Women of Sci-Fi at Sci-Fi Expo

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Parent Category: Expos and Conventions

Category: Previews

Published on Friday, 07 January 2011 19:06

Written by Lynne Shannon

Presented by C2 Ventures, this year’s Sci-Fi Expo is being held January 29 - 30, 2010 in the Plano Convention Centre (2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway) in Plano, Texas -- north of Dallas.

C2 Ventures is a partnership of long-time Star Wars fans Ben Stevens and Philip Wise. Since 2001, C2 Ventures has been the most trusted name in Star Wars autographs, providing more authentic autographs to fans than any other provider worldwide. They presented the massive autograph program at the official STAR WARS Celebration II in 2002, Celebration III in 2005, Celebration IV in 2007, and Celebration Japan in 2008.

C2 Ventures continues to work closely with more than 100 celebrities from the Stars Wars Universe, including Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, Carrie Fisher, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels and Samuel L. Jackson, to provide or produce special appearances at conventions and retail stores, authentic autograph signings on your product or our licensed photos, special events, exclusives, and more.

And this year, for only the second time in its history, the special feature is “Women of Sci-Fi.” The actresses will discuss their careers and answer questions from the audience, as well as be on hand for autograph and photo ops.

Some of the stars making an appearance includes:

• Morena Baccarin (Anna in TV’s V; Stargate, Firefly/Serenity)
• Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Bionic Woman)
• Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica)
• Alaina Huffman (Stargate Universe)

Besides these contemporary personalities, they’ll be joined by the following veteran sci-fi divas:

• Nichelle Nichols (Uhura, Star Trek TOS)
• Erin Gray (Wilma, Buck Rogers)
• Yvonne Craig (Batgirl, Batman TV)
• Anne Lockhart (Sheba, Battlestar Galactica TOS)

Craig, a Dallas native, rarely appears at conventions these days. But she was happy to make an exception when invited by Ben Stevens because she considers him not only a personal friend but also a really good convention promoter.

Said Craig from her home in California, “I seldom do these shows anymore, but Ben’s shows are always good. The shows are so well organized and he always has a great line-up of guests who are intelligent and fan friendly, and I really enjoy myself when I’m there.”

Also expected is Nick Gillard, stunt coordinator for the original Star Wars movie trilogy. Mr. Gillard also did stunt work for the Alien Queen in Aliens.

Graphic Artists Russell Walks and Lawrence Reynolds also will be displaying their artwork at the event.

In addition, Expo attendees will have the chance to add to their collections of classic toys, t-shirts and other memorabilia in the Exhibitor Hall.

During this winter’s cranky weather, this is a great way to spend a weekend indoors.

For more information, visit www.scifiexpo.com.

Sci-Fi Expo
Jan. 29-30, 2011
Plano Convention Centre
2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas
972-941-5840
www.planocentre.com

APAP NYC 2011 Brings Arts Focus to NY Hilton

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Parent Category: Expos and Conventions

Category: Previews

Published on Friday, 07 January 2011 11:16

Written by T. Terry Maloney

The New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan will be alive with the sounds of music, the energy of dance, and the dramatics of theater this weekend as the Association of Performing Arts Presenters annual conference, APAP/NYC 2011, takes place there from January 7-11. Each year, the APAP/NYC conference together more than 3,600 music, dance and theatrical professionals from 49 states in the U.S. and 27 countries in what has been described as "the largest performing arts industry event in the world."

Based in Washington, D.C., The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), is the national service and advocacy organization with nearly 2,000 members worldwide, dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within it.

Its members represent the nation's leading performing arts centers, municipal and university performance facilities, nonprofit performing arts centers, culturally specific organizations, foreign governments, as well as artist agencies, managers, touring companies, and national consulting practices that serve the field, and a growing roster of self-presenting artists. As a leader in the field, APAP works to effect change through advocacy, professional development, resource sharing, and civic engagement.

A new ongoing feature of the conference, the Artist Fellows Program, is designed to integrate a talented group of 11 artists into the core of the conference by inviting the artist voice and process into central conference conversations. This program will involve fellows in the institutional dialogues that deeply impact how art is made and shared, while working to expand the ways in which artists connect to each other and their counterparts in the industry.

