Megaplex (convention)
| Megaplex | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Furry |
| Venue | Caribe Royale |
| Location(s) | Orlando, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 2002 |
| Most recent | 2019 |
| Attendance | 3,615 in 2019 |
| Organized by | Florida United Furry Fandom, Inc. |
| Filing status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | megaplexcon |
Megaplex, originally known as Pawpet Megaplex, is a furry convention in Orlando, Florida.[1][2] Held annually since 2002, the most recent convention was held from August 8–11, 2019.[3]
History
Megaplex can trace its history to Furry Spring Break, a furry convention held in Orlando, Florida between March 2–4, 2001. Notably, Furry Spring Break was the first furry convention held in the Deep South (though there had been previous notable furry meetups prior to Furry Spring Break). While Furry Spring Break was planned to be an annual event, the Ramada Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, which had been the venue in 2001, denied a request to house the convention in 2002.[4] As a result, Pawpet Live Experiences, Inc. (the group responsible for creating Megaplex) quickly formed to create a new convention. Pawpet Megaplex held its first convention between March 8–10, 2002.[5] After the 2003 convention, "Pawpet" was dropped from the name, with all subsequent conventions going by Megaplex.[6] The 2007 and 2008 conventions were held in Jacksonville, Florida due to the lack of available and affordable convention spaces in Orlando. This move, as well as the closeness of the convention to that year's Furry Weekend Atlanta, caused a sharp decline in attendees compared to the previous years.[6] The convention would later move back to the Greater Orlando area in 2009, when it moved to Kissimmee, Florida, and in 2013 the convention moved once again back to Orlando proper.[7] Prior to the 2019 convention, Megaplex became a nonprofit event, transferring their assets to the 501(c)(3) Florida United Furry Fandom, Inc. (with the shortening of FLUFF, Inc.).[8]
Megaplex by year
| Year | Dates | Location | City | Attendance | Charity Donation | Charity | Theme | Guests of Honor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | March 8–10 | Ramada Resort and Convention Center | Orlando, Florida | 126 | $1,378 | The C.A.R.E. Foundation | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 | March 21–23 | Sheraton Studio City Resort | 197 | N/A | Hollywood | Susan Rankin | ||
| 2004 | March 19–21 | 357 | $2,500 | MP3 | Trace Beaulieu | |||
| 2005 | March 11–13 | Sheraton World Resort | 387 | $2,210 | Road Trip | John Kennedy | ||
| 2006 | March 21–23 | 257 | $3,100 | TEH HORROR! | Brian Reynolds | |||
| 2007 | March 2–4 | Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk | Jacksonville, Florida | 185 | $2,825 | Game Shows | Mike Kazaleh | |
| 2008 | March 28–30 | 255 | $1,185 | Heroes & Villains | Adam Wan | |||
| 2009 | July 24–26 | Radisson WorldGate Resort Orlando Hotel | Kissimmee, Florida | 425 | $1,500 | Toyland / Christmas in July | Big Blue Fox | |
| 2010 | July 23–25 | 410 | $2,928 | Mad, Mad Science | Paul Zaloom | |||
| 2011 | July 29–31 | 553 | $1,368 | Retro Arcade | Chad Krueger | |||
| 2012 | July 27–29 | 625 | $4,257 | Turning Back the Gears | Noel MacNeal | |||
| 2013 | July 26–28 | Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside | Orlando, Florida | 821 | $4,038 | Rockin' at the Hop | Fox Amoore; Tirrel | |
| 2014 | July 25–27 | 1,281 | $10,697 | Candy Factory | Mary Mouse; TaniDaReal | |||
| 2015 | July 31–August 2 | 1,472 | $8,260 | Cops & Robbers | Fablefire; Fizz Otter | |||
| 2016 | August 5–7 | Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista South | 1,860 | $8,468 | British Invasion | Cosmic Wuffy; Kenket | ||
| 2017 | August 4–6 | SeaWorld DoubleTree | 2,430 | $12,395 | Megaquest, Wrath of Con | Kodi Pup; Rick Griffin | ||
| 2018 | August 1–3 | 2,602 | $10,850 | The Furnesian Islands | Paco Panda; NIIC, the Singing Dog | |||
| 2019 | August 9–11 | Caribe Royale | 3,615 | $40,000 | The Greatest Escape | JD Puppy; SonicFox |
References
- ↑ Hamblin, Larissa (August 2, 2018). "Megaplex 2018's furry convention comes to Orlando this week". Orlando Weekly. Euclid Media Group. Retrieved January 17, 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Sangalang, Jennifer (August 3, 2017). "Unfurgettable: Megaplex in Orlando a big furry party". Florida Today. Gannett. Retrieved January 17, 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ McCollum, Thaddeus (August 7, 2019). "Central Florida Furries finally get a judgment-free weekend at Megaplex convention". Orlando Weekly. Euclid Media Group. Retrieved January 17, 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Patten 2017, p. 117.
- ↑ Patten 2017, p. 154.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Patten 2017, p. 156.
- ↑ Patten 2017, p. 157.
- ↑ "FLORIDA UNITED FURRY FANDOM, INC". Division of Corporations. Florida Department of State. Retrieved January 23, 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
Bibliography
External links
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