so good it made every hair on my arm stand on end. (That hasn't happened since BLFC 2015's giant bass cannon speaker setup.) This was a fantastic setup which made the dances really memorable. From Skroy playing another beautiful performance, to F3NN throwing down a straight-up hard and nasty set with a packed house!
Other Highlights
As usual, FWA's video game room (or as they call it, Arcade) is always a highlight. The room was expanded for this year, and much to my delight they had a Iron Man Pinball machine which I spent plenty of time on. (From what I was told, they had even more pinball machines the year before!)
Probably the biggest highlight for me was being able to approach and talk with a suiter who's honestly my biggest fursuit crush, this was huge for me considering while I'm usually not shy whatsoever...approaching this guy was the lone exception since I would usually turn timid on a dime if I saw him. I don't know why that kept happening, but thanks to friends who consistently relayed this guy is a sweetheart, I finally approached him and it went totally fine. He is really nice, and the bigger surprise was he not only recognized my suit when I showed him a pic, but he also recognized my badges which I did not expect he would!
Closing Thoughts
Overall, FWA was a total blast once again. Even with having to wait three and a half hours in the reg line on Thursday, that did not put a single damper on the con, so that's a good indicative the con is doing something right. An' now that I have a stable income, I really look forward to returning next year, especially with the theme of Pirates! which is a theme that many people really get into.
So what's next? Just one more con for me this year, and considering I already have both a backup room -and- roundtrip plane tickets already bought for it...I can say I am returning to MFF once again! Until then, take care!
Anyways, so last month I hit up Furry Weekend Atlanta last month. This was my third FWA and the con once again proved to be one of my favorites. I'm going to try and keep this report simple, by sectioning it off into multiple sections of various highlights/topics.
Theming
I figured I'd start with a aspect that set's FWA apart from other cons, and that's theming. When it comes to a theme for a con, for the most part it's only shown on the conventions website, the conbook and the reg badges/swag. You may also get a themed sign here and there, but that's about it. Now there are cons which would love to do more then that to play with the theme, but I've noticed most run into one or two issues. One issue is the hotel/venue doesn't allow them to do what they want with the theming. The other issue is simply the con doesn't have the budget for extra bits of theming, since even themed signs/banners can be on the expensive side.
But then on the flipside, you have a handful of cons which either don't have those issues, or work around them to still theme things up. A great example is Biggest Little Fur Con, they're able to heavily theme their con because the hotel clearly established to them that they can do whatever they wish in any of the rooms they bought for the con.
As for FWA, they're willing to put the money into theming and experiences for the con. So you not only get some nice theming, but also some cool extras which'll I'll get into. Theming-wise, they not only had neat cardboard cutouts which fit the theme, but also special sign/wraps for the hotel elevators, the wristbands for the three different bounty hunter factions (which tied into the theme and a special scavenger hunt game during the con), unique swag such as the Phuntanium soda which was part of the story for the con. They also did a nice set of videos introducing the story of the con, plus a special video for the registration line which explained the new elements of reg and whatnot. When you add up all these things, it makes for a stronger theme and it's something notice people really appreciate.
Silent Disco
Speaking of experiences the con is willing to put money into, one of the new things they debuted this year was a Silent Disco. Outside of the main ballroom was a lit up corral where you could get a pair of wireless headphones and switch between three different DJ's playing at the same time. The channels for the headphones were color coded, Red, Blue and Green, and the headphones were lit up to whatever color you were listening to.
This turned out to be a really fun surprise of the con, since there were multiple layers to this experience. For anyone passing by/watching, they see the different colored headphones and people dancing, often wondering what are they listening to. (Especially when some people were doing synchronized dance moves!) An' when you're actually in the Silent Disco, it's surprisingly intimate. You might be listening to one channel and chill out/get in the zone right there, or you look over to people suddenly going wild on a different channel and you switch over to hear what they are. I initially popped in to just check it out for a little, but I ended up staying in there till it was over for the day. It's a really fun experience that I hope comes back and get's expanded for next year!
Food
I've said it before and I'll say it again, FWA is top-tier when it comes to food. With the con being nestled in downtown Atlanta, and with the hotel being connected to the local mall's food court via skybridge, there's a ton of options for just about any budget within easy walking distance. An' it feels like there's always new stuff to try every single year. Case in point, I tried three new places for me.
