Something happened to the Question Everything 2019 conference. The chairs for the audience watching the show were empty.
This conference did not seem to go off well. The description that comes to mind is that this conference was “low energy”. There were just not that many people there.
It was so different than the Denver FE2018 a few months before, which was so upbeat the full of really down to earth, curious people.
Trying to figure out what kept the people away, in droves, I came up with a few ideas.
We heard rumors of last minute cancellations by a featured speaker. I never heard any official explanation of what happened. Their website went mysteriously blank, and quiet on this matter. This mystery framed the whole conference with “what is the controversy”…?
Then there was the extremely strange treatment of the press.
The official position of Joe Garcia, the organizer and owner of the show, was “no press passes”.
My question automatically was “why no press passes..? what do you have to hide…?” or “who are you trying to keep out…?”
The management of the conference were openly hostile to the press in some cases, sending beefy thug looking guards out anytime a camera came near the event. It felt kind of creepy actually, from this reporters perspective.
As you will see in the photos we took of the event, they managed to keep practically everyone OUT – attendees and press alike.
So while I, as a reporter, was banished into the outer lobby, some real entertainment came my way. There was a Boy Scout dinner being held in another room of the complex, and the local Star Wars dress up characters volunteered to show up, dressed up. My photos of them are below as well.
Robbie Davidson speaking at QE2019, entire room.
Little Joe Garcia refused to allow me in to the conference hall, so I circled back into the venue lobby and found that it was ping pong day in the rooms across the hall.
I had a blast being SMOKED by the most amazing Japanese and other oriental background men and women who showed up to play.
The most fun I had was blowing the mind of a 76 year old, retired, native Japanese, engineer, about the flat earth.
Finally, ping pong night came to an end, so they kick us all out.
Soon, the room was full of a different energy.
On the other side of the venue was a Boy Scout event/dinner.
So the local Star Wars Dressup team VOLUNTEERED to entertain the boys.
