The Xena Convention to End All Xena Conventions

I know some people will take issue with my title, but for me and a fair portion of the people that I talked with, Pasadena WAS the Xena convention to end all Xena conventions. We don't plan to attend many more and/or don't expect a lot of the stars and fans to do the same. No other convention has boasted the guest list this one did. It lent the whole convention a bit of a manic air; everyone was scarfing down parties and events like someone off a six-week starvation diet.

I didn't get to attend every part of the convention, so my apologies for the stars I've missed in this report. But I can tell you about...

Zoe Bell and Paul Grinder (Xena stunt double and second unit director)

Tsianina Joelson (Varia)

Claire Stansfield (Alti)

Whoosh panel - Six Seasons of Xena: What Went Right and What Went Wrong
I participated in a panel of Xena critics on Saturday that was absolutely awesome, but I didn't want to post a report here because most of what I remembered was my own attempts to say something witty. Thankfully, Whoosh decided to devote a whole issue to the convention, including three articles from us panel folks. So feel free to visit my report there and visit other people's recollections as well.

The fans did more than just attend at Pasadena; they became active participants and contributors, partially thanks to the guests or even, hold onto your hats, Creation. Dealers hawking their wares took up about four rooms, but one room was set aside for fan activities (mostly meetings of different fan groups). Stars brought fans up on stage and ran around in the crowd. Hotel meeting rooms were full of more fan-sponsored breakfasts, dinners, parties.

Most importantly, the fans were giving their money to charity. Charitable giving by the Xena fans is nothing new, but I think it reached new heights during this weekend. Sword and Staff was celebrating reaching the quarter-million dollar mark in charitable gifts, and raised over $18,000 more at its charity dinner. Creation's charity auctions gathered somewhere around $100,000 (including a whopping $40,000 for one of the new chakrams fresh from the Xena set). And heard that the Missy Good pups had raised something like $25,000 with their events. Put it all together, and it means around $150,000 was raised for a half-dozen or so charities in three days. Attendees were feeling proud and many of the weekend guests congratulated the fans and gave their own contributions to the charity auctions.

We should all have shirts like this! (PS: The back of the shirt said "Bottle on!")

	Web www.bethgriese.com