That Was It? (first Convention)

I attended my first convention after waiting for it to come to Detroit for years and I must say I was sadly dissapointed.

(disclaimer, remember this was only one and I'm not trying to offend anyone)

I get the whole wanting to play other guys from around the country and win the Super Bowl thing, but there where never anymore than 50 or so guys in the room. I went several times on Sat on Sun to try and take everything in. I watched some great games, saw some awesome detailing, and played a couple of scrimmages from guys from other states, but I couldn't beleive the sparse amount of people at this thing.

Miggle had a nice table set up with their stuff on it, even some new things, but they didn't take credit card! We are in the year 2008, I've seen small time art dealers set up a little credit card machine. Also it was abundantly slear that the loss of the NFL license will hurt. several times I saw dad's with their sons walk up to the table asking for the NFL teams only to be told they didn't have any. When the ladies directed them to the painted teams and told them they just need the logos put on, the next question was "so where do I get the logos?" "we dont carry them." was the reply. How can you promote a game that has people using NFL teams while they compete for the championship and not have the products needed.

Also the lack of other vendors was very dissapointing. Four tables had people at them selling stuff or displaying it. the Great Lakes League had a table with a sign on it, but I never saw anyone there. There was someone who had great looking field covers, but they were never there to sell them. Whoever you are you lost ALOT of business. there were plenty of guys wanting info on how to buy them but they just walked away.

The one highlight was meeting and talking to DeWayne Jennings! I enjoyed talking with you about decals, paints and your new figures. I learned some things watching you dress up some players too. I would offer some advice to Mr. Jennings though. Your market is not big enough to support the project you are working on. Judging by this convention electric football is a SMALL hobby that pretty much is dominated by a few dozen people. Your figures are awesome but I can't see how you will make a lot of money from such as small market.

It was also wonderful to meet BEENUTT. We both use the same equipment to make our declas and he does awesome work. I got to purchase some decals from him and pick his brain a bit.

The convention should have tried to recruit people into this hobby and I'm sad to say it fell WAY short of that for several reasons. I'm not sure of this was a "typical" convention or not, but if it was then its certainly not worth traveling hundreds of miles for even to just compete for the title.

There could be WAY more done to promte this hobby but this convention fell far short of that.
I never did find the "clinics" that were offered. \


Mike
Motor city EFL

Mike,
Truly sorry to hear that you didn't have a nice time. These things happen! I don't know about you,but 50 people showing up for anything is a good turn out. Most of us who buy,sell and trade are in this for the hobby and sport of it all. No one is trying to get rich. If they were, the convention probably wouldn't have taken place. I'm sure the Landsmans would have rather gone to the Bahamas! The community is a lot bigger than you think. Most us have been hit hard by this recession and just couldn't make it. My advice to you is to just keep coming back!

[jimmie]

If you were a true efler would have had fun the people who where there because that what we do!!!Fun doesnt come in volume its comes one on one there where plenty of guys you could have play a game I was sitting I a table with my guys introducing my league you never came over to me or said anything so maybe the hobby isnt big enough for you!!

[Michigan Joe]

Jimmie I just saw your post and I agree with you (and oh by the way it was great meeting you last weekend!)

Mike- Me and my 6 year old son had a blast and he wouldn't want to miss one for the world. We went in with a positive attitude and left feeling even better. For me it was a truely great experience to meet new people from this chat site and that was by far and away the best part of the weekend. Without these relationships that I've formed maybe I would feel the way you do about it. There were a lot of people there that didn't compete in the tourney so if the tourney had 56 people, I'd say there was at least 100 there to visit the convention, but you're right people often times were scattered all around. You point out several Miggle convention issues that were disappointing to the miniature football enthusiast (lack of other vendors, no credit card usage, and possibly a meet and greet session for all attending, etc.) but in the end I was very happy because of the fellowship. I'd travel hundreds of miles anytime to be in the presence of my electric football brothers. I think your concerns about whether Miggle has done enough to promote the hobby (their business) is not new and I'm guessing that view is shared by others. However it would be hard for me to criticize them for the convention they put on (FOR US). I give them an A, and I thank them for giving it to us.
Joe

[daghstrydr]

but I have to agree with the others. This was my 1st also but I had a blast. Meeting people getting tips, etc. It was also great to play the others from the different leagues around the US. I also went away with more items then I brought up with me, I can honestly say I had a blast.

[jeff]

Originally Posted by Tron1984

Mike,
Truly sorry to hear that you didn't have a nice time. These things happen! I don't know about you,but 50 people showing up for anything is a good turn out. Most of us who buy,sell and trade are in this for the hobby and sport of it all. No one is trying to get rich. If they were, the convention probably wouldn't have taken place. I'm sure the Landsmans would have rather gone to the Bahamas! The community is a lot bigger than you think. Most us have been hit hard by this recession and just couldn't make it. My advice to you is to just keep coming back!

Could not agree with you guys more. It was my first convention , I brought my 2 oldest sons and we all had a blast.
Living down the street from Dewayne Jennings and knowing how long he has worked on this and many other projects for electric football . I know for a fact he is not in this for the money! If he was paid $1 for every hour that he was working on his electric football projects he would be a rich man.
DJ is a guy that thinks of others first, I can't tell you how many people that he has given things to and said they are free .

