I haven't caught up completely with the thread (I think I read the first 19 pages), but has anyone suggested an alternate Fan-organized event or meetup in Las Vegas, concurrent with the official FanFest?

I mean, all you really need is wifi, a projector, and some space and you could

- view the live stream
- organize an in-game meetup (people could make alts)
- maybe present a live performance from A Stage Reborn (if you could get them to do it?)
- have a real-world costume/cosplay contest, or panel about costume construction
- have an in-game glamour contest (and share secrets of the glamour masters)
- have a fan art contest
- have panel discussions about anything (job roles, battle strategies, crafting/gathering, etc.)
- have live demos of clearing Ultimate Bahamut or other raids
- FFXIV "best and worst experiences" story time
- have a screenshot or "postcards from Eorzea" contest
etc.

For other conventions where you can't get tickets, offsite events are often a popular alternative and are sometimes better than the "real" thing.

Also some regional fan meetups might be pretty cool as well.