THIS
WEEKEND PASS was the ticket to an entire weekend of Madonna-themed
fun!
DETAILED SUMMARY OF EVENTS:
MLVC 2002 began on Friday August 16th (Madonna's 44th birthday!!) with a gathering of convention goers in the hotel's Conference Center. Then it was off to the recently-renovated Menjos from 9pm to 2am for the Retro-Madonna Opening Night Birthday Bash. In celebration of 20 years of Madonna History, DJ Barney from Philadelphia spun classic Madonna (and other) music from the 80's, all night long. There was also be a beautiful birthday cake (with a life-like photo of Madonna on it) and a look-a-like contest at midnight. Congratulations to Katrina and Kim, who were two of the winners in the contest.
In the Conference Center on Saturday, fans enjoyed various activities such as "Vogue" Bingo. There was also plenty of rare Madonna video to watch on the big screen, and rare Madonna music to listen to, including the unreleased "Ray Of Light" demo songs like "Gone Gone Gone," "Like A Flower," "Revenge," and more. At 3pm we held the Madonna Charity Auction to benefit MAPP (Midwest Aids Prevention Project). We would like to extend a warm thanks to all convention goers that donated items of Madonna music or memorabilia to help raise money for MAPP. Over $500.00 was raised for this good cause. Thanks to Shane for helping out with the auction.
At 6:30pm, fans enjoyed THE MADONNA SHOW featuring Madiva (One of the worlds finest Madonna impersonators) and friends such as Leann and Devendra (who did a fine performance of "Vogue"). Although the day had plenty of unexpected problems and delays, the convention goers were very patient and understanding. As a way of thanking the fans for their undying patience, Steve gave everyone there a free year-long membership to The Madonna Catalog. Our second night at Menjos (once again, featuring DJ Barney from Philadelphia) was a lot of fun. The Menjos party started at 9pm and continued celebrating with Madonna music all night long, including some hot new sounds from New York. I apologize to any of you who got lost going to or from Menjo's from the hotel; I admit the directions I provided (courtesy of MapBlast) were terrible; we got lost several times! To see some photos of some of the performers, go to the photos page
In the Algonquin Ballroom on Sunday August 18th at 11am, we kicked off the festivities with the long-awaited return of the Madonna Memorabilia Show. The Memorabilia Show featured dealers from coast to coast; buying, selling and trading rare (and not-so-rare) Madonna memorabilia. The show ended at 5:00pm. A VERY special thanks to Kelly, Heidi, John, David, and Chris for helping me pack everything back up and get it into the truck. Damn, those bins full of magazines were heavy!!! You can see some photos from the memorabilia show on the PHOTOS PAGE.
The Madonna Catalog had a 24-foot long setup (and tons of wall space), crammed full with some of the most rare and amazing Madonna memorabilia ever seen. There were hundreds of items for sale, as well as many "museum-type" pieces (not for sale) on display for fans to enjoy, such as the red fur hat that Madonna threw into the audience during the very last show of the Drowned World Tour, some very rare and never-before seen photos, and much more. Several fans had their pictures taken wearing the DWT hat, and Kim Miller from Chicago had an amazing "moment" as she saw, touched, (and even smelled!) the hat that Madonna once wore. Thanks, Kim, for making the day so enjoyable. You can see photos from the memorabilia show on the PHOTOS PAGE.
You can read other reviews of the convention by visiting the EVERYBODY FAN CLUB page. Thanks to Mariam Ayub for posting the review.
"FINE PRINT" and
MISCELLANEOUS:
I have done my very best to keep all information accurate and up-to-date. I am not responsible for mis-prints or errors in this information; nor can I be responsible for any articles that may have been lost, stolen, or damaged during this convention. Please note that the MLVC 2002 convention (formerly Madonna Fest) is not in any way affiliated with Nick Mendoros, Julio Perez, or either of the "MaddyFest" conventions previously held in New York City. This year's show was sponsored exclusively by Steve Caraco of THE MADONNA CATALOG.
Sincerely,
Steve Caraco
