Category Archives: Official Announcements

Con or Bust, Official Announcements

Seeking Co-Chairs and Apprentice Co-Chairs for WISCON 2025!

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Hello WisCon community!

We are currently considering the prospect of having a convention in 2025. However, to have a WisCon in 2025, we need at least three (3) Co-Chairs by end of August. At least one of these people should have had some previous experience with WisCon/SF3 in a pre-con role, meaning that the person is current or former member of the ConCom, Personnel Committee, Comms, or the SF3 Board. We would also like either additional Co-Chairs or apprentice Co-Chairs who can act in a supporting role. Apprentice Co-Chairs do not require experience and will have a smaller work load.
Are you interested in serving as a co-chair or apprentice co-chair?  Contact Personnel (personnel@sf3.org)
For more information about the roles, please read the information below.

Role: Conference Committee (ConCom) Co-Chairs
Department/Team: The Co-Chairs supervise the ConCom and work with other SF3 committees also working on Con business (Communications, Personnel, etc.)
Reports to: SF3 Board via monthly reports

Time Requirements: During the less-busy part of the con year (July-February), each co-chair spends an average of about 2.5 hours/week on con-related tasks. During the more-busy part of the con year (March-May) this increases to 4-5 hours/week; exact time requirements depend on how well-staffed the rest of the ConCom is.
Presence at con: Required. At least one Co-Chair is “on duty” at all times during the con.
Term: One year (typically starting in July) with the expectation of serving as a “Fairy ConParent (advisor)” the following con.
Role summary: The role of the Co-Chairs is to work together to provide high-level management over other ConCom departments to ensure that WisCon takes place (details below). Co-Chairs generally keep track of Department activity, help Departments coordinate with each other, run the Guest of Honor selection process for the following WisCon, and analyze the prior WisCon’s feedback survey results. If a task doesn’t have anyone working on it, Co-Chairs must decide whether to complete the task themselves, delegate it to someone else, or leave the task undone. The Co-Chairs interface with the SF3 Board primarily through monthly reports.

Main Tasks:

  • Running ConCom Meetings. This includes setting the dates and reminders, setting the agenda, collecting reports in advance of each meeting, presiding over the meetings themselves, and making sure minutes are published afterwards.
  • Tracking Responsiveness/Reports. A large part of the job is keeping track of who hasn’t reported in for a while and what emails are going unanswered to make sure everyone’s on track and to keep morale up. If someone isn’t responding to emails about once a week or so, the Co-Chairs reach out to them, and if they get no response, notify Personnel, who makes a determination on how to proceed. If a role is to be listed again, it should be taken to a ConCom meeting for a discussion, any suggested/agreed-upon modifications made, and then posted.
  • Tracking Departmental Coordination.If a Department has a question that can be answered by another Department, or is proposing changes that may impact another department, Co-Chairs must help connect the relevant Departments to each other as needed. Sometimes Departments know who to ask or realize which other Departments are involved with a task, and sometimes they don’t.
  • Making Judgement Calls on Events/Roles to Keep/Drop.Sometimes it is not possible to fill a role before the con. There’s a limited number of things that can just be cut, but Co-Chairs must also weigh whether events will keep happening at future cons if they are not formally run at a present con. Co-Chairs have to determine what tasks absolutely have to be done.
  • Being On-Call During the Con.There is a chair cell phone that can be used to contact the Co-Chairs anytime during the con. Most of the calls will come from the hotel. Co-Chairs can choose how to split up the times of being responsible for the phone. Some chairs alternate days, others take specific shifts during each day — whatever works for the all Co-Chairs.
  • Participating in Safety Processes. If someone wants “to talk to a manager,” Co-Chairs are our ultimate at-con managers. Co-Chairs may also be involved in judgment calls about Safety issues (such as potentially banning someone, asking them to leave, etc.).
  • Running Guest of Honor Selection Process.The Co-Chairs are responsible for selecting a GOH Vetting Committee and making sure the GOH nomination and voting process is executed according to schedule. This involves collating the GOH suggestions and putting together bios for the candidates, making sure the surveys get run, and contacting the top finalists to invite them (for which there are templates).
  • Answering Questions. Co-Chairs may receive a wide number of questions (both from inside and outside the ConCom/SF3), and they must either answer the questions directly or help forward the question to the person/department who might be able to answer. It’s not uncommon for people to write basically asking to be invited in an “official” capacity. We have an email template for responding to that.
  • Analyzing Prior WisCon Feedback Survey Results.Co-Chairs are in charge of analyzing the post-WisCon survey results from the con before theirs. This may involve working with other departments to implement changes based on the feedback received.
  • Manage tasks that don’t belong to any other department or that have slipped through the cracks between two departments.
  • Interfacing with the SF3 Board.

