The Sonic Revolution: Events by the Fans, For the Fans Everywhere!

Hello Sonic United readers and Sonic fans everywhere! I’ve recently had the honor of being made a part of the Sonic United news team; I’m proud to announce that my focus will be on something of increasing frequency: fan events! From local meetups with fellow Sonic fans like Sonic London or big, organized conventions like Summer of Sonic in the UK, Sonic Boom in the US, or Sonic Globalka in Russia, I will be doing my best to keep you all posted.

The amount of Sonic-related events that have been scheduled in the past few months is simply unprecedented, with meetups planned that stretch from California to New York to London and even all the way down to Sydney, Australia! This is due in part to the recently-formed Sonic Revolution, which has been working tirelessly to both set up new meetup chapters across the world, as well as connect with those that already exist to help them attract even more attendees. Revolution’s origins in response to the move of Sonic Boom to the Midwest this year are reflected in its most ambitious goal: the creation of Sonic conventions around the entire globe. Revolution is planning on attaining this by helping create exposure for meetup chapters and then helping them coordinate with each other to plan larger events; the flagship convention of the movement is planned to be held in Summer 2014 in Southern California. Some fans have also taken the initiative to throw their own conventions, however small; Weston Super Sonic shall be held in January in Weston-Super-Mare. For those unable to make it to London during the Summer, there is now an alternative in the United Kingdom!

Rather than waiting for SEGA to hold events, Sonic Revolution and the various meetup chapters are taking the initiative to throw their own, encouraging fans everywhere to empower themselves rather than remain dependent on SEGA’s help. As part of this cause, Revolution keeps track of all known meetup chapters. Chapters cover varying amounts of territory, from countries in the case of Sonic Australia to local groups like Sonic San Diego. Chapters are in operation in over thirty US states as well as in the UK and Australia, with more showing up regularly as fans around the world find themselves inspired to start their own.

Don’t let the Facebook-linked nature of meetup groups deter you, however; Sonic Revolution also keeps an archive of upcoming events and their dates; nearly all events are open to the public, as well, so you can feel free to drop in for one if you like! Will you meet up with Sonic Wisconsin’s members at Daisho Con? Have a cold beer with older fans during the Sonic London meetup later this month? Relish the nostalgia of Sonic Boom 2013 with the Sonic St. Louis meetup in December? There’s no shortage of meetups that one can attend, and certainly nothing holding an eager fan from throwing one of their own! There is no one “leader” of this “revolution” of Sonic fans, as every fan is encouraged to throw their own events and, if they wish, inform the Revolution team (composed of individuals such as Shayne Edwards of Sonic Radio) so that even new events can gain the exposure they need to be a success. Whether you want a casual meetup at the local arcade or dream of a convention in your town, the key to obtaining that is to simply take the first step.

Sonic Revolution’s updates on meetups, conventions, and its own developments can be followed on the main website, as well as the organisation’s Twitter or Facebook pages. Naturally I’ll also be posting news updates here as they come! 2014 is looking to be an exciting year for those who are part of the Sonic social scene!

I serve as a member of the Sonic Revolution team. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below so I can get back to you! If you have any meetup info or anything else that you feel would be prudent, don’t hesitate to shoot me an e-mail at ogilviemaurice@yahoo.com either!