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Cosmic Rendezvous - Houston Challenger Center Benifet Gala - Westin Galleria -
October 24th 2003.
SciBrick Event Report.
SciBrick Members participated at the Challenger Center Benifet Gala held on
October 24th 2003, Houston Texas in the Westin Galleria.
During Brick Fest 2003, the idea was pitched to begin a Sci-Fi Genre Building
Organization. Like magic and fate on the winds, Felix Greco was asked by a
Sunday attendee to participate at an upcomming event. The idea was that during
the Gala Benifet, an assortment of interesting displays were needed to entertain
the guests and dignataries before and after the Gala’s main events to help spark
interest and excitement about Space Travel and Science.
Some of the event exhibits included:
- A F-22 Raptor Fight Simulator
- A Space Shuttle Landing Simulator
- The Segway Human Transport Exhibit
- “Catch the Moment” Green Screen Photo Fun
- SciBrick - Sci-Fi Building Display
Plus a Silent Auction to help raise funds for the Challenger Learning Centers.
The Lego Company donated the entire line of NASA Discovery Sets for the Silent
Auction. Joe Meno built Two Models for the Slient Auction.
Felix Greco donated an Original Sculpture titled “Stepping Through”.
A very happy woman won the items and asked us to sign items like catalogs and
bussiness cards.
Our first SciBrick Event was a great success!
$500-$20,000 dinner plates ment everyone was dressed in evening wear. All the
people in attendance looked great! Tuxedos, daper suits and ball
gowns.
Felix Greco and I drove from Illinois and we met Joe Meno in Houston who flew in
the night before. The round trip to Texas and back to Illinois was over 2000
miles. Then I drove back to New Jersey. (oh man was that far!) We set up our own
models and unpacked models on loan from Aaron Sneary, Nick Kappatos, Adrian
Drake and Leonard Hoffman. Everyone’s contributions helped make our display a
big hit and impressed many of the people who came by our exhibit table asking
all sorts of questions.
The Lego Company already has a product relationship with NASA and helped to
provide many goodies for the show. Key Chains, raw bricks and retail set give
aways. THANK YOU LEGO COMPANY FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
We were glad and proud to display items from the Event Kits as well as left over
catalogs from the North West Brick Con 2003; which were quickly snatched up!
Joe Meno created SciBrick Mini Fig Sig Figs with custom logo stickers with help
from WamaLUG who provided the MiniFigs left over from Brick Fest 2003. This was
a great way to give the guests something they could remember us by.
Joe also created very cool custom Pins that we wore proudly. Each pin had a
graphic unique to the builder that wore it. Very Cool! THANKS JOE!
Felix worked continuosly behind the scenes to hammer out details for us. He
spoke to many people before the event to ensure everything went smoothly. THANKS
FELIX!
The day began with an underground navigation of the Westin Galleria’s loading
dock entrance. We actually loaded our Lego onto a skid and wheeled it through
back doors, kitchens and back room catering facilities. It felt like a scene
straight out of the Movie “Pulp Fiction” and “Good Fellas”.
We set up our display and I went into “set up mode”. I ussually do not engage
people until my models are fully set up. Many thanks to Felix and Joe for
putting up with me and helping to deflect interested people until I had
completed my tasks. ( I just had to add that, I need my concentration!)
Our display was complete, we stepped out to our Hotel and got changed into our
Night Wear.
I gotta say, I’ve never seen such good looking Lego Fans! Ever!
Suits and ties, all for the love of the Brick. Gotta love it.
Our goal was to share our models and make the hobby look good. We were also
interested in expanding the SciBrick presence. Felix, Joe and I spoke to many
people and had a great time seeing everyone smile and ask lots of questions.
After a few hours of speaking to many many people, including Astronauts, NASA
Employees and their Families, we sat down to Dinner and listened to speacial
guests speak about science and the importance of learning and teaching for the
next generation of Space Explorers to come.
We expected former President Bush and his wife Barbara to attend, however they
sent along a touching memo that was read to the guests wishing us well. Speacial
guests included, Miles O’brian from CNN and 60 minutes news anchor and TV
personality Hugh Downs.
Awards were handed out and then a surprise was unveild, a live link up to the
International Space Station! HOW COOL WAS THAT!
After Dinner was served an auction was held to raise funds for the Challenger
Centers, Art work and other valuable items were bid on by guests in the Ball
Room.
After Dinner, Live Country Music entertained the guests.
People then moved about the Event Exhibits and Joe, Felix and I continued to
engage people and talk to them about our Organization.
The event was a great success. Many people walked away with a better
appreciation and knowledge of Lego Products and the Fans that create with this
wonderful medium.
Joe Meno also took many great pictures of the
Event.
In the future we hope to be invited back to any and all Challenger Center
Events.
Many Thanks to to the fine folks at NASA, The Lego Company and to the fellow
SciBrick Members who helped make this event a success.
Thank you.
Eric Sophie
Event Coordinator
SciBrck
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Message has 6 Replies:
 | | Re: Cosmic Rendezvous - SciBrick Event Report
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| (...) (snip) Whoa! I think you've got the "most prestigious debut event" record nailed. Way to go, looks like you guys rocked the place. What a fantastic job for a first show, and it benefitted a great cause. Hats off to your organization. Kudos for (...) (21 years ago, 30-Oct-03, to lugnet.org.scibrick, FTX)
| | | Re: Cosmic Rendezvous - SciBrick Event Report
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| (...) Great work! I have been looking at pictures today on BrickShelf and saying to my self; Wow that is a first class event to display at. Thanks for the report to go with the pics! Once again great work! You guys rock, Robin Werner GFLUG/GFLTC (21 years ago, 30-Oct-03, to lugnet.org.scibrick, FTX)
| | | Re: Cosmic Rendezvous - SciBrick Event Report
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| (...) Sweet! I saw the pictures today on Brickshelf and was hoping you'd post something soon to explain the event, very nice. And I like how you've continued the tradition of getting attractive women to pose with your models...maybe Mecha ain't so (...) (21 years ago, 30-Oct-03, to lugnet.org.scibrick)
| | | Re: Cosmic Rendezvous - SciBrick Event Report
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| That looks like a cool event and a very good selection of sci-fi models, One thing though, (and this is not just aimed at Eric or anyone else in particular) would it be posible to have a caption on photos of AFOLs, its nice to put a face to a name. (...) (21 years ago, 31-Oct-03, to lugnet.people, FTX)
| | | Re: Cosmic Rendezvous - SciBrick Event Report
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| (...) SNIP (...) Eric, Joe, and Felix I've talked to you a lot about the event, but I still don't have a good feeling for how many astronauts (well known or otherwise) and other dignitaries attended. Did you guys make a list or do you remember? And (...) (21 years ago, 31-Oct-03, to lugnet.org.scibrick, FTX)
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