[RavennaAl]

I can understand Mikes point of view. If I had just walked in off the street with no personal agenda and looked around, I would have been pretty disappointed as well. The Miggle table was pretty full, with all their teams and some boards represented. The rest was pretty sparse. The 56 guys playing in the tourney was ok, but in most peoples minds, one would have thought that there would have been a couple of hundred playing instead.

But you have to remember one thing, Mike. This was a Miggle convention, not a Miniature Football convention. There aren't going to be any other venders there. They wouldn't allow that. You won't see custom teams, custom boards or stadiums there. They won't allow those either. You won't see as many coaches playing because most like using Buzzball and Reggie figures mixed in with the Miggles, and, you guessed it, they won't allow that as well. What you experienced was a censored version of what a Miniature Football convention should be. Hopefully, everyone will show up in Canton in August with a whole lot more to display. Also, I would think that there would be quite a few more participating in whatever tournament the MFCA decides to have. This is our chance, guys, to show the world just what a MF convention can be. No censorship, no favoritism. Just MF in all its glory. Let's do it, and let's do it right!

[Treks1]

I had a great weekend around my fellow efler's, But I admit I expected more, probably because I had some pretty Lofty expectations of auto show like crowds and tables of vendors ...THE SHOW to END ALL SHOWS. But reality was far different from my expectations. There were some coaches I hoped would attend (and some were expected.....), but I prefer to think how blessed we were with the coaches who DID attend. Many others again showed their dedication to the hobby and support who traveled great distances to attended and had a great time. I expected for more from our league, but some could not attend. Some GLEFLers (like myself) had a chance to bring their whole family to the Convention for the first time. This family time was priceless for me... We also got the home team base colored yellow bases (I predicted they would be yellow for the hometown Wolverines). They met with rave reviews and forevermore will be the DETROIT tournament bases.

AWESOME.

I think we all try in our own way to bend circumstances to our will, and there is always a bit of a let down when people and things don't "fall in line" the way you think they should. In other ways the Convention exceeded my expectations. We had a GREAT tournout from mid-west coaches in Illinois, Indiana and OHio and some heavyweight talent with CHAMPIONSHIP coaches like Adrian Baxter, Pat Casey and Simmie Lassiter. I also met some local guys from Detroit, Clarkston, Pontiac and Warren. As a League we truly hit a home run as we were all named coach of the year (I didn't expect this) and a Champion emerged from our own ranks (2008 Miggle Champion Greg Hardmon), no small feat considering the High quality of competition in the field of players. As well as playing two wild card games over the weekend exposing the Convention to Great Lakes Playoff football (Congrats also to Frank Johnson, Pat Morris, Chuck Pitchford and Tony Jones! All four Champions and ELF legends in their own right). We also had a skills competetion for the first time, and I think that the participants had a good time playing.

Thanks to Miggle Toys, Silverman Media and Marketing, The Great Lakes and others, we had a TREMENDOUS amout of media attention. A spot on the Friday morning commute on WRIF 101 FM Radio, articles and TV spots in Bloomberg Business News, Local Hometown Eccentric and Observer newspapers, and the wall Street Journal and local stories in Grand Rapids and the Traverse City area.

All this in the background of a lot of change in the community. For the first time a UNITED EFL organization was in place (our own MFCA!!), no NFL license for Miggle and new manufactures entering the arena. So now the event is in out rear view mirror, and the fellowship, press, enthusiasm and excitement it brought made all of the hard work and preparation worthwile. I hope we can build on this event to improve our (MFCA) relationship with Miggle Toys and other companies and build momentum for our own awesome first time event during Hall of Fame Weekend (here we come, Y'all....)

Again to all of our coaches and friends, new and old, Miggle Toys, family and friends both near and far I thank eveyone who attended who made this convention a very special event. Truly our cup runeth over!!

Steven M.

[Reginald Rutledge]

Mike,

When companies limit who comes because they want to promote their products only, they lose out on potential customers that may have given that product a chance. Also, they lose out on the relationship that one person may have with others who may have came because that one person came. You see it all the time at miniature football tournaments.

Miggle can only do so much and for whatever reason, still has not figured out that it needs the miniature footballer just as much as the miniature footballer needs them!

Whether Miggle likes SIW or FF.COM or any other manufacturer, these companies bring their own fandom and hype as well. Yes, these are companies that spun off the craze back in the 90's but each of these companies still bring a loyal following.

Much as I love the guys in the Great Lakes EFL, I know for a fact Miggle did not want me anywhere in the house! They've shown me and my products the door on several occasion, the most being in Philadelphia, PA.

So yes, like you, I would have been a little peturbed about what happened. But in many post in the past, I've told people don't allow a company mess up your MF/EF experience. By that, I simply meant that you should demand these companies allow all products to be a part of the Experience. And if you do, and those companies decide not to, then you see them for what they really are.

I feel for you and your experience in Motown. There's a great group of guys up there and they can only do so much to bring guys to their town. They tried. But don't sour on the game and the comments of people here. Guys speak with their passionate hearts as you did, too.

Reg

[warriorman]

Hey EFLguy

Take tron1984 and what he said. I too couldn't make it because of this depression we're in ! I will one day make it to a convention ! I'm self-employed and this depression , or so I call it , stinks ! Alot of people in this country having hard time buying food , GAS , and other things they deeply need ! Just be greatful you got to go and if you weren't happy , no one is making you go to anymore !