BotCon Convention

In celebration of the Transformers brand's 25th anniversary and the June 24th debut of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the second live-action feature film based on the "Robots in Disguise," the 2009 Transformers fan convention, to be held in Pasadena on May 28 - 31, is destined to be one of the biggest and most exciting Transformers gatherings ever!

Known as "BotCon" (with syllables taken from the two Transformers factions Autobots and Decepticons), the convention is annually the largest official gathering of Transformers fans in the world and is open to both Transformers collectors and non-collectors — and the young and young-at-heart.

BotCon will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center, and will be open to the public on May 30 - 31. Special activities are planned on May 28 - 29 for attendees who purchase multi-day packages.

On Saturday, May 30th, kids ages 5 to 14 will be able to participate in the Transformers Challenge, which will award prizes based on how quickly kids can convert Transformers toys from robot mode to vehicle mode. Timed trials begin at 9:30 a.m. Official rules and prize information are posted on www.BotCon.com.

Additionally, BotCon attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to draw Transformers characters from Hasbro's designers, see toys in the new 2009 Transformers toy line, buy, sell, and trade Transformers toys from throughout the franchise's 25-year history at more than 200 tables of merchandise, and attend panel discussions and seminars led by Transformers experts.

For 25 years, Hasbro, Inc. has provided kids with hours of more than meets the eye action with figures that convert from vehicle to robot and back again. Millions of boys around the world grew up creating fantastic adventures and battles featuring heroic Autobots, such as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, clashing with the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron. The brand's popularity became cemented in the pop culture's upper stratosphere following the 2007 release of the first live-action Trandsformers movie, from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, in association with Hasbro. The blockbuster film, directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, grossed more than $700 million worldwide at the box office, and Transformers merchandise generated more than $480 million in sales that year. On June 24, 2009, fans will experience the next chapter of Transformers when Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters worldwide.

BotCon general admission sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31. (On Saturday, doors are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on Sunday, doors are open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Special multi-day packages and exclusive Transformers products are available on a limited basis. General admission for adults (13 & up) is $15 and for children (12 & under) is $8. Children will be admitted for free with the purchase of an adult admission. Additional information can be found at http://pasadenanow.com/main/2009/05/22/botcon-convention