FantasyCon 2015

[Peter Coleborn]

The convention is still a year away, so there's still plenty of time for all these things. I'm just glad someone volunteered to run it! Wouldn't be happening at all, otherwise. And that it's the same people who put together such an interesting programme of events this year makes me happy too. I could have missed everything I went to this time and filled the time just as valuably.

From my experience on a FantasyCon committee, you don't want to publicise the hotel before everything is set up, because people start trying to book, and don't get the convention rate, don't get counted in our allocated rooms, don't get the late check-out on Sunday (when that applies), etc.

As far as the souvenir programme goes, in years where the organisers want to produce a book, that's cool, but I don't think it's an essential part of a convention. FantasyCon has I think only had souvenir books in 2011 and 2012, and neither of those were BFS-funded FantasyCons. Different organisers are going to allocate time and money to different aspects of the event.

Speaking as someone with slightly more experience of FantasyCon organising, I have to say you're wrong on every point there, Steven.

Quite, but I was restraining myself 

[Rolnikov]

Which points, Mike? Seems weird to say I'm wrong about being glad someone has volunteered to run it, for example!

I wouldn't be surprised if there had been souvenir books produced by BFS-funded FantasyCons, but there haven't been any since I started going, and I haven't seen any from before then on eBay or anything like that. The only FantasyCon souvenir book I've got is the one from 2012.

[Mike Chinn]

Okay, then. You say "The convention is still a year away, so there's still plenty of time for all these things."

Wrong. It's that very attitude which results in events being rushed. There isn't plenty of time. Twelve months is nothing. As much as is humanly possible should be in place as soon as possible.

"I'm just glad someone volunteered to run it!"

So am I - doesn't mean we should let them take six months off before thinking about it.

"From my experience on a FantasyCon committee, you don't want to publicise the hotel before everything is set up, because people start trying to book, and don't get the convention rate, don't get counted in our allocated rooms, don't get the late check-out on Sunday (when that applies), etc."

Agreed. So why hasn't that been done already? Check back over the earlier posts, Stephen: people are asking. They want to know. Just because in your opinion (based on how many conventions, by the way?) you can hang fire doesn't make it so.

"As far as the souvenir programme goes, in years where the organisers want to produce a book, that's cool, but I don't think it's an essential part of a convention. FantasyCon has I think only had souvenir books in 2011 and 2012, and neither of those were BFS-funded FantasyCons. Different organisers are going to allocate time and money to different aspects of the event."

Again, due to your somewhat limited experience you make a broad claim that is demonstrably untrue. Any FantasyCons that haven't produced a souvenir booklet are very much in the (very small) minority. I really think you should stop broadcasting your opinions as facts.

In case you can't tell, I'm more than a little pissed of with the BFS/FantasyCon. Last year I was persuaded to renew my membership because I was assured that things would improve. They haven't. The society and convention continues to stagger from one balls up to another, and we continue to get the same tired excuses.

[Peter Coleborn]

Here's a proper programme book from 2007 (edited/produced by yours truly):



OK, not a hardcover -- but approx 64 pages, A4 sized, full of stories and articles by/about the guests of honour. That year FantasyCon was organised by the BFS committee.

[Rolnikov]

"As far as the souvenir programme goes, in years where the organisers want to produce a book, that's cool, but I don't think it's an essential part of a convention. FantasyCon has I think only had souvenir books in 2011 and 2012, and neither of those were BFS-funded FantasyCons. Different organisers are going to allocate time and money to different aspects of the event."

Again, due to your somewhat limited experience you make a broad claim that is demonstrably untrue. Any FantasyCons that haven't produced a souvenir booklet are very much in the (very small) minority. I really think you should stop broadcasting your opinions as facts.

I think the difference there is that I’m distinguishing between book and programme, and you’re using them interchangeably. If there’s been an actual book produced for FantasyCon apart from 2012 (and 2011?), sorry, I’m not aware of it – and if there was, I do say “I think”, so I’m very much presenting what I say as a belief based on what evidence I have rather than a fact.

Looking it up, Silver Rhapsody lists all the souvenir programmes from 1975 to 1994, and the only book in that period seems to have been in 1988, which was a World Fantasy Convention:

1975 Fantasycon I: A5, 16pp
1976 Fantasycon II: A5, 24pp
1977 Fantasycon III: A5, 28pp
1978 Fantasycon IV: A5, 28pp
1979 Fantasycon V: A5, 22pp
1980 Fantasycon VI: A5, 34pp
1981 Fantasycon VII: A5, 36pp
1983 Fantasycon VIII: A5, 44pp
1984 Fantasycon IX: A5, 48pp
1985 Fantasycon X: A5, 96pp
1986 Fantasycon XI: A4,  68pp
1987 Fantasycon XII: A4, 70pp
1988 Fantasycon XIII (WFC): Hardcover
1989 Fantasycon XIV: A4, 68pp
1990 Fantasycon XV: A5, 52pp
1991 Fantasycon XVI: A5, 52pp
1992 Fantasycon XVII: A4, 56pp
1993 Fantasycon XVIII: A5, 56pp
1994 Fantasycon XIX: squarish format, 60pp

None even went over a hundred pages. From my own collection, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014 were all in a very similar A4 magazine format.

