FAREWELL VCON, HELLO “WCSFA PRESENTS”

(Minutes of WCSFA planning meeting held June 26, 1993, as recorded by Lisa Smedman.)

On Sunday, June 26, the WCSFA executive held a meeting that included the BCSFA executive, a number of past chairs of VCONs, two pro authors, and a number of longtime club members who had taken on major roles in organizing past VCONs. Together, we sat down to discuss ways in which VCON might be improved. After tour hours of discussion, we came up with a long‑term plan that, if accepted by the WCSFA membership as a whole, will completely restructure our club activities (VCON included),

In recent years, our club has been facing a number of serious problems: dwindling membership: a lack of volunteers to put together the VCON convention: minimal attendance at our monthly meetings: and next to no money in our bank account.

The plan that we came up with on June 26 should go a long way to correcting many of these problems. It must still devoted on by WCSFA members before it can be put into action But I think that, when you read what follows, you'll be as excited as I am about the possibilities.

(Certainly the ideas were exciting enough to attract a promise of participation from club members who had dropped out of tandem several years ago, because they were tired of seeing the "same old thing," both in terms of the club's monthly activities and the annual convention, lithe ideas are enough to get these "never again" fans interested in organizing club events, they must show real promise!)

The plan developed slowly; we began by listing the things we liked about SF conventions. Part way through the discussion, after we had filled up pages and pages of easel‑sized paper, we looked at each other and said, "We've got enough for four or five conventions here" At the same time, we realized that the club doesn't have the ability to organize a convention big enough to encompass all of the ideas we hadlisted. And so the plan began to take shape...

DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HOLD VCON?

Alter much discussion, the group agreed that holding an "all things to all people" convention on an annual basis is more than our club can manage at this point in time. WCSFA doesn't have the money to cover loses it something with an approximately $15,000 budget goes sour, there aren't enough club members willing to put in the kind of all‑out effort that is required to adequately organize an event of VCON's size, and even when we do find the 30‑plus people required, this leaves us with nobody to do supportive fundraising and organize the type of quality events we'd like to see throughout the rest of the year. We wind up putting all our energies into a three‑day event‑‑ and then suffering through a362' day lull until the next VCON.

But perhaps most importantly, there is a feeling among longtime club members that VCON (indeed, most SF conventions) are stuck in a rut. It's the "been there, done that" syndrome. A con is a con is a con. We need to break out of the mold, present something new and different. Break free of the mindset that tells us we must do things a certain way because they have always been done that way, because everybody else does them that way. Give up all preconceptions, even to the point of not necessarily having a three‑day, weekend‑long convention. Not necessarily having it in May (high season for hotels). Not necessarily calling it VCON. Not even necessarily calling it a convention.

WHAT WOULD REPLACE VCON?

It was the consensus of those at the meeting that what we would rather see is a series of exciting, interesting and thought‑provoking events held throughout the year. One‑day "minions" if you will (although we prefer to call them "events.") Each would be organized by a chair and a committee of perhaps four or five people. Each would focus on that group's particular interest. Depending upon the amount of interest within the club and the number of committees that spring up to work on organizing these events, they might be held as frequently as once per month. Or they might be held less frequently, perhaps three or four such events per year.

In addition to these one‑day events, we would hold a two‑day "convention."

Once again, "convention" is not the word we really want to use, because this event would not include all of the usual trappings of a convention. (For want of a better term, we called this a "sleepover" event.)

There would be no art show, no dealer's room, no separate video track, no organized gaming, no costume contest, no multiple‑track programming,

There would be a "keynote speaker," chosen for his or her expertise on a particular facet of science and the "draw of his or her name. And there would be in‑depth, well prepared, heavily researched programming. None of those horrible grab three people and put them behind microphones and give them a top they're only vaguely familiar with" panels. Instead, we would have thought‑provoking programming that explores all facets of a particular topic or theme in a variety of exciting ways. Yes, there might still be a screening of a movie that is related to the topic. Yes, there might be a discussion of how a particular game utilizes the scientific concepts under discussion. Yes, there might be a slide show or presentation of art or costuming that is directly related to the theme. But all of these events would be single programming items ‑‑ not tracks unto themselves,

(And yes, there would be some form of hospitality suite for people to meet each other, and perhaps an organized dinner or a dance on the Saturday night; we still want to provide fans with an opportunity to socialize and have fun!)