Skills & experience:

All Co-Chairs Should Have:

  • Task management and delegation skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Excellent one-on-one communication skills (for communicating with other Co-Chairs)
  • Time and ability to check email and Basecamp on a frequent basis

At Least One Co-Chair Should Have (no one person needs all these skills):

  • Some degree of comfort with public speaking in front of large audiences
  • Excellent written communications / public relations skills
  • Ability to lead meetings effectively, including making sure everyone gets heard, covering an agenda, and sticking to a time limit.
  • Ability to take notes during meetings (these do not have to themselves be minutes-quality, just enough to write the minutes later).
  • Prior ConCom experience of at least one year preferred

Exclusions:

  • Co-Chairs should not also be chairing/leading any other Departments/Teams within WisCon or chairing any other cons
  • Co-Chairs should not co-chair two WisCons in a row

If you are interested in co-chairing for 2025 or if you have questions about co-chairing, please contact Personnel at personnel@sf3.org! 

Role: Apprentice Conference Committee (ConCom) Co-Chairs
Department/Team: Convention Committee aka ConCom
Reports to: Co-Chairs, SF3 Board via monthly reports

Time Requirements: Minimum 1 hour/week, maximum of about 2.5 hours/week (during less busy times) or 4-5 hours/week (March-May) depending on the Apprentice’s interest and availability. As this is a new role, this is an estimate. The exact time needed may also depend on how well-staffed the rest of the ConCom is.
Presence at con: Preferred. At least one Co-Chair is “on duty” at all times during the con and Apprentices may be added to the schedule.
Term: One year.
Role summary: The role of the apprentice Co-Chairs is to provide support to the Co-Chairs as they manage ConCom departments and ensure that WisCon takes place. Apprentices will take on tasks delegated by the Co-Chairs. This can include liaising with departments, analyzing feedback, creating monthly reports, and other subsets of Co-Chair tasks. Mentorship will be provided, with the idea that the Apprentices will learn how and feel confident to serve as Co-Chairs in the future. However, Apprentices are not required to become a co-chair! While this is a learning opportunity, it can also simply be a role you like and want to fill for one or more years.

Main Tasks:

  • Assisting Co-Chairs with their tasks. Depending on the Co-Chair needs and your skills, this may include running ConCom meeting, tracking responsiveness/reports, and tracking departmental coordination.
  • Potentially being On-Call During the Con.There is a chair cell phone that can be used to contact the Co-chair anytime during the con. Most of the calls will come from the hotel. As Co-chair split up their time, it may make sense to include Apprentices.
  • Assisting in Safety Processes. Apprentices will likely be there to watch and assist as Co-Chairs deal with safety issues and liaise with the Safety Team. Apprentices will not make any final decisions.
  • Helping to Answer Questions.The Co-Chairs may receive a wide number of questions (both from inside and outside the ConCom/SF3), and Apprentices may be asked to help field those questions.
  • Assisting with Analyzing Prior WisCon Feedback Survey Results.Apprentices can help Co-Chairs analyze the post-WisCon survey results from the con before theirs. This may involve working with other departments to implement changes based on the feedback received.
  • Help manage tasks that don’t belong to any other department or that have slipped through the cracks between two departments.
  • Interfacing with the SF3 Board. 
  • Generally shadowing the Co-Chairs. One of the goals of this position is for the Apprentice to learn how to be a Co-Chair. This will include taking on support tasks for the Co-Chair, but also observing and asking questions for your own growth.
  • Acting as a backup to the Co-Chairs.If a Co-Chair must step away before the con, Apprentices may be offered the Co-Chair role first–especially if the change happens very near to the con. Apprentices are under no obligation to accept.

