Conucopia: Basic Information

   Conucopia 
   
                               Basic Information
                                       
   Rev. 31-Jul-1999
   
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     _________________________________________________________________
   
   E-mail: info@99.nasfic.org
   
     * What is a NASFiC?
     * "Why do I want to go?"
     * When and Where
     * "What must I do in order to attend?"
       
What is a NASFiC?

   Imagine getting together with a few friends to talk about something
   you all love -- science fiction and fantasy. You all read the books,
   see the movies, watch the stuff on TV, play the games - you've got a
   lot in common. And you invite a few of the people who create these
   works, too - the authors, artists, and others involved in the creation
   of the things we all appreciate. And when you all get in one place you
   count heads and find out there are two or three thousand of you. What
   do you call it? Well, it might be the North American Science Fiction
   Convention - NASFiC, for short.
   
What You Get

   Four days of talking about SF, with panels and readings and
   autographings all day and special events every night.
   
   A huge Art Show with original art by many of the major SF cover
   artists, signed and numbered lithographs or photoprints of pieces you
   couldn't afford otherwise, and examples of original art by
   up-and-coming artists who may someday be major. All for sale at
   auction.
   
   An immense Dealers' Room. Hundreds of tables of new, used, and rare
   books; cool jewelry; art prints; videos; laser discs; funny buttons;
   fan writings; comics; and just plain weird stuff.
   
   A choice of video rooms, anime rooms, and a full film program.
   
   Science programs; how to behave at a convention programs; how to be a
   writer (OK, how to sell what you've written) programs; The Masquerade,
   a full costume contest stage performance; a hall costume contest, a
   wandering-the-convention performance; Filking (SF for folk singing).
   
   Dances from rock to Regency; Georgette Heyer high teas; Oz fan
   meetings; ERB fan meetings; alternative lifestyle fan meetings.
   
"Why do I want to go?

   Why should you pay good money to attend this convention? Why should
   you join early? We expect the NASFiC is going to be bigger than a
   Westercon <http://www.westercon.org/>, but smaller than a Worldcon
   <http://worldcon.org/>. If you're going down under to Aussiecon 3
   <http://aussiecon3.worldcon.org/>, you can stop by in southern
   California and get another convention as part of your trip. And, on
   top of that you can get in a visit to Disneyland before your flight
   leaves LAX for Melbourne. On the other hand, if you're not heading to
   the Worldcon, then you definitely want to get to the NASFiC. The
   NASFiC was started as being the "next best thing" for fans stuck in
   the USA and Canada when the Worldcon goes overseas, beyond the reach
   of their pocketbooks. It's still a great idea.
   
   As for why you should join now, that's easy. The price is going to go
   up so joining early saves you money, at least $15, possibly more. And
   memberships are transferable, so you have a hedge against a change in
   plans - if you find out that you can't come after all, you can sell
   your membership to someone else. (Lots of people use the newsgroup
   rec.arts.sf.fandom for just this purpose.)
   
When and Where

   The convention begins Thursday, 26 August 1999, and runs through
   Sunday, 29 August 1999. Most things will start around ten in the
   morning and the joint will still be jumping in the wee hours every
   night.
   
   We have the Anaheim Marriott hotel in Anaheim, California, across the
   street from Disneyland. This was our "quiet hotel" during L.A.con III
   <http://lacon3.worldcon.org/>, the 1996 Worldcon, and we also held the
   1989 Westercon ("Conosaurus") there.
   
"What must I do in order to attend?"

   You basically need to do four things.
     * Buy your membership. You need to be an attending member in order
       to attend. Do this as soon as possible -- either pay the whole
       thing up front, or buy your supporting membership first and
       upgrade later. (As long as you do this before the next price
       increase, it won't cost extra to break it into two payments this
       way.)
     * Make your travel arrangements. If you're driving, make sure your
       vehicle's up to the trip.
     * Make your lodging arrangements. If you're looking for a roommate
       matching service, we won't be running one as such, but we will
       post notices from people looking for other fans to share rooms
       with and you guys can sort it out yourselves.
     * Pack up and go. Make sure you get plenty of rest and solid meals
       before you leave, as you're going to need all the stamina you can
       muster. We'll have some more tips on things you'll want to bring,
       such as why you should pack a sweater and business cards; stay
       tuned.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   See also: Science Fiction Convention Survival Kit for Newbies
   <http://www.locksley.com/neofans/>
     _________________________________________________________________
   
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