Tag Archives: Events

LEGO fan events and conventions happen all over the world, from LEGO Fanwelt in Germany to BrickCon in Seattle. Follow along at home with our coverage of the people, news, and models from events everywhere.

Brickworld 2013 Wrap-Up

This past weekend was Brickworld 2013 in Schaumberg, Illinois, and Chris and I attended. I attended for the first time; it was fun being a “newbie” for once, despite this being my 11th LEGO convention. This was my first event outside of the Pacific Northwest! Though really, Chicago, the tornados were a bit much. Really. No need for that.

All weather and terrible airline travel aside, the event was a blast. This was the first year in the new location and by all accounts, it was a fabulous decision to move and improved the convention-going experience greatly. Unlike last year, all the creations this year were housed in the same MASSIVE space.

Over the next few days, pictures of some of the amazing creations will pop online. I want to highlight a few of my favorites:

Smaug by Sharon Vance

The Marquis, by Peter Mowry

Area 51 by Brian Williams

This was really fantastic. We’ve blogged the warehouse previously; now he’s added the shooting location for the Moon Landing, a Stargate, and a number of other fantastic references!

Product announcements

There were two bits of news which we already reported: the reveal of 10234 Sydney Opera House and announcing the Curiosity Rover.

For me, the value of any convention comes from the memories; I attend just as much, if not more, for the people as I do the brick. I saw people I haven’t seen in years, met new friends, and made enough memories and paper planes to last a lifetime. Or at least until BrickCon.

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Brick Fiesta registration deadline is May 31

If you’re planning on attending Brick Fiesta in Dallas but have not yet registered, you have until the end of May to do so and get your engraved badge. Visit Brick Fiesta’s website for registration details.

Brickworld registration closes after May 13

If you are planning to attend Brickworld Chicago from June 12-16 but have not yet registered, you have until May 13 to do so before registration closes. Visit their website for registration info and important deadlines for attendees.

Portuguese LUG hosts Oeiras BRInKCa 2013 from April 26 – 28

The Portuguese LEGO Users Group (PLUG) is hosting a LEGO show in Oeiras, Portugal this coming weekend, April 26-28.

Here are the complete details in the organizers’ press release (with some minor edits for readability):

PLUG (Portuguese LUG) is going to run its annual, largest Lego fan event (Oeiras BRInKCa 2013) next weekend from April 26th through the 28th. The event will be in Oeiras, Portugal at Leões de Porto Salvo sport facilities, with over 1,200 square meters of exhibition and Lego-selling areas. You will have the opportunity to see models and dioramas from Portuguese and international builders, meet the new LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 and enjoy several activities/workshops.

World War Brick 2013 in Minneapolis, MN – June 28-30 [News]

World War Brick is a LEGO fan event organized by Brickmania that brings together builders who display LEGO models inspired by historical and military themes. The second annual event will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Brickmania Toyworks.

Discount pre-registration for weekend passes (the private convention) ended yesterday, but you can use a special coupon code for TBB readers when you register and get $10 off: TBBWWB

As with most LEGO fan conventions, you can also see the models on display during public exhibition times, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Head on over to WorldWarBrick.com for complete details

SeaLUG display at Emerald City Comic Con

What do Hogwarts, the Batcave, the Shire, a four-foot Borg cube, and an eight-foot Space Needle have in common? They were all at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle this last weekend!

I spent three days immersed in nerd-culture and am only now beginning to recover. What an awesome time! This was the second year that SeaLUG has put on a display at ECCC and it was definitely a success.

There were many highlights throughout the weekend but a big personal highlight was getting my Patrick Stewart, Christoper Lloyd and Batman mosaics signed.

The display itself was like a “Who’s Who” of impressive builds. Alice Finch brought her incredible Hogwart’s. Wayne Hussey and Carlyle Livingston brought The Batcave, Shawn Steele brought his Space Needle, Dan Parker brought an enormous Borg Cube, there was a collaborative build of The Shire, a Miniland-scale BrickCon, DisneyLand, Mosaics, Space Ships (with Space Kraken) and much, much more.

