Convivial 4

Some folks will likely be at the convention hotel working in or near the Presidential Suite (Consuite) from around 5pm tonight ’til as late as 11pm or so. Matt & Kelly & Kevin & Laurel will likely be there for sure, with Dean & Laura and others expected at some point as well.

You’re welcome to stop by and help haul stuff into the hotel, help set up the consuite, and just hang out. Don’t expect a consuite yet, it’s more of a work party.

You’ll need a room key to a room on the 13th floor to get the elevator to take you to the 13th floor or you can call the Consuite from one of the hotel phones (it’s room 1321) and someone will meet you at the elevators with a key to let you upstairs.

Online registration for Convivial 4 will remain available through Wednesday; I’ll likely shut it down at midnight or so. After that, you’ll have to register at the door. If you register in advance, it will cost you $40; at the door memberships will run you $40 or $50 (if you’re feeling generous) or $20 for a single day membership.

To register online, head on over to the registration page.

A list of people who have registered is available online.

A note about Programming this year, including some info on things to bring if you’re coming to the con, from programming co-heads Laura Krentz & Dean Gahlon:

We have planned a variety of what we hope will be fun activities for Convivial 4. Please check the schedule on the website and get in touch with us if you have questions or want to volunteer to help out with things. We will also need some people to help set up items and move things around before some program items. You can volunteer to help in advance or at the con. Your help is greatly appreciated. This year we have a general theme of sampling/geeking out on various things.

For those available during the day on Friday, we have planned a Field Trip to the Minnesota Zoo. If you can join us, you might want to bring a camera and bag lunch. Check at your metro area library to see if you can get a free Museum Adventure Pass for two to the Zoo. If not, you will have to pay admission ($13 adults). Parking is $5, so you may want to carpool. Josh More will be our guide. We will meet at 10:30 a.m. inside the main building in front of the Japanese Snow Monkeys. If you will be coming late, ask Laura or another committee member for Josh’s cell phone number so you can find the group.

Attention artists and crafters! At 4 p.m.Friday we will have “Crafty Geek Playtime.” This is a craft materials exchange and a time to work on creative projects. Please bring yarn, fabric, trims, glitzy stuff, beads, etc. to share, exchange, or give away. We will provide some craft glue, glue guns, needles and thread, scissors, etc. for assembling stuff. You might want to bring good scissors and something to decorate. Or you can work on your current project. Also bring some things you’ve made that you’re especially proud of for “Look What I Made!” at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Friday at 7:30 p.m., join us on the “Geek Playground.” This is a time to play with geeky toys such as Knex, Legos, toy vehicles, DDR-type games, etc. Please bring some of your favorite geeky toys, too.

For the “Animation Festival and Pajama Party” Friday at 10:00 p.m. you are welcome to bring copies of short animated films on DVD (or on a flash drive) and wear your coolest pajamas.

Noon on Saturday is “Apple Tasting Time.” You are invited to bring samples of interesting varieties of apples. NO RED DELICIOUS ALLOWED! Contact Laura and Dean ahead of time if possible to say what you are bringing.

Again this year, we will have the Nature Walk in the MN Valley Wildlife Preserve. Bring camera, sunglasses, hiking shoes, walking stick, water bottle, sunscreen, etc. Meet in the hallway outside the Consuite on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday at 8 p.m. for “Show Me Yours,” you can bring new/cool technology/devices to show off and demonstrate if you want.

For the 11 p.m. Beer Tasting Saturday night, you are welcome to bring samples of your favorite beer to share.

If you have ideas of fun activities for next year’s Convivial, please talk to us at the con.

Convivial 4 Programming Committee,
Laura Krentz and Dean Gahlon

Convivial 4 (the 2009 Minn-StF Fallcon) will be held the weekend of October 16th – 18th, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Select in Bloomington, Minnesota. Same place as the last three years.

Matt & Kelly Strait are running the consuite this year. Dean Gahlon & Laura Krentz will be running programming again this year. Scott Raun and Carol Kennedy will be handling registration. Rick Gellman is doing some work with the hotel again this year. Laurel Krahn is the chair. Want to help out? Let us know.