All posts by commsadmin

WisCon 42

Get Into the Guts of Convention Planning on Our Hotel Team

1 Comment

Have you ever thought about how crucial WisCon’s Hotel team is to the convention? Maybe you haven’t. Maybe you don’t know what the Hotel Department is or what they do. Would you like to learn? It just so happens we’re looking for a few understudies!

You might have already guessed that they interact with our hotel—it’s right there in the name. The Hotel team keeps in touch with the Madison Concourse Hotel, our venue, throughout the year (and not just because they get to be friends during the convention, though that’s true, too).

Details? The members of our Hotel team get the updates on remodeling and other changes happening at the Concourse, keep tabs on reservations in WisCon’s room block, and double-check that our programming will fit into the available space. They confirm which rooms will hold the Safer Spaces, the Quiet Space, the parties, papers, panels, and workshops, and sort out which rooms need what audio/visual equipment when. They work closely with the Concourse to put together the diagrams of how each program room will be set up, when those setups need to change, and whether or not we need to rent more chairs, tables, or microphones. They tell the hotel when to expect our deliveries, meet our moving truck, and make sure that everyone involved—volunteers, convention members, contractors, and hotel staff—is able to have a great time throughout Memorial Day weekend.

How crucial is the Hotel team? Without them we wouldn’t have rooms to sleep in during the convention. Or anywhere to have panels. And no one would be able to hear the panelists, since they wouldn’t have microphones. Or chairs. Or tables. And we couldn’t all chill in the Con Suite because all of our kitchen equipment would still be in storage.

Want to be part of making all of these practical details happen? We’re currently looking for at least two additional Hotel team members, no prior experience needed. We will teach you all of the mysteries of who gets a “lanyard of power,” what our contracts say, how to read BEOs, and, incidentally, what BEO stands for.

Members of the Hotel team do not need to be local to Madison, since we work via email, chatrooms, shared documents, and conference calls. Folks on the team are automatically eligible to opt for a WisCon membership rebate of 40% of your registration fee, meaning that if you register for WisCon as an adult, you can opt to receive $22 of your $55 membership back after the con ends.
To apply to join the Hotel team, please email personnel@sf3.org.

WisCon 42

Beef Up Your Resume: Join Fundraising!

Leave a comment

SF3’s Fundraising Committee is looking for new members, and we want to train you! We’ve only been around for a few years, and this is the first time we’ve felt ready to expand and welcome new team members. The Fundraising Committee raises money for SF3’s projects — right now, that just means that we raise the money that keeps WisCon both affordable and amazing. We do that by appealing to our community for donations, by approaching businesses that might be willing to sponsor parts of the convention or to shoulder some of the costs of parts of the convention, and by applying for grants that could cover specific elements of our programs.

Right now we’re doing that as a team of three people, and we’d like to bring at least two more folks onto the team. Our current team includes an experienced nonprofit development professional who is interested in training people who are completely new to fundraising but would like to learn, as well as folks who would like to contribute their own expertise.

The two roles we’d like to fill can both be filled by beginners, offer completely flexible hours, and can accommodate irregular availability; both also require willingness to communicate proactively with the rest of the team and to make certain that a small number of tasks are done every month by a set deadline. If you are interested in building your resume, changing careers, or translating volunteer work into paid work at another nonprofit in the future, we can help you with that! Available roles include:

  • Grant Writer. If you enjoy making clear, compelling arguments and presenting evidence in text, this one’s for you! To take this one on, if you don’t have some experience, then we ask that you be willing to do a certain amount of self-guided training, mainly by reading up on a few “how to” books at your local public library. You’ll learn about WisCon & other SF3 projects, collaborate with the whole Fundraising team to identify grant-fundable programs and to research potential grants, and then you will coordinate the tasks of writing and submitting those grants. You shouldn’t need to do all of the writing or any other part of a given grant if you don’t want to, but you will be our expert, and will direct grant application efforts. The entire team will be expected to contribute work under the grant writer’s direction, so that no one on the team will be crushed by deadlines or have to shoulder any other stress. We think this role will take a maximum of 10 hours in any given month, and that it should average out to around 3 hours a month over the course of the year.
  • Fundraising Generalist. Absolute beginners are very welcome in this role. You’ll learn about nonprofit fundraising best practices including responsibilities to donors, to the community, and to the organization. You’ll participate in planning and carrying out fundraising appeals, collaborate on designing and pursuing sponsorships, help to create donation records, reports, and donor recognition procedures. You’ll also help us to make sure that we thank every donor so they know how crucial they are to WisCon’s success. This role will have lots of support and guidance if you’d like to learn, but can also accommodate a volunteer who is already familiar with fundraising or is just looking for regular set tasks and low-stress conversational planning. We think this role will take a maximum of 5 hours in a busy month, and it should average out to around 1.5 hours a month over the course of the year.

Members of the Fundraising Committee do not need to be local to Madison, since we work via email, chatrooms, shared documents, and conference calls. Folks on the team are automatically eligible to opt for a WisCon membership rebate of 40% of your registration fee, meaning that if you register for WisCon as an adult, you can opt to receive $22 of your $55 membership back after the con ends.

To apply to join the Fundraising Committee, please email personnel@sf3.org.

WisCon 42

Help Create WisCon 52!

Leave a comment

Yes, you read it right. This year’s WisCon *will* be 42, but we plan to be just as vibrant and challenging a space for ideas, inquiry, and justice long into the future. We’re laying the groundwork for that now, with our youngest members―and we need your help.

