Welcome to the official EyeCon Convention testimonials page. The testimonials can be seen below.
I had a terrific time. First, I got to meet many of my online friends, who, before this, were just words on a page. To be able to put a face and voice to these people was wonderful. Although I have been to many cons in the past, what made this extra special was the small venue. It gave me the opportunity to fully interact with the actors.
The cocktail party was a lot of fun, and did bring us closer to the actors. I was nervous for about five seconds, but no more.
Ten Inch Hero, well, I hope it finds some distribution. It was a good movie, mixing all types of genres - comedy, drama, angst, etc.
Jim Beaver is intelligent, down-to-earth and very friendly, made all of us at his banquet table feel good. We not only spoke about Supernatural and his career, but he asked about us, and that made me respect him even more.
Chad is funny, Samantha is tough and made me laugh, Alona has a bright smile, Gabriel was so cute, in that he was nervous at his first con.
Steve Carlson has a new fan in me, his concert blew me away.
Sandy is amazing, and I have the utmost resepct for her, especially in the way she treated my 13 year old daughter, Beth. Beth so wanted her autograph, and when she went to the table, she was asked if she had an autograph ticket. She told Sandy no, and the woman with Sandy advised my daughter that she couldn't have one. Beth just shrugged and said "Okay", but Sandy turned to the other woman, and said "Please," and gave my daughter the auto. Beth, needless to say, was thrilled. This is truly a stand-up lady, because she could have refused, and I have seen that at other cons.
Then, we have Jared. With his busy schedule, Jared took the time to come to Orlando and meet with his fans. He could have just as easily said "No, I'm sorry, but my schedule in filming is going to prevent this." But he didn't, and showing up let us know how much he truly respects and loves his fans. His exhuberance and humor at his Q&A, well, if I had that every morning I could do away with half my caffeine intake. And he is tall...very tall.
The photo ops and autograph sessions went by smoothly, no muss, no fuss.
I know there are those who were unhappy with the way some things went, but being a con-goer of old, it was a great job done.
Kenny, you and Voni pulled off what others have tried, and failed, to do for a long time. You got stars for a small convention, gave us parties and a concert, allowed us to get up close and personal with the actors, and for that, I salute you.
Looking forward to the next one, and I will be there, but less-caffeinated LOL. - Karen
I had an amazing time this weekend.
I think this was the most fun I've ever had in a three day time span (and the least sleep).
I never felt rushed, and I was treated like a person, with respect, by everyone. Kenny, I really appreciated that you took the time to talk to me and many others. The rest of the crew was also great.
There was plenty of face-to-face time with the guests. The highlight of the weekend besides Jared (who is just awesome) was talking to Jim Beaver who is incredibly sweet, and seeing Ten Inch Hero.
Additionally, I had a great time with all the other fangirls; it's amazing to be surrounded by people who are just as passionate about SPN as me. I hope to see many of them again at the next EyeCon. - Chrissy
Kenny & Voni,
I just wanted to email you and give you a very large thank you and a HUGE HUG!!
I had a awesome time. You both are very nice and great to be around. You and your staff were always available for questions or just to chat and say hi!
I know there were some glitches but they go with any con. I am a con veteran and not every con goes without glitches of one form or another. They get worked out!
Being able to sit down with you on Thursday nite and throughout the weekend was sweet. You make even me tired and that is hard to do! (remember I don't sleep!)
Steve's concert was just awesome as usual! Never can get enough of his music.
The photo op lines went very smoothly! Manny & Sharon were awesome "line guides"!
Dizzy! What can I say about him! He is frakin awesome!
Larry was wonderful. I ran out of batteries at the cocktail party and he was nice enough to give me a couple to hold me over until mine charged (he plugged them in for me)!
The upclose experience with the stars was fun! Who would have thought I would be "jamming" out (even if I sucked) with Steve Carlson on Rock Band! (I was okay until he came and then I had my "fangirl" moment and lost all train of thought) or having dinner sitting next to Gabe Tigerman (we were the loudest table!).
I loved it when I was able to talk with Sandy & Steve for a few minutes in between people. We just talked, it was great!
Jim Beaver was awesome! You would see him in the halls and he would make sure he stopped even if it was to say Hi. He still could not understand the "Bobby Fever" that was running around the con! LOL!
Samantha Ferris was wonderful as usual. Love her! Seen her before and always in awe of this woman!
Chad is exactly how I pictured him to be! So much like Ash! He was always available for a chat. He was hilarious!
Gabe, what can I say. He was ANDY! He made dinner so much fun! I was excited that he actually had a vacancy when I got to the door! It took three tries to get my picture with him (along with my friend Lindsay). We walked up to him at the photo ops and said we wanted a Gabe sandwich, he came back with "Well I AM delicious!". That started all of us laughing!
Sandy - she makes the energizer bunny look slow! She has so much energy, she makes me tired! I was so excited when you announced a Q&A with her! She is so smart, funny and passionate about life and her future, you could not help but feel it in the room. I'm glad that we all made her feel comfortable and welcomed!
AND Jared what can I say? He is awesome! With his busy schedule he still found a way to be there! And he made time for the fans in both the photo ops and the autographs! It took two attempts to get our picture w/Jim as we were talking about Chicago (he said he remembered me from chicago and the impala that he signed because I told him he could ONLY sign the trunk that only Jensen got the hood)!
