Will there be?

[uturn69]

I looked at what you have so far and i see there arent any podcasts or bands will they be there? Also i was talking to a few people at prophecy and they were saying you are having trouble and may not have a common room which is horrible they closed prophecys down for 1 night and everyone was mad are you sure there will be a common room?

[KarenS]

We still have 11 months and there is already more info on this than there was on Prophecy 6 months before. I expect they will keep adding things once they know for sure. I will be shocked if they do not add a concert with how popular the one in Toronto was. The podcast was not added until a couple months before Prophecy either. All we can do it keep watching the updates.

[uturn69]

Yea i thought that was what it is but still there were some people saying that they dont want the bands there anymore and that none will be invited next year.

[lovehp4e]

I asked on another thread and I believe they did say there was going to be a common room. yeah I was at prophecy that night they shut it down, it kinda sucked really. But I do hope they invite the wizard bands, I mean they weren't the ones causing all the trouble. Plus the concert was amazing and what good is a HP event without cool wizard rock bands?

[bekkio]

Don't worry folks! There will be a common room, and there will be wizard bands. We will announce the details as they are finalized.

Bekki

[lareenie]

Hey guys, I am Lauren and I am the Head of the Common Room for Portus 2008! We WILL be having one for sure, as far as how it will run and all that stuff we are still working that out. If you have any questions at all feel free to PM me :D

[uturn69]

Ok thanks for the help answering questions i know we still have almost a year but i was just wondering about some of the plans.

[utkari02]

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for asking about awesome IP events like the Common Room and the Wizard Rock Concert. At this point in time, like our friendly Minister of Magic, Bekki, pointed out, we are planning on including both of these event at Portus.

In the coming months we will continue our heavy brainstorming from before Prophecy and details will start solidifying. All official announcements for events will take place on our main website, portus2008.org so be sure to keep checking back there!

Thanks again, and feel free to email ip@portus2008.org with any additional questions. :D

[Poiseangel03]

You guys do realize that the reason they had to shut it down was because they had no volunteers, right? That means if you want to keep it open at Portus everyone has to do their part. And really one shift isn't gonna hurt anyone, especially the late one after everything is done for the day. :)

[David]

Hmm... I was told they closed it down (or the hotel did) because of noise complaints from the night before, actually. But since they're still having one, I'm not complaining.

On a related topic: If The Remus Lupins and Harry and the Potters aren't invited to play at Portus, I'll be most upset. I'm all for trying out some less well-known Wizard Rock bands (Oliver Boyd please!), but why not have them in addition to the regulars? Those two bands *made* the wrock concert at Prophecy for me (and I'm quite sure a lot of other people too).

Why not have *two* Wizard Rock concerts? You know you want to! That and the ball was the most fun part of Prophecy :) And considering I'm a Ravenclaw and love the formal programming, I think those sentiments must be extremely common. And yes, I know about Wizard Rock in the common room, which is great. But a concert is better.

Just my two pence.

[ginger]

I talked with one of the Draco and the Malfoys, the older one. He said they were not playing at Portus. He was nice about it, but it was pretty clear that it was Portus who did not want them, and not the other way around. :confused:

[Gryffinpuff]

I talked with one of the Draco and the Malfoys, the older one. He said they were not playing at Portus. He was nice about it, but it was pretty clear that it was Portus who did not want them, and not the other way around. :confused:

I find this VERY hard to believe, and disappointing if it is indeed the case. :(

[Bellalover]

I talked with one of the Draco and the Malfoys, the older one. He said they were not playing at Portus. He was nice about it, but it was pretty clear that it was Portus who did not want them, and not the other way around. :confused:

I think you misunderstood them... they were (in my opinion) the only well behaved w-rock band...