We’re looking for creative and enthusiastic folks to join our Kids’ Programming team and help nurture the next generation of feminist SFF fans. Tailored to WisCon members 6-12 years old, Kids’ Programming has a long history and excellent reputation. In the past, it’s included hands-on science, book discussions, crafting workshops, collaborative art and storytelling, games, swimming, and talks with artists and authors. It’s kind of like a day camp in 3 hour chunks…which isn’t actually that different from the grownup version of WisCon. The biggest difference is that the timescale of planning programs for the convention doesn’t work well for the under-twelve set, and that’s where you come in.

Our Kids’ Program team will be made up of at least three adults who will be part of our Convention Committee (ConCom). In the coming months, the team will plan out a series of highly varied short programs to fill around 16 hours of time, and will talk with likely authors, artists, crafters, and creators from among WisCon’s membership who can lead, share, demonstrate, or teach the things they are passionate about to young convention members. Kids’ Programming is drop-in, just like most of the grownup programs at WisCon, but offers adult supervision and requires that attendees are signed in and out by a parent or responsible adult. Because of that, members of the Kids’ Program team will be expected to be present during programming for 4-6 hours of the convention, all between 8:30am and 5pm, and never overlapping with lunch breaks.

This role is the perfect experience if you’re thinking of a future as a teacher, a librarian, a parent, an event planner, a counselor (camp, crisis, or other)… You don’t have to be a parent, you just have to enjoy making plans that will allow kids to have a good time. And you should probably be over 18. A larger team will make the work low stress and low time commitment, with an emphasis on discussing ideas and having conversations with people interested in making those ideas reality.

Members of the Kids’ Programming team do not need to be local to Madison, since we work via email, chatrooms, shared documents, and conference calls. Folks on the team are automatically eligible to opt for a WisCon membership rebate of 40% of your registration fee, meaning that if you register for WisCon as an adult, you can opt to receive $22 of your $55 membership back after the con ends.

To apply to join Kids’ Programming, please email personnel@sf3.org.

Momentary Taste of WisCon Newsletter, WisCon 42

WisCon 41 at-con newsletter — A Momentary Taste of WisCon, Monday edition

Leave a comment

Last day of the con, last newsletter of the con.  ?????

Please don’t forget to turn in your plastic badge holder at the Registration desk.  While you’re there grab one of our Souvenir Books!  Enjoy a day of relaxing in Madison if you’re staying today, and safe travels if you’re leaving.

We all had a great time this weekend, and we can’t wait to see you again in a year.  Hope you can join us!

WisCon 42 — May 25-28, 2018

We are overjoyed to announce that our Guests of Honor for WisCon 42 are Saladin Ahmed and Tananarive Due!  Want to join us?  Memberships and hotel reservations are open!

Saladin Ahmed
Saladin Ahmed (Photo by Al Bogdan).

Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due.

Keep in touch after WisCon

We’ll miss you, too!!!  Please keep in touch!  Sign up for our email newsletter (eCube), or follow us on social media.

Registration / Lost & Found

Have one last question?  Want to register for WisCon 42?  Lost something over the weekend and hope someone turned it in?  The Registration desk is open until 1:30pm.

LAST CALL!

You still have a few more hours to visit the Art Show, Dealers’ Room, and the Con Suite.  And get your drabbles in to the Drabble Challenge!

  • Art Show:  10am – 12pm
  • Dealers’ Room:  10am – 2pm
  • Con Suite:  Closes at 1pm
  • Drabble Challenge:  Closes at 4pm

Today’s big events

SignOut

  • 11:30am – 12:45pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

Come to the SignOut, a signing party and WisCon farewell rolled into one! Writers and those who love them will gather together to sign and get signatures, to thank and praise and schmooze one last time before we fly away for another year.

Authors at the SignOut this year are:  Becky Allen, Charlie Jane Anders, Paul Dale Anderson, Eleanor A. Arnason, Robyn Bennis, Lee Blauersouth, Ty Blauersouth, K. Tempest Bradford, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Moondancer Drake, Timmi Duchamp, Amal El-Mohtar, Ruthanna Emrys, Alexandra Erin, Michael Thomas Ford, Andrea D. Hairston, Naomi Kritzer, David D. Levine, Nancy Jane Moore, Sunny Moraine, Pat Murphy, Anne M. Pillsworth, Beth Plutchak, Kiini Ibura Salaam, Cath Schaff-Stump , Nisi Shawl, Jan Suzukawa, Sheree Renée Thomas, Amy Thomson, Nancy Vedder-Shults, Cynthia Ward

Fond Farewell Party

  • 8pm – 12am
  • Room 629

If you’re still here on Monday night, come join others who are still here for a Fond Farewell party. We’ll have munchies, beverages, and good conversation. It’s the last party for WisCon 2017! It’ll begin at 8 PM and run until the last fan falls over.

Volunteer needs

Monday

SignOut:  Still needs volunteers to help with set-up and during the event.  Contact volunteers@wiscon.net.

Art Show:  Desperately needs help packing up the art of the 8 artists who mailed their work into the show.  Also needs help for breaking down displays during tear-down. Stop by the show in Senate (1st floor) to sign up.

Tear-down:  MANY departments will need help to tear down after the convention.  Stop by the volunteer board (2nd floor, next to Registration desk) to see where you can help!

More details on volunteering in the section at the bottom, or email volunteers@wiscon.net.

The once & future WisCon

How can WisCon improve?  What programming would you like to see next year?  Who would make a great Guest of Honor for WisCon 43?  Please check out this blog post and help us continue to build a great WisCon.

Need to contact Safety?

