LPWire: NFFC 2003 Kickoff Seminars Announced
NFFC Kick-Off Celebration 2003
January 17, 18, 19, 2003
Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove
UPDATE
- January 3, 2003 -
OK Kids - we’re just about two weeks away from our NFFC 2003 Kick-Off Celebration convention and it’s really come together and it looks like we’ll have another great weekend of wall-to-wall Disney fun. I think that we’ve been able to put together an event to rival anything we’ve ever done - with some new faces and some old friends this is a weekend not to miss.
It’s been fun watching the Kick-Off ‘03 take shape over the last month as each of the seminars has been put into the schedule as our speakers and the Disney Studios have confirmed their participation. I think it’s a good balance of information, food and fun - and we have also built in some time to play, socialize, pin trade, visit the parks and room hop - then there’s the shopping!
Standard Kick-Off ‘03 registration is $65, which includes all seminars, the “Aladdin-A musical Spectacular” Breakfast Buffet and our Luncheon - plus early admission to Sunday's Strictly Disneyana Show & Sale. But, don’t worry if you haven’t pre-registered - as the date for pre-registration has passed - and don’t worry if you’re not an NFFC member as we can take care of that too. Just come to the Crowne Plaza Resort during Saturday morning’s registration hours and we can get you set-up with a walk-in registration. There is still some space available - so - if it sounds like fun - come on in - we’ll be happy to have you join us.
This year’s Kick-Off Celebration - the NFFC’s 9th Annual - will be headquartered at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove - on the south-west corner at Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue in Garden Grove about a mile and a half South of the Disneyland Resort - we have gotten a great room rate deal at the Crowne. The NFFC Kick-Off Convention group rate is only $105.00 - single or double occupancy - per night plus taxes. You can make your reservation for the Crowne now at (714)-867-5555 make sure that you book under the NFFC room block - rooms have sold very well and we still have a few room nights left in our block - so call now.
We are also very excited to be offering something new this year as a trial. For those of you who would like a “Front Row Seat” we are offering “Preferred Seating”. This will get you a front row seat at all the seminars and Special Seating at meal functions. The “Preferred Seating” and all the rest of the Kick-Off 2003 Package has been specially priced at $130.00. We will be offering a limited number of these special packages and it will be first come first served based on postmark.
View the Registration form (pdf format)
Also being offered this year is Event Sponsorships, for your financial Sponsorships you, your Company or Organization will receive Promotional Trade.
Our Kick-Off Celebration 2003 schedule looks like this
Friday - January 17, 2003
We’ll be moving into the Crowne and if you have a couple hours that you don’t know what to do with - we can always use some help with our convention set-up - just stop by the hotel after about noon and check with a member of the Special Events Committee - you could try looking for us in the Cozumel room - or you can e-mail me at [email protected] - and I’m sure that I’ll be able to help you find something to keep you busy. We are an all volunteer organization and every little bit of help from you means more fun for everyone.
The NFFC’s Hospitality Suite will be open in the Monterrey Room - to all NFFC members - not only to those who are attending the Kick-Off - on both Friday and Saturday nights from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. So please stop in for a beverage, a munchie and place to sit chat and make some new friends or get reacquainted with old ones. It’s a great place to come and socialize. Our NFFC Room-Hopping board will also be here - so stop by and check the rooms open for hopping - it’s a good place to shop and play.
The Hospitality Suite is also our "Pin Central" for the event with our very own Brian Hugo and myself, on both Friday and Saturday nights, will be available to provide space for Pin Trading. We started this at our National Convention last July and a number of attendees enjoyed it, so we are going to give it a shot again this time too. So don’t forget to bring your pin bag.
And - since the Kick-Off has “officially” begun - room hopping will also be happening - the room hopping board will be found in the Hospitality Suite. If you are thinking about getting a room to show or sell any or all of your collection don’t forget that Friday and Saturday are the busiest nights.
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Starts bright and early - at 8:00am - with our event Check-In in the Mazzatlan (don’t worry we’ll have signs all over the lobby to help you find your way around the hotel) foyer and then into a day packed with all things Disney.
