UNIV-CON 2008 Official Blog

"Paranormal State: The Experience" coming to UNIV-CON

ADMIN — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:57:48 GMT

You’ve seen the show, now go deeper in to the hit A&E phenomena. The stars, guest investigators and clients will be participating in a series of panels and discussions for fans, investigators and the casual observer over the four-day conference. Workshops will cover various subjects within the show, such as “The Spirituality of Paranormal State” and “The Science of Paranormal State.” Specific details are being kept under wraps.

Conference programmers, however, claim that the “experience” will be unprecedented.

“You’ll get a whole different experience of PRS and ‘Paranormal State,’” said 2008 conference manager Topher Young.

"Skeptic" founder Michael Shermer to speak at UNIV-CON 2008

ADMIN — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:56:40 GMT

In what is sure to cause some controversy, Dr. Michael Shermer, one of America’s most recognizable skeptics (and founder of “Skeptic” Magazine) has agreed to be one of UNIV-CON’s distinguished speakers.

Dr. Shermer, an avid skeptic against claims of paranormal and religious phenomena, will speak at UNIV-CON about popular paranormal TV shows as well as discussing with the audience “why people believe weird things.”

Dr. Shermer will also participate in panel discussions/debates with key paranormal investigators, psychics and spiritual advisors.

“I think it’s exciting that we are including a notable skeptic with this year’s conference,” said UNIV-CON manager Topher Young. “We aren’t afraid of criticism, nor should the paranormal community be afraid.”

Horror Icon Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) attending UNIV-CON

ADMIN — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:55:38 GMT

One of the most iconic horror actors in film history will be opening up the National Paranormal Conference this September. Robert Englund, famous for his portrayal as Freddy Krueger in the internationally popular “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise has been tapped to take the stage opening night.

“Robert Englund has been on our wish list for years,” said UNIV-CON founder Ryan Buell. “ We’re honored that he will be a part of this year’s conference.”

Details of his appearances are being kept under wraps, but in typical UNIV-CON fashion, conference organizers promise that they’ll be delivering something unique and different not seen at other conferences or conventions. What they have revealed, however, is that after his scheduled appearance he will do a Q&A session and sign autographs.

Last year, actor Doug Bradley, most famous for his portrayal as Pinhead in Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” movies, enthralled attendees with a series of one-act plays on death.

UNIV-CON 7 is September 11 - 14th, 2008.

PARANORMAL RESEARCH SOCIETY TO RE-INVENT UNIV-CON, ITS NATIONAL PARANORMAL CONFERENCE

Ryan Buell — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:37:21 GMT

State College, Pa. - The Penn State Paranormal Research Society (PRS) has come along way since organizing in 2001. And so has UNIV-CON, a nationally renowned paranormal conference that, in 2007, saw attendance reach well over 1,200 people.

What started out as a small college program has evolved in to a grand scale event, dubbed by many in the paranormal community as one of the largest paranormal conferences of its kind.

Some of the people we're bringing in this year are really extraordinary

And it has a lot of history.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of "Ghost Hunters" fame frequented the conference well before their TV series took off. Before passing, both George Lutz of "The Amityville Horror" and Roman Catholic exorcist Father James Lebar gave one of their last public lectures at UNIV-CON (Lutz in 2003, Lebar in 2007, respectively). UNIV-CON was the first conference to successfully assemble many of the paranormal pioneers of the 21st century under one roof for panel discussions, both in 2006 and 2007. And of course, the PRS finally got its due by holding the world premiere of "Paranormal State" in 2007.

UNIV-CON has worked hard to become a staple in the paranormal community by offering diverse and groundbreaking workshops, as well as discovering "new blood" in the community. In short, UNIV-CON has consistently pushed the bar and grown to new heights year after year.

And now, after establishing a successful formula, UNIV-CON will re-invent itself by moving in a brand new direction.

"People want a change," said PRS/UNIV-CON founder Ryan Buell. "And so do we."