Reminder:  Our Code of Conduct

  • email:  safety@wiscon.net
  • phone:  608-957-7233 (957-SAFE)
  • reporting form: wiscon.net/report

Or look for one of our on-call Safety volunteers. They’re wearing bright yellow/green high-visibility vests.

Official Announcements, WisCon 42

Announcing our WisCon 42 Guests of Honor — Saladin Ahmed & Tananarive Due

Leave a comment

We are overjoyed to introduce our Guests of Honor for WisCon 42!

Saladin Ahmed

Saladin Ahmed
Saladin Ahmed (Photo by Al Bogdan).

Saladin Ahmed was born in Detroit. His novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon, was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards, and won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. His poetry and short fiction have been widely anthologized, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and Salon. He is currently writing “Black Bolt” for Marvel Comics.

Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due.

Tananarive Due is a screenwriter and an award-winning novelist who teaches Afrofuturism at UCLA. She also teaches creative writing in the MFA program at Antioch University Los Angeles and for Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA). She was the former Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Spelman College. Due, an  American Book Award winner and NAACP Image Award recipient, is the author of twelve novels and a civil rights memoir. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus and has been named to the Grio100 and Ebony Power 100. Her short story collection, Ghost Summer, won a British Fantasy Award and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. In 2013, Due and her husband/collaborator Steven Barnes co-wrote a short film, “Danger Word”, based on their YA zombie novel Devil’s Wake, which they co-produced with director Luchina Fisher. Starring Frankie Faison (“The Wire,” “The Silence of the Lambs”) and Saoirse Scott, “Danger Word” was nominated for Best Narrative Short at the BronzeLens and Pan African film festivals.

Momentary Taste of WisCon Newsletter, WisCon 41

WisCon 41 at-con newsletter — A Momentary Taste of WisCon, Sunday edition

Leave a comment

It’s Sunday!  Which means the Dessert Salon and Guest of Honor speeches are tonight — CAN’T WAIT!!

Sunday’s also a great time to slow down for a minute, catch your breath, and make sure you’ve eaten recently.  And, oh, hey, have you taken your meds?  I almost missed mine this morning until a friend reminded me.

By the 3rd day of the convention we also have a fairly HUGE newsletter for you, so find a comfy chair and put your feet up for this one!

Amal El-Mohtar — Schedule changes

Amal will be doing her honey-tasting at 1–2:29pm today in room 627.

Unfortunately, she’s had to withdraw from her other appearances today in order to rest her voice for the Guest of Honor speeches tonight.

Register now for WisCon 42!

Start planning your 2018 trip to WisCon now — memberships and hotel reservations are available today!!  WisCon 42 will take place Memorial Day weekend — May 25-28.  Full details on membership costs and next year’s room rates are in this blog post.  Adult memberships for WisCon 42 reflect a small price increase to $55 (all other memberships remain the same).

Toilets for all

We’ve had some questions about our arrangements for all-gender toilet — because it really seems like WisCon should just have all-gender toilets everywhere, right?  We agree!  But unfortunately, that’s not possible for the time being.  At this time the hotel cannot accommodate this need; the issue remains open. In the meantime, WisCon wishes to be very clear that we support all people’s right to use the restroom they consider appropriate.

We have all-gender toilets in two locations:

  • In Conference 1, on the 2nd Floor  (Yes, this is an awkward location.)
  • On the 6th Floor, between rooms 627 and 629

And, of course, all women are welcome to use the women’s restrooms.  All men are welcome in the men’s restrooms.

Questioning anyone’s right to use a restroom based upon a perceived mismatch between their gender and who a restroom is “for” is a violation of WisCon’s Code of Conduct.  If you feel unsafe or harassed, our Safety Team is here to assist you.

  • email:  safety@wiscon.net
  • phone:  608-957-7233 (957-SAFE)
  • reporting form: wiscon.net/report

Or look for one of our on-call Safety volunteers. They’re wearing bright yellow/green high-visibility vests.

Magic the Gathering tournament

  • Sunday, 4-5:15pm
  • Room 606

Formerly the Teen Programming Magic the Gathering tournament, the tournament is now open to all WisCon attendees.  THERE WILL BE PRIZES.  Tap your mana, shoot with your dragon — BOOM! — victory.

Film project; Researcher

At WisCon this year we have two folks working on projects who have asked for our help connecting with people.

Clara Pacotte — Film project

You may see Clara filming during WisCon.  She’s familiar with and has agreed to our photo policy; if you need to ask her to stop filming you, of  course do so.

Here’s what Clara has to say about her project:

The project is a splitted interactive “movie”. It is composed of four videos parts and textual, audio and visual documentation.
In each short documentary that will constitute the movie’s poles, I will explore one of the following themes:

  • Genre and sexuality in science fiction : interviews of guest writers about genre questionning in sci-fi, social alternatives and women’ status
  • Testimonies for the future : members of the Wiscon tell how they imagine women in 2070
  • From the 70s to the present day : the link between Wiscon’s original history and its current situation, focus on Wiscon as a community as well as a concentration of ideas
  • Fictionalized Madison : this part present several sequence-shots of Madison from different transportation means, mute and surrounded by voice recordings of Wiscon members telling their favourite part of their favourite science fiction story.

I need your participation to make this project exist. To be interviewed or give an audio or textual testimony, you can contact me at clarapacotte@gmail.com (in french, english or spanish). This way, we can already get in touch as I begin to plan the filming.

I’m available for any question and will be glad to give you more details if you send me an email.

Joey DiZoglio — Researcher

Joey DiZoglio is a student from Brown University’s Medical School researching women and non-binary health care providers who write speculative fiction. He will be in attendance at WisCon. If you identify as this kind of author or want to meet him or suggest authors you read or know then contact him at joseph_dizoglio@brown.edu or on Twitter @JoeyDiZoglio.