MY MOST MEMORIABLE MOMENT: When I was in the autograph line for Jared, I had brought the original of an anime' drawing my son made of Sam & Dean for me for Christmas to have signed by Jared. I also had framed copies of it as a gift for Jared (also to give one to Jensen). My son signed their copies at the bottom. Jared loved them! He told me to tell my son to keep up the good work and to pursue his art passion that the drawing was awesome and he would give Jensen's copy to him. That maybe one day he (Jared) would have "an original first issue" of an artists work! LOL!!! That was so sweet of him and meant alot to my son when I told him.
So I just wanted to stop in and tell you both to take care of yourselves and get huge amounts of sleep.
Can't wait for the announcement of the next one (hopefully soon!). I for one will surely be there with bells on!! Keep the same venue! Love the hotel. Even Starbucks knew exactly what I wanted when I got there! **maybe there too much?** :D
Hugs
Kaye - Kaye
Hi! Quick note to say thank you, thank you THANK YOU for putting Eyecon together. I dragged a friend of mine who had never even seen Supernatural until the week before ... (let's just say she's seen them all now) and we both had a blast.
Words don't begin to touch how grateful we all were to the entire cast of stars for their willingness to just hang out with us. :-) They were all so wonderful.
What touched me the most was that when I thanked Jared for making time out of his busy schedule to come he shook his head and said "No, thank you for your support." Meeting him was a real treat, my fandom really does have the best guys in the biz!
Also, thanks to the staff who did a wonderful job! This was my first con but don't worry - I'll be checking back about September! - Ginger
This was probably the best weekend EVER! My dad and I drove down from Virginia and it was totally worth the LONG drive. This was my first con and it was a great experience, having the time to spend with the stars and actually have conversations with them was surreal. Meeting Jared, Jim, Sandy, Samantha, Chad, Gabe, Alona and seeing Ten Inch Hero were definitely the major highlights. Being in one place with so many Supernatural fans was also very very awesome. I don't know many fans personally and it was great to meet new friends! I really hope to see everyone again in September because I will totally make another trip back! - Laura
First I wanna say I had an awesome time at this convention. I think given what happened last minute with Jared's schedule, we got the most amount of time with him anyone could considering. All of the guests were wonderful, not a Diva in the bunch, it was so nice to be able to get to see Ten Inch Hero, I film I have wanted to see for quiet awhile. I thought the cocktail party was too crowded and the platinum party was, in my opinion, disappointing, but overall, the time had at the con was great. The photo ops were probably the best part. You got ample time with the guests and weren't rush out of there. We got to do funky poses and just all together had a good time. It was also nice how the autograph room was set up because at any given time there was hardly a queue and so you could take your time with the the actors. I wont be there in September, but thats because I blew all my money here. - Dani
WOW!! I don't know what else to say. I went to a convention in November (won't mention the name) and it was crowded and rushed and you felt like you couldn't take a second to say hello to any of the celebrities. At EyeCon not only could you say HI but you could have a real conversation with them, if you are one to strike one up, unlike me who just listened. If there is another EyeCon I'm SO there. I also got some one on one time with Dizzy, who is awesome and Larry who, seemed calm cool and collected even when crazy fan girls were yelling at him.
All in all a TERIFFIC convention. I can't wait for the next one!
Thank you Kenny, Voni, Froggy, Dizzy and Larry and anyone else I forgot. You all ROCK!!!!! \m/ - Heather (sn1fan)
Kenny and Voni - What can I say about you guys?? Your love and enthusiasm for the project was infectious! Even if this had been your 50th con, I would have said "Well done!" - but since this was your maiden voyage with a large event, I am in awe of how well you pulled this off. Yes, there were glitches, but at an event like this they're inevitable, and you handled them with grace and speed and good humor. (Might I say, I've never gotten hugs from a con organizer before!) The hotel was fantastic, with friendly, helpful staff, and having the mall right there was *such* a plus. The guests were all warm, friendly, approachable, funny, generous - what a great group of people. I loved having breakfast with Sandy and getting to know her a bit better. (She is an absolute sweetheart.) I had a blast running the workshop and panels and hope the fans enjoyed them as much as I did. Long story short - it was an unforgettable weekend! One of the best, if not *the* best, con I've ever attended, and I'm very much looking forward to September! Lots of love to both of you, and I hope you're getting some R&R! - Carol
Congratulations!! You pulled off a fantastic convention! I know how much work it is to put something of that size together, and you did so amazingly well.
Personally, I had the best time of my life last weekend. The guests were so friendly and open to mingling with the attendees.
The hotel was wonderful: beautiful rooms AND conveniently attached to a great mall.
The highlights for me were seeing Ten Inch Hero and Steve! He exceeds every expectation and I hope you'll try to get him back.
