Harmony Gold in association with Sennin Productions, LLC are pleased to announce that the Robotech Convention Tour will make its first ever stop in historic city of New Orleans for MechaCon! MechaCon, which began in Lafayette in 2005, is Louisiana's largest anime convention and is taking over The French Quarter with a weekend filled with panels, gaming, giveaways, workshops, banquets, autographs for Robotech and anime fans across the Gulf coast! Do not miss out on the signature Robotech convention event to celebrate a quarter century of Robotech and the legacy of its creator Carl Macek!


ROBOTECH GUESTS:

The MechaCon staff has assembled an all star cast of from Robotech's past, present and future, including:

Tony Oliver - voice of Robotech's Rick Hunter
Dan Woren - voice of Robotech’s Roy Fokker
Richard Epcar - voice of Ben Dixon, Lunk & Vince Grant
Ellyn Stern - voice actress from Robotech
Kevin McKeever - Harmony Gold marketing coordinator
Tonmy Yune - director of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Vic Mignogna - English voice of Macross' Hikaru Ichijo
Mari Iijima - English/Japanese voice of Macross' Lynn Minmay


EVENT LOCATION:

New Orleans Marriott
555 Canal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Tel: 412-565-6000

With 80,000 square feet of event space and 41 floors, 1,275 rooms and 54 suites, the New Orleans Marriott, located mere steps from the historic French Quarter, is the perfect facility for the MechaCon 2010 convention.


AT-THE-DOOR REGISTRATION:

To help keep the lines moving faster for attendees who want to purchase their badges at the convention, MechaCon has posted their AT-DOOR REGISTRATION FORM (PDF)on line. Attendees can be fill out the completed forrm and present at prior to the at convention registration desk when you arrive.


$45 adults / $25 kids 4 to 9 – Full weekend (all 3 days)
$18 adults / $10 kids 4 to 9 – Friday only
$25 adults / $15 kids 4 to 9 – Saturday only
$12 adults / $ 7 kids 4 to 9 — Sunday only
(kids under 3 are free with paying adult)

NOTE: Attendees under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and attendees under the age of 18 must have signed parent consent on this registration form.


ROBOTECH EVENT SCHEDULE:

• Friday, July 16th •

INTRODUCTION TO INDEPENDENT FILM MAKING @ 3 p.m. – Panel Room 3 (Studio 3)
Join industry veteran Kevin McKeever as he shows you the ins and outs of getting a career started in the world of independent filmmaking.

OPENING CEREMONIES & FORMAL DINNER @ 6 p.m. – Main Events Room 1 (Carondelet)
Kick off the weekend with a special dinner event at the opening ceremonies. Dine with the guests of honor, including Dan Woren, Richard Epcar, Kevin McKeever , Tony Oliver, Ellyn Stern, Tonmy Yune, Vic Mignogna, Mari Iijima and enjoy giveaways and other surprises. Being a semi-formal event, attendees are urged to dress in formal Asian or western attire. Advance reservations or Gold Pass membership is required to attend.

ANIME BLOOPERS WITH RICHARD EPCAR AND TONY OLIVER (18 and over only) @ 10 p.m. – Video Room 1 (LA Galerie)
Have you ever wondered what happens when ADR sessions go horribly wrong? Well veteran ADR directors Richard Epcar and Tony Oliver are going to pull back the curtain on the foul ups, bleeps and blunders of anime they have recorded over the years.


• Saturday, July 17th •

COMIC & MANGA PRODUCTION WORKSHOP @ 10:30 a.m. – Panel Room 2 (Studio 1)
Tommy Yune, a veteran of hit comic series such as Speed Racer, Racer X, Robotech, and Danger Girl: Kamikaze, covers modern production techniques of the industry and new options available to hopeful comic creators.

MEET VIC MIGNOGNA @ 11:00 a.m. – Main Events Room 1 (Carondelet Room)
Vic Mignogna has had a varied career from Full Metal Alchemist to the English dub of Macross and everything in between. Find out more about his perspective on the industry and the diverse characters he has played.

WOMEN IN ANIME @ 11:00 a.m. – Panel Room 1 (Studio 2)
Join Robotech voice actress Ellyn Stern as she discusses the history of women in anime.

25 YEARS OF ROBOTECH @ 1 p.m. – Panel Room 2 (Studio 1)
Join Harmony Gold’s Tommy Yune and Kevin McKeever along with Robotech voice actors Richard Epcar, Tony Oliver, Ellyn Stern and Dan Woren as they cover the history of the television series that introduced a generation to anime, and discusses new releases in the wake of the announcement of the live action feature film. They will also remember Carl Macek, the original producer of Robotech who started this whole phenomenon.

ADVENTURES IN VOICE ACTING @ 6:00 p.m. – Panel Room 2 (Studio 1)
The voice of Robotech’s Rick Hunter, Tony Oliver, talks about his decades long career in anime voice acting.

MARI IIJIMA LIVE IN CONCERT @ 8:00 p.m. - Main Events Room (Carondelet)
The original voice of Lynn Minmay performs her classic hits and new favorites for the first time in the Big Easy!

MECHA GUNSLINGER TOURNAMENT @ 11:00 p.m. - Electronic Gaming Room (LA Galerie 1&2)
Ever wanted to be the pilot of a giant robot? Have you played other high-tech wargames and wanted to know what it REALLY feels like to pilot a 'Mech? Got road rage and have the urge to "pwn"? Want to win Robotech prizes? Well you are in luck as the MechCorps battle simulation pods are back! This year, MechCorps returns to MechaCon with not six, but EIGHT battle pods and the best mech pilot will win Robotech prizes!


• Sunday, July 18th •

VOICE ACTING AND DIRECTING @ 10:00 a.m. Panel Room 3 (Studio 3)
Richard Epcar and Ellyn Stern show you what it takes to master this often misunderstood art form in a informative and entertaining workshop.

A QUARTER CENTURY OF ROBOTECH @ 12 noon – Panel Room 2 (Studio 1)
The Robotech crew opens the floor to fans in a town hall-style discussion about upcoming new Robotech projects.

DO ANIME CONVENTIONS HAVE A FUTURE? @ 3 p.m. – Panel Room 1 (Studio 2)
Oil is over $60 USD per barrel, airlines are raising fares while cutting services, inflation is on the rise, the economy is slowing, unemployment is at historic highs and disposable income is on the decline. Can anime conventions survive, let alone grow, in this environment? Join Robotech.com's marketing coordinator Kevin McKeever for an in depth look at these issues and the surprising answer.


MORE INFORMATION:

• Discuss MechaCon in the forums
• Visit MechaCon's official website
• Get the latest updates from the Robotech Twitter feed
• Check out the list of other cities from the 2010 Robotech Convention Tour

Do you run a convention and want the Robotech Tour to make a stop at your event? Then contact Kevin McKeever at kev@robotech.com for more information.

Special thanks to Jon Russo, Pete Bares, Richard Bares, "Stoney" Potter and the entire MechaCon staff for making this all possible!