Celebrating the Magic of the Seasons, the fifth-annual R. John Wright Convetion was held from September 26-28, 2013 at the historic Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, New York. Festivities got off to a good start on Thursday with a chartered bus ride to Bennington, Vermont - approximately one hour away. There, guests were treated to a catered luncheon in a festival tent on the grounds of R. John Wright Dolls with Vermont's fall countryside as a backdrop. Attendees were then given the opportunity to tour the R. John Wright Workshop and Design Studio and purchase vintage rare items in the R. John Wright Company Showroom. Side trips to the nearby Bennington Museum and Bennington Potters were also offered.
Returning to the hotel in the late afternoon, guests enjoyed the Welcome Reception and the Grand Opening of the Salesroom and separate Special Exhibits.
Friday and Saturday were bursting with activities at the hotel including special programs, workshops, and ticketed meal events centered around the convention theme of The Four Seasons. All the meal events featured delightful tickets, favors, centerpieces, and door prizes. Complimentary movie screenings were also offered with theatre seating and free snacks. The salesroom showcased top collectible and antique doll dealers and was open to the public on Saturday. The Convention's final banquet featured a screened AV program and the eagerly-awaited convention souvenir doll, a lovely little girl named "Spring" - a new 7" cabinet-size doll holding her velveteen rabbit! Companion dolls of the other three seasons were also available to order.
We're pleased to present some of the items introduced at the 2013 R. John Wright Convention:
The Four Seasons - Spring - The main souvenir presented at the final banquet
Hummel® Skier - introduced at a Winter dinner event
Autumn Leaves - introduced at an Autumn luncheon event
April Showers - introduced at a Springtime breakfast event
Christopher - introduced at a Summer Boardwalk event