THANK YOU for all of your hard work, and hopefully I'll see you in September! - Amy
Thank you so much for setting up such a wonderful event! It was my first con and I think I can now say that it will not be my last! Being able to talk to the guests like that was beyond amazing and I am SO glad that I ended up going! I was able to meet some AMAZING people while I was there and I had a GREAT time at ALL of the events! Thank you so much for making that all possible and I hope that there is another Eyecon in the near future! - Logan
Kenny and Voni: What an awesome time! Going in, I was wondering if you guys could *really* pull off everything you were promising, and from where I was sitting...you did! The lines weren't rushed at all (within reason, of course), our seats had a good view (and allowed easy access to dart out to photo ops) , the staff was helpful....and most of all, the weekend felt *relaxed* (not for ya'll I'm sure! LOL!) Someone above mentioned that the attendees were treated like actual people, and that is something I second wholeheartedly. It was nice to have staff nicely direct you as to what to do, where to stand, etc as opposed to having it screamed in our faces like at some cons I've been to!
And we could definitely tell it was important to you that we have a good time. Little things, like Kenny recognizing me in line (even though we'd never met ) and introducing himself, Voni tracking me down to make sure I got the birthday card my friend had accidentally left at Steve's autograph table, or Dizzy going to get Sam Ferris so that someone who had accidentally missed their photo op could still get the photo. Things like that made this convention seem very different from the cattle call conventions out there.
You guys did a fantastic job--even the things that need improving are more along the lines of "Hmm...wonder how it would work if they tried it this way?" instead of "OMG, the way they did it totally ruined the weekend!" That's a big thing right there.
Or, let me put it this way--when I left Creation's convention in Chicago, it was a couple of weeks before my friends and I decided to come back for this year's con. We'd decided to come back for the next Eyecon about two seconds after Diz mentioned September's convention! :) - Shannen
Dear Kenny,
It was so nice meeting you in person this weekend.
Thank you so very much for putting on a such a first-class event. The interaction with not only the stars but you and your staff was beyond fun. Everything was on time (if not very close to it!) -- a hard feat with such a huge event! The food at the banquet was delicious as well -- great menu choices! And Larry, Froggy and Dizzy in particular were fantastic. I wish I had more time to interact with Voni. I heard nothing but praise for her! What a lovely woman! I guess I'll have to wait till the next event to bond with her. :)
Anyway, you should be very, very proud! I so look forward to attending more Eyecons! - Lindsay Warren
Guys....this was an amazinf event. My friends and I did a mini roadtrip in tribute to the show, we drove 10hrs from TN to Orlando and back again, we even stayed in a very Supernatural-like motel on the way back (Im pretty sure someone died there! eeekkk).
The con was amazing, the line-up was great, the guests rocked and you guys were prefect! It really does make a difference when the con host's are visable and accessable, and you guys were. There were a few minor bumps in the road, but everythings a learning experience and the next one will be 100xs better I know!
Dizzy was great, he had a lot of energy and interacted perfect with the crowd.
Froggy was awesome, I didnt feel rushed and I was so happy he took the time to inspect each photo before he let you move on, it was great, and I was so happy with all my photo ops!
This event rocked! I will so attend another event you put on, you guys are the best! And your volunteers rule!!!!!!!!
:) - Melissa (c_cfan)
Kenny & Voni: It was wonderful to meet you this weekend and thanks for spending some time with us on Thursday just chatting. It was alot of fun. You both were such kind and sweet people! And thanks for putting on the Convention it was so much fun and very exciting to be amongst the stars of our favorite show Supernatural. The interaction with the stars was wonderful. It was so fan friendly and getting the chance to chat with the stars at the different events was great and being able to take pictures of them while they were mingling or signing autographs as well. And the stars seemed like they were having a great time too!! Also have to give props to Dizzy for the great MC'ing. He was hilarious and a great guy to just talk to. Froggy did an amazing job on the photos and he allowed enough time to say hi, set up for the picture and if it didn't turn out right he didn't let you leave until you had a good shot. Then being about to say a word or two to the stars after was great. I never felt rushed!! Can't forget Larry. He was a total sweetheart the whole weekend as well! I certainly hope I have the time and money to get to the next one cause I'd love to come back and see you all. Thanks again for all your hard work! *Hugs* - Melanie Thompson
To Kenny and Voni :
I had a FANTASTIC time this weekend. I actually think it was the best weekend of my life, and you guys made that possible. I haven't been doing the con thing for very long, but I have been to a few of them, and this one was by FAR the best I've ever been to. The guests were mingling with the attendees pretty much the whole time, which I've NEVER seen before. There's just no other con where you can hang out in the game room on Sunday night, AFTER the con has ended, and have a 2 hour conversation with Jim Beaver or play Rock Band or Guitar Hero with Steve Carlson and Chad Lindberg. I was so impressed by everything this weekend. I felt we ALL had a chance to get our moment with each guest, including Jared, even on his very limited schedule. I never once felt rushed through lines, even though I knew things were moving quickly. In fact, I was having so much fun talking to other fans that I hardly noticed the half hour wait in Jared's photo op line! I was at the front before I even had a chance to work myself up, haha! And I was allowed a moment to talk to him briefly, and to get my hug, something I'd been beating myself up over not asking for in Chicago because we were too rushed. So this was a very special thing for me to be able to get that moment. Same with the autograph lines. There was actually a time on Saturday, right before the guests were packing up the autograph table, when I just went in and talked to Sandy for a few minutes, even though I was waiting to get her actual autograph the next day. It was very relaxed, and all the guests were awesome and welcoming. I'd do another EyeCon in a heartbeat!! - Laurel
I'm so tired of writing about this weekend....my report is 15-16 pages long and I've barely TOUCHED Sunday! LOL!!
