SMOF News

Share this post

SMOF News, volume 3, issue 2

smofnews.substack.com

Discover more from SMOF News

News from around and inside fan conventions, published every Wednesday.
Continue reading
Sign in

SMOF News, volume 3, issue 2

The con philosophy spectrum, and news in brief.

Petréa Mitchell
Sep 14, 2023
Share this post

SMOF News, volume 3, issue 2

smofnews.substack.com
Share

How to Convention: Potlucks and Shows

Conventions can be classified according to the genre(s) they serve, but they are also defined along another axis, one which says something about the underlying philosophy and structure of the event.

This is not a series of categories but a spectrum. At one end is the “show”, an event with a firm line between star guests and a passive audience. At the other end, analogies vary, but one of the more common terms is “potluck”. This sort of convention is designed for more active participation, with less emphasis on guests. At the extreme, some potluck-style events have no guests at all, and the majority of attendees may also be serving as volunteers, staff, or program participants.

Most conventions fall somewhere in the middle. Show-style conventions often have costume contests and fan panels. Potluck-style events usually have guests and guest-centered programming such as readings, autograph sessions, and interviews.

Another way to put it is that potluck-style events are built primarily for fan-to-fan connections, while show-style events prioritize for fan-to-celebrity connections.

A third aspect of this spectrum is the economic one. Potluck-style conventions are almost, but not quite, always run by nonprofits. Show-style events are stereotyped as commercial ventures, since that end of the spectrum is dominated by for-profit behemoths, but local shows are a mix of for-profit, nonprofit, and events with no corporate structure behind them at all.

In Brief

  • The Uncanny Experience (Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 16-17) has added Caspar Van Dien as a guest.

  • FanX Salt Lake (Salt Lake City, September 21-23) has added Andy Serkis, Charlie Cox, and Debbe Dunning as guests.

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo (Cincinnati, Ohio, September 22-24) has added Stephane Roux, Uko Smith, Dave Aikins, Andy Bennett, and Sean Anderson as guests.

  • COSine 2024 (Colorado Springs, Colorado, January 19-21) has named Jim Humble its new Artist Guest of Honor after Theresa Mather had to cancel.

  • Trek Long Island (Hauppauge, New York, May 31-June 2) has added Derek Tyler Attico, J. K. Woodward, Michael Jan Friedman, Michaelan Sisti, and Robert Greenberger as guests.

Event Calendar

Weekend of September 15-17

  • Copernicon, Toruń, Poland

  • P-Con, Irving, Texas, USA

  • Albacon 2023, Clifton Park, New York, USA

  • Fantasycon, Birmingham, UK

  • 33rd First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, online

  • SWFL SteamCon (steampunk), Cape Coral, Florida, USA

  • Megaplex: Be Anything, Do Anything! (anthropomorphic), Orlando, Florida, USA

  • West Aussie Fur Frenzy: Under the Big Top (anthropomorphic), Freemantle, Australia

  • Furever West (anthropomorphic), Laramie, Wyoming, USA

  • FursonaCon 2023: Dino Safari (anthropomorphic), Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

  • ShireCon 5 (gaming), Canaan, Connecticut, USA

  • Strong Tower Gaming Convention, Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA

  • Tabletop Central (gaming), Savoy, Illinois, USA

  • B-Con 2023 (gaming), Northglenn, Colorado, USA

  • ReUnity Games 2023, Nashua, New Hampshire, USA

  • Tennessee Game Days Fall 2023, Franklin, Tennessee, USA

  • Hold the Line (miniatures gaming), Port Clinton, Ohio, USA

  • Southern Front 2023 (miniatures gaming), Morrisville, North Carolina, USA

  • Retro Palooza (retro video games), Arlington, Texas, USA

  • J-Con (anime), Derby, UK

  • Anime Fargo 2023: Enter the Ninja, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

  • Chizu Con 2023 (anime), Madison, Wisconsin, USA

  • AncientCityCon (media), St. Augustine, Florida, USA

  • Granite State Comicon (media), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

