Countdown to Convergence
Latest News
August 10, 2010
And....we're back!
As I am sure many of you have noticed, we had some issues over the course of the weekend with website access. This applied to both Convergence as well as the ABC website. I just wanted to clarify what had happened and to hopefully address most concerns
First, the facts. An upgrade happened to the host of the webserver recently which changed the virtual "location" of our sites. The internet system that maps the address (www.chubconvergence.com) to the location of the website had to be updated to suit this. This brought to light several challenges, which resulted in many hours spent on the phone with various support groups. Our deepest thanks go out to Tyler, who worked late into the night this weekend to find the people we needed and get the date sorted out to fix the problem. Even once this problem was "fixed" however, we had to deal with the fact that this particular kind of change needs to actually move "across the internet", typically taking upwards of 24 hours before the internet "knows" where to send you when you type in www.chubconvergence.com. For some, this started resolving for people as early as yesterday afternoon. As of today, it should work for all of you. We took away from this the data we needed to ensure we do not ever go down in this fashion again, especially during such a critical time as mere weeks before the event we are all looking forward to.
Now to dispel rumors.
We received all sorts of feedback from you, who were given information by people not directly involved in the event on what has been going on. This information was ether a woeful misunderstanding at best, an outright lie at worst. Allow me to elaborate.
The big comment was that this was done on purpose, or was an attack. It was neither of the above, but a change made by our web host that affected many more sites than us. It was most certainly not done to force anyone to have to pay a higher registration fee. Our site was down over the weekend, true, but our next price increase does not happen until the event itself. Everyone has plenty of time yet to register at the prices that have been in place for the last several weeks. We are comitted to responding to all of you as quickly and fully as we can, and for that reason, should you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact myself or Patrick. I can be reached at either convergence@chubconvergence by email or by phone at 630-765-0114. Patrick can be reached at patrick@chubconvergence.com.
Hopefully this answers any questions or concerns anyone has. Don't hesitate to contact us if you need further info. We look forward to seeing all of you at this event. It will surely be one to remember!
August 2, 2010
The last month has been a busy one for us locking in the details of our entertainment which we hope you will be as excited about as we are.
Kicking off the event and with us through the weekend are DJ Shane Phoenix and The Rickster as Q's In the Biz. These handsome bears will join us in lighting the fuse on what is sure to be a weekend we won't soon forget by broadcasting their show live from our hospitality suite on the opening night of Convergence! The pair will be on hand all weekend to Emcee the chub chaser contest, introduce our other entertainment (look down, theres more!) and be there for all of us to enjoy! Get a taste for the show in Shane's recent interview with one of the Convergence staff at his website: www.qsinthebiz.com/
Rocking the tunes for all all weekend long, we are again joined by the renowned DJ Shane Phonex, broadcasting his live dance show, Flight of the Phoenix poolside on Friday night for our pool party, to give us all a taste of the pure energy that will be pulsing through the dance party on Saturday. Join all the hot wet men in the pool with DJ Shane's personal musical touch, sure to add that extra dose of adrenaline to the event.
Speaking of the dance party, join us with DJ Shane Phoenix again on Saturday night, spinning just for us in his World On Fire Tour, sure to get guys of all ages shaking ALL they've got on the dance floor till the wee hours of the morning. Great tunes, hot, shirtless men to rub up against...what't not to love? Shirtless? Word is that the only way you get into DJ Shane's dance parties is to be hot...and how does one qualify as hot? Why, by having no shirt of course! We look forward to seeing all you sexy men in there dancing the night away.
For a taste of what music we will be enjoying at Convergence, DJ Shane Phoenix has put together an official Convergence Dance Mix just for us that you can stream anytime. Give it a listen at: http://events.djshanephoenix.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-07-15T15_38_39-07_00
After our fine banquet dinner, and before letting all you sexy men strut your stuff in the Chub/Chaser contest, we will be serenaded by the talented voice of international recording artist Ray Boltz. With a repertoire spanning the decades, this silver tongued bear is sure to be music to everyones ears. We are all excited to have him and eager to hear the acoustic set he has planned for us, to enjoy as we finish dinner and to take us into the contest! Get a taste of him at http://www.rayboltz.com/.
May 31, 2010
Here it is the beginning of June 2010, just three months away from the main event of the year. Our registrations are flowing in; with attendees who range from over twenty-seven states and sixteen countries. We are excited to announce that we are extending the current package pricing until the end of June 2010, as well as introducing two additional packages.
First we have the “S” Package is $99.00 which will get you the Hospitality Suite, Seminars, Vendor Hall, Welcome Party, Pool Parties, Saturday Dance, Sunday Chub/Chaser Contest and entertainment.
Next is the “JR” Package (for ages 26 and under to 18) is $79.00 which will get you the Hospitality Suite, Seminars, Vendor Hall, Welcome Party, Pool Parties, Saturday Dance, Sunday Chub/Chaser Contest and entertainment.
We also have further exciting news to share; we have added additional events and activities to our schedule for Orlando Convergence 2010! You will find these under the "Events & A La Carte" menu.
Cirque Du Soleil presents “La Nouba” written and directed by Franco Dragone, a permanent production located at downtown Disney on the West Side. More info on the Events page.
Golf Tournament at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Course for our Convergence members who would love to golf, its only 10 minutes who away at the famed Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes, course designed by a two-time British Open champion Greg Norman. More info on the Events page.
Universal Studios Orlando & Islands of Adventure offers a special afternoon admission starting at 2 PM and allows you a one day pass to enjoy the new Harry Potter Experience along with all the Islands of Adventure you can handle!