[PinkSpider]

they really were. brian and bradely are great guys, they really are. i'm still keeping hope that they'll be there...
i haven't asked them myself yet, but i've heard they're not going so....eh.

it's one of the things that make me hesitant to go to Portus to be honest. DatM are one of my favorites, and their set at the wrock concert at Prophecy? OUTSTANDING! *dies* if they and the other wrockers can't attend...then...bleh. there's just too many rumors going around about the whole thing, i don't know what to believe anymore

[Seeringrose]

I find it close to impossible to believe, that they will not play there? The combination of Alex, Harry and teh Potters, and Draco and the Malfoys, MADE the concert. I have absolutly no inside infromation, and I could be wrong, but still if Portus wants to hold a candel to Prophecy, they will have all out favorite Wizard Rock bands.

[bekkio]

Hi Everyone,

Don't forget that there are many other Wizard Rock groups out there who deserve a chance to shine as well. We'll be announcing some performers soon, so please keep checking back to he website.

Bekki

[Lynnn]

I was really hoping for Catchlove to be there, they are based in DFW and while not as well know still sound great.

[ginger]

Hi Everyone,

Don't forget that there are many other Wizard Rock groups out there who deserve a chance to shine as well.Bekki

Yeah, that's pretty much what "Draco" said too. He wasn't negative about it at all, or anything like that. But he did say that they offered to play, and Portus told them no thank you.

[lovehp4e]

I'd have to say I really am quite bummed and was looking forward to another wrock concert like the one at Prophecy. Does that mean HatP and The Remus Lupins and the Whomping Willows aren't being invited too?

[David]

Try out new bands, but not at the expense of having old ones.

My sister is wanting to come to Portus, and has NEVER seen these bands since we live in England. If you guys don't have them, she probably NEVER will. Which makes me really angry. She'll be so upset; you have no idea.

To be frank, you might lose me as an attendee over this. Very upsetting.

Why make Wizard Rock smaller, when you can make it bigger? If you take away the big names, fair or not, that's exactly what you're doing. Have a mix of both, I BEG you.

Considering how many people queued for the Wizard Rock Concert (it was absolutely insane)... you could lose quite a chunk of attendees on this decision alone, *especially* if Terminus has the big names. Despite saying on the Prohecy forums that Terminus was no competition for me, I really think I might go there after all. I don't really want to but...

*sigh* Sad pandas.

[Seeringrose]

Try out new bands, but not at the expense of having old ones.

My sister is wanting to come to Portus, and has NEVER seen these bands since we live in England. If you guys don't have them, she probably NEVER will. Which makes me really angry. She'll be so upset; you have no idea.

To be frank, you might lose me as an attendee over this. Very upsetting.

Why make Wizard Rock smaller, when you can make it bigger? If you take away the big names, fair or not, that's exactly what you're doing. Have a mix of both, I BEG you.

Considering how many people queued for the Wizard Rock Concert (it was absolutely insane)... you could lose quite a chunk of attendees on this decision alone, *especially* if Terminus has the big names. Despite saying on the Prohecy forums that Terminus was no competition for me, I really think I might go there after all. I don't really want to but...

*sigh* Sad pandas.


Oh I am going to kick myself for this later...

I actually am also on the fence about what convention to go to. My first choice is and probably will be Portus, but if Terminus has some of the things I rember most about Prophecy, and Portus dosn't...

Though the rational voice in me head (I call it Rachel) says, it is a bit over extreme, to choose a convention, based on bands.

I guess it's not really the (possible) not having of Draco and the Malfoys, it's the thought that this would be just another feather that you need to put on the scales, before you make up your mind, about witch to attend.

Sorry for the ramble.

[Hedwig]

*sigh* Sad pandas.

Yes, it would be sad to lose you over whether or not one of the bands you liked at Prophecy did or didn't come to either event. Whatever they decide, it will be just as interesting, as fun, and, I believe, you'd leave Dallas knowing you made the right decision.

I think either conference would be a good choice. I don't have the desire or the time to attend both and I will be working at Portus, but it really shouldn't be a competition. Each one has benefits depending on what you're interested in. If you're really up in the air about choosing, if you won't be going to both, I would suggest waiting for a bit and see what each has to offer, at least until each gets further along in their planning so that you can have a better understanding of what each will offer. I know you're making a statement and trying to impress upon the organizers your desire to have certain aspects of your experience at Prophecy repeated. But, and this will be my fourth one, each symposium is different. You can't go back and maybe any differences will make this one even better, the second time around.