Workshops — Clarification on how to join them

We’ve caused some confusion about how our Workshops operate, and we are deeply sorry about it. To clarify:

The WisCon Workshops are sign-up in advance. This was not made clear in the program; we apologize for the oversight. Many of the WisCon Workshops are full and unfortunately cannot take drop-ins. Some can! Email workshop@wiscon.net to ask! This was something we missed when Workshops expanded from Friday-morning-only format. Again, our apologies! We are already fixing it for WisCon 42.

Volunteer needs

Sunday

Safety:  Needs volunteers for shifts throughout the convention.  Training provided!  Contact safety@wiscon.net.

Con Suite:  Openings today until 8pm.  Stop by and ask the person with the orange apron for shift openings.  Everyone visits the Con Suite at some point — this is a great way to see people you may miss otherwise!

Art Show:  Needs a volunteer for the 5-6pm shift today.  Stop by the show in Senate (1st floor) to sign up.

Monday

SignOut:  Still needs volunteers to help with set-up and during the event.  Contact volunteers@wiscon.net.

Art Show:  Desperately needs help packing up the art of the 8 artists who mailed their work into the show.  Also needs help for breaking down displays during tear-down. Stop by the show in Senate (1st floor) to sign up.

Tear-down:  MANY departments will need help to tear down after the convention.  Stop by the volunteer board (2nd floor, next to Registration desk) to see where you can help!

More details on volunteering in the section at the bottom, or email volunteers@wiscon.net.

Lost & found

The Registration desk (2nd floor) has the following items in Lost & Found:

  • orange bag with white paint on the side
  • jumbo Hefty™ zipper bag containing a lot of brown fabric (sweater? shawl?)
  • black zipper hoodie with roller derby team logo
  • gray T with long navy sleeves
  • black sweater
  • stripey-grey Mossimo hoodie
  • red composition book
  • ball of multicolored yarn in the blue-purple range, with attached crochet project
  • ball of multicolored (rainbow) string
  • small dolphin pendant
  • two magnetic “pin” backs

If you’ve lost any of these items, please come and retrieve them from Registration.

We also found a con badge.  Ask at the hotel front desk.

Today’s big events

Dessert Salon

  • 7:30-8:30pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

What’s a little decadent, a little laid back, and full of great conversation? Our Dessert Salon! Every year, right before the Guest of Honor speeches, WisCon members (who have purchased a salon ticket) enjoy delights crafted by the Concourse’s pastry chef, up to two desserts per ticket-holder.  You can peruse the selection of desserts to find one that suits your particular dietary needs on this blog post.

Guest of Honor Speeches
& Tiptree Ceremony

  • 8:30-9:45pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

The Guest of Honor event is the high point of the WisCon weekend.  This is when we celebrate and honor our guests, and our guests honor us with a speech, a song, or whatever they wish.  At the end of the evening, we’ll announce our Guests of Honor for WisCon 42.

Gaming

Open Gaming Space will be open 8pm – 12am in the second floor lobby in front of the Dealers’ Room doors. We will teach and play a variety of modern games open to casual drop-in players. Most games will be suitable in theme and content for players of a variety of ages from children on up. New players are welcome and encouraged to join us! This year, we are excited to share new additions of Braille-marked accessibility kits to our collection, for the popular Pandemic and 7 Wonders board games, as well as a Braille RPG dice set that can be loaned out for scheduled (or impromptu) role-playing games.  We welcome you to bring games to share with fellow attendees, or to choose a game from our collection to play.

Today’s Open Writing Salon

  • Sunday, 8-10pm — With drive-by drabbling!

Looking for a quiet place to get some words on the page? Join us every morning and evening from Friday night to Sunday night for an opportunity to share space with other writers. The full weekend schedule is in this blog post.

Weekend drabble  challenge!

For the WisCon FanFic Drabble Challenge, we’ll be accepting works that are 100-250 words long, from any fandom. These will be collected and included in a collection on the Archive of Our Own. The challenge is open from Saturday at 12pm through close of con on Monday at 4pm.  This post has all the details!

Today’s Con Suite menus

This blog post has the full list of menus for the weekend.

Sunday dinner (3-5pm)

  • Ian’s Pizza

CART / live-captioning service available

WisCon is proud to offer live-captioning services — available all weekend long, at request, for (almost) any panel.  We always offer the service for Opening Ceremonies, the Tiptree Auction, and the Sunday night Guest of Honor Speeches.  But would you like to have CART for a panel you’re going to attend?  Our CART providers will be hanging out in the Green Room (2nd floor) all weekend long.  Check with a Green Room volunteer to see if the CART provider is available.  Or you can email access@wiscon.net!  Want to follow our CART captioning on your own device?  The URL is: bit.ly/wiscontext

Location typo in the Pocket Program Book

Our printed Pocket Program Book has a typo for the location of the Safer Space for People with Disabilities.  It’s in room 625.

The once & future WisCon

How can WisCon improve?  What programming would you like to see next year?  Who would make a great Guest of Honor for WisCon 43?  Please check out this blog post and help us continue to build a great WisCon.

 Got an hour or two to volunteer? #WisConGiveBack

What makes WisCon go are the volunteers. Have a free hour or two? Would you like to help out and earn a rebate on your membership?  If you’re up for volunteering, please email us!  volunteers@wiscon.net

  1. Current urgent needs are posted on a white board next to the Registration desk on the 2nd floor.
  2. We always have a strong need for folks who can help out in the Con Suite.
  3. We also have a regular need for volunteers at Registration Desk and the Art Show desk.
  4. Other specific needs are added as needed to the blog’s volunteers tag.