Skills & experience:

All Apprentice Co-Chairs Should Have:

  • Task management and delegation skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Excellent one-on-one communication skills (for communicating with other Apprentices and Co-Chairs)
  • Time and ability to check email and Basecamp on a frequent basis

Helpful Skills Include (but can be learned):

  • Some degree of comfort with public speaking in front of large audiences
  • Excellent written communications / public relations skills
  • Ability to lead meetings effectively, including making sure everyone gets heard, covering an agenda, and sticking to a time limit.
  • Ability to take notes during meetings (these do not have to themselves be minutes-quality, just enough to write the minutes later).

Exclusions:

  • It is preferred that Apprentices are not chairing/leading any other departments/teams within WisCon or chairing any other cons, however exceptions can be made.

If you are interested in being an Apprentice Co-Chair for 2025 or if you have questions about the position, please contact Personnel at personnel@sf3.org! 

Official Announcements

No WisCon in 2024! Read on for more about our Gap Year.

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There will be no WisCon in 2024 as we take a year to rest, plan, and make adjustments that we don’t usually have time for during the rush of putting on this life-giving feminist speculative fiction convention.

Online Connections

Last year’s Discord server is still active. We are in the process of creating a Gap Year Discord Community and if you’d like to know about it once it opens, or to keep up with things generally, sign up for our newsletter.

Volunteering

During our planning year there are several projects we’re working on to make WisCon better. Take a look at what we’re currently working on below. If there’s anything you’d like to help with while spending time with other cool WisCon people, send an email to personnel@sf3.org and they’ll get you connected! And don’t feel limited by what’s here, there’s all sorts of projects that could help WisCon. If you’ve got an idea send an email to the address above and we’ll see if we can connect you with other people who want to work on that project as well.

  • Anti-Racism Audit
    WisCon wants to better live up to its anti-racist values before, during, and after WisCon. If you’ve got ideas or opinions on how to do this, check out this group!
  • Platform Replacement
    Right now we use Basecamp to organize our work behind the scenes. For various reasons, we want to find a different service to organize our work on the convention. If you’ve got ideas or opinions about places we can store documents and communicate, check out this group!
  • Video Call Replacement
    Right now we use an assortment of video call services, none of which really work well for us. If you’ve got ideas or opinions on secure video call services with robust captioning services, check out this group!
  • Disability Audit
    WisCon wants to improve the experience for folks with disabilities before, during, and after WisCon. If you’ve got ideas or opinions on how to do this, check out this group!
  • Website Redesign
    WisCon’s website can be difficult to navigate and is in need of an update. If you’ve got ideas or opinions on how to make our website look nicer and easily provide the information that people need, we would love for you to participate!
  • Documentation
    Volunteering can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing. For some volunteer roles, we don’t have clear documentation of what a person does in that role. For some roles we have it… somewhere? If you’ve got ideas or opinions on making sure we find and document everything we need for people to do their jobs with minimal effort, check out this group!

  • 2024 Discord Community
    We are planning to foster community online. If you would like to help with this, please let us know.
  • Email Provider & Mailing List Provider Replacement
    We’re looking to change how we email our members and send out our newsletter. If you’ve got ideas or opinions, check out this group!
  • WisCon Gap Year Planning Group
    All or none of the above appeal to you? This is the place to help out more generally, take part in decision making, and/or offer ideas for other working groups to make WisCon better than it is now.

