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Scrantastic! Office Convention Puts Scranton in National Spotlight
In many ways, the Office Convention was much like the Emmy-award winning sitcom “The Office.” No one could have predicted the magnitude of its success.
The three-day Convention, chaired by a triumvirate of Scrantonians and organized by a handful of people who ultimately enlisted the support of hundreds of volunteers, drew throngs of Office fans, not only from Scranton, but as far away as Florida, Wyoming, California and Canada.
“We’re like the Beatles in Scranton,” quipped Ed Helms (Andy) during an Oct. 27 press conference in the University’s Byron Complex attended by more than 150 people, including reporters from the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, USA Today and print and broadcast media from across the country.
Many of the events were held on the campus of The University of Scranton, which was an organizer of the Convention and host to thousands over the weekend. By all estimates, a total of 10,000 attended the Convention, which included guest appearances from 15 cast members, as well as the executive producers and a dozen writers of the show.
For The University of Scranton, it was an opportunity to showcase its campus to a national audience – a chance for this Jesuit jewel to shine even brighter. It clearly caught the attention of Leslie David Baker, who plays Stanley. “The campus is breathtaking,” he said, adding that the grounds are “impeccable” and the staff accommodating. The product of a Jesuit education himself, Baker said of The University of Scranton, “I would come here to go to school if I had to do it all again.”
It all started on Oct. 26. Students lined up the entire night in the cold to give a warm welcome to Al Roker of NBC’s Today show in a live broadcast from campus that kicked off The Office Convention. In all, more than 3,000 people, including 2,500 University students, turned out in Scranton style to cheer on Roker and nine cast members of The Office who made special appearances during the morning broadcast. They were greeted like rock stars, with cheers from the Royals cheerleading team and roaring enthusiasm from the crowd.
The excitement of the Scranton community was not lost on Kent Zbornak, an executive producer of “The Office.” “We understood that we had a huge fan base out here, but not to this extent,” said Zbornak, who flew out from Los Angeles for the Convention. “This is a great opportunity to reach out and talk to our fans and thank them for being such huge instruments of our success.”
The opportunities were immeasurable for Scranton, too.
“This is a great day for the University (of Scranton) and the City,” said Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty on the site of the Today show. “It allows us to tell our story,” he said, referring to the City’s revitalization.
For The University of Scranton, the story also speaks of growth and great things. “We’ve always known that the University deserves to be in the national spotlight for all we do, especially our academic excellence,” said University President Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J. “This puts us in the national spotlight again.”
The effects of the weekend are far-reaching, as U.S. Senator Robert Casey Jr., pointed out. “What happened yesterday and what’s happening today is about tomorrow,” the Scranton native and son of the late Governor Robert Casey said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on campus, held Oct. 27.
NBC’s Roker was a celebrity unto himself, with signs and slogans that were a testament to his popularity. A handmade sign in the crowd said it all. “Art Supplies: $10.17. Five Cups of Coffee: $6. Up at 4 to See Al: Priceless.” When he started break-dancing with the University’s Urban Beat dance team, the crowd went wild.
Iggy, the Royal mascot of the University played by student John Swarts, joined in the fun. “The whole city is excited about this event,” he said. “We love The Office, and we love NBC.”
Iggy’s words were echoed by countless Scranton students.
“We’re really excited that our school is getting some hype,” said Ben Courtney ’11, who, along with Ryan Faherty ’11, waited outside from 11 p.m. the night before the Today show to get a “front row” spot in the crowd.
Al Roker signed off at 10 a.m. on Friday, but the signature “Scranton party” didn't stop. Die-hard Office fans paid up to $250 a ticket to attend a multitude of events throughout the weekend. There was a Street Festival featuring a performance by The Scrantones, Dunder Mifflin Infinity’s Office Olympics, food, local vendors selling Scranton-related merchandise, and two open-air stages offering a wide assortment of live entertainment. There was also a Q&A panel with cast members, a Bloggers’ Breakfast and a Writers’ Block discussion.
The Convention was the brainchild of Scrantonians Michele Dempsey, DX Dempsey Architecture, Tim Holmes ‘88, of Times Shamrock Newspapers, and Sara Hailstone of the City of Scranton, who collectively chaired the event. The weekend-long festivities were organized by the City of Scranton, the Lackawanna County Convention & Visitors Bureau, WBRE-TV, Times Shamrock Newspapers, The University of Scranton, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Mohegan Sun.
As the weekend’s events unfolded, it became evident that there was something else shared by the Office Convention, the blockbuster sitcom, the City of Scranton and The University of Scranton: an extraordinary genuineness.
Executive Producer Greg Daniels described the sitcom as “Comedy that’s out of real life” during a Writers’ Block Q&A at a packed house at the Scranton Cultural Center on Oct. 28.
That “real life” was defined in a uniquely Scrantonesque way by Dan French ’08, a Senator for the Senior Class, who spent countless hours with countless other students preparing for the Convention. “This is what Scranton is all about – coming together and being together,” he said.
Chris Molitoris ’08, president of Student Government, who worked tirelessly with about 400 student volunteers, put his own take on the genuine and warm way in which The University of Scranton rolled out the red carpet for the cast, writers, producers, national media and Convention attendees. “Volunteering for this event gave us a chance to give that special University touch to the Convention. We’re here to help others and we want to greet people in the most authentic way we can to make the Convention a success,” he said.
Amid all the hype, it was hard for Scranton students and Scrantonians to contain the pride they felt for such national recognition.
“We’re just proud of our Electric City,” beamed junior student Greg Jones, a member of the Business Leadership Program at Scranton.
His sentiments were echoed by fellow Business Leadership student Lauren Benedict. “We don’t have a football team, but we have The Office,” she said.
Previous Announcements about The Office Convention
Get your Purple on and Welcome Al Roker
The Office Convention Timeline and Events
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