email: admin@danjezek.com

Brickvention Melbourne 2018

We traveled down under in January for a fifth year to represent BrickLink and Dan’s legacy at Brickvention 2018, Australia’s largest LEGO convention, in Melbourne. Plenty of MOCs and events and exhibits were on display over the three-day gathering and hundreds of AFOLs and the public again turned out to take it all in.

This 12th annual LEGO convention and exhibition, January 19-21, was once again sponsored by the local Melbourne LEGO users group – MUG – and we were especially honored again to be among Brickvention's official "supporters" (sponsors) this year, in the name of danjezek.com. Organizers paid tribute to Dan and his creation, BrickLink throughout the convention hosted once again in the sprawling and historic (circa 1880) Royal Exhibition Building in the heart of one of Australia’s most inviting and liveable cities.

Capping off the event was a Friday night cocktail party with plenty of hi-jinx and Australian good humor, for all to enjoy.

If you love LEGO and fun and hospitality as well, this is a wonderful event that’s never too far away to consider a visit during our winter (their summer).

Organizers and event sponsors. Back row (L-R): Erika Chin, Kate Johnson, Andrea Lansley, Michael Plowright, Michael Peebles, Cris Ruhr, Chris Hill, Kellee Ballard; Seated: David Howes, Annaleise Ronzan, Eliska Jezkova, Larry Hawthorne. Front: Travis Matheson.

Martin and Frances Schroeter are Tasmanian AFOLs with a true love of LEGO and BrickLink. Frances was one of the first to join BrickLink/BrickBay back in 2000 and has a member number in the triple digits. She remembers fondly communicating with Dan and appreciates all that Dan made possible in their lives.

 

Tamara Dadswell’s Beauty and The Beast was an example of excruciatingly detailed builds. They looked real enough to explode directly from the movie screen onto the display floor at Brickvention.

 

A new base for the Millenium Falcon was a MOC attraction for Star Wars Fans.

 

Is this really LEGO? . . . Yes, it is!

A head-scratcher, but this odd set displayed by Sue Ann Barber and Trevor Clark is real LEGO pruduced during a company low period. The Scala doll theme, 1997-2001, featured more than 65 sets including doll houses and furniture. The line was only available in Europe. The rise of BrickLink.com was certainly one of the factors in LEGO righting the corporate ship.

 

 

 

This is "Summerset Isles" by Tristan Chatton. The waterfall feature was especially impressive.

 

 

 

 

This Red Dragon MOC showed amazing detail and craftsmanship. Called Dragon’s Tranquility by Timothy Jones and Danii Brighton it was said to be a symbol of the conflict of darkness, light and hope. Note the butterfly on the dragon's talon. That would be the "hope". It was definitely an eye-catcher, even among the usual list of LEGO dragons one expects to see at an exhibit like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Britain's Parliament building, including Big Ben, in well-crafted bricks.

 

This magnificent motorcycle looks ready to be kick-started and run down the aisle of the Royal Exhibit Building at Brickvention.

 

Our display at Brickvention

At our display table, Eliska exhibits here BrickLink front page MOC and other icons Dan created that are still found on the website. The mosaic of Dan was a gift from Diane Winbanks and her daughter Lauren who built the portrait from their own design.

 

'Oh the Humanity!'

The Friday night cocktail gathering has become a traditional part of Brickvention. Organizers, supporters, builders and designers let their hair down and participate in a humorous program of hi-jinx and comedy. The custom is to dress as outlandish as possible and make the most out of a raucus evening of laughter and hors d'ouvres. Eliska joins with Travis Matheson (this year's Brickvention president) who certainly knows how to outdo even last year's costume, all in the spirit of a fun evening.

 

Greetings from the Photo Booth

We had a great time at Brickvention 2018. See you again next year, Melbourne!

 

 

Note: Tip of the Hat to Jay's Brick Blog. We borrowed from Jay to fill in a few blanks for which we failed to keep notes of our own during Brickvention. Thanks, Jay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second-Year Sponsors

As second-year co-sponsors, at the opening ceremony we were honored to join with Brickvention organizer Annaleise Ronzan and her new baby, Joya, with a few welcoming remarks to participants assembled for Brickvention 2018.

Friends Down Under

One of the best things to happen this year was making a new friend in Alec Mead (left), a fellow AFOL who shared a table with us from which to wander the convention floor with a camera dutifully and digitally documenting the proceedings. We all became immediate friends. Alec's a big fan of BrickLink and his house is full of LEGO builds, most notably a castle-in-progress that takes up a good part of his den. After Brickvention, Eliska and I were fortunate to join Alec, his wife Helen and their family and friends at their home in Craigieburn in honor of the eve of Alec's 70th birthday. Another birthday aside, no doubt the "Rock Doc" (his DJ handle on local radio used to dispense an amazing collection of pop favorites spanning a half century) will remain forever young and one of our most treasured new friends Down Under.

 

The stage is set for the 2018 Brickvention in Melbourne, Australia to begin. A constant stream of AFOLs enjoyed hundreds of exhibits and made their way to vendors to walk out with bags full of new LEGO.

This Trojan Horse looks large enough to hold several invading armies.

 

Award Winner

An airborne dirigible caught the eye of many for its simplicity and efficiency of design.

 

This colorful pink Batman MOC was the creation of Lauren Winbanks. Lauren has autism and has still managed many outstanding LEGO builds. One, her 'Grand Piano' is under consideration by LEGO Ideas program as a potential commercial set. Lauren and her mother Diane learned recently they had reached the needed public votes to put her piano MOC at the next higher level of consideration. But they still need more votes!

Hungarian State Opera in Budapest by Graham Draper.

This flightless bird got a wing of its own on display.

Breakfast at Tiffany's was the inspiration for this LEGO mosaic.

This little "Green Demon" soccer player had a pretty good following at Brickvention.

Thousands of grey bricks went into this huge backdrop dragon..

Thematic characters were again hired to roam among the crowd to emphasize the exhibits themselves and take plenty of photos with the kids.

Assault on Teth by Ben Pountney and Simon Coleman was obviously colorful and striking due to its heavy use of pink bricks and sheer size.

 

A futuristic construction site composed of LEGO brick.

A white Macaw in LEGO bricks.

A Badge for danjezek.com

We presented dozens of these badges at Brickvention 2018 and were happy to see so many AFOLs wearing them with pride.

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2016-24 | All Rights Reserved | danjezek.com