UNIV-CON will be moving away from the convention-feel that it developed over the past few years, moving more towards research and education. However, Buell says that there will still be entertainment found at the conference. UNIV-CON is also teaming up with an historical and internationally renowned scientific research center for an undisclosed project.

"Some of the people we're bringing in this year are really extraordinary," said 2008 conference manager Topher Young. "This year's conference is all about change and a new direction."

For the first time ever, UNIV-CON will abandon its usual October placement for mid-September (September 11 - 14th, to be exact). Returning attendees will also find new venue space for the growing conference, which will now be held at the award-winning Penn Stater hotel. This will be the first time the conference will not be held on-campus.

"We ran out of room," said Sergey Poberezhny, who managed the conference for the past three years. "It's a good problem to have."

The full, official website for 2008's UNIV-CON is expected to go live sometime this month. Until then, PRS and UNIV-CON will unveil very little about its lineup and plans.

"UNIV-CON is my brainchild," said Buell. "For the past six years, we've made little progress in the direction that we truly wanted to take. I feel that the time is now to move in that direction. I feel like we are ready."

UNIV-CON: The National Paranormal Conference will be held September 11 - 14th, 2008 at University Park, Pa. Please visit www.univcon.org for more information.

UNIV-CON 2008 MEMBERSHIP NOW ON SALE!

Ryan Buell — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:58:38 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNIV-CON 2008 MEMBERSHIP NOW AVAILABLE!

A Letter from the Conference Manager

( TO PURCHASE UNIV-CON MEMBERSHIP, PLEASE CLICK HERE)

I would like to start off by thanking all of you for another successful conference. UNIV-CON Six once again broke new records and has become the conference that many of you look forward to attending each and every year. We could not have done any of this without all of you, so once again, thank you.

This year we are offering some valuable opportunities to our faithful attendees. One of these opportunities is an exclusive UNIV-CON membership for 2008. There will be a limited amount of membership positions available, so acting quickly is advised. Your membership dues will give you the following benefits:

“Paranormal State” Private Reception

UNIV-CON members will enjoy a private reception with the cast of "Paranormal State" at the conference. Meet and greet with Ryan, Sergey, Katrina, Eilfie, Heather and other cast members.

Discounts

All UNIV-CON members will receive a discount on conference passes as well as a variety of discounts from our vendors and sponsors. Members will receive a 10% discount on conference passes.

Ticket Sales

One of the major benefits of being a UNIV-CON member is the opportunity of being able to purchase UNIV-CON passes one week before they officially go on sale. This is a great benefit because you will be given first priority of having Gold Member passes.

Members Lounge

What could be better than having your own private lounge at the conference where you have food prepared, celebrity & speaker appearances to come in, chat and share stories with members? It’s alright, we couldn’t think of anything better either.

Members Concierge

UNIV-CON members will also enjoy the luxury of having their own concierge service. Need a taxi called for you? Need directions? Need advice? Let our personal concierge service make your visit a whole lot smoother.

Voting Rights

Being a member of UNIV-CON means making an impact on what happens at the conference. As a member, you will have exclusive voting rights to help staff choose speakers & certain events. As a member, you become a valuable part of UNIV-CON.

Newsletter

UNIV-CON members will receive a free quarterly Newsletter. The newsletter will keep members up to date with conference news, updates, important announcements and much, much more.

Members Only Sections

There is no greater feeling than having privileges that others do not. UNIV-CON members will not only have a “members only” section on the PRS website as well as on the message boards. Members will enjoy their own private chat room. This allows you to talk and discuss UNIV-CON with other members, plan meet-ups during the conference, and also to bring new ideas and opinions to the table. There will be certain times when you can chat and discuss the conference with the conference managers as well.

Member Details & Disclaimer

UNIV-CON membership ends December 31^st, 2008. One person per membership. UNIV-CON will use its best effort to offer all the member benefits available, however, membership does not guarantee availability.