  • Edmonton Expo (media), Edmonton, Alberta, USA

  • Fandom Kissimmee (media), Kissimmee, Florida, USA

  • Extremicon (media), St. Robert, Missouri, USA

  • CaperCon (media), Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada

  • Power Comicon, Florence, South Carolina, USA

  • Flower City Comic Con, Rochester, New York, USA

  • Cartoon-A-Paloozah, Temecula, California, USA

  • Comic Con Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

  • London Comic Con, London, UK

  • Midgard 2023 (media), Reykjavik, Iceland

  • Alpha Omega Con (Christian-themed sf media), Whittier, California, USA

  • The Uncanny Experience (X-Men), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Weekend of September 22-24

  • Necronomicon 42: Life, the Convention, and Everything, Tampa, Florida, USA

  • 2nd Annual Sturgeon Symposium, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

  • Dum-Dum 2023 (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA

  • Furnavia (anthropomorphic), Kristiansand, Norway

  • PhilliFur 2023: Tails and Fables (anthropomorphic), Quezon City, Philippines

  • 9th Annual Steampunk Fair, Kennebunk, Maine, USA

  • Anno 1900 (steampunk), Lasauvage, Luxembourg

  • Council Ganing Con 42, Schenectady, New York, USA

  • SIBCON XXVII (gaming), Butler, Pennsylvania, USA

  • Nuke-Con (gaming), Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA

  • Game On Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

  • Big Geek Con (gaming), Saginaw, Michigan, USA

  • MegaMooseCon (gaming), Richburg, South Carolina, USA

  • CuseCon 2023 (gaming), Syracuse, New York, USA

  • Barrage 2023 (miniatures gaming), Havre de Grace, Maryland, USA

  • Hurricon 2023: Lost Causes (miniatures gaming), Kissimmee, Florida, USA

  • Recruits (wargaming), Lee’s Summit, Missouri, USA

  • CEOtaku (anime fighting games), Orlando, Florida, USA

  • Rappig Crossing (Tales video games), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

  • Made in Asia (anime), Brussels, Belgium

  • Anime USA, Arlington, Virginia, USA

  • MidessAnime, Odessa, Texas, USA

  • Anime Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

  • Microcon II (comics), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

  • Thessaloniki Comic Convention vol. 8, Thessaloniki, Greece

  • NORCON (media), Norfolk, UK

  • Lagos Comic Convention, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Spa-Con (media), Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

  • Comic Con Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Fountain City Fandemonium (media), Bryan, Ohio, USA

  • Cincinnati Comic Expo, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

  • Rose City Comic Con, Portland, Oregon, USA

  • Alabama Comic Con, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

  • Superstar Comic Con, Savannah, Georgia, USA

  • FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

  • Mobicon 2023 (media), Mobile, Alabama, USA

Weekend of September 29-October 1

  • Archon 46, Collinsville, Illinois, USA

  • Conflux 17: Passages and Portals, Canberra, Australia

  • Capclave 2023 (books), Rockville, Maryland, USA

  • Intermezzo (music), Wernigerode, Germany

  • Furdance Budapest (anthropomorphic), Budapest, Hungary

  • Furry Takeover: Safari Takeover (anthropomorphic), Fontana Dam, North Carolina, USA

  • OctoGônes 13 (gaming), Villeurbanne, France

  • Adirondacon 6 (gaming), Glens Falls, New York, USA

  • GooseCon (gaming), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

  • Shake, Battle & Roll (gaming), Southampton, UK

  • Spellenfestival Genk (gaming), Genk, Belgium

  • QuestCon Orlando / Crucible (gaming), Orlando, Florida, USA

  • Big Bad Con 2023 (gaming), Burlingame, California, USA

  • Game Devs of Color Expo, online

  • Pittsburgh Gaming Expo (video games), Monroeville, Pennsylvania, USA

  • SkålCon 2022 (Pathfinder& Starfinder RPGs), Plymouth, Minnesota, USA

  • Terra MystiCon (Terra Mystica boardgame), Montréal, Québec, Canada

  • Tiger Con (anime), Valdosta, Georgia, USA

  • Ramencon (anime), South Bend, Indiana, USA

  • Miryokucon (anime), Baltimore, Maryland, USA

  • Anime St. Pete, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

  • Shocker Con (anime), Wichita, Kansas, USA

  • Tiger Con 2023 (anime), Valdosta, Georgia, USA

  • Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (comics and animation), Columbus, Ohio, USA

