Thursday, February 29, 2024

Timeline - from the inside

 Please note this is an email I received today, 2/29/24. I do not have all of the documentation, but this is one person's story. The only thing I have removed or edited is that I have removed any of the names that are not JM. **note/update I have removed one incident.**


So basically I’m break it down by time line. 

I started working with Jeff mach as vendor coordinator (volunteer not paid) may 2023 at his

spring event in East Durham NY. The first day of the event the coordinator before me quit. I

stepped in to help. 

I was added to Eventbrite, group chats for vendors and volunteers. Anytime any vendor

contacted the event I would get my email approved by Jeff and would send it with him cc on it.

The upcoming Halloween event Oct 2023 was mostly damage control on my part. I did very

little to get vendors to join. 

This Feb event was another story. I spend 3 to 15 hours a week helping him. Looking for new

vendors, and making the vendors happy. 

Dec 2023 a week before Christmas $8000 was removed from Eventbrite by Jeff to his

personal account. The woman he hired (and was to pay $100 to for their help) was hired to

write him a business plan and get his financial in order. She in our managers group chat and

the volunteer chat would ask Jeff where the money went? No reply from Jeff beyond

gaslighting and word salad. We have found out where the money went. Directly to Jeff. Pay

his rent, bills and Christmas, a trip to California with his now wife, and not one penny to the

event. 

Jan. 10. 2024 I planned with Jeff to see the venue for the first time. Gather measurements

and get information so better to answer vendor questions. One hour before I was to leave

Delaware, Jeff contact me to pick him up. His ride bailed. He calmed his car is not working

(he owns no car). I said yes so long as he pays my gas and what not. Two and half hour drive

to him, $18 in toll in NJ, then NJ to Pa another $28 in tolls and he paid $24 for my gas to the

gas station. The hotel answered all my questions and was very accommodating. 

Jeff during the walk through states that the vendor spots need to be layed out with tape, and

vendors assigned their spots. Like they are in kindergarten. We have been telling vendors

from day one it was first come first serve. I was not happy. I went home same day $12 in tolls

2 hours drive, leaving him at the hotel. 

He stayed at the hotel for 3 nights doing whatever. On jan 13 I had drawn out the vendor

maps (I can provide) and crunched the numbers. 80 spots were sold at that point. We had

room for 60 to 65 depending on table rental size. I told him then we over sold. He said no he

had not and he would take care of it. 

Feb 10. No map or update from Jeff about the vendor spots. I had a final count of 85 vendors.

He has 28000 in his account. Jeff has yet to answer me, name removed or others about their exact

duties. 

Also during this walk through Jeff bride (21) name removed was with us talking about their wedding to

take place at 6pm Sunday at the event. Of the 9 rooms available she wanted 4 for her

wedding. Jeff agreed to this. Jeff is 55. 

I sent notice to Jeff on the 10th of Feb I will no longer be working with him as vendor

coordinator after this event. He then took me off all chats and Eventbrite. I did not find out for

5 days. 

name removed and other vendors are contacting me directly asking why the vendor meet and greet

dinner was cancelled. I asked Jeff directly and he said I'm "out". So I told him I needed to

speak with my husband and I would let him know if I will be coming at all. Jeff blew up

sending me 40 pages of text and one email from 8pm to 8am at all hours. I did not see til the

next morning. I told him I will not be attending and blocked him. I then started getting threats

from his bride that I made sexual assault threats to Jeff to some guy I have never heard of.

Then she blocked me. This was all done Feb 13.


Feb 19 name removed also told Jeff she would not be there due to him not answering her and her

unable to help him. He blew up at her in 70 pages of text and several emails. I have access to

some. Jeff somehow convinced to come to the event. 

The event officially started Friday Feb. 23 at 3pm. Ends on Feb 25 at 6pm. 

Vendors were told to be there Thursday the 22 at 10 to get their spots and set up. Some did

show. No Jeff. He showed up at 8pm on Thursday. Some vendors just left. And the refund

request started. name removed showed up on Thursday at 5pm and did her best to help the vendors.

She found with help of the hotel staff 80 tables. (200 was needed for all spots) . Some

vendors picked their spot and did a pre set up. 

The vendor meet and greet for Thursday night was to give the vendors a chance to meet

each other, and some prizes were to be handed out for those who used the most coupons of

small things. Food and drinks was to be provided by the hotel at no cost to the event. This did

not happen. Mind you Jeff was in contract to fill 150 rooms and spend $5000 on catering. 

Friday morning Jeff appeared at 1pm. Vendors items that were preset up some tables were

moved a few feet, some had their items completely packed up and moved to lost and found.

Vendors were forced to share spaces, not be given spots they were promised (ball room vs

hallway) and a few were turned away.

 a woman was running a Alice tea party paid $35 to be at. She was told 50 people max. They

sold 100 tickets. When she was at the event the hotel had been told by Jeff to cancel all

catering. There were no tables or food or water. Nothing. She ended up serving only 30

people and had to turn away others. If not for the help of other vendors that would have not

happened either. 