Amalfi Pizza - Nestled right across the street from the mall (where Tin Lizzy's and the Metro Diner is), this place may seem unassuming, until you walk through the doors and find yourself in a little Italian alley with fountains and a stairway which leads to a very nice Neapolitan Pizzeria. I had their house pizza which came with hand crushed San Marzano sauce, spicy sausage, peppadew peppers, caramelized onions, house-made bacon jam and fior di latte mozzarella. This was the first time I had a decent sized pizza and I demolished it like nobodies business. :9
Pacific Rim Bistro - Literally right across the street up north from the entrance of the hotel (Notice a pattern here?), we have a really nice Pan-Asian restaurant which has a killer weekday lunch option, Bento Boxes! For a decent price, you get your pick of entrée with rice, salad, spring roll and Miso Soup. Definitely a nice little bit of everything to fuel you up for a busy day of fun.
Gus's Fried Chicken - Smack dab in the mall, I finally was able to try out this place after hearing friends rave about it, and it honestly delivered. Gus's specialty is a spicy fried chicken, and they do it just right as there's enough spice for you to notice it's there...but it doesn't overwhelm the taste of everything so it's just plain delicious. I also had the sweet potato pie which was also really good.
Three great meals, and this isn't even a sliver of what's to offer food-wise. That's why FWA is top tier with food.
The Fursuit Dance Comp / The Dances
FWA is the originator of the Fursuit Dance Comp, and each year it feels like FWA still has one of (if not the) best dance comps around. Everyone brings it for this dance comp, and with the way it's setup with it's prelims, it really does ensure one heck of a competition is about to go down. I tried out once again, and while I didn't make it, I know what I can improve for next year. (Admittedly I did have some prop issues, but I know how to fix that.) Those who did see my prelim routine were pleasantly surprised on what I did, and I felt good for surprising even the judges. ^^
I know I'm going to make it in some year, but even though I didn't this year, I was really happy for a lot of my dancer fam who did make it in and downright killed it. This was really one of the best dance comps to go down, cuz' every performance was just solid. An' it was all capped off with Play, Paws Rewind just bringing the house down with a beautiful group routine. I know they put a whole lot of time, blood, sweat and tears into that performance, so it was all worth it seeing them take 1st in the group category and get the praise they got. <3
As for the regular dances, FWA really threw down the gauntlet for this years A/V setup, as it was quite possibly the best one I've seen for a larger con. From the giant "Illuminati" triangle with chaser lights, to the lasers, to the C02 cannons on the stage which went off for dramatic visual effect. An' the festival quality sound system which had the bass going so good it made every hair on my arm stand on end. (That hasn't happened since BLFC 2015's giant bass cannon speaker setup.) This was a fantastic setup which made the dances really memorable. From Skroy playing another beautiful performance, to F3NN throwing down a straight-up hard and nasty set with a packed house!
Other Highlights
As usual, FWA's video game room (or as they call it, Arcade) is always a highlight. The room was expanded for this year, and much to my delight they had a Iron Man Pinball machine which I spent plenty of time on. (From what I was told, they had even more pinball machines the year before!)
Probably the biggest highlight for me was being able to approach and talk with a suiter who's honestly my biggest fursuit crush, this was huge for me considering while I'm usually not shy whatsoever...approaching this guy was the lone exception since I would usually turn timid on a dime if I saw him. I don't know why that kept happening, but thanks to friends who consistently relayed this guy is a sweetheart, I finally approached him and it went totally fine. He is really nice, and the bigger surprise was he not only recognized my suit when I showed him a pic, but he also recognized my badges which I did not expect he would!
Closing Thoughts
Overall, FWA was a total blast once again. Even with having to wait three and a half hours in the reg line on Thursday, that did not put a single damper on the con, so that's a good indicative the con is doing something right. An' now that I have a stable income, I really look forward to returning next year, especially with the theme of Pirates! which is a theme that many people really get into.
So what's next? Just one more con for me this year, and considering I already have both a backup room -and- roundtrip plane tickets already bought for it...I can say I am returning to MFF once again! Until then, take care!