The entire weekend was full of good times, good food, catching up with old friends (Hi Will!) and making new ones. Celebrity sightings were a common occurence. I’m told Felicia Day came by and checked out the LEGO display. I attended the panel she co-hosted with Wil Wheaton but missed her apperance at the Sealug tables. Panels, sessions and workshops are a huge part of comic book conventions. I attended several, including Patrick Stewart’s (yes, he is awesome). Mariann Asanuma got LEGO on the agenda running a panel on “Building with Lego – for a Living!”

The convention attendees seemed to be impressed with the display of LEGO creativity. There was a constant flow of traffic at the tables on Friday (the only day that wasn’t sold out), but Saturday and Sunday were packed. People were lining up around the corner to check out our LEGO creations. I heard cries of delight all the way down the display and quite a few people wanted to know how to get involved with the hobby. We passed out SeaLUG business cards and BrickCon bookmarks like they were candy and people wanted even more information.

For many it was the first time they had seen what adults could do with the amazing little bricks we play with and it was a whole new world to them. So, to sum up, SeaLUG had a great time at Emerald City Comic Con. If there is a similar event in a city near your LUG, I highly recommend getting involved. It’s a great way to spread the word about your LUG, show off your creations and to meet new people!

Christchurch Brick Show from LUG 4/2, July 20-21, 2013 [News]

LUG 4/2, the LEGO Users Group of New Zealand, will be hosting the Christchurch Brick Show this July at the Air Force Museum.

The Christchurch Brick Show is back for 2013, boasting the biggest Lego Show in New Zealand!

After a huge success last year, the team is taking the show to new heights with a new much larger venue, and models to please fans of every age and stage. The show is being held July 20th and 21st at the Christchurch’ Air Force Museum, with public open hours 9am-5pm. Ryan McNaught, The southern hemisphere’s only Lego Certified professional, will also be present at the show along with his famous 5m tall Saturn V. There will be hundreds of models plus a huge building area for kids to build to their hearts content – plus all sorts of other fun! There will also be an AFOL event on the Saturday night which will be a great time to meet like-minded enthusiasts!

Registrations for Exhibitors, AFOL’s and Sellers are all now open, so head over to the LUG4/2 website for details and signup.

See you in July!

Registration open for Brick Fiesta in Dallas July 4-7, 2013

Registration is now open for the third annual Brick Fiesta that will take place in Dallas from July 4-7. This is a standard 4 day Lego convention with the usual activities you’d expect plus the weekend public exhibit. I will of course be there since I am a Dallas resident and I hope to see many of you there!

Hillel Cooperman’s BrickCon keynote video now online

Since BrickCon 2010, we’ve been treated to Hillel Cooperman‘s hilarious opinions about the world of LEGO fandom. This year’s keynote address is now online, and gives you a flavor of what it’s like to get in a room and laugh together with 500 of your closest friends. This year, Hillel shares a lovely retrospective of the first 10 years of the longest-running LEGO convention.

Warning: This is an uncensored video at a convention for adult LEGO fans. Expect the occasional four-letter word…

http://youtu.be/vRPnKoWF6qw

LUG Brasil’s expo in São Paulo (Nov 10-11)

Every once in a while I will be reminded of a Lego event in a country where we may not have too many readers of the blog. Although it may not be pertinent to most of you, news like this is a good reminder of the world’s widespread love of the brick. So, if you’re in São Paulo this weekend, go check out LUG Brasil’s second expo at the College Benjamin Constant.

Videos from Brickworld Ft. Wayne 2012

Josh Hanlon from Beyond The Brick posted videos of displays and interviews at Brickworld Ft. Wayne, which took place about a month ago. Check out the YouTube playlist for all the videos from the event.

Memphis Comic Con features Lego, Nov 9 -11

In less than a month the 2012 Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention will take place featuring a section dedicated to Lego where you can see and and display creations. In addition there will be Lego vendors, brickfilm showings, and discussion panels. Click on the poster below for more info.