9:00am - 9:15am - Welcome remarks from the NFFC’s President Jay Aldrich.
9:15am - 10:30am - We’re trying something new for breakfast and have just confirmed that Gregory Gunter will be joining us as the presenter for our “Aladdin-A musical Spectacular” Breakfast Buffet. Greg has spent his career as a Theatrical Creative Director for world renowned theater artists, directors and writers. He also worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation for two and half years and helped develop the stories for such films as Tarzan; It’s A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2. He is currently the Director for Creative Entertainment, Walt Disney Theme Parks and Resorts Worldwide. Greg will be filling us all in on the new show at Disney’s California Adventure in the Hyperion Theatre. There could also be some surprises during the breakfast, so you don’t want to miss out.
10:45am - 11:30am - Our good friends from the Disneyland Resort Merchandise and Special Events Merchandise division - featuring Tony Garrison, Director of Merchandise Specialized Businesses for the Disneyland Resort - will be doing a bit of show & tell for upcoming events and merchandise in the works Tony will be introducing us to some of the exciting new merchandise for the upcoming year including items from the summer release “Pirates of the Caribbean”. If we try we might be able to get some information on the merchandise and events surrounding Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary.
11:45am - 12:30pm - Here we have a bit of a mystery - not who - but what. The Walt Disney Studios has agreed to come and speak to us but, we don’t yet know about what yet nor who will be presenting. Guess you’ve got to be there to know for sure. But we are very close to finalizing topics and a speaker. Check back to see the mystery solved.
12:45pm - 1:30pm - Carlene Thie - author of the wonderful photo essay books “A Photographer’s Life: Disney Under Construction”, Disney’s Early Years: Through the Eye of a Photographer” and “Disney Years: Seen Through a Photographer’s Lens” - will be joining us for a seminar about these amazing books and her plans to release a special collector’s edition.
1:45pm - 4:00pm - We’ll be having a luncheon - which is still under going some renovations at this time. We have asked some old friends to join us and we have some plans that we can’t really release yet - trust us it will be a great event.
4:15pm - 5:30pm - We are looking forward to a very memorable tribute seminar to one of the most uniquely talented artists to ever work for the Walt Disney Company - Mary Blair. We are delighted to feature two of our good friends - and colleagues of Mary’s - Harriet Burns and Rolly Crump (and possibly some other wonderful guests) to give us some insights and share their memories of this gifted artist. Both Harriet and Rolly were part of the team of artists and craftspeople who created it’s a small world.
Following the final seminar will be an autograph session for our guests.
Remember to join us in the Hospitality Suite from 7:00pm until 10:00pm for some friends and light refreshments. There will also be pin trading and the room hopping board will also be found here.
Sunday - January 19, 2003
World’s Largest STRICTLY Disneyana Show & Sale (view flyer)
Sunday is dedicated to the wall-to-wall-full-tilt-shopping-extravaganza that is the NFFC’s Worlds Largest Strictly Disneyana Show and Sale. The Show & Sale is our most widely attended event, and this year’s show will feature more than 100 tables with more than 50 dealers from across the country and around the world offering tens-of-thousands of new and vintage items.
The price for the Show & Sale is $6 for the general public and $5 for NFFC members (with valid NFFC membership card) and $5 for Disney Company Cast Members (with valid ID card). There is also a $25 early-bird entry for those wishing to enter the show at 10:30am.
9:00am - for attendees of Kick-Off 2003
10:00am - for NFFC members not attending Kick-Off 2003
Noon - 5:00pm for the general public.
The show and sale closes at 5:00pm so come early.
If you’ve wondered how you got two of something - or why you even began collecting something else - or if you need more space to collect this new thing - and wanted to sell it without the hassle of e-Bay or the uncertainty of a yard sale - we still have a few tables - at $90.00 - available for the show & sale - call Nicloasa at 818-901-7244 - and she’ll get a dealer contract out to you. A valid re-sale license is required to participate in the NFFC Strictly Disneyana Show & Sale.
Keep your eyes on LaughingPlace.com/NFFC or NFFC.org for any LATE BREAKING NEWS!
--Posted January 3, 2003
Source: NFFC