Need to contact Safety?

Reminder:  Our Code of Conduct

  • email:  safety@wiscon.net
  • phone:  608-957-7233 (957-SAFE)
  • reporting form: wiscon.net/report

Or look for one of our on-call Safety volunteers. They’re wearing bright yellow/green high-visibility vests.

WisCon social media

WisCon 42

Open now — memberships & hotel rooms for WisCon 42

Leave a comment

Believe it or not, it’s time to start planning for WisCon 42!  As always, WisCon will happen over the U.S.’s Memorial Day weekend — May 25-28.  And we’ll again be at the beautiful Concourse Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin.

WisCon 42 Registration

Memberships are now available for WisCon 42!  The news this year is that after holding off raising our membership rate for as long as we could, for 2017 we’re increasing the cost of our adult membership to $55.  All other membership prices remain the same.

How to register

  • Online:  Log into (or create!  it’s free!) your WisCon account at account.wiscon.net.  You can pay immediately via PayPal, or you can choose to mail a check or to pay at the convention.
  • In person:  Stop by our Registration desk (2nd floor) and register in person.

Membership prices

  • Adult (18+): $55
  • Teen (ages 13-17): $20
  • Youth (ages 7-12): $20
  • Former WisCon Guests of Honor: Free
  • Child Care (age 0-6) $1 per child. We need to know in advance how many children to expect, so if you plan to use WisCon’s childcare at all, you should register for it ahead of time! Please fill in the age of each child to be enrolled in childcare. Please read the childcare information page for full details.

The Dessert Salon

You can also purchase tickets to our Sunday night Dessert Salon through our registration system or in person at the Registration desk.

Our Dessert Salon is our fancy-ish Sunday night event, happening right before the Guest of Honor Speeches.  There are decadent desserts created for us by the Concourse’s pastry chef and lots of conversation with all the friends you met during the weekend.

Because the Dessert Salon is intended to be a fancy-ish event the price reflects that.  Money that we bring in from the salon not only covers the cost of the event but goes to support WisCon in many ways, including such things as our accessibility and affordability initiatives.

However!  We also want everyone who wants to join us have the chance, and so Dessert Salon tickets are available on a sliding scale!

Our recommended cost is $25 per ticket.  This is a little more than the base cost of the event to WisCon.

The sliding scale is $15-$50 — accommodating those who have a tight budget and those who may have some extra cash on hand and would like to support the salon and WisCon.

Concourse Hotel Reservations

Reservations at the Concourse Hotel open at 9am on Sunday.  There are 3 ways to make your reservation this weekend:

  1. At the Concourse front desk.  At 9am on Sunday there will be a reservation agent at the desk to assist you.
  2. Online using the Concourse’s reservation system.
  3. Calling the Concourse: 1-800-356-8293

The cutoff date to reserve a room in our discounted room block is April 26 (end of day — 11:59pm).

Concourse level

  • $117/single
  • $127/double
  • $137/triple
  • $147/quad

Governor’s Club

  • $199/single
  • $209/double
  • $219/triple
  • $229/quad
WisCon 41

Dessert Salon selection at WisCon 41

Leave a comment

Dessert Salon

The Concourse pastry chef has once again put together a delicious array of desserts that suit a variety of dietary needs for our Dessert Salon!

Key to labeling

  • GF = Gluten-free
  • N = Contains Nuts
  • V = Vegan
  • * = Contains gelatin

The WisCon 41 Dessert Salon Desserts

Chocolate Caramel Pots De Crème

  • GF

French Macaroons

  • N

Chocolate Decadence Cake with Whipped Caramel

  • GF

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (2 per plate)

  • GF

Coconut Budino with Fresh Coconut

  • GF

Espresso Chocolate Mousse

  • GF
  • *

Fresh Fruit Cups with Strawberries, Blueberries, Pineapple, and Melon

  • V
  • GF

Key Lime Bar

Grasshopper Cheesecake

Lemon raspberry Layer Cake

Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts

  • GF
  • N

Mini Eclairs with Chocolate Pastry Cream

Petite Chocolate Cannoli (2 per plate)

  • N

Strawberry Petit Fours

Tiramisu Verrines

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

  • GF
  • *

Vanilla Poundcake with Fresh Berries

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing

  • V

Vegan Banana Cake

  • V

Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond Bar

  • V
  • GF
  • N
Momentary Taste of WisCon Newsletter, WisCon 41

WisCon 41 at-con newsletter — A Momentary Taste of WisCon, Saturday edition

1 Comment

HOW IS IT SATURDAY ALREADY???  But don’t worry, WisCon’s not even half over yet.  Today we have the Bake Sale, a Magic the Gathering Tournament, and the Tiptree Auction.  Plus, y’know, tons of panels and readings and parties and … and … and ….

Don’t forget we have a Quiet Place if you need a break!

And if you need a snack, please stop by the Con Suite!  It’s for anyone who needs it — whether to make your con more affordable or because your blood sugar is dropping or just because you’re getting hangry between panels!

Saturday’s top volunteer needs

  • Con Suite needs a ServSafe certified volunteer 3-4pm today.  Stop by the Con Suite (room 638).
  • Art Show has hour-long shifts available all afternoon.  Stop by the Senate rooms on the 1st floor.
  • The Bake Sale needs help with sales.  Stop room 627.

More details on volunteering in the section at the bottom, or email volunteers@wiscon.net.

