Minicon 32

We're one of the largest fan-run conventions in the U.S.; in 1996 we had over 3500 members.

Latest Information

2022: Volunteer t-shirt, front. Not sure if there's anything on the back. (Yes, we're still uncovering new shirts from Minicon 32 in 2022. Who knows how many there were?)

2021: Here are some volunteer badges.

2017–2019: There were (at least?) four t-shirt designs. Here's one (the back was blank): Here is a photo of the same which doesn't look as nice, but also doesn't cut off the edges.

And here's another (the back of this one is also blank):

And here's yet another (the back of this one is also blank):

And here's a fourth one (the back, is, you guessed, it, blank):

And here's a volunteer shirt (the back, as you might guess, is blank):

4-July-2011: We will be able to post the Masquerade video here in 2056 (or later), once 101 Dalmations goes out of copyright.

4-May-2011: Here's the program book (85MB), or a lower quality version (9MB). Or here are page images:

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6-Apr-97: As the postmortem reports become available, I'm posting them.

31-Mar-97: It's essentially over. For information on next year try here.

24-Feb-97: The March 2 open meeting will be held at the Sofitel.

11-Feb-97: New hotel information starting with the second paragraph. The hotels are full, but a waiting list is being maintained.

10-Feb-97: Minicon Monthly for August, September, and October added to the site. Qvark's page added.

When

Guests

• C.J. Cherryh

  Award-winning (and best-selling) SF and fantasy author.

• Tom Lopez

  SF Radio writer, proprietor of the ZBS Foundation. Perhaps you've heard of the adventures of Jack Flanders or Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe

• Tom Doherty

  President and Publisher of Tor Books

• Patrick Nielsen Hayden

  Senior Editor, Manager of SF at Tor Books, and long-time fan

• Teresa Nielsen Hayden

  Editor, Tor Books; Hugo-nominated writer; and long-time fan

• Algis Budrys, SF author. I found an unofficial homepage .

• Michael Swanwick, SF author. Here's an interview .

Reaching Us

Membership

As of 14-Feb-97, preregistration is over. All further registrations will be at the at-the-door rate of $60.

In addition to all the other reasons to pre-register, this year only one mailing is going to the entire mailing list (it went out in June). All subsequent mailings will go only to registered members of Minicon 32. (14-Feb-97: As it turns out, we changed our minds and sent a "winter progress report" to everybody.)

You cannot register online, but you can fill out a membership form online and then print it and mail it in with your payment.

If you want to stay in one of the hotels, plan to crash with a friend, because everything is full. Or see the hotel section below.

Attending Memberships

	until 10/31/96	until 2/14/97
Drinking	$25/$CAN 39	$30/$CAN 47
Non-Drinking	$25/$CAN 39	$30/$CAN 47
Child	$12/$CAN 19	$12/$CAN 19

Supporting Memberships

	Until 2/14/97
Supporting/Drinking	$12/$CAN 19
Supporting/Non-drinking	$12/$CAN 19

Supporting memberships can be converted to attending at-the-door for $20/$CAN 31.

Memberships will cost $60 at the door (US funds only). Pre-registration pays off big-time! (To us, the payoff is knowing in advance how many people are coming.)

Be sure to specify what type of membership you are purchasing, the name and address of the person it is for, and optionally the home phone, work phone, and email addresses (we mostly use these to resolve problems). Also, specify what name you want printed on your badge (maximum of 30 characters).

If you're an author, editor, dealer, artist, musician, teacher, or scientist and want to do things at Minicon in that capacity as well as as a fan, please let us know that. Minicon is volunteer run, and not everybody is sure to recognize every name in the field, even every big name.

Failure to specify a drinking classification will result on issuance of a non-drinking membership (and badge). Badge replacement at the convention will cost at least $5, including to change drinking classification. The drinking age in Minnesota is 21. Proof of age will be required.

There is a $20 fee for returned checks.