Said President and CEO, APAP Sandra Gibson, "Artists are at the core of our work and critical to the success of presenting live performances to engage communities in the performing arts across the globe. We're thrilled to launch the Artist Fellows Program as part of APAP/NYC and to bring an accomplished group of artists directly into the mix of exchanges and deliberations at the conference."

In announcing the first class of fellows representing a wide range of performing arts disciplines who illustrate the breadth and scope of our field, Meklit Hadero, Coordinator for the Artist Fellow Program at APAP/NYC 2011 and Resident Artist at the Red Poppy Art House said, "The Artist Fellows program is an innovative bridge-building force for the arts ecology, creating a platform to evolve the dialogue between Artists who create work, and Presenters who bring that work to public visibility. At the same time, it is an important step towards solidly integrating the perspective of artists into the APAP conference itself. We are enormously excited to welcome this inspiring fellows class and learn from their wealth of experience as leaders in their respective disciplines."

The eight APAP/NYC 2011 Artist Fellows from the U.S. are:

• Marc Bamuthi Joseph: Spoken Word artist, educator, curator, theater maker, community activist, www.lifeisliving.org
• Emeline Michel: singer, cultural activist, www.emeline-michel.com
• Jared Nickerson: bassist, www.burntsugarindex.com
• Prumsodun Ok: dancer, choreographer, founder of Natyarasa, www.natyarasa.org
• Brian Rogers: artistic director and co-founder of the Chocolate Factory, www.chocolatefactorytheater.org
• Somi: singer, songwriter, founder and director of New Africa Live, www.somimusic.com
• Dawn Stoppiello: choreographer, dancer, co-founder of Troika Ranch, www.troikaranch.org
• Jason Treuting: percussionist, SO Percussion, www.sopercussion.com

APAP is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, governed by a volunteer board of directors and led by CEO Sandra Gibson. In addition to presenting it's annual conference in New York City, APAP continues to be the industry's leading resource, knowledge and networking destination for the advancement of performing arts presenting.

For more info go to: http://www.apapnyc.org/Pages/default.aspx

APAP/NYC 2011
January 7-11, 2011
The New York Hilton Hotel
New York, NY

100 Years of Retail - Retail's BIG Show 2011

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Parent Category: Expos and Conventions

Category: Previews

Published on Wednesday, 05 January 2011 10:51

Written by Film Festival Traveler Staff

Retail's BIG Show is celebrating 100 years of retail leadership this January 2011 with one-of-a-kind education, networking opportunities and pioneering solutions and services. More importantly, the biggest and brightest names in retail.

The 2011 EXPO Hall is an enormous 150,000 sq. ft. with more than 500 vendors! And this January, it will buzz with connections being made, ideas being exchanged and dynamic products being showcased.

January 10-11, 2011
Mon, January 10 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tues, January 11 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Pavilions
The EXPO Hall plays host to several specialty pavilions. These pavilions focus on certain retail areas including: Customer Experience, Visual Merchandising, Green, Supply Chain, Technology Standards, and more! Learn more about BIG Show Pavilions.

BIG Show Pavilion Sessions
These sessions - available on Monday and Tuesday - are produced by NRF and offer insight into a variety of retail topics including visual merchandising, digital signage, store design and store planning located in the back of the EXPO Hall.

BIG !deas Boulevard

BIG !deas sessions are prepared and produced by BIG Show Exhibitors. Topics include supply chain, in-store marketing, green retail, RFID, and more! Present a BIG !dea session.

Expo Hall
January 10-11, 2011
Mon, January 10 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tues, January 11 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

View the current floorplan.
See who is exhibiting.
Review Exhibitor BIG !dea sessions.
Retailers, store designers and visual merchandising professionals can walk the EXPO with a complimentary EXPO Pass. Others can purchase an EXPO Pass for $295. Access to the EXPO is included in Full Conference registration.

This year, craft your agenda and EXPO activities using the BIG Show web-based mobile application.

Happy Hours
Network with vendors and retailers from around the world and enjoy a refreshing beverage on the EXPO floor. Open to all attendees.

Monday, January 10 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Tuesday, January 11, 4:00 - 5:00 PM   

Retail's BIG Show 2011