BrickWorld Chicago 2019

BrickWorld was fun as usual. I did not get a working GBC module done in time. I did have last year’s GBC event kits from both BrickWorld and BrickFair, as well as the new one for this year, so they were included in the display, which is only worth mentioning because they (we) easily set a record for most modules in one display, at more than 350.

Beyond the Brick posted their video of the whole circuit yesterday morning, I haven’t watched the whole thing yet, since it’s 97 minutes long, but here’s the link:

One of the best parts of BrickWorld is World of Lights, where they turn out all the lights so you can see how everybody lit up their displays. Unlike at BrikFair, where the convention hall requires them to leave some of the lights on (it’s so lame), they turn them all off at BrickWorld, and it’s nice and dark. Except it really isn’t anymore, because so many people have their stuff lit up. Last year, a guy named Lawrie George brought along custom glow-in-the-dark soccer balls, put UV lights on his modules, and ran the balls through them during WoL. For this year, BrickWorld went and bought a large supply of balls, which were run through the entire display. The effect was even cooler than I’d expected, and I expect they’ll keep doing it, although clearing up jams and breakages in the dark didn’t look fun.

I did end up building something while I was there. Rachel reserved an 8-foot table, but then was concerned that she wouldn’t have enough stuff to fill it (since this is a recurring problem, I had made a rule that she is no longer allowed to reserve space until she already has her stuff built, but then I didn’t enforce it), so she asked me to bring stuff along, and I brought my usual stuff: Lackeys, pine trees, and green plates for landscaping. I spent all day Friday building it (and got a blister that required a band-aid when it started bleeding on my Legos, gross). The build was generally well-received by the public and the exhibitors (mostly I got compliments on the trees), and I got a gugick from last year’s Master Builder. Here’s a pic:

(@joshhall I wore my Steel City LUG shirts and badge all weekend, so for displaying, four shifts of staffing, plus setup and teardown, that comes out to four cups, so I’m gonna claim them.)

I never found Micah, despite attempting to track him down at his table. I discovered that Glenn didn’t make it after all, which he addressed in a different thread that I’ll eventually reply to.

This year was Bryan Bonahoom’s 13th and final year running the event, which is being taken over by Mark Larson. Other than that, it was business as usual. I expect to go next year.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Benjamin C Good.