[David]

As sad as I would be not to see those bands again, it's more about my sister actually. If I overstated it, it's for her I did it. I'd still maybe consider Terminus if it was just me, but with her too it really puts me up in the air about it.

She's never seen them, and she might not get another chance. This could well be the only conference she goes to, though I guess it depends for how many years they do these things. At least, I'm sure the Wizard Rock scene (should it still be active) will be *very* different by the time she can go again. I really want her to be able to see these bands in as close to the current Potter-climate as possible.

The other big issue is where all my friends are going. The longer I put off deciding, the longer I mess some other people around. There will also be people I know who (I think- I need to talk to them) are definitely going to Portus and I'd miss them if I went to Terminus. :/

[cornedrue]

Try out new bands, but not at the expense of having old ones.

I second this.

While I'm mad excited that The Moaning Myrtles will be there, I'll be pretty disappointed if the bigger acts won't be there, as it was through wizard rock that I was introduced to the conferences..

[lovehp4e]

The Moaning Myrtles? Did they post some of the bands already or?

[dramaqueen872005]

The Moaning Myrtles? Did they post some of the bands already or?

Yeah. Here's the link: http://www.hpef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=190

[Caitlin]

I totally agree, Remus Lupins and Harry and the Potters were the highlight of the concert and seeing as oliver boyd is my favorite, i would love to see him there too. Im actually waiting to register to find out if the podcast people and the wizard rock people are going to be there. Thats what made prophecy for me and Steve Vander Ark of course which one reason why im almost definitly going.

[lovehp4e]

Yeah I agree, that wrock concert at prophecy was just awesome and I'd love to see them all again at Portus, or if I have too, Terminus. So I'm waiting to see until I register on whos coming. Even though I'm excited to see Steve again.

[TheSilverDoe]

I really hope one of the bigger groups will be there. I'm excited to see the other groups too, but I've never seen any wrock before, so I'd really like to see Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, or The Remus Lupins. I don't see why they couldn't feature at least one big name band in addition to the others, and hopefully they will.

[Blue]

I was a volunteer at Prophecy (Security mostly, but I was everywhere) and while the Wrock concert did totally kick ass (one of the few things that I got to enjoy just as an attendee), it got a little out of hand - strictly from an organizational POV and the hotel, you know that place that is kind enough (no matter the fact that we shell out over $1,000.00 just to stay there) to let 1500 Potterheads run amok all over and through their place of business. I'm not going to say what the major rumor amongst the organizers and those of us who are in tight with those people (or just volunteered more hours than programs attended and sleep achieved) was, but it was BIG and I would hate to have that rumor turn into reality at Portus.

I'm not going to divulge any of the discussions that I was part of concerning Wrock concerts at Portus, but whatever decisions will be made will be made for the betterment of the con as a whole.

And as far as making a decision (David, I do get where you're coming from) based solely on whether or not DatM or HatP or TRL perform, in my opinion, would be a real waste. Wait and see what more information becomes available.

[kneazlecat54]

As a veteran of 5 cons, I'd like to make a couple of points. I should also state upfront that wrock is not important to me, so my point of view may not have much validity to any other posters here for that reason. Also, I've volunteered at every con I've attended (except Convention Alley), but I'm not formally affiliated with HPEF, Narrate or Portus.

Every con I've attended has had a different flavor, a different feel, even though I've seen some of the same people at each one. It's not really fair or realistic to expect a con to be like the one before it. Fandom changes and so do the cons.

One reason for the different flavor of the cons is that, certainly with HPEF, there's a different planning group in charge each time. That's part of the fun of them, that they're not the same event every time even though there are many similarities. Expecting the planners to try to replicate what was done the time before places an unfair limitation on them, I believe. Each group should be free to express its creative vision of an HP con, and we're free to sign up to join in or decide that it's not for us.