Just know that it was friggin' incredible, better than Creation, and I hope to be on staff next year! XD!! - Marcie (DLGR) Zimmerman
EyeCon was the first convention that I ever attended and you guys have set the bar pretty high! My husband, daughter and I all had a wonderful time.
The relaxed access to the guests was awesome, the Ten Inch Hero screening with Q&A was great, Steve Carlson's concert rocked, and the banquet with the stars was incredible. We were fortunate enough to sit with Jim Beaver (Bobby) and had a delightful conversation with him over dinner.
All the stars were friendly, lovely people and I hope that they enjoyed the EyeCon experience as much as I and my family did. I cannot say enough good things about Jared Padalecki -- he is a classy, gracious guy -- and I am so glad that you were able to accomodate his schedule.
I did not attend the cocktail party so I can't speak to that, and my only disapointment (and it was slight) was the Platinum party because 1) Jared wasn't able to be there --which I understood totally, and 2) the set up for the room wasn't as great as the rest of the convention -- like I said at the start --you have set the bar pretty high.
The autographs and photo-ops were so exciting to me as a 'con newbie' and I didn't feel rushed at all -- very well organized. Froggy takes a great picture! Gotta love it.
All in all EyeCon was a wonderful experience -- I am still so struck by the great and casual access we fans had to the guests -- more than I ever thought would be possible.
Finally, it was wonderful to meet so many fellow fans -- who were screennames before and are now friends.
I enjoyed myself and will be looking forward to the next EyeCon for sure!
Melanie
P.S. I'm a Dizzy fangirl now too. ;) - Melanie
The cocktail party was over-crowded and no one made sure to circulate the stars so everyone could have access to them. The food at the banquet dinner was horrible, and I noticed many people sending it back uneaten. I did like the salad, though. Again, no one advised the celebs to visit surrounding tables, leaving those who, like me, were at a table without stars, unable to interact with them. Given that these events cost $65 and $85, respectively, I would have preferred to have this money back in my pocket to spend in the dealer rooms, autographs or more photo ops. The "Platinum Party" after dinner, held in a too-small room in which we all had to stand, was so stuffy and uncomfortable, I left early, wondering what was so special about it. My favorite part of this Con was being able to collect leisurely autographs in the dealers' room from Sandy, Alona, Chad, Samantha, et al. You could actually chat with them in there, take nice, close-up photos, give a gift without being rushed out. It was delightful.
I imagine putting these events together is very difficult. Jared having to change his plans so close to Con time must have turned you and your team into nervous wrecks, Kenny! I certainly wouldn't want to do it! It just seemed to me that, given how expensive my original ticket to Eyecon was, I should have gotten more bang for my original expenditure. --Robin V - Robin
*claps heartily* Job well done! Many thanks to you both along with everyone else who helped make the con great. This was my first, and the bar is set high for future. You couldn't have picked a better MC than Dizzy, and Froggy and his team did a great job with the photographs. Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you at future cons! - Rachel
Dear Kenny and Voni ~
It took me four posts on LJ to enumerate all the things I loved about this con, but love it I did! From the amazing staff - (ask Dizzy about having to pull Samantha out of autographs because I missed her photo op!!) - to the cozy interaction with the guest celebs, to the total awesomeness of finally connecting faces to the "voices" I'd only read on the interenet ... it was terrific. For those unhappy with how Jared's autograph line went, I'd remind them that we had to squash 2 days' worth of Jared into about 8 hours' time, so I think it went smashingly. I waited to go late in the autograph line, and I can tell you it went a helluva lot nicer for me than the push-shove-conveyer-belt system I ran into at Creation's One Ring con.
The location was tops, the hotel staff made me feel like royalty, and you two must take some sort of Bionic Creamer in your coffee to keep up with things the way you did. ;-) Last but not least, the personal attention and consideration you gave to me, and by reports to all your attendees, is like nothing I've ever *heard* of at any Con. This? Was the experience of a lifetime!
In closing, I'll just say that I already miss Seat B15, and I'm gonna do my best to come back in September! Thanks, Kenny and Voni, for all your work and the amazing things you do. :-) Love you guys! - Gloria / Erin Atwater
So, the only reason I would go to this con was for my friend. She didn't want to be on her own when she met her favorite actor. I didn't think that I would enjoy it, but I did. It was fun, it was interesting, and mostly it was different for me. Never been to something like this so I was a little unsure, but now I'm a believer. I need to stay up to date on what you guys have planned next. I would love to do it again. Thank you all who put it together. Though I appreciated the stars time, the "Eyecon Staff" is what got this rolling. Hope something's going down real soon... almost a garantee you can put my name down. - La Rubi
Hey Kenny&Voni!
Just wanted to thank you again for the most amazing weekend ever. I sent you an email with pictures and an in-depth thank-you, so look for that soon! ;)
Seriously, you guys are amazing and I hated to say good-bye Sunday night.
