They get the damn airfare for free??? I didn't know that. I still want to know where ALL of that money is going. An estimate for Toronto is $300,000 dollars, and they give you 2 meals and 2 continental breakfast (want a muffin?)
I thought I told you about the airfare on that Sunday after that 'post-mortem' (which was really just a "tell me I'm wonderful so I can toss my hair and laugh" fest). Honestly - when you're hosting a convention for 1200 people and barely 50 are there at the post-mortem - and they're mostly volunteers, well... that's what you get.
And I forgot to mention the 'breakfast'. I must edit....
Besides the two 'Harry' and 'Draco' boys and their would-be comedy team disrupting things in the first five minutes, you know. And yes, I do have to specify these were boys.
The Harry was, apparently, the Famous Emerson. Which I didn't know until reading con reports, nor did I know that he was the kid I smirked at in the lift, thinking "gosh, they're so full of themselves at that age" (and also "I thought this would be fanfic writers and academics, not teenagers" but apparently he's 20).
The Apple Developer conference (next week, I'm going to be so dead) is pro-run (naturally), has a dealer room, allows fake names on badges (with no hassles, either), and manages to blend the meet-and-greet with the educational. Worldcon is volunteer run, but also manages to do all of the above (including being academic). The excuses I'm hearing from the Lumos people are no excuses at all.
Hmm... do you suppose the Apple Developer conference, presumably being run/ organized by the geekish sort with a familiarity with sci-fi cons, puts in a dealer room to make their attendees feel more at home? I sometimes think that's part of the reason for the HPEF's dealer's rooms. Of course, dealer's rooms make up a significant portion of a convention's budget (all those table fees). I mean no disrespect to the Apple people - I'm just wondering.
And yes, the HPEF people are swift to claim this is an academic conference about the BOOKS, damn it, not the movies! And yet they bothered to pay for a license to show the movies, but not one to host readings of the books. It's a thin line I'm not so sure they're walking successfully.
Well, it's not so much a place to buy things as a place for developers to show off their products. Closer in spirit to the art room at cons would be if the majority of congoers were also artists. I don't know how much they pay for it, but attendees pay $1500, though for most people it's paid by their companies. And of course having more educated developers helps Apple so they could run it at a loss if they had to (and there were some years when they probably did), which is a luxury cons don't have.
The thing that makes the geekish sort feel at home is the guys in the halls teaching juggling :)
:) Hmmmm... I guess I should be glad I didn't my "you're off the wait-list" until a week before. Did you know I was *still* getting those notices after it had started? While I was in Texas? Drinking Irish beer on the Riverwalk in San Antonio? Eh, you and Mr. Lovestruck should have joined me and Aseneth and the girl-child for a little fiesta.
At least the girl-child decided she does *not* want to go to school in Lub-butt-ock.
Am so glad you're back. Will let the dust settle before sending you the next installment. Tomorrow OK?
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And I forgot to mention the 'breakfast'. I must edit....
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The Harry was, apparently, the Famous Emerson. Which I didn't know until reading con reports, nor did I know that he was the kid I smirked at in the lift, thinking "gosh, they're so full of themselves at that age" (and also "I thought this would be fanfic writers and academics, not teenagers" but apparently he's 20).
The Apple Developer conference (next week, I'm going to be so dead) is pro-run (naturally), has a dealer room, allows fake names on badges (with no hassles, either), and manages to blend the meet-and-greet with the educational. Worldcon is volunteer run, but also manages to do all of the above (including being academic). The excuses I'm hearing from the Lumos people are no excuses at all.
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And yes, the HPEF people are swift to claim this is an academic conference about the BOOKS, damn it, not the movies! And yet they bothered to pay for a license to show the movies, but not one to host readings of the books. It's a thin line I'm not so sure they're walking successfully.
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The thing that makes the geekish sort feel at home is the guys in the halls teaching juggling :)
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At least the girl-child decided she does *not* want to go to school in Lub-butt-ock.
Am so glad you're back. Will let the dust settle before sending you the next installment. Tomorrow OK?
Take care...
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Of course - send the next bit when you're ready. (Did you really think she'd want to be in Lubbock for 4 years?)
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