In addition, individuals or groups might turn their hotel rooms into personal "art shows," "dealer's rooms," club display areas, or "gaming rooms," But this would be done strictly on the initiative of those renting the hotel room, leaving the organizing committee free to concern itself only with what should be the most important aspect of an SF convention: programming.

WHEN WOULD THESE EVENTS BE HELD?

We envision WCSFA holding these "sleepovers" about once per year, probably in the early spring (February to March) or late fall (October to November) when it's low season and hotels are hungrier for our business, Maybe the sleepovers will be spaced evenly apart, occurring around the same time each year. Or maybe they will happen at irregular intervals ‑with either a six‑month or 18‑month gap in between.

HOW BIG WOULD THEY BE?

These would be small events, with a maximum attendance of 250, Assuming we charge $25 a head to attend, that's a budget of $6,250. This doesn't sound like much of a budget, but there are two points to remember. The first is that this convention would have only one "guest of honor" (the keynote speaker) whose transportation, meals, and accommodation costs would be paid. (The event might also have a limited number‑‑ VERY tinted‑‑ of additional guests who get free memberships. But these people would have to have a very strong tie‑in to the theme and would be expected to participate in programming in a big way.) All other attendees ‑Seven the "pros" to whom a larger convention traditionally gives free memberships ‑would have to pay to attend.

The second thing working in our favor, in terms of budgeting, is that the requirements for function space would be very limited. There would be a single programming room required, one that could house a maximum of 250 people. (The idea is to oiler a small amount of quality programming, rather than a vast quantity of mediocre programming.) If a second "track" were added, it would be something small, along the lines of a space suitable for author's readings or "round table" discussions of a group of no more than 20 people or so.

By keeping our requirements for tunction space to a minimum, we make our sleepover event much more attractive to hotels, which like to see a large number of guest rooms being rented in proportion to the amount of function space utilized. Secondly, we can start looking at the smaller hotels‑‑venues that we could easily "take over" with 250 people. By completely booking a hotel, there would be no worries about disturbing the peace and quiet of other guests. We could (to a point) set our own rules.

IF WE HOLD THEM, WOULD THEY COME?

While some of you might argue that nobody would come to a'Ieaner and meaner"convention,consider this: VCON 19.5, a 'relaxacon" with minimal programming (much of it pretty lightweight) had an attendance of 170 and made a profit of more than $1,000 torthe club. Imagine the response to a small "convention" that offers top ­of‑the‑line programming and a stimulating keynote speaker. Imagine the

cash‑flow problems we could solve by letting it be known that the attendance is strictly limited, thus prompting people to buy their memberships early. (We might even sell only advance memberships and dispense with at‑the‑door sales, thus fastly simplifying the at­event registration process.)

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FUN STUFF?

Some of you might bemoan the fact that all of the "trimmings of a larger convention would be missing. But consider the larger picture for a moment: a small "sleepover" event would not require the huge committee that is required of a VCON. There would be people left over to organize other events that offer these trimmings" ALL YEAR ROUND on an ongoing basis.

These are the one‑day events I mentioned previously. WCSFA could host a number of these one day events, each one focused on a particular segment of what would normally be just one piece of a larger convention.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ONE‑DAY EVENTS:

e The club could, for example, host a one‑day gaming "con." This could feature not only the usual tournament events for experienced players, but displays of games that are visual enough for passers-by to enjoy (miniature battles, for example) and lots of "introduction to" game sessions for beginners. (Naturally, we would have to first look at what the local gaming clubs are organizing; there's no sense re‑inventing the wheel and conflicting with already existing events!)

e Another one‑day event could focus on SF/ fantasy films‑‑for example, a day‑long or "dusk till dawn" screening of classic videos to which we sell tickets. (We might even organize our own film festival and utilize a local theatre!) As an added attraction, we could bring in a guest speaker who has expertise in screenwriting, special effects, makeup, or another film‑related topic. Perhaps we could even arrange to have a premier screening or test screening of a brand­ new SF or fantasy film at a local theatre, just for our members.