Froggy, Manny, & Dizzy - you guys rocked as well, and "Army Chic"(Steph) & I will NEVER forget the good times we had with y'all!
THANKS SO MUCH!
I'm sorry that we probably won't make it back in September, due to Steph being deployed. NO MORE TEARS! I wouldn't feel right going without her, but if we could be there, you know we would! - April
I went to this weekend’s Eyecon with a VERY cynical and bitter heart concerning “STARS”. A bad “STAR” interaction left me feeling jaded towards actors and performers. Jim Carey spent several weeks in my hometown filming The Truman Show. He'd come with his “people” to my restaurant when I was a manager and get belligerent with my staff... With me... At one point I heard him telling one of "his" people that it didn't matter... We were all a little inbred in the south...
I’m ashamed to say that I’d pretty much lumped EVERYONE in the same category… Feeling like they would ALL be on a ego trip… With the whole ‘you must bow before me peon and worship at my feet’ attitude but that’s NOT what happened at all…
Instead each of them stole a tiny piece of my heart. I never knew that you could fall in love with five different people over the course of a weekend but I managed to…
Chad Lindberg (Ash)
A study showed that infants will smile at a strange man quicker than they will smile at a strange woman… Why is this relevant? My first impression was he was a bit quirky. He made me nervous. I don’t know why… I can’t begin to explain it… But I smiled every time he glanced at me.
We’d spoken during the cocktail party and I explained to him his popcorn moment… (It’s when something happens and your popcorn bowl gets thrown at the TV… It’s happened twice… When they wrecked the Impala and when they burned down the roadhouse)… Anyway he thought that was pretty funny, touched my shoulder and thanked me…
I was a bit startled by how tall he is… Granted everyone looks short next to Jared but he was a lot taller than I’d imagined.
At one point we’d gone up to the room to drop off some things. We were on the 6th floor and had a great view of the parking lot. It just so happened that my friend LadyGhostWhisperer looked down and saw someone doing laps in the parking lot… Not that this is a bad thing BUT it was raining cats and dogs. When we stepped outside to smoke we found out that it was Chad running around the parking lot like a mad man… Why’d he do it? It was fun…
The moment he stole a piece of my heart … He crouched down to talk to a girl in a wheelchair at the VIP party… He was so attentive. Totally focused on whatever it was that they were talking about. Sitting lower than she was so they could speak face to face.
In a crowded room, it was just them…
Behind the quirkiness beats the heart of a caring person and I so fell hard for him…
Alona Tal
This woman is the epitome of grace under fire. My complaints about Jo Harvelle were never about the actress herself, but rather the writing of her character. However, people had been extremely critical of her and it had hurt her feelings. Did she let that get to her and give her a nasty attitude? No!
Alona Tal has the most amazing skin that I’d ever seen, just a peaches and cream complexion. Most of all she was charming, witty, and always friendly.
Unfortunately she wasn’t feeling well for most of the convention. You wouldn’t know it to talk to her but she was suffering from a migraine for most of the weekend.
The moment that I fell in love…
I asked Chad Lindberg for a picture towards the end of the con… What I didn’t know was that Alona was standing behind us waving her hands at Ghost going wait… She made her own Blue Steel face!!! So then I made her take another one with us…
Anyone who can go through what she’s put up with from this fandom and come away with her dignity, sense of humor, and graciousness still intact is just amazing…
Gabriel Tigerman
This guy…. He made me want to tuck him into my pocket and take him home with me! Sweet and funny are probably the two words that everyone is going to be sick of reading by the time that I finish writing this but it so fits Gabriel (or Gab).
He made the comment about being blown away by the amount of estrogen in the room when he did the meet and greet. I’m sure that the number of fans who just love his character Andy had over whelmed him…
I happened to be in the autograph room when Samantha Ferris leaned over and asked if that was really his last name… It was something that I’d wondered myself, and yes it is.
He’d come down with a buddy he went to Vassar with, and hung out with him all weekend… I’ll be honest. Until he explained that he was a classmate, I thought that maybe the guy was relative.
The moment I fell in love with him… We were all gathered around a table and dragged him over for a moment… It was the table of truth… Bless his heart you could see that he was nervous and, of course, most of us had been drinking… He answered his questions with a little smirk, and gracefully dodged the ones he didn’t want to answer…
What was not to love?!
Samantha Ferris
Okay, so Samantha stole a piece of my heart a long time ago! This woman really is as terrific and funny in person as she is on her blog!
She hung out! She hated her shoes and gave them away (My friend Dink got them! She autographed them TOO!!!) She loves the guys just as much as we do! Complained about her weight gain. I want to know where? She was simply beautiful!!!
She was so engaging… During my picture with her she asked me if I was having a good time… I told her that I was having a blast. She said so was she!!!
What can I say? She’s one of us!!!
Jim Beaver
I figured that, out of all the stars that were there, Jim would be the one that I’d be the most nervous to meet… Not at all!
At the cocktail party I got to ask him about Deadwood and the dialogue. He was so engaging and informative. He spoke to you, not at you.
And he was so much fun! Where else could you meet him, hang out, and listen to him sing to Rock Band (a video game for those of you who have never heard of it)!!!
The moment that I fell in love…
When someone thanked him for coming and hanging out… He said, “No, thank you for having me!”
