How to have a SciFi Convention...by yourself v1.318

This blog was wholly inspired by the Tin-Dog Podcast ‘How to have your own Doctor Who Con’. We just decided to write it all down for ya, and expand it a bit, and run with it. I'm sure you can add to it a bit as well. If you have any suggestions..leave them in the comments..and I'll add them in later. This posting is subject to updating.

Anyways, do you miss the old days of going to Science Fiction conventions? Is there a big convention going on in another part of the country that you would like to go to, but can’t afford? Did you put in a bid for a convention or Science Fiction club event, and you didn't wain? Never fear, now you can enjoy the convention experience in your residence, and save a ton of cash. Here are the steps.

The Preparation

Like anything else prepartation is the key, the more work you do up front, the better off your con will run. If something isn't right you can just blame the organizers later. Anyway this is all up to you. You have to so all the setting up, buying the stuff for the bar..blah blah blah

1. Give your Con a name. Good names can be like of the following (just make sure there isn’t a con with that name):

• SoloCon
• SingularityCon
• It’s All about Me Con
• NotaCon
• UnoCon
• AloneCon
• ImaginaryCon
• SoleCon
• BinaryCon
• InvisiCon

** The next time you host the event, you can just stick a Roman numeral after the name.

2. Two weeks before the con tell your Social media friends you plan on attending the con, and hope to see some of them there. Don’t reply when they ask for information about the con. This way you can complain when you don’t see any of them at the con. More on this later. It would be interesting to know how may internet searches will be done looking for information on the con.

3. Make a list of the stars, writers, behind the scene folks  you want to attend your convention (living or dead). This is your convention you can do what you want. You can even include the guest of the con you can't make it to.  You can go on the internet find images of these characters to put on your flyer about the convention.  Print up 42 Flyers, with the date, and all the details about the guest(s), Q&A Sessions, dealer room, costume contest, cash bar, and  print SAME PLACE AS BEFORE, SAME CONTACT INFO AS BEFORE, SEE OUR WEB SITE.  Secretly, leave some of the flyers at places where no one would be interested in this sort of thing.

• Three days before con, send an E-MAIL to their fan clubs telling them how you’re a great fan of the actor, and how you look forward to seeing them t ( name of your Con). This is your kind-a-sort-a invitation. You really don't have to send the e-mail, but if you want to cause even more chaos, give it a go. If you have some of those cardboard stand-ups of these characters you can use these. If you can get your hands on some mannequin's or blow up dolls (no questions asked here), you can dress them up in various costumes and place them around the various rooms, just to add to the effect.

4. Stock the Bar – after all a lot of before, during and after con activity is spent in the bar. You may as well get stocked up on the things you know you like, and a few you don’t, or never tried. Just for the effect. If someone happens to drop by during your con, you can serve them the ones you don’t like. (Somebody has to drink them anyway) Don't forget the peanuts, this is extremely important...just in case a Vogon Constructor Fleet comes by to do some demolition of a Hyper-Space bypass. The neat thing about this, is that the drinks at your con will be much cheaper than the ones at the con, you didn't attend, and you'll actually have stuff you like. If you have plenty of the drinks you don't like after the con, save them for the next party you are invited to, and sneak them into the mix.

5. The Screening Room – One of the rooms in your house has to be the screening room. Pick a random DVD or whatever media you have or just leave the TV on the SCI-FI Channel if if you have it. If you have a recording with a Commentary track, turn this on, to mimic the comments that fans make during the movies anyway. For a more realistic effect pick an episode you don’t like and let that play...all weekend. 

6. Doing the Schedule – The heart of any convention is the schedule of events. You need to take time to plan your convention schedule and well as plan the logistics and utilization of the space in your residence for the various parts of the convention.

o Make of list of weird Panel topics- where would a good Con be without them.

       § Topics that you would never attend
                              - Spock vs The Gilligans Island Professor
                              - Godzilla or Dr Who.
                              - Toilets and the 8th Dimension
                              - Do Running Light work  at Warp 8.3
                              - Chick who dig Chicks who dig Time Lords
                              - Time from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint
                              - Why are most trek fans fat?
                              ..........etc
                   
       § Topics that you would attend
                               - Daleks vs the Borg
                               - Treknology 
                               - Building your own Tardis
                               - How to construct your own light saber
                               - Flying Cars..why don't we have flying cars
                                 ...etc

· Place these at the same time

o List a Panel where you are the guest speaker based on your expertise

§ Make a list of Fandom type questions to ask the expert – A mix of the very intelligent and very dumb.

§ You can even play various podcast or recording of interviews.

o Plan other fan events.
Get some recordings of interviews for one or three of the celebritieis that you've invited. You can can probably locate a podcast or find a few YouTube clips.

o Have a Charity of Auction

§ List something on E-Bay that you have and donate the proceeds to Charity ;E-bay gives you the option of donating up to 100% of the proceeds to a charity.

