SMOF News, volume 1, issue 25

International travel prospects, and news in brief.

International Travel Looks to Stay Unpleasant

As more and more in-person events resume, many people are looking forward to the day when they can attend their local convention with less fear, less worry, and maybe even without masks in the months to come. How does it look for travelling long-distance to big international events, though? Skift has a story cheerfully headlined “TAP Air Portugal CEO Says Airline Passengers Will Wear Masks Forever”:

“We have put into place so many additional protocols,” said Christine Ourmières-Widener, who was named CEO in June. “I am absolutely convinced they will stay forever.”

Ourmières-Widener said mask wearing during flights, increased aircraft cleaning and checks of vaccine certificates could all remain in place.

Ourmières-Widener goes on to say that all she really wants is one consistent set of rules for travelling internationally. Depending on where you are going, you currently may or may not need to provide proof of vaccination, get tested beforehand, be prepared for random testing on arrival, and/or quarantine on arrival.

Given the track record of international agreement on COVID-19 rules so far, Ourmières-Widener may be waiting some time for her wish. In the meantime, be sure to check the entry requirements for wherever you’re going— and keep checking, as rules may change without warning.

The Readers Aren’t Talking

Last week’s question for readers about what cons are still on your bucket list was answered by exactly no one. Either you’re all feeling very shy, or every dream you have of attending any particular con has already been fulfilled. I prefer to assume the latter.

In Brief

• LepreCon (Phoenix, Arizona, USA) has cancelled not only this year’s event, but next year’s as well, to focus on planning for LepreCon 50 in 2024.

• Recent postponements to 2023: CincyCon (Hamilton, Ohio, USA); Nerdi Gras (Atlanta, Georgia, USA); Cold Wars (Ocean City, Maryland, USA); and Portmeiricon (Portmeirion, UK).

Event Calendar

Weekend of February 18-20

• Radcon 8B, Pasco, Washington, USA

• Life, the Universe, and Everything (symposium), Provo, Utah, USA

• Anthro New England 2022: Back to the '90s, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

• DunDraCon 45 (gaming), Santa Clara, California, USA

• Con of the North (gaming), Bloomington, Minnesota, USA

• Orccon 2022 (gaming), Los Angeles, California, USA

• Williamsburg Muster (wargaming), Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

• Decepta Con (social deception gaming), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

• Japan Expo Sud (anime), Marseille, France

• ExpOtaku Logroño (anime), San Millán, Spain

• Katsucon 2022 (anime), National Harbor, Maryland, USA

• Zipcon 2022 (anime), Akron, Ohio, USA

• 47th Annual Boston Sci Fi Film Festival, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA

• Con Nooga (media), Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

• Alaska ComiCon, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

• Fan Expo Vancouver (media), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

• Shawicon (media), Shawinigan, Québec, Canada

• Gallifrey One: Thirty-Second to Midnight (Doctor Who), Los Angeles, California, USA

Weekend of February 25-27

• MystiCon, Roanoke, Virginia, USA

• Gamicon Gallium (gaming), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

• Total Confusion 36 (gaming), Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA

• CalCon 28 (gaming), Kalmar, Sweden

• Festival International des Jeux (gaming), Cannes, France

• Revelation (gaming), Sheffield, UK

• K2 Convention (gaming), Dungarvan, Ireland

• GenghisCon (gaming), Aurora, Colorado, USA

• Fire and Ice Convention (gaming), Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA

• TantrumCon (boardgames), Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

• PrezCon 2022/RevCon (boardgames), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

• Intercon U: Ultraviolet (LARPs), Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

• LVL UP EXPO (video games), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

• SoCal Gaming Expo (video games), Ontario, California, USA

• Kawacon (anime), San Antonio, Texas, USA

• ZipCon 2022 (anime), Akron, Ohio, USA

• Anime Crossroads 2022, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

• Farpoint 29 (media), Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA

• Cult Classic Convention (media), Bastrop, Texas, USA

• Nerd Fest (media), Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA

• Armageddon Expo Tauranga (media), Tauranga, New Zealand

Weekend of March 4-6

• CoastCon 44, Biloxi, Mississippi, USA

• Cleveland ConCoction 8, Aurora, Ohio, USA

• Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention 10: Over the Rainbow, Tucson, Arizona, USA

