So, I would like to go to one of the two Twin Cities SFF conventions which I am aware of: CONvergence or Minicon. I’ve never been to a con before and I’m curious what the scene is all about and how it all works. I think the one in the summer would be better, rather than the Easter-Con.
I knew the big’uns like WorldCon, and Comic-con (or whatever the hell it’s called) were expensive, but I didn’t realize that our little Minnesota conventions were so damn pricy. $65 at the door? Must be out of your mind!
Maybe in 2009 or 2010 if I’m still interested in going. That’s a lot of money to spend on something I have no idea if I would possibly enjoy or find worthwhile. I don’t quite have that in the budget, I’d rather go to the Penumbra or to a couple of movies with my wife than to buy a solo pass for $65, at least this year.
Yikes!
Maybe if Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi, Charles Stross, David Anthony Durham or a handful of other authors I would really love to listen to speak were announced for either con I might be more willing to spring for it.
3 comments:
I would encourage you to attend the best con you can afford. I've only attended two: World Fantasy (three times) and our local Washington D.C. con, Capclave (twice), both of which are excellent and well organized.
The cons for more serious readers are more expensive, yet are worth your time and money. The high price tag tends to keep out the casual fan, the person who lugs around the entire Chronicles of Thomas Covenant for Stephen R. Donaldson to sign, etc.
You're a serious reader and I imagine you'd have some incredible conversations with some great writers, meet some interesting people, make some life-long contacts and have a great time. Keep an eye on the membership lists, pick one and go for it!
Hmm.
Maybe so. Pending a lottery win or a high paying promotion at work, I think I'll still hold off for another year before attempting one of the local cons (that said, Alistair Reynolds is at Minicon this year).
Thanks for the info on cons, though. I've always been unsure about what they are all about.
The thing is, if you want a reasonable price, you have to decide months in advance to buy your membership. At this year's Mini-con, for instance, they will likely sell memberships to next year's Mini-con for $30 or so. The price will go up in increments as the convention gets closer, with the highest price at the door next year. Offering a low price early gives the convention seed money to work and organize throughout the year.
That said, Mini-Con may not be your best choice, if past Mini-Cons are anything to go by. I went once in the early 1990s, when I lived in North Dakota, and it was a booze fest. Literally, they had large amounts of free beer flowing in the con suite all weekend, and it was clear that was the incentive for many attendees. I'd recommend looking around for a better convention if you can.
But buy the membership early, whichever you choose! You'll save a lot of $!
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