That's not to disparage those programmes (many of them sound terrific, from the details in Silver Rhapsody) but they all look to me like chapbook, zine, magazine-style publications, not books like the one in 2012. Despite Peter's creative editing above, I haven't said anywhere that there shouldn't be a souvenir programme, just that the souvenir programme needn't be a book.

Check back over the earlier posts, Stephen: people are asking. They want to know. Just because in your opinion (based on how many conventions, by the way?) you can hang fire doesn't make it so.

I’m not hanging fire on anything, I’m not involved with it! I'm just posting here as a member of the society, one who isn't quite so despairing as some of the previous posters.

[jim mcleod]

I may be wrong here but I think what's getting a lot of people agitated about 2015 is the event is being held in an out of town location with limited rooms at the onsite hotel. 

[Mike Chinn]

I may be wrong here but I think what's getting a lot of people agitated about 2015 is the event is being held in an out of town location with limited rooms at the onsite hotel.  

I don't even know the name of the fucking hotel!

[Paul Campbell]

Here it is Mike:

http://www.deverevenues.co.uk/en/venues/east-midlands-conference-centre-orchard-hotel/

But, hey, don't quote me on it - the Society hasn't bothered to even officially announce it yet -

- indeed, Stephen will probably come right along and delete it from my post for that very reason; so be quick!

Oh, and thanks for the list of the convention booklet sizes, Stephen: be sure to convey my congratulations to Lee for putting together the smallest programme - 20 pages - since 1975!

As regards quibbling about definitions - i.e. book, magazine what have you - fair point Stephen. But you know what else, no where on the internet are you going to see a 'magazine' defined as 20 pages. This year's programme was not a chapbook, booklet, magazine -

- it was a brochure. The kind of glossy puff piece my employer's parent company puts out once in a while.

Can I ask where you're getting this information from that Fantasycon 2012 was non-BFS funded? If not funded by the BFS or the takings from the previous year's con, then by whom?

One final point, an experiment:

Google the phrase 'Fantasycon 2015'

Only one single relevant hit comes up - this forum.

[Allen]

Going to throw in my tuppenceworth:
Sarah Doyle and I run jazz-poetry events in north London. These are maybe once a quarter where we put on a two and half hour show. The amount of preparation necessary to achieve this is enormous. I’ve also been involved in the planning and delivery of local literary festivals: Greenacre Writers Festival 2013 and Finchley Literary Festival 2014. Again, there is so much prep to get right before the event. The sooner one attends to it, the better all round. Then you’ve got enough energy to fight fires on the day – a guest can’t turn up, readings are over-running, there appears to be nobody running the bar…
So, like many of you, I’m hoping to see some news about F Con 15 very soon.
Yes, the hotel is on the edge of Nottingham and well away from the range of restaurants people got to know when we were at the Britannia. I suggest we all carry a list of local mini cab numbers.

[Peter Coleborn]

If the hotel is on the tram route, no problem. If not -- lots of minicab journeys.

[Paul Campbell]

Out of curiosity (wanted to see what prices would come up so as I could compare them to the convention rates as and whenever the Society bothers to post them) I typed in the dates for next year and got this:

Your chosen venue is not available for your selected dates
East Midlands Conference Centre & Orchard Hotel
Beeston Lane, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham

More info

Sorry!

We have no availability for your chosen dates

Alternative venues nearby

Tried said alternative venues and, yip, I could book those - but not the East Midlands Conference Centre & Orchard Hotel.

[CarolineC]

Out of curiosity (wanted to see what prices would come up so as I could compare them to the convention rates as and whenever the Society bothers to post them) I typed in the dates for next year and got this:

Your chosen venue is not available for your selected dates
East Midlands Conference Centre & Orchard Hotel
Beeston Lane, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham

More info

Sorry!

We have no availability for your chosen dates

Alternative venues nearby

Tried said alternative venues and, yip, I could book those - but not the East Midlands Conference Centre & Orchard Hotel.

Perhaps it's because they're expecting a hotel full of FCon guests? I don't know if that's the way it works, but maybe Lee has got it all sorted and they're keeping the entire place free for us all?

[Phil Lunt]

Obviously, I've only just stepped up and Lee has had some time off for a long deserved holiday. I believe he only got back to the grind today so as soon as he's back up to speed we'll get our heads together on this and get something official released ASAP.

The ball is rolling and I hope we can address issues brought up regarding FantasyCon 2014 in due course.

[Phil Lunt]

As per the post here: http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/fantasycon/fantasycon-2015-quick-update/

FantasyCon 2015 dates: 23rd-25th October 2015
at the Orchard Hotel / East Midlands Conference Centre.
The EMCC are currently setting up the online discount codes, and the website and booking facilities should be online by the end of next week - possibly sooner.

Now, I've worked professionally in exhibitions, conferences and events on the design and organisation side since 2001 and, given our current time-frame, I don't have any concerns about the organisation of things here but I'll keep on top of it and report back whenever we've anything to divulge. Hope that helps, folks 

[CarolineC]

Thanks, Phil. Great to see a proactive Chair!