Blog
29th April 2016
Mark’s FANtastic Journey
EMC’s resident Group Account Director (and Lord of the Rings star) returns as Master of Ceremonies for the annual German fan convention, Hobbit Con.
Since 2002 I have been travelling to Bonn, Germany, every year, for a series of fan conventions devoted to Lord of the Rings and, recently, the Hobbit. Thousands of fans from across the world gather to meet their favourite stars, dress as their favourite characters, meet friends who share their obsession…and party (really, really hard)
I started off as a guest (I played King of the Elves, Gil Galad…my great performance was mostly cut) and recently promoted to MC. With my fellow Kiwis we have developed a special love for this event and the people who attend it. The fans spend the year counting the days, working on the costumes and connecting with fellow HobbittConnies.
The event kicks off on Friday around midday and over 3 days, fans attend panels, where I interview the stars, workshops and lectures with subjects as varied as Elvish language, stunt-fighting, art, music…all with a Middle Earth flavor. The big events are the Opening Ceremonies, the Costume Contest, the so-called “Kiwi Panel” where we perform comedy improve sketches, and the Closing Ceremony. The parties are insane…if you can imagine a thousand people all dressed as Hobbits, Orcs, Elves and creatures that I can’t even name…all heaving and boogying to the latest Tolkien techno beats. And the big difference with this convention is the actors are down there partying with them!
Billy Boyd (who played the hobbit, Pippin, in Lord of the Rings) brought the show to an emotional close with his song, “The Last Goodbye” which was fitting because this was the last Middle Earth Convention. Luckily, for the 5,000 fans in floods of tears, a new convention- MagicCon was announced. So if you’re a fan of all thing Tolkien, Game of Thrones, Outlander, and other fantasy shows, we’ll see you in Bonn and the end of April, 2017.
On the way back, I stopped over in Shanghai, my first time to this amazing city. Thanks to the wonderful Irene from Destination China I was whizzed around this fabulous city experiencing the heady mix of colonial past and futuristic architecture. We are experiencing great interest in China, for obvious reasons, and it was a treat to experience this wondrous mega-city first-hand.
Some highlights:
The 300km Maglev train. Great way to start your visit and very cheap
The Bund. Beautiful colonial buildings on one side of the river, a cityscape from the 23rdcentury on the other.
Nanjing Rd. Shopping. Shopping. Shopping.
French Concession. Fascinating history, great bars, restaurants, and shops
My personal favourite was having an expertly created Bloody Mary, listening to the Old Time Jazz band in the lounge at the Fairmont Peace Hotel, a beautiful oasis, reeking of history and the ghosts of Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and countless other luminaries from a golden past.
A great trip, and a reminder that travelling to an event with like-minded people or exploring a new city, life changing experiences are just a plane ride away.
– Mark Ferguson