All other events and programming was cancelled or done with no help in the middle of the

hallway or where vendors were. 

At the event the police were called three times. One confirmed arrest.**incident removed**

Jeff was confronted by vendors and ran to his room. 

There is one volunteer who worked for Jeff for over 5 years who heart literally stopped and

was in the ICU in early Feb. She could not make the event. She sent word to Jeff and replied

with a vile remarks about her. 

Sun at noon, the question and answers session happened. That was the original video I sent.

I have more videos of that. I have videos of the hotel literally falling on heads of vendors with

water damage. Video on Saturday showing no customers. Jeff promised 3000 to 5000 people

. The final count of customers was 800 with 300 being directly from vendors. 

The customers who paid for VIP, were promised a snack room, panels and entrance to shows

like rocket horror, Cabrera (costume party) and scavenger hunt. None happened. 

But Jeff and his bride did get married using the fund of all these people. 

Back in 2016 and 2019 Jeff was accused of sexual accusations against minors. This is

documented online. No charges were ever made. 

Well the question and answer on sunday was crazy. If you did not see the video of the sword and yelling you would not believe it.

The news is now looking at making a report about this as well. 

We are in need to file criminal charges and civil class action lawsuit against him. He has done

this to vendors for years. Now the vendors are banned together to get him to stop. 

Also Jeff was removed from a larger event via a lawsuit in 2019. I believe that was in NJ and

is public record.

Look on you tube and tic tock for jeff mach, and wicked would fair you will find videos.  

Wicked World's Fair 2024 - information

 I'm trying really hard to gather information and compile it in some way that makes sense. From what I can figure: 

The (volunteer) vendor coordinator asked JM for a list of vendors, talent, etc. JM did not give this information to them. They also asked for a map with the potential event spaces. This did not happen.

Some "other event" was in the hotel and would be out by 5 pm on Thursday. Vendors told they can set up starting at 5 pm. 

Vendors:
  • Vendors coming to set up were left waiting for JM for 2-4 hours;
  • Tattoo artist requires unique space that was not accommodated;
  • Vendors who came on Friday were not given the spots they had paid for. Some had paid for ballroom spots and were given hallway spots:
    • One vendor had booked a double ballroom spot (2 10x10) and was given a small space in the "fireside room."
    • Vendor paid for 10x10, had 6 ft table.
    • Vendor paid for 10x10, had 7x2 space near stage (hazard).
    • Vendor paid for 10x10, had 6x6.
    • Vendor paid for a space, waited 1.5 hrs, told there was no room to set up. 
    • Vendor paid for hotel room vending, was placed in the bar, and then eventually in the hallway.
    • Vendor paid for a 10x10 in the ballroom, was placed in the lobby.
    • Vendor paid for 10x10 in the ballroom, given 6 ft table. 
    • Vendor paid for 20x10, got 10x10.
    • At least 5 vendors were placed in the "Bar with No Name."
  • Rumor has it that at least a few vendors who had paid for spaces were refused entrance. However, JM claims there were still open vendor spaces and sent out an email stating such. 
Performers: 
  • Xentrifuge did not perform because the sound engineer quit due to non-payment on JM's part.
  • One class never added to schedule, performed had to refund people due to this.
  • Navigating the Decline did not perform.


Sunday (final day): 
  • Sit down with vendors in one room. Information that came from this meeting has video proof: 
    • Some vendors had their tables moved to block emergency doors.
    • A member of staff / supporter of JM went to pull her sword to block JM from being spoken to.


Other information: 
  • Part of the ceiling fell? / multiple leaks in the ceiling
  • Vendors were overbooked
  • Tea Party oversold

Hotel maps: 




Tuesday, February 27, 2024

A reminder about vendors

 I can't believe I'm saying this again... 

Many of the vendors who worked with JM in the RECENT PAST do not know who he is. His events sound cool and sound like they should be fun. Not every new vendor has the time, ability, or knowledge to look him up. Some of these vendors who went to Wicked Worlds Fair are newer than this blog. 

Don't trash the vendors. Don't trash their ratings. If their stuff looks cool, maybe even buy something from them to help them recoup losses. Or just ignore them. 

Back in 2018 when all this first went down, I created a list of vendors who were pulling out of Wicked Fair and Steampunk Worlds Fair because of all the allegations in order for people to be able to support them and help them make up for lost revenue. 

The Wicked World's Fair - one of the videos

 I want to shout-out all the vendors who are making information public regarding the failure of Wicked Worlds Fair. You all found yourselves in a very bad situation and you are taking control of it. I'm sorry that no one warned you before you got involved with JM but I am so glad to see you all raising awareness!

This is the most enlightening video with the best angle that I've seen. Many thanks to "The Nail in the Coffin" for posting the original. I apologize for the screen recording.


 

More videos can be found: 

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR3sroRN/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL1SDMYC/