The countdown was a concern expressed almost universally on the MEW Con forums following the con. We'll be working towards making sure we have something much more exciting for 2010. If we could find a way to run pyrotechnics in the main events room, you can bet your [bum] we would, but pyrotechnics just aren't a feasibility unless we're somewhere like the Memorial Coliseum. Perhaps we will be able to get some kind of New Year's lightshow put together. With the time of year, we can't rely on the weather to be nice enough for us to have something outside, or we would look into doing so.