CART / live-captioning service available

WisCon is proud to offer live-captioning services — available all weekend long, at request, for (almost) any panel.  We always offer the service for Opening Ceremonies, the Tiptree Auction, and the Sunday night Guest of Honor Speeches.  But would you like to have CART for a panel you’re going to attend?  Our CART providers will be hanging out in the Green Room (2nd floor) all weekend long.  Check with a Green Room volunteer to see if the CART provider is available.  Or you can email access@wiscon.net!

Moderator needed

We’re looking for a moderator for the “My Voices, Your Voices, #ownvoices” panel on Sunday at 10am.  Unfortunately, the scheduled moderator wasn’t able to make it to WisCon this year.  If you can step in, please contact the Green Room on the 2nd floor!

How do I join the WisCon organizing committee, and what even IS that???

  • 4pm Saturday
  • Room 605

WisCon is run entirely by volunteers, but who are these attractive people and what the heck do they do?  Please join us for some spontaneous programming where we’ll demystify these and other questions!

Location typo in the Pocket Program Book

Our printed Pocket Program Book has a typo for the location of the Safer Space for People with Disabilities.  It’s in room 625.

Swimming!

There will be a teen-and-up Open Swim with a lifeguards on duty both Saturday and Sunday 2:30-3:45pm.  Join us on the 3rd floor!

Posting your posters

Have a reading or party at WisCon that you want to advertise?  Want to get the word out about some Spontaneous Programming you’ve planned?  You can make a poster to hang around the convention space.  Flyers in the stairwells can be posted NOW (previously some folks had been told they had to wait until Sunday — we apologize for the confusing information).  You can also post your flyers and posters on the 2nd and 6th floors around the elevators but not IN them. Signs on the 1st floor can ONLY be posted on the bulletin board — except for things officially from WisCon Access.

Browsing & shopping

Today’s a great day to take a stroll through our Art Show and Dealers’ Room.  And don’t forget to cast your vote in the Art Show awards by 6pm tonight!

  • Art Show hours:  9:30am – 6pm
  • Dealers’ Room hours:  10am – 6pm

Today’s big events

Bake Sale for Tiptree

  • 11:15am – 5:15pm
  • Room 627

Every year, WisCon hosts a bake sale to support and raise money for the Tiptree Award.  A wide variety of cookies, breads, cakes, pies and delectables are baked and donated by Tiptree supporters.

Tiptree Auction

  • 7:30-9:15pm or so
  • Capitol/Wisconsin

Do feminists have a sense of humor? Come to the Tiptree Auction and find out! You might come away with a first edition signed by LeGuin, a glow-in-the-dark squid, a statue of Space Babe, or a book from Alice Sheldon’s library. It’s never the same show twice, and whatever happens, there are always lots of laughs, all for a good cause. Every bit of the money you spend is donated to the James Tiptree, Jr., Award.

Gaming

Want to sign up for tonight’s games?  Email gaming@wiscon.net.  For full descriptions of the games, check out this blog post.

Fizzbin

  • Card Game
  • Saturday, 10pm-12am

The Last Seder

  • LARP
  • Saturday, 8pm-12am
  • Room 629

We are sad to announce that Saturday’s “Dr. Seuss” board game has been cancelled.  🙁

Today’s Open Writing Salon

  • Saturday, 8-10pm — With drive-by drabbling!

Looking for a quiet place to get some words on the page? Join us every morning and evening from Friday night to Sunday night for an opportunity to share space with other writers. The full weekend schedule is in this blog post.

Weekend drabble  challenge!

For the WisCon FanFic Drabble Challenge, we’ll be accepting works that are 100-250 words long, from any fandom. These will be collected and included in a collection on the Archive of Our Own. The challenge is open from Saturday at 12pm through close of con on Monday at 4pm.  This post has all the details!

The once & future WisCon

How can WisCon improve?  What programming would you like to see next year?  Who would make a great Guest of Honor for WisCon 43?  Please check out this blog post and help us continue to build a great WisCon.

Today’s Con Suite menus

This blog post has the full list of menus for the weekend.

Saturday lunch (11:30am-1:30pm)

  • Potato salad (vegetarian, GF)
  • Three bean salad (vegan & GF)
  • Carrot slaw (vegan & GF)
  • Jerk tofu (vegan, GF)
  • Sandwich platters
  • Sandwich bread (including GF bread)
  • Cheese slices
  • Sunbutter (nut free)
  • Peanut butter
  • Jams & jellies

Saturday dinner (5:30-7:30pm)

  • Chili night (beef & vegan)
  • Maple roasted vegetables (vegan & GF)
  • Rice

Got an hour or two to volunteer? #WisConGiveBack

What makes WisCon go are the volunteers. Have a free hour or two? Would you like to help out and earn a rebate on your membership?  If you’re up for volunteering, please email us!  volunteers@wiscon.net

  1. Current urgent needs are posted on a white board next to the Registration desk on the 2nd floor.
  2. We always have a strong need for folks who can help out in the Con Suite.
  3. We also have a regular need for volunteers at Registration Desk and the Art Show desk.
  4. Other specific needs are added as needed to the blog’s volunteers tag.

Need to contact Safety?

Reminder:  Our Code of Conduct

  • email:  safety@wiscon.net
  • phone:  608-957-7233 (957-SAFE)
  • reporting form: wiscon.net/report

Or look for one of our on-call Safety volunteers. They’re wearing bright yellow/green high-visibility vests.

WisCon social media

WisCon 41

Drabble Challenge at WisCon 41!

