The Inside Scoop: Where to Stay for Pony Fair 2019

We are so very happy to share with you that Pony Fair will be back in 2019! We've been hard at work negotiating a great room block rate and special perks for our attendees.

Where should I stay?

The 2019 Pony Fair will take place on July 27th and 28th at the Double Tree Tampa Airport Hotel in Tampa, Florida.

This year's official hotel is the Double Tree Tampa Airport Hotel. We ask that attendees consider staying at the host hotel if possible to help us fill our contracted room block.

Does The Pony Fair offer a discounted group rate?

Yes. The Pony Fair has negotiated a discounted rate and added amenities for Fair attendees. In addition to a complimentary airport shuttle, and a shuttle that take guests within a 2 mile radius, we have also negotiated breakfast vouchers for those staying on property.

    

                    

How can I make RESERVATIONS?

Attendees may use the following link to make room reservations:

www.TampaDoubleTree.com  using the code LPF

Attendees may also call 1-800-514-3956 to make reservations. Be sure to tell them that you are part of the MY LITTLE PONY Fair group (group code: LPF). 

The MY LITTLE PONY Fair- Through the Years (San Francisco 2006)

Long before I took over running the MY LITTLE PONY Fair, I was a loyal attendee. I packed my bags and every year traveled from one coast or the other to spend a fun filled weekend full of ponies with fellow collectors. In 2006, the My Little Pony Fair traveled to San Francisco and I hopped on a plane with two of my pony collector friends (Mary and Amber) for what turned out to be a fun and crazy weekend. I had never been to San Francisco before despite spending part of my childhood living in California, so it was fun to check out the sights. We spent some time in Chinatown, had some awesome food and were treated to an impromptu jam session in our hotel room by Sebby's friend. Video exists of this trip and I really need to find it. Seriously, it is some good stuff!

It was still the early days of the Fair and attendance wasn't great, but we still found plenty of things to buy.

 I was invited to give a book talk on my original G3 book (which was later picked up, expanded, and published by Priced Nostalgia Press under the Collector's Inventory Series).

This was also the first year of Pony Jeopardy. I came in second in the competition and made it my goal to win first place the next year (which I did!)

SpottedSlug brought an adorable Bubbles costume for photos and we all enjoyed hamming it up for the cameras with a Pony.

The MY LITTLE PONY Fair sure has come a long way since the early days!

Hasbro Offers Designers' Seminar at the Fair!

The Designers at Hasbro are offering a seminar for MLP Fair Attendees!

Hasbro Designers’ Seminar

Time: Saturday 10-11

Limit 50 people

Description: "This will be a seminar walking through the process of how we developed the latest MLP look both from a 3D toy perspective and an entertainment perspective."

The Fair staff is working out the details on how to handle sign-ups for this event as it is bound to be popular! We will most likely be doing a lottery system.

Stay tuned to find out how you can have a chance to attend!

Pony Event Scrapbooking

If you've attended the national MLP Fair and Convention, or regional events held in the Midwest or the annual Maryland Meet your photo is most likely in my Pony Event Scrapbook. I have photographs from most of the pony-related events I've attended since 2002 and I've put them together in a massive pony-themed scrapbook. However, I'm not on top of things at the moment and have yet to add photos from this past year's convention in Las Vegas, MD Meet, and the Cinci Meet. Luckily, Walgreens is running a promotion for 9 cent prints and I'm totally taking advantage of it. I'm not typically a scrapbook person but I think the Pony Event Scrapbook is a fun way to document the craziness of one of my most beloved hobbies. Seriously, who else has photos of themselves holding plastic ponies next to street performers in San Francisco, sharing margaritas with a giant Pinkie Pie, or modeling a pony corset on the steps of a plantation house?

More Hasbro Tour Footage

While I'm waiting for things to calm down enough to find time to blog, here's another video we took of Bonnie Zacherle discussing My Little Pony during the 2008 MLP Fair Hasbro Tour. Also, if you have a specific footage request from the Providence Fair, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Hasbro to Offer Tour at MLPFair 2008!

Despite being insanely busy, I had to take the time to blog about the fact that Hasbro is offering a tour of its facilities the Friday before the 2008 MLPFair at 9:30 a.m. for collectors. However, in order to attend the tour, you have to go to http://www.mlpfair.com/ to register. Registration is free, but the tour is limited to only 100 participants. So if you'll be in Providence early Friday, make sure you sign up soon before all the slots are filled.

The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory Is Now Available!

While Amazon and other larger bookstores may not get their shipments for a few more weeks, you can now get a copy through Priced Nostalgia's online listings found HERE . I will also have limited quantities of both The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory and The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory available at the MD Meet in Baltimore for anyone who would like to purchase a copy at the event. Copies of both titles will also be available at the upcoming MLPFair in Providence, Rhode Island.

Here are a few shots to give you a peek inside the G1 guide:

Hasbro Q and A at the MLP Fair 2007

I was able to take this video at the MLP Fair in Memphis. I hope you enjoy the video. I ask if you want to share this video with others, please direct them to this blog. I don't mind if you download this video to your computer, but please do not post this video elsewhere on the web. I have a quite a bit more footage that I plan to put up in the future...

Hasbro's Michelle Paolino discusses "25 Ponies for 25 Years" MLP project and what's in store for the future of My Little Pony. Other topics addressed in this segment include Hasbro's committment to collectors, the boy pony debate, Retro pony sets and other ponies aimed specifically at collectors, and My Little Pony movies on the big screen.

I'm back and exhausted!

I finally returned home from my extended vacation and I am beyond tired! In addition to traveling to Memphis for the My Little Pony Fair, we also traveled to New York and Washington D.C. It was a great trip, but it will take a day or two to fully recover. On top of my exhaustion, I'm also dealing with the fact that my primary computer decided to crash the night before we left for Tennessee. This would be the computer that housed all my pony-related files. Luckily, I backed up all but the last 3 weeks worth, so I'm not starting over from scratch if we are unable to recover them. Still, it is a HUGE inconvenience.

A few highlights from the 2007 Memphis Pony Fair with hopes to add some photos as soon as this computer business gets sorted out:

Hasbro brought original backcard concept art and original line art to show and I had the opportunity to chat with the Hasbro girls about the MLP line. They were so sweet and informative!

I sold all copies of The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory that I took with me to the event. I got to meet lots of terrific collectors as I signed their books. There were even a few international collectors who flew in for the event.

I managed to film Michelle Paolino's speech about the direction of the MLP line.

I was invited to play Pony Jeopardy and I won!

The plush ponies I made won ribbons in the art competitions including: First Place (Music Themed), People's Choice First (Music Themed), Second Place (Hasbro Art), People's Choice Second (Hasbro Art), and Honorable Mention (Hasbro Art).

There was lots of fun had on Bealle Street involving frozen drinks, Medley, and Photo Hunt pictures.

The Countdown Begins!

The MLP Fair will take place in Memphis Tennessee on July 28th and July 29th at the Cooke Convention Center. Pony Collectors will flock to this event for a weekend full of My Little Pony. While this is the fourth year for the event, this will be the first time Hasbro representative, Michelle Paolino, will be in attendance. I'm excited at the possibility of meeting her since we exchanged email messages last summer when my first book was released. She was very encouraging and complementary of my work and I'm obviously a fan of her work! If this wasn't enough to convince me that I had to attend the event, The Fair Staff recently announced that an exclusive Hasbro produced pony will be available for purchase at the event. So, I'll be there with bells on and hope to meet my share of fun and interesting collectors!

Visit www.MLPFair.com for more information on this event!