Also, we just sent out an email to some of the folks we know who attended last year's Road Warrior Weekend Event 2009. And since that applies to some of you here on this board, I thought I'd cut and paste it here. Maybe this year we'll figure out some way to identify members of this board so that we can all put names to faces out there in the desert. Hope to see you all there.
P.S. This will probably be the biggest Mad Max fan event of all time!
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Ticket prices go up July 1st!
As many of you know by now, we are putting another event on this year - Wasteland Weekend 2010. We wanted to give all of you a brief description of what you can expect this year, and why this year's event is not affiliated with last year's.
All of the key organizers of this year's Wasteland Weekend (WW 2010) attended last year's Road Warrior Weekend Event (RWWE 2009). Karol Bartoszynski, the event director, was one of the main people behind last year's event and has been organizing Mad Max events for years. Jim Howard, a San Diego club promoter, is our co-director and was one of the attendees who stepped up at the last minute with things like video projectors and construction material.
During RWWE 2009, many of us were frustrated by things that didn't turn out the way we thought they should. But we were also excited by the possibilities of future events if the problems could be worked out. Before the event was even over, people like Jim were telling Scarlett Harlott (event director for RWWE 2009) that if she didn't have an event in 2010, others would like to step in and make it happen. Ultimately, Scarlett decided not to have an event in 2010, but to wait until 2011.
We did a careful survey of many RWWE 2009 attendees and listened to your feedback. We thoughtfully considered any reasons to wait until 2011. In the end, 2 out of 3 of you wanted an event in 2010 rather than wait. And we agreed. We can confidently say that the reasons to have a 2010 event far outweighed reasons to wait until 2011.
After reaching out to Scarlett for a while, it was clear that she did not want to be involved in our 2010 event, so we parted ways with her. And Wasteland Weekend 2010 was born.
Enough of the past. What about THIS year?
We'll be returning to Soggy Dry Lake, the site Karol chose last year. But this year we've got a new spot picked out that has a great cliff-side backdrop. It will give some great visuals and also cut down on the wind a bit. We also decided to have the event a month earlier to take advantage of warmer temperatures and longer daylight. And if it's clear, we'll have a full moon illuminating the night.
Our committee has been hard at work for months now in order to make this the post-apocalyptic party we've all dreamed of. We hope you've all noticed the level of organization thus far. There will be some incredible sets built out in the desert to create the illusion of being in a 360 degree post-apocalyptic world. Our central event area will be blocked off from the view of modern RVs and non-themed campsites.
Thanks in part to Jim Howard's club promoter background, some of the best DJs from San Diego, Los Angeles and even Las Vegas have already signed on to perform at the event (with more soon to be announced). All of the DJs will be playing music that fits our theme (yes, we agreed with those last year that felt the music didn't really fit).
Other entertainers already confirmed include an incredible group of fire performers, two separate drummer/percussionists, and two Wasteland Jugging teams preparing to put on a blood and guts athletic competition for you. If you don't know what Jugging is, be sure to check out the cult movie Blood Of Heroes (known in Europe as Salute To The Jugger). Here is a link to the trailer so you know what to expect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qckMHp7wU
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. More entertainers of various kinds are signing on each week (and some of them we're keeping secret for now).
Our entertainment will take place on a dedicated main stage with a professional sound and lighting setup, and two full-time video screens. And Wasteland Radio will be back, broadcasting 24/7, just like last year.
We were fortunate to have some great fan-made vehicles last year, including a couple of Mad Max movie replica cars. But wait until you see what's coming this year. We've already confirmed three, that's right THREE V8 Interceptor/pursuit specials. With a fourth one likely to attend as well. Add to that the Red XA bat car, the gyrocopter flying overhead again and hopefully Dave G. traveling out with his Humungus Machine and you've got possibly the biggest and best Mad Max vehicle roundup ever. And those are just the ones we know of right now. With several months to go before the event, we're expecting more.
We'll be organizing lots of activities for our attendees this year, like archery contests and other tests of skill, photo sessions, vehicle races, costume contests etc..
Vendors for this event are being offered a space at less than what they paid last year, and we're carefully selecting them to make sure they have theme-appropriate merchandise and services.
We expect attendance to be significantly higher this year not only because we are building on the success of last year's event, but also because we are putting an enormous amount of time and energy in promoting the event. And we expect to receive both print, online, and hopefully network media coverage (we've already been featured in the San Diego Reader). http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2010/jun/16/blurt3/
Our promotional push includes a presence at Anime Expo, Burning Man Decompression parties, various clubs, bars and off-road parts shops, and especially Comic Con. Just wait until you see what we have in store for Comic Con this July.
Lastly, we want to say a little bit about our organization this year. We have a very dedicated group that is putting their all into making this a great event for the fans. And we want to hear from you. Your concerns, your ideas, your enthusiasm. We're on our facebook, myspace, and, most importantly, at http://www.wastelandweekend.com. We have people in charge of various aspects of the event and we will always get back to you in a timely manner.
To top it all off, if you buy your tickets before July 1st, you'll get them for less than what you paid last year - $50. They go up to $65 after July 1st, and up to $80 in September. That's a pass for all three days. No tickets will be sold at the door this year.
Hope to see you all there, and get in touch if you have any comments, questions, or concerns.
Sincerely,
The staff of Wasteland Weekend 2010