• Llamedos Holiday Camp 2022 – Dragon Trials (Discworld), Llanelli, UK

• VancouFur 2022: EvfurQuest (anthropomorphic), Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

• Fur the ‘More 2022 (anthropomorphic), Arlington, Virginia, USA

• Cardboard*Con (cardboard sf costuming), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

• BashCon 36 (gaming), Toledo, Ohio, USA

• Tennessee Game Days XV, Franklin, Tennessee, USA

• Gary Con XIV (gaming), Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA

• Dice Tower West (gaming), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

• SaltCON Spring (gaming), Layton, Utah, USA

• 1d4Con 2022 (gaming), online (usually Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA)

• Evercon 2022 (gaming), Rothschild, Wisconsin, USA

• Prolog (LARPs), online (usually Västerås, Sweden)

• Animeverse Fest (anime), Pasadena, California, USA

• PeoriaCon (media), Peoria, Illinois, USA

• Hill Country Comicon, New Braunfels, Texas, USA

• Middle East Film & Comic Con, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

• Hall of Heroes Comic Con 2022, Elkhart, Indiana, USA

Weekend of March 11-13

• MarsCon 2022, Bloomington, Minnesota, USA

• Foolscap, online (usually Seattle, Washington, USA)

• MACE West (gaming), Asheville, North Carolina, USA

• ChillerCon UK (horror), Scarborough, UK

• Pulp Fiction Central, Dania, Florida, USA

• Blue Ridge Furfare (anthropomorphic), Asheville, North Carolina, USA

• Fur Out West 5: FoWassic Park (anthropomorphic), Scarborough, Western Australia, Australia

• Marmalade Dog 25 (gaming), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

• AireCon (gaming), Harrogate, UK

• Granite Game Summit, Nashua, New Hampshire, USA

• Stumptown Game Summit, virtual

• Arizona Game Fair, Mesa, Arizona, USA

• Fargo GameFest, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

• GADCon 2022 (gaming), Aberdeen, Maryland, USA

• MidWinter ‘22 (gaming), Haugesund, Norway

• Protospiel Knoxville (games in development), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

• Louisville Arcade Expo, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

• MinamiCon 27 (anime), Southampton, UK

• All-Con (media), Dallas, Texas, USA

• Wintercon (media), Jamaica, New York, USA

• TFcon (Transformers), Burbank, California, USA

Weekend of March 18-20

• MarsCon 2022, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

• Clockwork Alchemy (steampunk), Burlingame, California, USA

• Furnal Equinox (anthropomorphic), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Texas Furry Fiesta (anthropomorphic), Dallas, TX

• Furnexion (anthropomorphic), Monterrey, Mexico

• Token Con (gaming), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

• Zuiderspel (gaming), Veldhoven, Netherlands

• Southern Board Game Festival, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA

• GOBweb (boardgames), virtual

• Meeple Peak (boardgames), Carson City, Nevada, USA

• COSCON XXXII (RPGs), Lyndora, Pennsylvania, USA

• Concrete Cow (RPGs), Milton Keynes, UK

• Hotlead (miniatures gaming), Stratford, Ontario, Canada

• Playthrough (video games), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

• Triad Anime Convention, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

• Anime Detour, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

• Sausomecon (anime), Independence, Missouri, USA

• EvilleCon 2022 (anime), Evansville, Indiana, USA

• Tora-Con 2022 (anime), Rochester, New York, USA

• Toronto Comicon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Paris Manga Sci-Fi Show (media), Paris, France

• CarrierCon 2022 (media), Alameda, California, USA

• MondoCon 2022 Spring (media), Budapest, Hungary

• DarkLight Convention 4 (Supernatural), Paris, France

Coda

• Which Immune Cell are You? (STEMCELL Technologies)

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