Leave a comment

Jess Adams
WisCon Workshops

In the fanfic world, the word “drabble” has at times been applied to a work of any length, provided it is very short. More traditionally, “drabble” is a term that designates a work of fanfiction that is precisely 100 words long. [See Fanlore: https://fanlore.org/wiki/Drabble ].

For the WisCon FanFic Drabble Challenge, we’ll be accepting works that are 100-250 words long, from any fandom. (Though, the challenge would be to create a work that’s exactly 100 words long — bonus points toward your No Prize if you can manage this!) These will be collected and included in a collection on the Archive of Our Own.

The challenge is open from Saturday, May 27, at 12pm through close of con on Monday at 4pm to Monday, June 5, at 11:59pm Central Time (extended!).

Eligible works will be those that meet the following parameters:

  • Fanfiction based in any fandom
  • 100 – 250 words (You may also have a title that’s up to 15 words long)
  • Written during WisCon weekend

Works can be submitted directly through AO3:

Works can also be submitted to moderator Jess Adams by email at drabbles@wiscon.net, or in hardcopy by visiting the Open Writers’ Salon!

If submitting by email/hardcopy, be sure to include:

  • Your name OR desired pseudonym
  • A means of contact (email address, twitter handle, etc)
  • Name of fandom work is under
  • Ratings and relevant warnings (If necessary, the moderator will apply a rating/warning.)

You are welcome to join us at the Open Writing Salon if you need a space to compose your drabble, or want to drop it off to us!  The Open Writing Salon is in the Private Dining Room in CIRC on the 1st floor.  We’re open:

  • Saturday:  8-10p
  • Sunday:  9-11a
  • Sunday:  8-10p
Momentary Taste of WisCon Newsletter, WisCon 41

WisCon 41 at-con newsletter — A Momentary Taste of WisCon, Friday edition

Leave a comment

IT’S WISCON!!

This is it.  It all starts today.  Do you have your Pocket Program Book (pick up a paper copy at Registration or W41_PPB-web)?  Or the WisSched app on your smart thing?  (Or both, who are we to judge?)  Have you started to get the lay of the land?  Con Suite’s on 6; Art Show‘s on 1; Registration/Info Desk is on 2.

Don’t forget to get some sleep.  Eat a meal or 2 (or 3!).  Have some fun!  And, by all means, let’s get started planning that revolution, comrades.

Today’s big events

The Gathering

  • 1- 3:45pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin (2nd floor)

The Gathering is the official start to WisCon — every year on Friday at 1pm sharp!  This is the time and place to decompress from the rigors of travel, meet friends old and new, make the transition to WisCon space-time, and get into the WisCon frame of mind!

What’s happening at the Gathering this year?  This blog post will give you fuller details, but here’s a quick list:

  • Icebreaker Scavenger Hunt
  • Clothing Swap
  • Nail Polish Swap
  • the Fiber Circle
  • Gadget and Device Petting Zoo
  • Fancy Hair Braiding
  • an E-Textiles Activity
  • Tabletop Games
  • Lock Picking
  • Tiptree Auction Preview

First WisCon Dinner

  • 5:30-7:30 PM
  • Outside the Wisconsin Ballroom (2nd floor)

Is this your first WisCon? Or are you a long-time WisCon attendee? Either way, you are invited to meet up as a group right after the end of the first panels (5:15 pm) outside the doors of the Wisconsin ballroom. After meeting, we’ll all head over to a local restaurant. You will be responsible for the price of your meal and for providing the sparkling wit during the meal. For those of you coming to WisCon for the first time, this is a great way to meet and get to know others that share your passion for feminist science fiction and fantasy. And if this isn’t your first WisCon, please join us as well—it’s a great way to meet even more new friends and besides, the first-timers will be looking to you for advice!

Art Show

Opening Reception

  • 6-7:30pm
  • Senate (1st floor)
Come to the Wiscon Art Show and meet the artists. Ask about their work, hear about their process.

Awards

Stop by the WisCon Art Show and vote for your favorite art and artists! Voting will open at 6pm on Friday, beginning during Meet the Artists, and will remain open until the Art Show closes at 6pm Saturday evening. This year’s categories are:

  • Best in Show (You’ll have the option to nominate an individual best piece as well as picking an artist.)
  • Best 2D Art
  • Best 3D Art, Non-Wearable
  • Best Wearable Art

Opening Ceremonies

  • 7:30-8:30pm
  • Capitol/Wisconsin (2nd floor)

WisCon welcomes everyone and officially begins the weekend of programming. Guests of Honor are introduced, the Tiptree winner is crowned, and there’s usually some form of entertainment. This is also the time for last-minute announcements and an explanation of some of WisCon’s policies. This is a great event if it’s your first WisCon!

Gaming

Set-up help needed

We have Braille compatibility kits this year for Pandemic and 7 Wonders, but we need some help setting them up! In particular, we need someone who can read Braille to set them up. Please contact gaming@wiscon.net!

Sign up for tonight’s games!

Want to sign up for tonight’s games?  Drop by the Gathering (1-3:45pm in the ballroom on the 2nd floor) or email gaming@wiscon.net.  For full descriptions of the games, check out this blog post.

Support

  • RPG
  • Friday, 8pm-12am
  • Conference 3

Strange Gravity

  • LARP
  • Friday, 8pm-12am
  • Conference 4

Weekend drabble  challenge!

In the fanfic world, a “drabble” is a work of fic that is very short. More traditionally, “drabble” designates a work that is precisely 100 words long. The constraints of the form, and the challenge they bring, are what makes drabble-writing so fun!

For the WisCon FanFic Drabble Challenge, we’ll be accepting works that are 100-250 words long, from any fandom. Though, the challenge would be to create a work that’s exactly 100 words long — bonus points toward your No Prize if you can manage this!

