Wash, DC Conventions we might want to go to!

Ok, I admit, this is pretty much based on the list of conventions I plan on attending. There's tons out there, though not too many around here. I didn't include the anime ones, basically because I don't watch it and don't know what's going on. Feel free to add on to the list (which I will update with all the web links eventually)!

Darkover - Nov. 29- Dec. 1, Timonium, MD
darkovercon.com
EveCon - Dec. 12/27-29, Reston, VA
Farpoint - Feb. 14-16, Hunt Valley, MD
I-Con - March 28-30, somewhere on Long Island
iconsf.org
Balticon - May 23-26, Baltimore, MD
balticon.org
Shore Leave - July 11-13, Hunt Valley, MD
shore-leave.com
CastleCon - July or August in Reston, date/location still TBD
DragonCon - Aug 29 - Sep 1, Altanta
dragoncon.org

These run the gamut from big time media cons (DragonCon, Shore Leave) to literary cons (Balticon) to fan run cons (Evecon).

I focused on the local conventions because, if one wants, one can drive home at night. (experience has taught me I rarely want to) Long Island is not close, but I added I-Con because we had fun last year, and because I know the Long Island Fan Force has a fan table arranged. I have it on good authority we can put fliers out for the Galactic Senate. (this would be the same authority who volunteered my services at their table) DragonCon is even farther, but it is the Grand Poobah of conventions, well worth seeing at least once in one's life.

Browse the list. Check out the links. Any questions, comments, ideas, just post them. Your Friendly Events Coordinator is here to serve!

 

I need money...

 

For anyone who might care, there are a couple of huge anime conventions next year... TK drags me to them every year and even though I'm not a big fan of anime, they are fun. If you like anime or video games (i.e. Final Fantasy, etc), then this is the place for you!

Katsucon is Feb 14-16 in Crystal City, VA
katsucon.com

Otakon is usually in July but I don't think they have dates yet...

 

This can be an expensive hobby, but there are ways to cut costs. Only stay one night in a hotel, and share hotel rooms (and learn LOTS about friends). You can also stay in a non-host hotel, or even go home at night if possible. Some of the bigger cons will refund your badge price, if you volunteer X amount of hours. Order your admission ahead of time, if you know you are going. Bring food that doesn't need refrigerating, or bring a cooler. And above all, don't go insane in the Hucksters room!

DragonCon is by far the most expensive extravaganza on the list - the others don't come close. I admit, it hurt to pay that credit card bill. It's longer than most because it's Labor Day weekend, so that means more hotel and food costs. The main hotels aren't cheap (downtown Atlanta, fancy schmancy), the admission isn't cheap if you wait, and then there's airfare if you don't want to drive to Atlanta. It was our big vacation this year.

 

Yeah, C2 cost quite a bit but it was worth it! And for DragonCon you have almost a whole year to save... And over 2 years to save for C3. Heh.

 

I like video games!i am already saving money upthat is if i don't run into any more sith cards!

 

That is a big IF, Sha....

 

Well I certainly will attend SIGGRAPH 2003 in San Diego and VES 2003 probably in Los Angeles. Just too much fun.

 

I was able to afford C2 by volunteering for guard duty with the Rebel Legion (and those stormtrooper people... what were they called, the 5-0-something-or-other). We stood guard duty and got our entire entry fee refunded. It was a lot of fun to stand guard at doorways and check IDs. I'm glad it wasn't just Imperials in charge of crowd control this time around.

[shameless plug] All you need to join the Rebel Legion and get in on the action is a canon rebel/good guy costume from the movies. We're always looking for more costumers to dress up and help with charity work for kids, and have fun promoting official LucasFilm events. [/shameless plug]

 

The acronyms make my head hurt....

 

Ooops sorry about that.