I know I speak for all of us here when I say that we are extremely excited to unveil what is in store for everyone this year for UNIV-CON Seven. It is an honor to once again be bringing you another year of inspiration, scares, entertainment, and education. This year’s event will be taking place October 9^th-12^th, 2008. This year you can take advantage of the Columbus Day holiday and plan your vacation by attending UNIV-CON this year. See you all in October.

( TO PURCHASE UNIV-CON MEMBERSHIP, PLEASE CLICK HERE)

Topher Young

2008 Conference Manager

manager@univcon.org

Topher Young Appointed as UNIV-CON Manager

Ryan Buell — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:53:28 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNIV-CON Appoints Topher Young as 2008 Manager

State College, Pa. - The UNIV-CON Board of Trustees has elected Topher Young as the 2008 General Manager. The General Manager is the main coordinator for the conference, both in pre-production and production.

Young, 26, joined PRS in 2005 as a general member for the society. In 2006, he was selected in to the Field Investigation & Research (FIR) department. Last year, he was the assistant manager for UNIV-CON. Young is taking over for Sergey Poberezhny, who managed UNIV-CON 2005, 2006 & 2007. Poberezhny was recently tapped to be a member of the UNIV-CON Board of Trustees.

"Topher is loyal, dedicated and hard-working," said PRS Director & UNIV-CON founder Ryan Buell. "He has spent the past three years learning the ropes of the society and training underneath Sergey and I. He is very passionate about the conference and its overall improvement."

Adds Poberezhny, "After three years of working as the conference manager, I think its time to pass the torch to someone else and Topher is the guy for the job."

"I'm looking forward to this year's conference because this year is a very important year for us," said Young. "With the successful launch of the show and record-breaking attendance for last years conference, I think that this year's conference has a lot of expectations."

The date for UNIV-CON 2008 has been set as September 11 - 14th, 2008 at University Park, Pa. More information will be announced throughout the next few months. People can learn more by visiting it's official website.

Topher can reached at manager@univcon.org

Story by Vernon Cox.

UNIV-CON 2008 DATE ANNOUNCED

Ryan Buell — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:52:30 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNIV-CON 2008 DATE ANNOUNCED!

State College, Pa. - The UNIV-CON Board of Directors announced today that the official date for UNIV-CON 7 will be September 11 - 14th, 2008 at University Park, PA. Once again, the conference will be a four-day event filled with major speakers, celebrities, researchers, workshops, tours and entertainment.

However, UNIV-CON founder Ryan Buell stresses that this year's lineup of events will be the most unique and ambitious in its six-year history.

"We think we're finally in a position to deliver the sort of conference we imagined when we first started it back in 2002," said Buell. "UNIV-CON means a lot to many of us and we're proud to see it constantly grow and improve."

Last year, UNIV-CON saw record attendance with tent-pole speakers including actor Doug Bradley ('07), Lorraine Warren ('06, '07), Father James Lebar ('07), Jason Hawes ('03, '04, '05, '06, '07) and Grant Wilson ('03, '04, '05, '06, '07). The premiere of Paranormal State, for example, had over 700 attendees alone.

"We realize that people come from all over to see certain events that appeal to them," said Buell. "We've recognized this and we will continue to offer topics that will meet the demands of the diverse audiences out there."

No details are being released as to whom the committee is inviting to this year's event, which is under nine months away. However, Buell anticipates that speakers will start being announced soon.

One new thing that UNIV-CON is expanding upon this year is its membership. UNIV-CON Members will have the opportunity to vote on speakers, topics and entertainment. Members also get to purchase conference passes exclusively before the general public.

"The members are sort of like a loyal body of supporters who want to take the time to get actively involved with the conference," said 2007 Conference Manager Sergey Poberezhny.

UNIV-CON Membership is limited and will be offered to previous UNIV-CON attendees first before expanding to the general public.

Stay tuned to the official UNIV-CON News Blog for updates on the latest 2008 news.

Story by Vernon Cox.