These works will be included in a collection on the Archive of Our Own. The challenge opens on Saturday at noon — stay tuned for the details of the challenge and how to join in!

The once & future WisCon

WisCon 41

We know things just got started, but as your weekend wraps up please take a moment to fill out our surveys and let us know what you thought and how we can keep improving the convention!

WisCon 42

Did something just happen in a panel to spark a great idea for next year’s WisCon?  Yes, we are taking programming suggestions for WisCon 42 already!  Just complete this form on our website.  No login necessary, but if you do log into your WisCon account you’ll receive an email confirmation of your submission.

WisCon 43

Yes!  We are already planning WisCon for 2019!  First and foremost — who would you like to see as a Guest of Honor?  This blog post talks more about how to nominate someone (and what the process after that is like).  To nominate, just drop a short email to gohnoms@wiscon.net.

Today’s Con Suite menus

This blog post has the full list of menus for the weekend.

Friday dinner

  • Chicago style Italian beef on rolls (GF rolls available)
  • Spinach & potato curry (vegan, GF)
  • Creole roasted sweet potatoes (vegan, GF)
  • Gingered veggies (vegan, GF)
  • Rice

Got an hour or two to volunteer? #WisConGiveBack

What makes WisCon go are the volunteers. Have a free hour or two? Would you like to help out and earn a rebate on your membership?  If you’re up for volunteering, please email us!  volunteers@wiscon.net

  1. We always have a strong need for folks who can help out in the Con Suite.
  2. We also have a regular need for volunteers at Registration Desk and the Art Show desk.
  3. Other specific needs are added as needed to the blog’s volunteers tag.

Need to contact Safety?

Reminder:  Our Code of Conduct

  • email:  safety@wiscon.net
  • phone:  608-957-7233 (957-SAFE)
  • reporting form: wiscon.net/report

Or look for one of our on-call Safety volunteers. They’re wearing bright yellow/green high-visibility vests.

WisCon social media

WisCon 41

WisCon 41 — Con Suite menus

Leave a comment

Welcome, WisCon!  Here are the hours and food options for your Con Suite this year.

Con Suite hours

Friday

  • Dinner:  5:30-7:30pm
  • Closed for cleaning:  7:30-8:30pm
  • 8:30pm-1am  (ConSuite open but not staffed)

Saturday

  • Breakfast:  8-9:30am
  • Lunch:  11:30am-1:30pm
  • Dinner:  5:30-7:30pm
  • Closed for cleaning:  7:30-8:30pm
  • 8:30pm-1am  (ConSuite open but not staffed)

Sunday

  • Breakfast:  8-11am
  • Late Lunch/Early Dinner:  3-5pm
  • ConSuite closes at 6pm for Dessert Salon & Guest of Honor Speeches
  • 10pm-1am  (ConSuite open but not staffed)

Monday

  • Brunch:  9-11:30am
  • ConSuite closes at 1pm

Standard fare all weekend long

Coffee & tea

Available 8am-Midnight in room 626

Staples available all day

  • Popcorn (butter, cheese corn & kettle corn)
  • Potato chips & Pretzels
  • Assorted cookies (inc. GF)
  • Scads of candy
  • Raw veggies
  • Hummus
  • Guacamole
  • Pop tarts
  • pita chips
  • applesauce (single serve containers)
  • fruit cups (single serve containers)
  • Crackers (inc. GF varieties)
  • Sandwich bread (inc. Udi’s GF bread)
  • Sunbutter (nut free)
  • Peanut butter
  • Jams & jellies
  • Assorted sodas & fizzy water

Grab-and-go (pre-packaged from Willy Street Co-Op)

  • Cheezy pasta salad (vegan)
  • Squash & bulgur with pepitas (vegetarian)
  • Turkey & parmesan pasta salad,
  • Two bean quinoa salad (vegan, GF)

Daily breakfast

  • Coffee & tea
  • Bagels
  • Cream cheese & Tofutti spread (dairy free, vegan & gluten free)
  • Butter & Earth Balance butter (soy and dairy free)
  • Doughnuts & Kringle

Meals

Friday dinner

  • Chicago style Italian beef on rolls (GF rolls available)
  • Spinach & potato curry (vegan, GF)
  • Creole roasted sweet potatoes (vegan, GF)
  • Gingered veggies (vegan, GF)
  • Rice

Saturday lunch

  • Potato salad (vegetarian, GF)
  • Three bean salad (vegan & GF)
  • Carrot slaw (vegan & GF)
  • Jerk tofu (vegan, GF)
  • Sandwich platters
  • Sandwich bread (including GF bread)
  • Cheese slices
  • Sunbutter (nut free)
  • Peanut butter
  • Jams & jellies

Saturday dinner

  • Chili night (beef & vegan)
  • Maple roasted vegetables (vegan & GF)
  • Rice

Sunday late lunch/early dinner

  • Ian’s Pizza! Expect a mix of the weird & mundane. There will be GF and vegan pizzas.
  • Garlic lovers pasta salad (vegetarian, GF)
  • Kale (vegan GF)

Monday brunch

  • Coffee & tea
  • Bagels
  • Cream cheese & Tofutti spread (dairy free, vegan & gluten free)
  • Butter & Earth Balance butter (soy and dairy free)
  • Doughnuts & Kringle
  • Sandwich bread (including GF bread)
  • Ham & Turkey cold cuts (for GF options)
  • Sandwich bread
  • Sunbutter (nut free)
  • Peanut butter
  • Jams & jellies