Well, here we are three weeks out from the convention. and unless we get a bunch of people showing up to register at the door, we’re going to have a smaller convention than we did last year, so much so that I am going to ask the hotel to drop the larger of our two function spaces because it would be a lot of unused empty space.
The other order of business is programming. At this point the only programming items on the schedule are Opening Ceremonies, Friday Night Filking, Rand Simberg’s space panel, and the Unofficial Baen Not-A-Roadshow, hosted by our Guest of Honor. While the odds are pretty good that any panels on the schedule will (like last year) be more in the way of Useful Conversation Starters than actual structured panels, we still want to solicit some ideas so that just in case we do get a sudden rush of members at the door, we have something for them to do, aside from hanging around the consuite. So drop your ideas in the comments, on the Discord, or in the e-mail.
We’re also going to have a couple of merchandise items: T-shirts from last year and this year ($20), and a small number of “Wrongfans Having Wrongfun” buttons ($5). See me or Dan Minucci about these.
1 The resident artist could put on a demo. She is really good.
2 I’m pretty sure Mr. Butler could do a gaming track. There was a Kish game that went well at LCon.
3 I’ll stick my hand up and do a q and a about Vegas stuff later in the day. AKA not early in the morning. Former stagehand, could probably field some questions. You could probably chime in from the Tonopahan side.
PS, we’ll have more than one artist IIRC.
I don’t know if Caitlin will be with us this year. I know for sure DJ won’t be. The Vegas panel (or a general Nevada panel) sounds good.
Barring some unforeseen catastrophe, I will be registering at the door (I didn’t get a money order in the mail in time, and I don’t do PayPal). Room is reserved, and my travel plans are laid on.
“John the Cheerful Ex-Interrogator”
It’ll be good to see you again!
I’m sure either way, we’re going to have conversations about AI even though Caitlin proves we don’t need AI art because of her prodigious output.
Since our subtitle is Nuclear Bugaloo, we should have someone hold forth on the state of fission electric generation plants for those who would prefer reliable, clean electricity generation over attempting to smear paint on the Mona Lisa, ’cause he used oil paints I guess?
I’m waiting to hear from Rand Simberg as to whether he wants to talk about nukes as well as space; either way, we shall definitely talk about the subject! AI as well, though the early examples of it seem to be pretty dumb.
How about an aspiring authors panel. Both Mr. Manucci and myself are aspiring authors.