Heist of the Century (Furrydelphia 2017)
Furrydelphia 2017, also known as Heist of the Century, was a convention run by Furrydelphia. Held in August of 2017, it was the first annual installation of Furrydelphia, as well as the first furry convention to be held in the greater Philadelphia area since the relocation of Anthrocon in 2006. The convention hosted two guests of honor, those being Maryland-based artist Lady Rain and Space Cat Creations, a local fursuit maker.
Venue
The DoubleTree Valley Forge hotel, located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was chosen as the inaugural location for Furrydelphia. Owned by popular hotel brand Hilton, the venue allowed the convention to be located within just a few miles of major attractions such as the King of Prussia mall. The hotel is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and currently operates under the name "The Alloy King of Prussia."
Theming
Furrydelphia 2017 was officially referred to as "Heist of the Century," drawing inspiration from the concept of heist crime. Promotional materials, including the official website, were themed around this.
Official Description
"You have been selected for this job because you are the best at what you do. Whether you crack safes, pick pockets, plant bugs, or hack firewalls, your contribution to our team is vital to our success. Alone we are but petty criminals, scraping together just enough cash to get by. But together, we are a force unlike any other. I can’t guarantee it will be a smooth ride. I can’t guarantee we’ll succeed. But I guarantee you this: if we pull this off, it will be the greatest heist this town has ever seen."[1]
Promotional Materials
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"Heist of the Century" banner used on the official Furrydelphia website in 2017. -
"The Heist is On" poster, designed by Gideon Hoss. -
"Early Supporter" graphic, designed by Lady Rain
Signage and Convention Materials
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2017 signage (photo by Douglas Muth) -
2017 signage (photo by Douglas Muth) -
Official convention badge (photo courtesy of Fray)
Attendance
A total of 718 people attended the event, with 127 fursuiters taking part in the fursuit parade[2].
Charity
Bella Reed Pitbull Rescue, a local pit bull rescue serving Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, was chosen as the primary charity for Furrydelphia 2017. $4,260 were raised by attendees for the organization over the course of the convention.
Dealers Den
The 2017 Dealers Den hosted 41 individual vendors, including a table for convention charity Bella Reed Pitbull Rescue.
Board of Directors
The following list was adapted from the Furrydelphia website as it was published in 2017 and reflects the Board of Directors at the time of this event. A current and up-to-date list of Furrydelphia staff can be found here.
- Drayne the Wolf - Convention Chairman
- Higgawits - Vice Chairman and Secretary
- Fray the Husky - Public Safety Director
- Veulix Rythen - Web Developer and Software Engineer