WoW Insider at Dragon*Con: Panels galore!

One week from Today, Elizabeth H. and I will land in Atlanta, GA for Dragon*Con 2007. As anyone who has ever been to Dragon*Con can tell you, one of the most important things to do is to find out where the panels you are interested in are early. That way you can plan out your weekend and make sure you have more than enough time still open for con parties and catching up with all the other cool folks there!

As such, we thought it would be best to help those of you planning to head to Dragon*Con (or still on the fence about going) with a listing of some of the events and panels that Elizabeth and I will either be featured speakers at, or covering for the site. For those of you stuck at home, think of it as a sneak-preview of some things we're looking to cover over the weekend...

Thursday, August 30th:

• Insider Meet-up - 9:00pm-11:00pm
  Come join Elizabeth Harper and Krystalle Voecks for a relaxing drink/cup of coffee at the redesigned Pulse Bar inside the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, one of the three host hotels for Dragon*Con. While it won't feature give-aways, it will offer good company with your fellow WoW addicts!
  

Friday, August 31st:

• Online Currency: How Virtual Wealth Makes a Real World Impact - 11:30am-1:30 pm (M106, Marriott)
  Whether or not you purchase gold online, all MMO players are affected by the RMT (Real Money Transfer) business. Is Gold Farming "a soul-less source of evil" in the online world, or is it ultimately harmless? (Hosted by Elizabeth Harper, Krystalle Voecks and Kevin Stallard)
  

• The Newbie Area - 2:30pm-4pm (Cherokee Room, Hilton)
  So you just downloaded that free 10-day trial of World of Warcraft and you don't know where to go or what to do? Need cash? Need to know what trade skills you should pick and why? How can I make the Auction House work for you? This panel is for you. Q&A, info and tips for people new to WoW or just interested in the game. (Hosted by Rod Rombauer, Sean Boyce, Jeanne Sanders, Jason White and Laurie Higgins)
  

• World of Warcraft Meet & Greet with WoW Insider - 10:00pm-12:00am (M101, Marriott)
  Come one, come all! Represent the Horde or the Alliance in a Meet and Greet (that's con-speak for "party") with Krystalle Voecks & Elizabeth Harper from WoW Insider. We'll be giving away free stuff by the Kodo-load and offering a sneak-preview of all of the fun stuff we'll be doing at Dragon*Con this year. Make sure you wear your elf ears and bring your succubus, as we're hosting the World of Warcraft costume contest as well! (Hosted by Elizabeth Harper, Krystalle Voecks and Kevin Stallard)
  

Saturday, September 1st:

• Machinima 101 and Beyond - 10:00 am
  Groundbreakers in the genre of Machinima, Matt Kelland of Short Fuze and co-author of Machinima and Clint Hackleman of Myndflame.com explain how it's done and what's coming next!
  

• World of Warcraft Trivia Challenge - 11:30am-1:00pm (M106, Marriott)
  So you think you know it all about Azeroth? Prove it! Join us for the World of Warcraft Trivia Challenge and test your skills against your fellow fans. (Hosted by Laurie Higgins and Kevin Stallard)
  

• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - 1:00pm-3:00pm (M106, Marriott)
  Blizzard has announced the next expansion for World of Warcraft. Elizabeth Harper, Krystalle Voecks and Kevin Stallard will answer your questions about the upcoming release and discuss the implications of all of the new changes.
  

• Is World of Warcraft an "MMO on training wheels" - 4:00pm-6:00pm (M106, Marriott)
  What has World of Warcraft done to become the de-facto standard for MMORPG's? This panel will discuss what WoW has done well and what other games could do to differentiate themselves. Join us as Krystalle Voecks, Elizabeth Harper and Kevin Stallard answer your questions about World of Warcraft -- and ask a few of their own.
  

• WoW-TV - 10pm-11:30pm (Cherokee Room, Hilton)
  World of Warcraft Film Festival featuring fan made music videos, drama, comedy, action, adventure and romance! Feel free to bring your own refreshments, this theater does not have a concession stand. (Hosted by Wes Wilson and Laurie Higgins)

Sunday, September 2nd:

• Hunka Hunka Burnin' Crusade - 5:30pm-7:00pm (Cherokee Room, Hilton)
  Ever wondered why the heck you need all that rep? Which instances are right for you at your level? Just what exactly Is Eye of The Storm? Well, this panel is designed to be a round table discussion of all things Burning Crusade! Let your fellow questers be your guide to the biggest thing to happen since fleeing murlocs! (Hosted by Sean Boyce, Rod Rombauer, Jeanne Sanders, Jason White and Laurie Higgins)
  

As you can imagine, this is only a very basic breakdown of some of the many things we're looking to check out over the weekend. Since there are multiple tracks where World of Warcraft goings-on could be hiding, think of it as just a small portion of the mayhem that is undoubtedly in store for us all!

For those of you headed there, we will see you in a week! For those of you who are still considering going, what are you waiting for?