SIGGRAPH is the ACM's (Association of Computing Machinery, a professional association) Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. Each year around late July or early August they have the biggest and most important conference about Computer Graphics in . Because of this, ILM always presents work. When a Star Wars movie is released they usually have a talk about how some of the VFX were accomplished. This past Summer at the Conference, held in San Antonio, they had a 2 hour panel on how Yoda and other CG characters were done. Rob Coleman was another of the presenters. Here is some info about that:

SIGGRAPH 2002
Yoda and Beyond: Creating the Digital Cast of Star Wars Episode II
How to Dress Like a Jedi: Techniques for Digital Clothing
RenderMan in Production

And here it's for next year which will be in San Diego:

SIGGRAPH 2003

VES is the Visual Effects Society, and since 1999 they have also a 3 day conference with presenters explaining some of the top VFX work of the year. Both Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 got 4 two hour presentations on the work. Here is frm this past Summer in San Rafael, just a few min. away from ILM:

VES 2002

Probably next year it'll take place in Los Angeles.

Being that ILM's VFX work was so instrumental in bringing to life Star Wars, sometimes it surprises me that not much is known in regular fandom.

I also wrote an intro of what SIGGRAPH is for anyone that is interested. I've already started saving for those 2.

SIGGRAPH Primer

 

Ack! How can they have Katsu and Far Point the same weekend????????

Cheap models or Quark! Thats not a fair choice!!!!!!

I'll also be venturing out to ConDuit in Salt Lake City, come May, I don't there is a set date for that yet though. Usually its around Memorial Day weekend.

 

Come to FarPoint.... You will have fun.... (I'm using the mind whammy. You just can't see my hands.)

 

A little FYI...

I thought I'd mention that the hotel for Shore Leave is allegedly sold out already. There's 2 other nearby hotels, though, and I got a reservation at one of them about a month before the con last year. I've found it's worth trying regularly to get a room even if they say it's sold out. Remember, you can always cancel a room if you make the reservations early!

 

In years past I've stayed at a hotel near Shore Leave or I've just driven back and forth from home. (Which is a bummer if you want to stay for the ten-forward party). But Hunt Valley is an easy enough town to navigate, theres a mall not too far from the hotel that has a decent food court, if you don't mind eating with Klingons.

 

I stayed at the Courtyard Marriot for Shore Leave last year, and it was quite pleasant and close to the con, except hard to find the ice machine. There was, allegedly, a shuttle bus, but I never saw it. The Embassy Suites is even closer, but costlier. This year, I made reservations far in advance because I nearly always prefer the host hotel (Mostly because I am lazy.).

My rule of thumb is that if it's an hour away, and I know I'll want to stay late at night, then I'm getting a hotel room. I get very grumpy when I have to stop having fun to drive home for an hour.

 

I wanted to revive this little thread for Mr. and Mrs. DarthDrew's benefit. Enjoy the list of cons!

 

For Shore Leave, do you have to go all weekend? Do they have one day passes?

 

Good question Ric, I was about to ask the same one

 

There are day passes for Shore Leave. I think it's $35 for Saturday only, $15 for Friday only and $30 for Sunday only. I'm not exactly sure, I'd have to check again.

Edit: a link to the pricing page:

http://www.shore-leave.com/Pricing.htm

 

I haven't looked at the site for Shore Leave lately, but I'll look it up. I'm going the whole weekend myself. I hate leaving when the fun is just beginning.

 

I'll probably go to Farpoint. It's Valentine's Day weekend, so I have to make sure it doesn't conflict with any plans with my girlfriend.
If I go, I'll go on Saturday only, as is my tradition. Having been to Farpoint in the past, it just didn't seem like there was enough happening on Friday and Sunday to be worth going. I could do most of what I wanted on Saturday.
This year's guests, btw, include...
Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Erin Gray (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Armin Shimmerman (Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

 

One of these days ill get to a convention. Im already saving up for Celebration III. I think that will be the first one ill get to. but who knows how money will turn out.

 

Armin Shimmerman the first guy to kiss me after I turned 16. (I had turned 16 the week before meeting him)

But I am kinda leaning towards Katsu, because I can just Metro there......it is in the same place as last year, right? Who else is going? Could we all meet there? Some of those anime freaks scare me, I need to be with a group.

 

Here is what I mentioned at the meeting.

Wizard World East in Philadelphia, PA on MAY 30TH - JUNE 1ST, 2003. Here is the link.

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/