Texas Hold’em Tournament II This has been added to the Stars package(C) and is also available as an ala carte purchase at $20.00. There are limited numbers available to play, so please hurry and register for this if you are interested in playing in the tournament. Note: All funds collected 100% for the tournament is distributed back to the tournament winners!
Our Entertainment committee has locked in the Fabulous "DJ Shane Phoenix". Join us after hours to dance late into the night, with radio host DJ Shane Phoenix and The Rickster as they take you on a musical dance journey
Let us know at registration@chubconvergence.com if you have any questions, we are happy to help! – Your Convergence Committee!
April 22, 2010
Name Badge preparation has begun! By now everyone who has registered should have received their welcome email asking for further details, including the picture you would like on your event badge. This is important as we will need to have it ready for you before the event to make your check-in fast and easy. Please get this to us as quickly as you can so we can stop bothering you for it *Grin*
We are still in negotiations for entertainment on site during the event as well as off site "a la carte" options to make your stay in Orlando a truly memorable event. La Nouba is still being finalized and will be added to the pricing page as soon as we have the details. More to come as other entertainment is negotiated. Stay tuned!
In an effort to promote Convergence and make this a truly memorable event, we have printed up a number of high quality post and business cards. If you have an gay/bear/chub event that you are involved in, or know someone who works one and would like to cross-promote events, send an email to convergence@chubconvergence.com and we can work things out.
March 19, 2010
Excitement continues to build for Convergence Orlando! We are almost ready to offer the first of our a la carte addons to you: Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba! This permanent show at Downtown Disney has been running for years and is a night you will not soon forget. See videos and read more about the show at the official La Nouba page. More details on this event to come in the following weeks. Stay tuned!
Hotel registrations are rolling in at a regular rate and things are looking very good for our party on premises. Between the exclusive use of the pool and our occupancy of the main tower, expect to see plenty of handsome men milling about at all hours! Any guests who have issues registering a room, either through our personal link, or online, should send an email to convergence@chubconvergence.com and we will get it resolved.
Convergence registrations continue to come in at a steady rate, growing our already solid base of early bird registratnts. Excitement mounts as we start seeing people from as far away as Japan who will be joining us for this weekend of fun and frolic. Be sure to get your registration in before the prices go up at the end of April!
Welcome mailings have gone out to all who have registered through April 1st. If you have registered on or before May 1st, and have not gotten your welcome mailing, please email convergence@chubconvergence.com to get this resolved. If you registered after May 1st, you should be getting your welcome email within a week of registration. Please get this back to us soon so that we can prepare your badge.
February 12, 2010
Good news! Online registration for the Doubletree - International Drive is now opwn! Find out all the details on our personalized registration page at http://doubletree.hilton.com. Watch this space for other news as it becomes available.
FEBRUARY 1, 2010 – 8 MONTHS UNTIL CONVERGENCE ORLANDO!
With the fun and memories of BiggerVegas behind us (and our heartfelt thanks to BC and Patrick Hoover) we have been eagerly planning the excitement of sunny Orlando, Florida; home of Convergence 2010!
The Event
Join us for Convergence Orlando, September 3-6, 2010, and the 25th anniversary of Convergence, the first and largest chub/chaser convention in the United States! The ABC Convergence Orlando planning committee has been hard at work making arrangements for a grand event with fun and surprise for all! Between the Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Sea World, and a host of other attractions, not to mention all the wonderful men at the hotel, it will be a weekend that no one will soon forget.
Our Hotel
The beautiful Doubletree Resort Orlando is the sumptuous home base of Convergence Orlando, providing our own pool, just for event participants, as well as rooms located around it, for ease of access (and people watching). The whole area is a paradise-setting which offers us complete privacy and outstanding amenities!
Registration and Pricing Information
Vegas pricing has been extended until March 1st! Today you can register for $199, $269 and $425 depending on the package you choose. Those prices increase to $219, $289, and $450 on March 1. Now is the time to lock in these low prices!
How Do You Find Out More?
Right here! The latest convergence information will always be found on the official convergence website, www.chubconvergence.com. Also, Become a Fan of Convergence Orlando on Facebook to connect with other event participants, and participant hopefuls!
January 18th, 2009
Registrations for Convergence have been underway for several months and are going strong. In the cold winter months that some of us are suffering through, who wouldn't want to begin planning a vacation somewhere nice and warm..and with all the chubs and chasers about, one could even call the temperature at convergence HOT and STEAMY?
We have been working on things behind the scenes here as well and we have several news items to whet your appetite. In response to all your feedback regarding the staple farewell brunch, we are adding it into the schedule for Orlando. Now you will have a chance to share their heartfelt goodbyes with all the wonderful men that you met over the Labor Day Weekend. As always, the farewell brunch will be the Monday morning of the convergence weekend. See the schedule for more details.
Our most common question from you, by far, is how to reserve the hotel. Details are still coming in from the hotel how you can do it online, but for those who want to finalize their reservations at the event price, simply call the hotel at 1-800-327-0363 and let the reservation agent know you are with the "Affiliated Big Men's Club" event to get the $75 price. Stay tuned, on the hotel front...we are working on allowing you to register your hotel stay through chubconvergence.com as well. News here as it unfolds!
On a related note, the International Plaza hotel was in the process of being purchased by Doubletree hotel group at the time we selected them, but had not finalized yet. This may have caused some confusion for many of you as the name of the hotel has changed to the Doubletree Resort: International Drive. The new site can be found at http://www.doubletreeorlandoidrive.com. You may see the hotel name interchangeably used between the old and the new title...the address and amenities remain the same though.
Finally, we wanted to communicate to all of you a special onsite deal that we have worked out with the hotel for all guests of the event. Any food purchased on property from any of the four dining options available, is at a 20% discount! From the Bamboo Grille to the Poolside bar, we have you covered.