We might organize another event around model making. There could be lots of hands‑on model building sessions (using kits donated from various companies) as well as seminars that give tips on model building, painting and collecting. There could also be talks by experts on spin‑off topics. (Stan Hyde and his godzilla lecture comes to mind.) e If it's SF/fantasy literature we want to promote, we could organize a day­long series of readings, talks, and discussions of works in progress by our local authors. (There are lots of the minthe Vancouver area.) In conjunction with this, we could arrange for a local book store to be on hand to sell copies of their books at a "meet the authors" autograph wine and cheese party. (We can probably got Canada Council funding for this one, as well as sponsorship‑‑at least in the form of ads in any "program book" we might do ‑‑ from the publishing houses.) e If we decide we just can't live without a regular visit to a full‑fledged dealer's room, we could organ­ize a one‑day "trade fair" around SF/fantasy‑related merchandise, complete with displays of new technologies from local companies. (Here. I'd like to see lots of interactive, three‑dimensional displays.)

Another event might involve getting in touch with the local theatre community to organize a science‑fiction‑themed "murder mystery" dinner. Or we might hook up with local live­ action roleplaying gamers to host a live‑action gaming event.

We might link up with the local film industry, learn when an SF film is being shot here in Vancouver, and arrange a tour of the set, complete with a talk by some of the filmmakers, special effects people or actors.

Other local tours could include a visit to a company or facility that features an interesting technology. We could package the tour with a talk by a local expert (or SF author!), perhaps combined with a video screening of an SF movie that speculates on possible uses of the technology.

We might like to organize events around contests ‑‑ writing competitions, contests for artists, even science competitions for high school students. The event itself would be a showcase of the work submitted. e Or if we want an event geared toward the creative process (and how to market it) we could hold a series of single‑session, individual‑ticket workshops over the course of a day on "the business of.,." (fill in the blank; comic books; SF/fantasy writing; game design; screen writing; sell‑publication). Our keynote speakers could be editors, publishers, agents, art directors and the like.

We might also organize one‑day events around comics, Japanimation, costuming, Star Trek ‑‑ or any of the other areas of interest that club members might have.

DO EVENTS HAVE TO BE ONLY ONE DAY LONG?

Some of our "one‑day" events might wind up being slightly longer. For example:

WCSFA could organize an event that fulfills the same function as the art show does at VCON. But instead of holding it as part of a convention, we could hold a week‑long (or even month­ long) display of science fiction and fantasy art, using a local art gallery as our venue, (Or perhaps the show could be displayed at Science World!)

We might organize a 'writers' retreat ‑‑ basically, a weekend‑long writers' workshop at a relaxing location (eg: one of the Gulf Islands or another vacation spot). We could make use of selected local pro authors, who could critique work and/or give talks on the process of writing in return for their transportation, meals and lodging.

.‑ Another exciting idea that was mentioned involved the idea of club "field trips." Committees ‑‑or even individuals ‑‑ could organize tours, whether they are afternoon‑long trips within the Greater Vancouver area or weekend‑long "package tours" (bus, hotel and tour) to such attractions as the Burgess Shale or the astronomical observatory in Victoria.

HOW CAN WE ORGANIZE ALL OF THESE THINGS?

Our club doesn't need to do all of these things on its own. We could join together with other organizations that are putting on events that are already happening in town (and thus make free use of their publicity to promote our club). We could, for example, offer to organize the science fiction section of the annual Vancouver Writer's Festival. Or we could get involved when one of the independent theatres hosts a week of SF or B‑movies, maybe organizing a costume contest or guest speaker for one of the evenings.

And then, of course, there are the other gaming, comics, and media clubs in the Vancouver area. We could pool our resources and produce something really unique.