Sandra McCoy
Anyone who could be mean to this woman is the kind of person that pulls wings off of flies and kicks small puppies! Those people just need to be removed from the gene pool, right after I kick their ass! Of course, I may have to wait in line, because Jared would just kill them!
As soon as the vendor’s room opened Saturday, I poked my head in, and the stars were all lined up… I congratulated her on her engagement, and got to see the ring up close and personal… It is simply beautiful. I half joked about her letting us know when they register. She thought that I was talking about for the wedding… To which I teased, forget the wedding! Let us know when we can start baby shopping! Evidently it’s something that THEY are doing for Jared’s brother… She just laughed. It was so cute!
During her Q&A, she was so nervous, literally vibrating with tension, but she still managed to be perky. Laughing and smiling, poking fun at herself and at Jared. “He’s not here, so go ahead and ask me anything!”
I did get to ask a question, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t have a total fan girl moment. I stood up to ask my question, and when she focused her attention on me and smiled, I forgot what the hell I was going to ask her… (This was after having spoken to her just that morning!!!) I am ashamed to say that shit came out of my mouth, and the look of surprise on both of our faces had to be priceless! In the back of my head I’m going, “Nice dumb ass… You’re holding the mic!” Anyway I said, “Well, I obviously had a fangirl moment… Who have you met that gave you a fangirl moment?” She went on to talk about meeting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The moment that I fell in love…
I called my husband and told him that I wanted to adopt Sandy. He said no… When I told her about it, she laughed and tartly replied, “Screw him!” Well Sandy, screw the hubby he’s sleeping on the couch… Just kidding… Sort of…
She has a sharp sense of humor. She isn’t afraid of poking fun at herself or Jared… Best of all she is so in love with the big guy that she glows with it!
Jared Padalecki
The man we all came to see...
I people watch. I will sit outside, or watch from someplace quiet, and just observe humanity as it rolls on by. I happened to be sitting outside when Jared arrived. I wasn’t about to run up to the guy, as he was still trying to figure which way was up, but I did have to suppress a happy squee… I was really afraid that he’d cancel because of filming but he made it. People bitch about EVERYTHING! It’s a fact, and there is nothing you can do about it… But I was dreading the boards if it happened!
During the Q&A he was so funny. Sprawled out as much as a man his height can be on one of those really tall chairs. The impression that I had was that we could have been sitting around someone’s living room making conversation.
He was a lot of fun, especially when I asked him the same question that I had for everyone else. I even went as far to say, talking about my fangirl moment with Sandy, “She smiled at me, and I forgot what I was going to say.” He immediately hammed it up, grinning and smiling outrageously. It was so funny!
When I finally slipped in for my picture, he remembered who I was. The worst part about that was he FELT like he had to thank me for being so nice to Sandy… It kind of bugged me! Sandy is a total doll! She has never done anything to me! If she came up and poked me in the eye it might have been a different story… Most of all I don’t know these people! Why the heck would I treat her badly?!
I just patted his knee and told him that she was a sweetheart for putting up with all of us. I had two thoughts as I walked out of the room… Holy crap, I just patted a strange man’s knee. Quickly followed by OMG, I patted Jared Padalecki’s knee!!!
The moment that I fell in love…
Remember I told you guys that I people watch? I was there when he headed inside for his breakfast with a fan. What touched me was watching him walk with Sandy. I don’t think that he could help BUT TO touch her. His hand on her shoulder, in the small of her back, it was so unconscious, so natural a gesture. As much as she is in love with him, it was obvious that he felt the same…
Steve Carlson
I wasn’t sure what to expect of Steve. I had a few of his CD’s (Minus the one that was stolen when my car was broken into) so I was familiar with his music, and he got me through statistics finals… But that was about the extent of it. I didn’t know anything else about him.
So Friday night we were told that Steve had missed his connecting flight to Orlando and was stuck at the Dallas airport! Man, talk about suckity suck! He did make it in time for the banquet dinner. Which was interesting. We had a choice between sitting with Steve and sitting with Gabriel Tigerman. I knew my friend Ghost was a big fan, so I told her that it was cool we’d go sit at Steve’s table. (Musician trumps actor… Go figure!)
He was late coming to the dinner, and we were hesitant about starting without him. Hunger won out for me. I started, and everyone else followed. And I didn’t get to just sit at Steve’s table. I was sitting right next to the man.
By the time the poor guy arrived you could tell that he was totally sleep deprived; feeling rushed because there was very little time for his sound checks and set up before the concert. So yeah! He was a little spacey, worrying about his play list for the evening.
I thought that it was interesting that he’d attended culinary school. But for whatever reason, I was scared to look him in the face. I don’t know. Maybe I was worried about having spinach in my teeth. When I finally did make eye contact with him, I was glad that I was sitting. He has the most beautiful blue eyes that I’d ever seen. Even if they were red rimmed… Who knows, maybe it just accented them.
In the back of my head I’m going, “Shit girl, straighten up and fly right! Don’t drool… And oh my god, do I have spinach in my teeth?!” Needless to say that I didn’t eat the rest of my dinner, but that was cool; we had pizza in the lobby later!
