QBC'17: The Aftermath

Hey everyone!!!!!

I finally had a few days to decompress after the QBC this weekend. I actually am glad to be at work to rest(joking). I want to get a few things out of the way first. Thank you Katch in Astoria for letting us have our event there. Thank you to SNY TV for being our title sponsor. These guys hooked us up with air time for our commercial, a ton of swag to give away, and the Gary Keith and Ron Bobbleheads to give away as prizes. Also thank you to Manhattan Beer for sponsoring the Uni Panel.
Also thank you to all the businesses that took an ad in the programs. I am sure I forgot someone and I apologize now for that.Oh yeah... Thanks to the Mets for sending their execs and giving us the Old Dominion Spring Training Send off tickets for prizes.

I want to also thank our "volunteer staff". This "staff" is comprised of my closest and trusted friends and I want to thank each of you for giving up your free time on a chilly Saturday in January. Thank you my "staff" aka my family.

Now that that's all out of the way.....

I am going to be real with you guys here. I was on the fence of this being my last QBC that I ran. Dan Twohig and I poured our souls out into the event the last two years with the help of Shannon Shark and it beat the hell out of me. Now I had a lot of stuff going on this year so I am totally drained. I am getting married. So there is a ton of planning going on just there alone. I work 70-90 hrs a week. That beats me up right there alone. I try to fit in a  social life and I also have a lot of side projects going on too. I also felt like folks didn't appreciate the work we put into the event. Why do you have these players? Why don't you do this? Why don't you do that? The negativity chipped at me. I felt like why should we continue doing this? We make no money on this. We barely break even. For all the work we all do on this none of us. NONE OF US get paid for our time. This is another thing I didn't make public over the weekend. Last Thursday my Dad fell and broke his neck and needs to have surgery today. He is having two rods put in his neck. He is in a lot of pain but can walk and has no trouble breathing. He broke his C2 but it didn't do anything to his spinal cord. I didn't disclose this now for sympathy but to lead us into this next thought of mine.

The overwhelming happiness you guys brought to me on Saturday was amazing. Everyone I talked to appreciated what we accomplished that day. The vendors, fans, Mets execs, panelists, down to a person told us how much they loved the QBC this year. That was just what I needed. It helped with me feeling beaten up Saturday mentally and physically( I got home from work at 2:30 am and had 3 hrs of sleep before the QBC) and gave me a pick me up. Hearing the talk on WOR from Pete McCarthy about the QBC made me realize what we have going on here. It got me revved up and ready to start planning for 2018. Dan and I both have been talking about what we liked this year and what we can improve on.

Quick Takes-

I think this was the best QBC yet. We have learned from the last few years about what works and what doesn't and I think Next years will be even better.

I finally figured out the lighting situation for the panels. I've been to a few different cons and with our equipment now I think we are nailing the production values.

I really wish I could enjoy the day more. I did 10 miles of walking/running that day. I also need to clone myself.

I have great friends and family. And a great extended Mets family.