Of Hobbits, Beer, Kareoke, and ConQuest.

[mijan]

Spent the weekend at the local sci-fi/fantasy convention known as ConQuest. 

I admit, I wasn't sure what to make of it at first.  I'm used to arriving at a convention and seeing people in costumes everywhere, and just FEELING the excitement buzzing throughout the hotel.  I arrived at the Crown Center Hyatt on Friday and I had to ask myself if I was in the right hotel.  I saw maybe a dozen fellow geeks.  

No problem, I thought.  They would come.  But no.

Attendance, including the gamers (who don't have a full registration) was barely over 600.  There were about 470 with full registrations.  Only a handful of people wore costumes.  There was a very limited programming schedule.  It was eerily quiet.

BUT.  And yes, that's a big BUT...

These people know how to party.  There were a couple of really awesome discussion panels I attended, but the real key to this convention is the tight-knit community and the parties.  SERIOUSLY.  Fi and I had a room on the party floor and... it was an absolute blast.  Cool people. 

So, I had fun.  Lots of fun.  It was very different from other conventions I've attended, but I enjoyed it for what it was instead of lamenting what it wasn't.  I'm going to go again, for sure. 

And FUCK I'M EXHAUSTED.

Comments

[lily-firebolt.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha, I'm glad you have fun!

There's no Con like an HP con in my opinion :P

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Well, HP cons are definitely unique from other cons, but really, I find the others are just as good in their own way. Just different. I really LOVE Arisia in Boston.

[lily-firebolt.livejournal.com]

True true, they're probably all very individual. I just had a not so good experience at a SuperCon and the rest have been HP cons which have been AMAZING.

I don't know of this Arisia of which you speak *looks it up*

[kc-risenphoenix.livejournal.com]

See, you get why I can't help but keep going to ConQuesT.

It is very very very different than the Chicago cons I went to. But all the cons in the immediate vicinity seem to be in this vein. Party party party, and friendly friendly friendly, but few costumes and clubs within clubs. I was used to (and miss) all the fan groups within the larger group. In those days it was Elfquest fandom and Pern fandom and (original) Battlestar; Galactica fandom and Star Wars fandom. We would dress up and create fanzines and make up our own Battlestars and more.

Kansas Cith fandom seems to eschew this and I miss it.

And yet, it has something I never really experianced in Chicago fandom. A universal love and tightness and togetherness that blows me away!

I am still curious if those old kinds of cons are still around though... I want to go to one again and show it to Raymond.

Know anyone that needs roommates at that kind of con?

I LOVED meeting you two!

[flamewarrior.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a UK SF/F con then - usually no more than 300 people, no or almost no costumes, great panels and wall-to-wall room parties. And all-night filking, if that's your thing.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

That does sound similar (minus the filking, although a large group of us did randomly break into a round of Bohemian Rhapsody in the hallway), and sounds like a lot of fun. It's different than the cons to which I'm accustomed, but it's awesome in its own way.

[skyflame.livejournal.com]

The Bohemian Rhapsody one-off rocked. I was surprised security didn't come by afterward and tell everyone to shut up. :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I'm going to make a wager and bet that the hotel didn't book anyone into the 38th floor that weekend... just knowing it was easier to do it that way. *snicker*

[skyflame.livejournal.com]

I was more concerned about the noise filtering down to the mid-30s. We were LOUD. :P

(I was on the 38th floor, btw. My guess is that they tried to fill 37-38 with Con folks as a buffer for everyone else.)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Aaah. That makes sense, too.

I wonder how far they could actually hear us down there...