I make a living in shipping/logistics… This means that I am coordinating with everyone from CEO’s to truck drivers. I am not verbally shy, and generally will have a conversation with just about everyone. So I am not sure what happened between dinner and the rest of the weekend, all I know is I seemed to CONSTANTLY trip over my tongue every time I had to look him in the face... By Sunday night I'd hugged every star there except for Steve.
I mentioned it to my friend Jeter, so my friend (I may need NEW friends) Jeter drags me into the game room, while my other friend LadyGhostWhisperer is shoving me over to where he was playing Guitar Hero in the game room. Jeter taps him on the shoulder and says...
"My friend has hugged everyone BUT you."
He goes "Huh?"
She says "She wants to hug you."
He glances at me and please, picture this... I wear business suits in my real life… When I can, I put on something comfortable and kick off the heels…So, as par for the course, I am in a black Tinkerbell tee shirt, pink and black PJ bottoms AND I have taken my contacts out, so I'm in my glasses... AND wearing socks because I refuse to run around barefoot in a public place…
He was like, "You're already in your jammies," and he was grinning at me...
All I could do was stare at my socked feet and wait for the fucking floor to open up... Crap, I was going to kill my EX-girlfriends for this! He chuckled and put his arm around me.
"Come here." He pulled me in and hugged me tight...
Oh this man was so warm and smelled like fresh laundry... Total turn on! Most men have no clue how to give a hug. They either hold you like they’re afraid that you’re going to break or try to squeeze the guts right out of you. Not Steve. He gives a perfect hug. Not to tight and not to loose. I might have stepped back, but he stole my heart in that moment.
Overview
So this is why I say that I have been robbed! Each of these amazing people gave of themselves, and took away a piece of me. I don’t know where else you could go and listen to Jim Beaver sing The Rolling Stones, or share a beer with Chad Lindberg. How about cutting up with the ladies, enjoying a joke with Samantha? Just being around someone who is so in love with a great guy, with life, like Sandy. Have your heart filled with music! Nowhere but Eyecon!
They can keep the pieces of my heart they stole. I freely wish them safe journey on whatever path they may be on. I hope that they have all the success and love they can hold to light their way.
Most of all, thank you so much for being real people, from the actors and performers, Kenny and Vonnie, and not to mention some of the greatest fellow fans that I’d ever met!! You have ALL made my first convention an experience I’ll never forget. I can’t wait for the next one! You guys just did an amazing job!!! - yasmine32068(Ronda)
Kenny,
I want to said Thank you for set up interpreters! It was wonderful to meet you last weekend. You were such nice guy. I was very exciting to be meet the stars of my favorite supernatural show. And also I really enjoyed spend with Samantha Ferris during Breakfast. All the stars are very sweet and lovely. I am glad that Jim Beaver know alittle sign language and also communicate with me and my friends. He very nice guy!
Foggy did great job on the photos and also he let me say a words to the stars. IT WAS AMAZiNG! And also I won't forget about Larry too. He so sweet and alot fun with him. He chat with me and one of interpreter too. I really enjoyed with him too.
This EYECON are the best ever I had! I hope I have enough money to get to the next one! I would love to work with you for set up to spread deaf people if deaf people are interesting to see the stars. Thank you for all your hard work!
HUGS! - Elisa
WONDERFUL!!! I have been to many conventions, both big and small...Eyecon was one of the best for me!:) I have loved Supernatural since it started, but I am a Stephen King fan, grew up with liking the supernatural in our world...most people were great, and a VERY special thanks to Stacy!!! She helped whenever I had a question, and remembered my name! My 2 boys had a fantastic time getting to speak to the celebrities when they weren't busy, and I do believe the stars liked it also:)
Thank you soooooo much!!! And PLEASE do another in Sept.! I usually go to Dragoncon, but I am coming to Eyecon instead!!!:D
Thank you---
Kathi, Robert, and Jeffrey:) - Kathi
Guys, I really can't properly express how awesome this weekend was for me. It was my first celebrity con and you made it so wonderful. So many things were awesome, but especially the relaxed attitude y'all had towards the guests. I really couldn't believe how they were all just wandering around the hotel all weekend. I lost count of the number of times I was like "Oh, there goes Gabe!" etc. I really think it helped both guests and attendees feel more relaxed, like we were just hanging out. Personally, I'm really nervous about meeting celebrities, but I managed to have at least a brief conversation with everyone except Alona, so that was AWESOME!
Also, the hotel was a really good choice. It was lovely and the staff were awesome and helpful. Being attached to the mall was a huge benefit. I always get paranoid when I travel about not having something I need. Clearly that wasn't an issue with the Florida Mall right there.
And last, but certainly not least, Dizzy! What an awesome MC he was, and so friendly and approachable when I talked to him. We could not have asked for better and I certainly hope he comes back.
And in conclusion, bring on September! - Stacy
I had a fabulous time at eyecon, the guests were so lovely, and so friendly. The orgaization was excellent. I got to meet some lovely fellow fans, and it was so ice and cozy tht the guests knew us by the end of the weekend and had become friends with us. There were a few things I would like to have seen slightly different, but overall I was very pleased with everything and had just an amazing time. Kenny and Voni thanks :)
I wont be coming in Sept I think (unless the guests force me to sell a kidney or something lol) simply because it cost me all my savings to come this time!! xox - robyn
Hey!
