Slightly Possible Muppet Convention?

[emberfire]

So..... I want to start a Muppet Convention in Iowa, and i've got a few connections to make it happen. However, I was wondering if anyone here has tried something like this? is there a legal problem with it? Any problems that others have run into?

Also If it is Legal, and the people i am contacting agree to do it, is there people in or around Iowa who would be interested in coming to something like this?

(I love these )

 

[D'Snowth]

It's been talked about for years, but I don't believe anybody has ever really pulled it off.

The closest thing I can think of it a member here several years ago (and I can't remember who) doing a local Ed, Edd n Eddy convention in his town.

 

[emberfire]

we'll see what happens. I e-mailed Disney (not sure how that's going to turn out) and I e-mailed Mindbridge to see if they would even consider it. if Mindbridge says yes, then i need to make a petition to show them enough people would be interested, than write a proposal to show them how it will uphold their interests. I was thinking of emphasizing puppetry so that their is an educational reason behind it.

Any other suggestions will be very very welcomed

 

[redBoobergurl]

Well Iowa is certainly closer for me than if it were to happen at Disney World! (I'm in MN) so I'd be in if something could be pulled together!

 

[bazooka_beak]

I can't believe that there has never been a Muppet convention! It would be so great. My dad goes on business trips to Iowa, so it would be easy for me to tag along and pretend

 

[D'Snowth]

I can't believe that there has never been a Muppet convention!

What was MuppetFest?

 

[Beauregard]

Bazooks probably means 'unofficial'.

A little while ago a gang of MC members tried to set one up, but couldn't get enough funding and/or interest from Disney/JHC/Sesame to make it work. However I wish you ever luck with yours!

 

[Luke]

So..... I want to start a Muppet Convention in Iowa, and i've got a few connections to make it happen. However, I was wondering if anyone here has tried something like this? is there a legal problem with it? Any problems that others have run into?

Also If it is Legal, and the people i am contacting agree to do it, is there people in or around Iowa who would be interested in coming to something like this?

(I love these )

We tried to start one years ago ... but we wanted to do it on a big professional scale. Big theatre hired, entertainment, central location for all. I would imagine putting together a local one would be a lot easier. Cost and legality wise it was too much of a huge commitment for us to pull off at the time.

However without Disney support you are unlikely to be able to use the Muppets at all and while not impossible, that might be hard to get. Your better bet might be to go to the Jim Henson Legacy people and do a Jim Henson convention, as i think as its for educational purposes if they got involved they may have some kind of limited agreement to use certain parts of the Muppet names and puppets via Disney.

 

[bazooka_beak]

What was MuppetFest?

I meant unofficial... like, something created by a group of fans, I guess.

 

[emberfire]

http://www.puppeteers.org/festivals.html

so this is a link to someone who might be able to help us start a convention. We could say its a puppet convention, and then ask permission to have a Muppet theme. if anything it can be a puppet convention, and we can all make it a Muppet theme....one way or another.

The other option would be to contact the Jim Henson legacy,(that's a great idea Luke ) but like you said I'm not sure how Muppety that would turn out....i would have to get in contact with them.

Since it is local, all we would need is Disney permission, because then we could just contact the puppeteers ect. and personally invite them to come. I honestly don't know much about this.....which is one (among many) reasons why I'm here asking opinions. Does anyone have any other ideas?