Hotel

All hotel reservations will be handled through the convention this year. You should write the address below and request the forms packet, and then submit the room reservation request form (or perhaps other forms, if you need a cabana or suite for an open party or something special like that).

The reservation process in place this year has so far worked very well. And, at this point in time (11-Feb-97), all three of the main hotels servicing Minicon are booked. Anyone who wishes to do may still send in a reservation request form, but its current function would be to have one's name added to a waiting list, if the event should occur that a room becomes available due to a last minute cancellation. There is an electronic version of the form available, and one can be sent to you by writing hotel@minicon32.mnstf.org and asking for one.

Hotel Reservation confirmations are still being sent from the three hotels. We anticipate that all confirmations will be out by Feb. 20th. If you have not yet recevied a confirmation, you may check on the status of your request by writing ishmael at pisces@winternet.com.

Finally, please note that the hotels will ask for your Minicon registration confirmation. This is done so that only registered guests of Minicon receive the Minicon hotel rate. Minicon confirmations will be going out within the next couple of weeks. If you arrive at the hotel without a convention confirmation you may register for the convention first, and then show your badge to the front desk.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to use our email address at this site.

Specific questions for the hotel department only can be directed to hotel@minicon32.mnstf.org.

The hotels we are using this year are the Radisson Hotel South (primary hotel), the Hotel Sofitel (closest overflow, easily walkable), and the Holiday Inn Airport #2 (just across a large freeway interchange, close but not really walkable). There will be a shuttle running 20 hours a day circulating among the three hotels.

Art Show

If you received the Minicon 31 art show letter, you will also receive this year's version. To specifically request an application for space in the art show, use this form.

The art show department may be reached on line at artshow@minicon32.mnstf.org

Qvark's

All the general meetings for Minicon are open to the public. Meetings are held on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 pm at the Radisson South hotel, unless it says otherwise below. The dates for all meetings have been set up to Minicon 32: July 14 (discussion on "programming content", vote on convention theme), August 11, September 8, October 6, November 3 (at the Sofitel), December 1, January 19 (1997), February 2, February 16, March 2 (at the Sofitel), March 16.

The general format of each meeting will include any new business that has come up and a brief recap from any departments with information relevant to the ConCom as a whole. The rest of the meeting will be dedicated to a discussion of a convention-related topics. Some of the upcoming topics include volunteers/hired help, hotel policy, allocation of scarce resources, local/special interest groups, garden court (uses and abuses), music at Minicon, new members and convention size, adult issues, sanity and stress, special guests, apprenticeships, and technology (what does Minicon need/want).

Minutes and/or transcripts of the meetings are available on the FTP site.

Minicon Monthly

Comments and suggestions for the newsletter may be submitted via the addresses below, or directly to updates@minicon32.mnstf.org.

The issues of Minicon Monthly are now available here on the web site.

Programming

Working on Minicon

Nearly all the work on Minicon is done by volunteers (we hire a very few people for very special positions, such as security guards who spend the night guarding the art show and the dealers' room).

We'd really appreciate it if you'd examine, fill out, and return the volunteer form included in the forms packet mailed out in June 1996. Or volunteer at the con. Or, if you see something that needs doing, just do it. It's possible to get involved before the con, too, see the section on public meetings.

A few departments have some information about what they're doing now, before the con, online. Some of this won't make any sense to people not already involved with that department; well, if it looks interesting, you can always write and ask.

Operations

Minicon is not providing professional child care this year. Minicon will provide space in the Radisson and some money for snacks and such to those wishing to organize shared or cooperative babysitting.

Reaching Us

US Mail

Voicemail

E-mail

There are specific email addresses for some departments listed in the departmental sections above.

E-mail autoresponder

Mailing List

The list is also available in a digest version, the administrative address is minicon-d-request@mnstf.org.

Web

The official Minicon 32 page is at http://www.mnstf.org/minicon32.