Early Saturday turned out to be the most hectic time of the convention, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, The Office Olympics, a wardrobe exhibit, the 'Uncommon Stakeholder's Meeting' and a Street Festival all scheduled around the same time. Throw a torrential downpour into the mix and drawing up a game plan to hit all the events became quite the task.
While the rain caused some to stay inside and nurse their hangovers, most convention goers weren't dissuaded, opting to purchase a Dunder Mifflin umbrella and trudge through the muddy terrain.
Unfortunately for them, the Office Olympics, one of the most anticipated parts of the convention was a big disappointment. The events were hard to find, the organization left much to be desired and by the end of the weekend most of the people I spoke to thought it had been canceled.
Local businesses and the University of Scranton did a nice job with the Street Festival, but the rain was simply too much to bare for most, making the the wardrobe exhibit and the 'Uncommon Stakeholder's Meeting' the biggest draws.
Alas, the real meat and potatoes came later in the day during the Q&A panel with cast members. Some 4,000 fans filed into the Long Center, packing it to the brim and bringing a level of excitement equal to that of an Eagles game.
Luckily, the excitement was warranted as the panel more than made up for the shortcomings of the earlier events. The moderators did a fantastic job, the questions were cleverly vetted so as to avoid any repetitive or bland moments and the cast was absolutely wonderful. Quite honestly, even without the four most popular actors on the show, the Q&A was on par with the best the Museum of Television & Radio has to offer.
Listen to the cast Q&A below
The panel was followed by a VIP cocktail reception and a live performance by The Scrantones. Though the cocktail party left a little to be desired (no liquor), the concert was fun with almost all the cast hopping on the stage at one point to sing and dance.
After the concert, most of the fans made their way to Poor Richards Pub to meet up with the cast. The atmosphere was nice and those lucky enough to head back to the Radison were treated to a lovely surprise. B.J. Novak and a small group of police officers, fans and college students spent about an hour conversating over drinks in the downstairs lobby/bar.
All in all, a fitting end to a great night.
Part I: Not Your Average Day
Part II: Descent of the Mifflinites
Part IV: That's What She Said
Contact Nadum at Nadum_TV@comcast.com