SO WHERE DOES THIS ALL LEAD?

One of the more interesting ideas brought forward at the June 26 meeting came from Con Hiebner. He suggested we hold a "convention" with a structure similar to that used by the Fringe Festival: a weeklong series of events and displays, held at nontraditional venues scattered across a section of Vancouver.

While it will probably be a few years before we are able to organize something along the scale that Con suggested, we might one day combine all of these "modular" one‑day events in a festival format. It's certainly an idea worth considering.

HOW WOULD THIS HELP THE CLUB?

First, holding a series of smaller events throughout the year, rather than a single, large, annual event, helps us to build up expertise. Having a number of smaller committees (one for each event) means that a number of our club members will gain expertise in budgeting for and chairing a "miniconvention,"

Additionally, the one‑day events will allow us to explore a variety of non‑traditional venues other than hotels: church and community halls; theatres; nightclubs; restaurants; public facilities like libraries, universities and colleges; stores ‑‑‑ even public campsites! We can figure out which ones work best for each type of event, and can start to get a handle on which will best allow us to keep our costs low and at the same time keep our exposure (to the general public) high.

Perhaps even more importantly, we can figure out which of these events are money‑makers and crowd pleasers ‑‑and which events are money‑losers that aren't of interest to anyone. When it comes time to put the whole package together again (if indeed we ever do choose to do this) we'll know which pieces are the best ones to include. And we'll already have in place teams of experienced people to do the work.

Additionally, people can work only on those events that really interest them. Their pet project won't be only a minor part of a much larger event‑‑it will be the event itself. And people can work on those events as much or as little as they please.

With only one event ‑‑ a VCON ‑‑per year, it's a case of all‑or‑nothing, both financially and in terms of investment of time. But with the new structure, if nobody wants to organize a two‑day sleepover one year, it won't matter; we'll have plenty of other activities to keep the club going. And there won't be the problems of burnout that we've seen happening in recent years, in which the majority of active club members were either recovering from one VCON or tying up allot their time working on the next VCON. People can pick and choose from a number of smaller committees and projects, committing their time as it becomes available.

Additionally, having a series of events would keep the club name in the public eye. Because we tend to get "after the tact" publicity in the media of our events, we could use one event to publicize the next, ft would also allow us to keep up with current trends in SF and fantasy. (Imagine, for example, if we had the opportunity to organize a one‑day event around a dinosaur theme and were able to capitalize on the current Jurassic Park mania.) Small, easy ­to‑organize events would allow us to keep "current,"

Finally, having a number of interesting events throughout the year would help to build up membership in the club. We'd have an even wider pool of talent (volunteers) to draw from when forming our committees and could put on an increasing number of events. And with the money these events raised, we might one day have the funding to provide substantial seed money to club events and projects!

BUT WHAT DO WE CALL THESE EVENTS?

The answer to that question will be determined on an event‑by‑event basis by each of the organizing committees. But in each case, the event will be billed as follows: "The West Coast Science Fiction Association presents..." followed by the name chosen.

Whatever we do, we WON'T call any of the events VCON. Although there is a certain sentimental attachment to that name (we were up to our 20th convention, this year) the important thing to remember is that we are setting out to do something new and different. To misquote a familiar phrase, our events will boldly go where no con has gone before.

Why saddle them with an old name that doesn't really describe them properly?

WHAT ABOUT THE VCON NAME?

WCSFA will retain legal title to the VCON name. And if some year we decide to return to an "all things to all people," everything‑included‑under‑one‑roof convention, we can still call it VCON.

WHAT WOULD WCSFA BE LOOKING FOR?

.Events with a maximum membership of 250.

Events that are tightly focused on a strong theme. (One main track of programming, possibly with a second, very small track,)

"Sleepover" events no longer than two days (eg: Saturday and Sunday), as well as "one‑day" events‑‑which might be longer if they involve travel time or a lengthy display (eg: of art work).

A brief outline that includes the following: theme; guest of honor (if applicable); committee list; preliminary budget; ideas for function space/venue; proposed date of event.