Not a con report

[threemonkeys]

My friends page is starting to get flooded with Swancon reports, so I should report that I was at Conjunction over the weekend. As is my way, I'll throw random thoughts out there and see what sticks to the wall.

I didn't go to all that many scheduled programme items. Not putting the names of the people running the events on the programme does make it hard to figure out what they might be about, so I just didn't go to much. That meant a lot of chatting to people - catching up with old friends as you do on such occasions. So there were lots and lots of very nice conversations. Really, I think that was just what I needed this weekend.

I did do the welcome to your first con talk. Not a big audience, but I think it went down well. It certainly impressed the guy who attended the con to do a documentary. All the community of common interest stuff went down well. He interviewed me later. It will be interesting to see if any of that makes the final cut - my experience suggests that the camera is not my friend and that I will end up on the cutting room floor.

It wasn't the concom's fault that the hotel was just a few weeks short of being shut down prior to a change of ownership and revamp, but it still means that things were a bit of a struggle at times when many of the staff didn't seem to care all that much. Having a bar that wasn't open for much of the time at all was a bit of a drawback for a con.

Before the con, I had pretty much decided against going to the banquet but the prospect of trying to forage for food on Easter sunday night dismayed me and I went along and had a really great time. Perhaps the SJV awards straight after contributed - our table started to resemble a little forest of them as I was sitting with Russell Kirkpatrick & Lucy Sussex (who also accepted Paul Haines' one on his behalf as well as her own). Yes folks, you are reading an award winning blog - try not to let it go to your heads.

Lots of debate at the SFFANZ AGM about the awards. I'm glad though that I managed to get it pushed into a separate forum. I don't think a single meeting can really work through the issues properly. I managed to stay off the board again - for what I want to do this year, it is best if I continue to heckle from the sidelines.

I did eat a lot this weekend. Too many opportunities to feed. I'm keeping a wary eye out for Japanese boats equipped with harpoons.

I ended up scoring a lot of random stuff at the con. Usually that is because I buy it but I didn't actually buy all that much. I did win a raffle though. The concom did a nice job collecting goodies to sell at auction and give away as prizes.

There is a successful con bid for 2010 - Au Contraire. The announced plan is to have it just before the Worldcon so start thinking about your travel plans now to fit in a visit here on the way. I believe they are looking for an Australian guest too - applications in writing only please.

On the subject of conventions in successive weeks - Conscription in Auckland and Conjecture in Adelaide are on successive weekends in June next year. I'm planning to get to both if I can.

Went to the launch of seraphs_folly's book Deputy Dan & The Mysterious Midnight Marauder. It was a very nice event and the book itself is both charming and beautiful. Something which shouldn't surprise anybody really.

Comments

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Start planning now :-) The con in auckland is the first weekend of june (Queens Birthday here) and the following weekend is QB in Victoria.