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My wife had a thoroughly good time at Pensacon this past weekend, and so did my daughter, who moderated some of the panels that were held.
This event (its 3rd year) was so big, it spilled over into the Saenger and Rex theaters, and took up ballroom space at the Crown Plaza Hotel, in addition to using the Civic Center. Downtown buzzed with economic activity all weekend.
So what does SMG management do when PensaCon planners tried to book the Civic Center for 2017? They tell them: "The Ice Flyers and a potential concert get first billing for the weekend you want. You are #3 in line."
The Pensacon Planners have posted this open letter on their Facebook page:
An Open Letter to Pensacola:
First, we want to say thank you for another great Pensacon! Without you, it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do each year.
We wanted to announce our dates for next year at the end of this year’s convention, as we have done for the last two years. It’s our way of helping you begin planning for next year, firm up things with our vendors and begin the process of letting celebrity agents know so we can start working on Pensacon 2017.
This year, we couldn’t do that.
After three successful years of one of the biggest events in downtown Pensacola, the Pensacola Bay Center placed holds on all dates in February at the facility and blocked us out. Despite letting them know that we planned to return, rather than give us the courtesy of letting us know that a concert promoter and the Ice Flyers are requesting those dates (as both the Saenger Theater and Crowne Plaza Grand Hotel did), they simply booked us as third in the spots.
What does this mean? There may not be a Pensacon 2017 at all.
Not because you don’t want it, not because businesses don’t want it and not because we don’t want it, but because of the Pensacola Bay Center.
This is the latest in a long line of issues we’ve had with the management of the facility. We hear your complaints about the building itself, the security staff, the food options, etc. and unfortunately, due to the monopolistic contracts that SMG (the company that manages the Bay Center) imposes, the community, the city, the county come second to profit. Despite this fact, the building has operated without making a profit for most of its existence.
If we are going to have a Pensacon 2017, we need your help.
Please let your County Commissioners know that SMG is a problem. Let them know about the bad experiences you’ve had with security and finding things in the building. Let them know about the crowded vendor area and celebrity rooms. And definitely let them know that you want to see Pensacon return next year.
Wilson Robertson, District 1 - (850) 595-4910
Doug Underhill, District 2 - (850) 595-4920
Lumon May, District 3 - (850) 595-4930
Grover C. Robinson, IV, District 4 (Chairman) - (850) 595-4940
Steven Barry, District 5 - (850) 595-4950
Let’s keep Pensacon in Pensacola.
Thank you for all your support.
This event (its 3rd year) was so big, it spilled over into the Saenger and Rex theaters, and took up ballroom space at the Crown Plaza Hotel, in addition to using the Civic Center. Downtown buzzed with economic activity all weekend.
So what does SMG management do when PensaCon planners tried to book the Civic Center for 2017? They tell them: "The Ice Flyers and a potential concert get first billing for the weekend you want. You are #3 in line."
The Pensacon Planners have posted this open letter on their Facebook page:
An Open Letter to Pensacola:
First, we want to say thank you for another great Pensacon! Without you, it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do each year.
We wanted to announce our dates for next year at the end of this year’s convention, as we have done for the last two years. It’s our way of helping you begin planning for next year, firm up things with our vendors and begin the process of letting celebrity agents know so we can start working on Pensacon 2017.
This year, we couldn’t do that.
After three successful years of one of the biggest events in downtown Pensacola, the Pensacola Bay Center placed holds on all dates in February at the facility and blocked us out. Despite letting them know that we planned to return, rather than give us the courtesy of letting us know that a concert promoter and the Ice Flyers are requesting those dates (as both the Saenger Theater and Crowne Plaza Grand Hotel did), they simply booked us as third in the spots.
What does this mean? There may not be a Pensacon 2017 at all.
Not because you don’t want it, not because businesses don’t want it and not because we don’t want it, but because of the Pensacola Bay Center.
This is the latest in a long line of issues we’ve had with the management of the facility. We hear your complaints about the building itself, the security staff, the food options, etc. and unfortunately, due to the monopolistic contracts that SMG (the company that manages the Bay Center) imposes, the community, the city, the county come second to profit. Despite this fact, the building has operated without making a profit for most of its existence.
If we are going to have a Pensacon 2017, we need your help.
Please let your County Commissioners know that SMG is a problem. Let them know about the bad experiences you’ve had with security and finding things in the building. Let them know about the crowded vendor area and celebrity rooms. And definitely let them know that you want to see Pensacon return next year.
Wilson Robertson, District 1 - (850) 595-4910
Doug Underhill, District 2 - (850) 595-4920
Lumon May, District 3 - (850) 595-4930
Grover C. Robinson, IV, District 4 (Chairman) - (850) 595-4940
Steven Barry, District 5 - (850) 595-4950
Let’s keep Pensacon in Pensacola.
Thank you for all your support.