· It could be a dust ball that you think looks like William Shatner's Trek Hair.

· It could be the last Cheerios in your box

· It could an un-matched sock from your laundry

· If you are cleaning out your closet..sell that stuff

o You have got to have a Dealers Room

§ Put some of your collections in a in a room or on a table.. to be the dealers room

§ Make a list of the things you want to have and want to buy (you will need this later)

§ You can also have a computer set to e-bay to allow you to shop of items, if you actually want to buy something during the con.

o Print up the schedule and hi-lite the things you would like to do using different color, then take the schedule to your favorite sci-fi hang out, bookstore or library, and accidentally loose it there.

7. Set up a registration Desk…if you like

o Make a few name tags and VIP Tags for your invited guest, but do not make one for yourself. This will become important later.

8. Set up a time for your costume contest. (more on this later)

9. You can put up signs for events, and cross off panels that are canceled due to guest not showing, if you wish.

Attending the Con

It’s time to go have the convention experience, and let your friends know all about it. If you have a mobile phone with twitter, or a lap top, you are good to go. Send random tweets about what your doing, or not doing.

1. Go get in your car. Imagine the long drive to your con, tweet about not having FTL Drive or transporters, and the traffic standing still.

2. Get out of your car, and tweet that you have arrived. Tweet that the place looks ..inexpensive

3. Go to the registration deck and check in. Complain because they seem to have lost your registration, and you have a handwritten badge, and some free peanuts. Comment how none of the guest have arrived yet.

4. Check into your room, tweet how nice and homey the room is. You can even say how weird it is that it reminds you of home. Check out what is on TV, remake about the lack of good channels.

5. Complain that you lost your schedule, and they don’t seem to have anymore.

6. Complain about the poor poor organization and lack of convention staff. You can't find anyone who can answer your questions.

7. Every hour or so hang out in the hallway for 5 minutes with the hopes of catching one of the stars for a picture,  or inverview or trying to catch any of your friends who may have attended from the E-Space, the Continuum, or has the confused with Milliways. Complain that most of your friends went to the other con, or isn’t there. Complain that the stars may have taken another route just to avoid you.  If you have one of those cardboard stand up's of a sci-fi character, try to have a conversation with it, then complain that they ignored you. Look in the mirror and comment someone is wearing your costume..but that you look more authentic. Read a message on your phone.

8. Head to the Bar (Frig) and let your imagination go wild. Chat it up with Sue Richards, and tweet how she completely ignored you.

9. Go Check out the dealer room. Complain that they don’t seem to have the things you were looking for (on your list) or how you already have most of this stuff. You can check on E-Bay to see if they have it.

a. If you’ve taken out one prize possession to display – pick it up and hold it. You can even tweet about it.

10. Go hang in the hallway, and complain about one of the guest not showing up. You will repeat this all during the convention weekend.

11. Complain about the poor organization tweet “Couldn't organize a pissing contest in a brewery”

12. Head to the Bar again. then back to the corridor to see if you can catch up with anyone you know.

13. Drop by the Screening room, tweet how they selected the worst episode ever. Say you can find a staff member to see what else is showing. Several hours later you can complain that the same episode seems to be playing.

14. Go hang in the hall way, read something, looking for the next star. Stare at something, check the contents of your bag. Tweet some more. Say how you think you may have seen someone you may know out of the corner of your, but how they just seem to have just vanished in the dealer's room.

15. Head to the panel room or Interview room, and listen to a the podcast or YouTube interview of one of the stars you've invited. Alternatively you can run the commentary track on one of your DVDs.  Keep putting up your hand to ask a question. Tweet how they would not recognize you. The next panel session is the one where you are the speaker. Read your questions and think of smart ass answers. Tweet about the lack of intelligence in modern fandom.

16. Getting the Autograph.

a. You can shop on E-bay for the ones you want. See how many are under $20.00 (US), complain about high prices.

b. Complain on twitter that you missed the autograph queue because it was schedule for the same time as your panel. Then complain about whom ever did the schedule

17. More Bar Time, put some peanuts in your pocket...just in case.

18. Wait for the Costume contest, you can go get some dinner or something. Leave your name tag on.

19. Attend the Costume contest (you are the judge..you can also be a contestant)

a. Dress as your favorite earth character, nothing fancy or exotic

b. Go sit on the porch and judge the people going by for their costume.

c. Pick the cutest kid that went by, if there is a small child in the house, they win.

d. If you don’t see anyone, you win.

20. Call it a day, comeback tomorrow –mix it up a bit

21. Complain you missed the closing ceremony because you were checking out.

22. Tell your friends you had a great weekend and can’t wait until next year.

Again..if you have addition, comments, or suggestions... leave a comment.
Disclaimer: If you are married/joined/partnered..etc  you assume all risk