Prophecy took place at an extraordinary moment for us, when everything came together. That moment, glorious as it was, will never happen again. We're in a different place now and we can savor that place too.

Finally, all the emphasis on evening activities seems to me to be getting a bit far afield from the original purpose of these cons, which was to provide a forum for academic and creative discussion and exploration of the HP canon. In other words, we're there to learn. Granted, learning can and should take many forms, but ultimately, the cons are billed as symposia and HPEF describes itself as being an educational nonprofit. There is probably a way to have an HP-themed event that would be more oriented towards party/social activities, but these cons, by their own description, are primarily educational events.

I'm not saying to shut down the wrock or the podcasts entirely (although I wouldn't miss them if they were absent), but they seem to bring some very serious problems along with them, and that has to be acknowledged and addressed.

It may be that these cons can't please every facet of fandom any more. That wouldn't be surprising because there are quite a lot of us now, with hugely divergent ages, lives, interests and backgrounds. Maybe a group will decide to put on an HP event that is purely fun and social in nature, and that will get lots of interest from some, but some, like me, would not be interested at all. No group is wrong or right. We're just different. We may be able come together or not, but I hope we can all respect each other and our mutual love for Harry and his world.

[dramaqueen872005]

I'm not a big fan of the wrock. It's ok, but not really my thing. What I'm looking forward to most is all the programming. I don't really know much about the Narrate conferences, and Terminus is also too far away. I'm so excited that Portus is in Dallas because I only have to drive 3 hours to get there :)

[Bloody Harry]

As a veteran of 5 cons, I'd like to make a couple of points. I should also state upfront that wrock is not important to me, so my point of view may not have much validity to any other posters here for that reason. Also, I've volunteered at every con I've attended (except Convention Alley), but I'm not formally affiliated with HPEF, Narrate or Portus.

Every con I've attended has had a different flavor, a different feel, even though I've seen some of the same people at each one. It's not really fair or realistic to expect a con to be like the one before it. Fandom changes and so do the cons.

One reason for the different flavor of the cons is that, certainly with HPEF, there's a different planning group in charge each time. That's part of the fun of them, that they're not the same event every time even though there are many similarities. Expecting the planners to try to replicate what was done the time before places an unfair limitation on them, I believe. Each group should be free to express its creative vision of an HP con, and we're free to sign up to join in or decide that it's not for us.

Prophecy took place at an extraordinary moment for us, when everything came together. That moment, glorious as it was, will never happen again. We're in a different place now and we can savor that place too.

Finally, all the emphasis on evening activities seems to me to be getting a bit far afield from the original purpose of these cons, which was to provide a forum for academic and creative discussion and exploration of the HP canon. In other words, we're there to learn. Granted, learning can and should take many forms, but ultimately, the cons are billed as symposia and HPEF describes itself as being an educational nonprofit. There is probably a way to have an HP-themed event that would be more oriented towards party/social activities, but these cons, by their own description, are primarily educational events.

I'm not saying to shut down the wrock or the podcasts entirely (although I wouldn't miss them if they were absent), but they seem to bring some very serious problems along with them, and that has to be acknowledged and addressed.

It may be that these cons can't please every facet of fandom any more. That wouldn't be surprising because there are quite a lot of us now, with hugely divergent ages, lives, interests and backgrounds. Maybe a group will decide to put on an HP event that is purely fun and social in nature, and that will get lots of interest from some, but some, like me, would not be interested at all. No group is wrong or right. We're just different. We may be able come together or not, but I hope we can all respect each other and our mutual love for Harry and his world.

I want to agree with the fact that every con is very different from the next, or last. They all have their great times. Prophecy was at a very paticular time.

I think the wrock consrets and podcasts started becoming bigger things when they started happening at the cons in a highlight fashion. where as at the witching hour, potercast was a little thing withbasically only melissa at a restaurant for an hour.

There do happen to be some events that are solely for having fun, or simply wrock. Wrockstock and wrock the boat are two that come to mind. so some things are getting their own events. We ertianly do need to all get along, despite our differences, otherwise voldemort might try and invade our world. B)