  • Wauke-Con (comics), Waukegan, Illinois, USA

  • La Mole (media), Mexico City, Mexico

  • Zurich Pop Con, Zurich, Switzerland

  • Kadabra Con (media), Portland, Texas, USA

  • Beer City Comic Con, Asheville, North Carolina, USA

  • Creation Washington D.C. (media), Arlington, Virginia, USA

  • Z-Con (media), Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA

  • SiouxperCon 2023: To Sioux Falls and Beyond! (media), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA

  • King-Con 2023 (media), Kingman, Arizona, USA

  • Giganticon 2023 (media), Killeen, Texas, USA

  • MagicCon 6 (fantasy media), Bonn, Germany

  • Giganticon (superhero media), Killeen, Texas, USA

  • UK PonyCon 2023 (My Little Pony), Nottingham, UK

Midweek convention: Icon Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel

Weekend of October 6-8

  • CONFelicity (relaxacon), Bloomington, Minnesota, USA

  • GeekGirlCon (female geekdom), Seattle, Washington, USA

  • H-Con the Nineteenth (anthropomorphic), Erbach, Germany

  • WPAFW 2023 (anthropomorphic), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

  • TringCon (gaming), Marsworth, UK

  • Dragon Fall (gaming), Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA

  • PAX Australia (gaming), Melbourne, Australia

  • Con on the Cob 2023: Showdown at the Neon Barnyard (gaming), Richfield, Ohio, USA

  • Southwest Con (miniatures gaming), Tolleson, Arizona, USA

  • Michigan GT (wargaming), Lansing, Michigan, USA

  • Spieltage Essen (boardgames), Essen, Germany

  • Furnace Games Convention XVIII (RPGs), Sheffield, UK

  • Tsubasacon (anime), Charleston, West Virginia, USA

  • Animasia (anime), Bordeaux, France

  • MoTownCon (anime), Mooresville, South Carolina, USA

  • Anime Senpai: Class of '23!, Collinsville, Illinois, USA

  • 56th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Sitges, Spain

  • 28th Annual H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival, Portland, Oregon, USA

  • Comiccon de Québec, Ville de Québec, Québec, Canada

  • Comic Con Scotland, Edinburgh, UK

  • Boone Comic-Con, Boone, North Carolina, USA

Weekend of October 13-15

  • Stranimondi 9 (Italian national sf convention), Milan, Italy

  • Octocon 2023 (Irish national sf convention), Dublin, Ireland

  • ICON 48: We Only Work in Outer Space, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

  • Can*Con 2023 (Canadian sf), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

  • Alamo City Furry Invasion: Dr. Virginia's Island Paradise, San Antonio, Texas, USA

  • Viking-Con 42 (gaming), Copenhagen, Denmark

  • Atlanta Game Fest 41, Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA

  • Congress of Gamers Fall Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA

  • Icon Gaming, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA

  • Southern Board Game Festival, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA

  • Erie Days of Games, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

  • NEWGameapalooza, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo (retro video games), Portland, Oregon, USA

  • Banzaicon 10 (anime), Larvik, Norway

  • Iberanime, Matosinhos, Portugal

  • Charleston Anime-Fest, North Charleston, South Carolina, USA

  • Polaris (anime), Hamburg, Germany

  • WasabiCon (anime), Jacksonville, Florida, USA

  • The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Bowness-on-Windermere, UK

  • Geek Days Caen (media), Caen, France

  • Visioncon (media), Springfield, Missouri, USA

  • ValleyCon 48 (media), Fargo, North Dakota, USA

  • New York Comic Con, New York City, New York, USA

  • MondoCon 2023 (media), Budapest, Hungary

  • 56th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Sitges, Spain

  • Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival, New York City, New York, USA

  • VoltCon 2023 (Voltron), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Coda

  • Apollo 17 is causing moonquakes (The Register)

Thank you for reading! Send tips, corrections, press releases, and letters of comment to: smofnews@gmx.com.

Share this post

SMOF News, volume 3, issue 2

smofnews.substack.com
Share
Top
New

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Petréa Mitchell
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing