Nash, TN Xanadu Sci Fi Con

Just got a note today saying that the Xanadu Sci Fi Con will be at the Holiday Inn Express on May 7-9. Don't know which Holiday Inn Express of what the hours will be.

Also said "Mr. Asprin cannot make it that weekend so our new GoH (guest of honor) will be Allen
Steele."

Hmmm...don't know those names. Sound familiar to anybody?

 

Thanks to a little prying from Ken, we now know that the show will be at the Holiday Inn Express on Broadway across from the Frist Museum.

More news on the guests:

"Allen Steele is a Hugo-winning SF writer who was
originally from Nashville."

"Mr. Asprin was Robert Asprin, our original writer GoH."

Alrighty then...

 

If anyone is interested in staying up to date on the Con, go to this site. It's a Yahoo! Group, so you'll have to sign up to join.

Currently they are not planning on having any Star Wars guests, but are looking for ideas for some Star Wars activities. Once you join the group, you can voice your opinion!

 

They misinformed you so soon, at least the date hasn't changed. It's being held at the Guesthouse Inn (formerly Shoney's Inn over there across from Gaylord Resort). That's what it was as of the email I received two days ago. You might want to clarify that if you want to go. Our buddy, Dr. Gangrene, will be showing "Phantom of the Opera" on Saturday night.

 

now its across from the opry? i got an email that said it was going to be held downtown across from the union station or something.
i guess ill find out where its held eventually.

 

I left a message at the Yahoo! site and they said that the Guesthouse Inn location was only a backup. They confirmed the location as:

Holiday Inn Express Downtown
920 Broadway (across from the Frist Arts Center)

 

I ve never been to a con. I only like Star Wars and (almost) don't like anything else. Should I even bother trying to go to the Con? Note: I can be persuaded very easily.

 

Not a lot of SW activities scheduled at Xanadu at this point (that we know of). I recommend going to their site, signing up, and telling them what you want. They sent out a notice a few days ago asking what kinds of activities SW fans would like to see.

 

"I ve never been to a con. I only like Star Wars and (almost) don't like anything else. Should I even bother trying to go to the Con? Note: I can be persuaded very easily."

Wow, you should have been at ShadowCon- huh, Skip?!

I'd reccomend going to any Sci-Fi or comics related cons you can- especially ones in town or within driving distance. Check out if they have a costume contest or masquerade ball/party you and some friends could enter. Email them and let them know how it was and if there was anything you'd like to see again or added to the con's line-up.

We've got MidSouthCon down here in Memphis which is more of a sci-fi literature convention with not too many main stream media guests. It has gotten better- especially with the invasion of Star Wars fans from the 501st and SMT- including some of your fellow members.

I've been complaining about the MSC not having any/many guests and programming that I'd be interested in and skipped (no pun intended) going to the con for a few years. Well, after going back and voicing my opinions- both positive and negative, the can has improved and I had a blast last year and am looking forward to this year's! Now, was it my opinion that changed the con? Not really, but my opinion and presence along with many others have made a + change. That, and a lot of new blood is becoming involved with putting it on and making it grow and expand.

So check out cons whenever you can make it to or can afford them. Oh, and always take a friend or two. Not only will you have someone else there you know with similar interests you can hang with, but there's safety in numbers!

 

I would suggest you go. Don't let being a diehard SW fan hold you back from having a good time enjoying other venues of sci-fi and fantasy related topics. I'm as diehard SW as the next guy and I attended ShadowCon in Memphis back in January and it was mainly an SCA type con (Pirates, peasants, belly dancers and the like. Nothing really sci-fi). The only thing Star Wars related was the guys from the 501st Legion. We had more fun than you would ever believe. The folks there let us join right in with them and we all came away having more knowledge and respect of the others interests.

 

You guys (and gals!) rocked! Had a great time seeing you all there! Hope you can make it to MSC next month.

Lin

 

May 7-9, . . . Was this weekend chosen so no one would miss a NASCAR race, or were they trying to avoid visiting their mothers?

 

Thanks again to some prying from Ken, here is the latest on the "official" hours of Xanadu:

"I don't have the schedule with me right now
so this is off the top of my head.

The Con starts during the afternoon of Friday 7 May.
the con suite will be open about noon - 1pm and one of the video rooms a little later. (I think) There will be some programming starting around 3-4 pm and the art show and dealers room will open about 4-5 pm
Official opening ceremonies begin about 7 pm

It closes about noon-1 pm on Sunday 9 May.
through some video may still be running during the afternoon. gaming will probably continue until they are dragged forcibly from the game room.
There will be a dead dog party Sun. evening."

So there it is, clear as mud.

I will be available for set up Friday anytime up until 1:30, then part of the day Saturday and Sunday (although I don't know exactly when since we're covering the *sigh* Steeplechase on Saturday). Who else would be interested in manning our fan table and possibly participating in some discussion panels?

 

By the way, here is a link to the official site for Xanadu.

 

is anybody going to this?

ive seen rumblings but nothing solid.as of right now im possibly going to go sat. for the afternoon/evening.check it out and see whats up.maybe costume for a bit.

 

I'm still looking for people to work our fan table. So far I've gotten no response; if no one is interested I'll tell them "no thanks".

Anybody interested?

 

I may not be back in TN in time to go to this. But even if I am, this Con is just not getting anybody excited.

 

I think I'm going to pass on this one. I can think of a better way to spend $35. There just doesn't seem to be anything to bring the masses to the event.

 

I've got a convention for work that I'm attending all day Thursday & Friday (May 6 & 7). My girlfriend would kill me if I went to this one too. Sorry, no can do this time.

 

I have e-mailed the organizers to see if the admission fee would be waived for members working the fan table. I see where everybody's coming from--there is very little to bring in SW fans and there has been very little publicity done for the show. If the $35 admission fee is not waived, I doubt I'll even bother going to the show. Nothing there for me...

 

...And I just got a response:

"A 'fan table' is merely a courtesy given to you if you would like to promote your organization. We don't even give staff discounts or free badges this year. Even I have to buy a badge.

Same for panelists. We give badges to some of our Guests of Honor but that is it.

So -do any of you want to do a SW panel?"

Hmmmm...good question. Anybody want to pay $35 and be on a panel that will potentialy have no audience?

In the words of Lando Calrissian, "this deal is getting worse all the time..."

 

$35 does seem pricey for this. Adventure Con is considerably less and offers more.

 

No kiddin'.

 

Same for panelists. We give badges to some of our Guests of Honor but that is it.

Hmmm...'some guests of honor'..? Man, beats Shmi why they don't have guests!

I'm gonna take a pass on this one...

 

So now that we've officially decided to not make this a group function, does anybody actually plan on going? Personally, I'm savin' my $35 for AdventureCon.