I just don't know what to say. This was my first convention and it definitely set the gold bar standard. You and Voni were terrific, the weekend was non-stop fun, and the access to the stars was unparalled. I had some wonderful interactions with all of them and they are now cherished memories thanks to you.
I always felt like you cared that I was there. The conversation and hugs at the cocktail party is but one example of your availabilty to us.
The events were well organized and thought out for maximum enjoyment. Never did I feel rushed or pushed through anything. The staffers you had on hand were also very friendly and more than willing to help out whatever the issue was. Terrifc job and I will be back for the next one! - Linda Shaffer
Where do I even begin? Leading up to this convention we were told over and over how much time we would have with the stars. Getting to see them, talk to them, hang out with them. I was honestly a bit skeptical about it being what you were promising, but it was that and so much more. You guys really did an outstanding job with giving us a great guest line up, fun things to do throughout the weekend, and so much more. We all walked away having had a fun, relaxing, memorable weekend with our friends and the stars. You did an amazing job in planning for the photo ops and the autograph sessions. Things were quick, but not rushed. And that really makes a difference in the eyes of a fan who is wanting to see/meet their favorite stars. For this being your first big convention, I want to give you a big applause for pulling it off the way you did. Even with the last minute changes because of the change in Jared's schedule. I was delighted to hear about another con possibly in Sept, and am looking forward to it. And I hope to be able to help out as much as possible. - Kimberly (taintedangel80)
I've only been to two other cons before this, so my experience is somewhat limited, but I have to say that this was pretty much one of the most fun weekends I've ever had - and that's not even including the actual facetime with the stars. Kenny and Voni, you guys made for such an amazing atmosphere and everything was a total blast. Even the small snags were handled with grace and handled efficiently and I have to thank you both for that. I don't really have enough words or enough space here to tell you all the things I loved, so let me just say that it was an amazing weekend and I'm already looking forward to the next Supernatural convention that you guys set up! - Cherry
I had a great time at Eyecon and I want to thank you for putting it all together. Everyone was helpful and friendly and I definitely loved that this con felt more intimate. Although I must admit I wasn't too happy at first, but I warmed up and had some fun. My only regret is not being able to go to the parties because I couldn't afford it, but I will def try to go when you guys do another one in September!! I'm also glad that the Froggy guys were a bit nicer and took the time to actually let us talk to the stars, at the FX Con the photographer was really rude and kept rushing everyone so my photo came out awful, but this time around the photographer (Don) was really cool and checked our pictures before letting us leave, which I really appreciated. Overall, I had a great time and can't wait for your next con. Once again thank you for the experience. - Marisa
This con was a blast! It felt soo relaxed and fun. At the end it was like we were close friends with the guests, and people didnt look at me funny cause Im 13!
I had time with every star to just talk. I beat Chad Lindberg in Guitar Hero, I talked to Samantha Ferris about what I needed to do first for acting, Jared saying I was cute, Sandy saying I was cute, Alona Tall told me I looked like a girl from Juno, I talked to Gabe about random things at the Cocktail party. It was so much fun!
you guys rock at this, keep doing Supernatural Cons!! - emily
Guys... thank you SO much for this awesome convention!! My friend and I came all the from Austria and it was worth EVERY second! It was our fourth convention and by far… THE BEST!!! I seriously cant thank you guys enough for such a wonderful fun-filled and unforgettable weekend! :) U made it really clear that this convention was about the fans; us and our moments with the stars. And what I liked most about it – u gave us the feeling that we are all the same, that their is no difference between the stars and us! And this fact, combined with all the awesome events over the weekend made it an unforgettable time for all of us! Thank you and definitely see u back in September!! - Martina
I was at Eyecon last week, and I just wanted to shoot you a quick e-mail to say thank you for everything. I've never been to a convention before, but from what I'd heard from friends, this was WAY better than any others. Even though things got a bit rushed toward the end of the day Sunday, my friends and I still felt like we definitely got our "moment". I also wanted to say that I was really impressed by the prices - other conventions charge $400 for the ticket alone, and that doesn't include a photo or autograph, or fun events like the platinum party. Most fans don't have a ton of disposable income (because most of us are students) so it's nice to see something more accessible. I definitely hope to attend more of your conventions (and I'm staying far, far away from the Creation and Fangoria ones!) so it was great that this didn't "break the bank". Plus, the hotel was awesome, and everything ran so smoothly. Even waiting in line for photo ops and autographs wasn't so bad because it was all so organized. The personal touch was especially nice - my friend lost her platinum badge somewhere in the mall, and you totally helped her out so that it didn't mess up her weekend. I know that there were a few incidents with some fans being inappropriate but even that was handled perfectly - you didn't let one person mess up the weekend for everyone. Thanks so much for dealing with all the bumps in the road with such finesse - honestly, you never would've known that Jared was supposed to be there on Saturday. Filling in with Sandy was a great choice - she was fantastic. You've really set the bar high for my experience as a fan and I'm definitely going to tell my friends that your conventions are the way to go.
Thanks again for a fantastic weekend!!
P.S. Hire Dizzy again, he was a blast. - Carina