We also have a Strategic Planning Committee that’s looking at the big picture for WisCon to re-center us on our principles and form some long term plans about how to live out those principles. They will be reaching out with surveys to the WisCon community about some of these plans and principles, and following up with focus groups. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list so you can take part in this important process!

To participate in any of these groups, please e-mail personnel@sf3.org to get started.

And regardless of whether you decide to volunteer, we hope you will stay connected via our mailing list, and that we see you in 2025!

Official Announcements, SF3

SF3 President Needed

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SF3 is the nonprofit organization that’s responsible for WisCon; it provides long-term governance and financial management not only for the annual convention, but also for other projects and initiatives.

Jeannette Juricic, after three years of fabulous service, has stepped down as SF3 President in order to focus on other commitments. The position of President must be filled for SF3 to continue to legally operate and keep its 503(c)(3) status. We are looking for an organized, reliable person to join the Board as President. While the title sounds a little intimidating, the duties of President mostly boil down to 1) Attend & participate in one-hour monthly Board and Annual SF3 meetings, 2) complete tasks that enable SF3 to do business that amount to 1-5 hours of work per month, 3) serve as backup to Treasurer at moments they are not available, and 4) manage and serve as titular owner of a few online resources. (The President must also be willing to tell the Board immediately if they are unable to complete their responsibilities and step down when a new President is appointed.) Training and mentoring available via our other three wonderful Officers, who will be excited to support you. No prior experience with WisCon is necessary (Jeannette’s first WisCon was after she joined us as President)!

If you’re at all interested or have additional questions about the position, the Board would love to hear from you! Please drop us a line at board@sf3.org, and we’ll find a time to chat.

Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

WISCON 2023 POST-CON COVID-19 REPORT

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Two months after the end of the con, and well outside COVID-19’s incubation period, we’d like to take this chance to give an overview of our COVID-19 safety measures, and their results. We hope sharing this information can be helpful not just to our own members as they continue to make decisions about their safety this year and up to the next WisCon, but also for any other organizations trying to hold safer events in the pandemic times.

COVID-19 Safety Measures for WisCon 2023

The following measures were taken by the hotel, the ConCom, and the COVID-19 Safety Team in particular:

  • The ConCom instituted a vaccination policy that required all members to be “up to date” on their vaccinations including bivalent boosters and show proof before picking up their badges. The registration desk (including vaccine checking) was in a separate room, rather than out in the open on the second floor, to help separate possibly un- or under-vaccinated members from the general con space. There were no exceptions to our vaccine policy, meaning that those who could not be vaccinated (including all children under 6 months) could not attend in-person. The policy also included contractors and vendors such as our childcare providers, our CART providers, and the dealers in the Dealers’ Room.

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  • The ConCom instituted a masking policy requiring well-fitting masks in all public WisCon spaces, with unmasking only permissible for necessary sips or bites. As people have different intake needs for food, drink, or meds for their health, safety, and comfort, we trusted our members to follow the spirit of this policy. WisCon members overwhelmingly followed the masking policy in WisCon spaces. We also strongly recommended high-quality medical-grade masks rather than cloth masks or other types of masks, and provided such masks to in-person WisCon members for free at the Info Desk.

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  • The ConCom, COVID-19 Safety Team, and Communications Committee encouraged members to test as much as they were able before, during, and after the con, and provided free rapid testing kits as well as information on where to obtain rapid testing kits and PCR tests locally.

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  • The ConCom instituted a 600-member in-person attendance cap (down from our typical 800-900 attendance) to ensure that WisCon-exclusive spaces were less crowded. However, this came with tradeoffs in regards to other hotel guests, not subject to our policies, taking up more of the non-WisCon-exclusive spaces. Please see our final case report and takeaways (below) for additional related considerations. Our final in-person attendance was approximately 570 people.

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  • The Parties policy was changed such that no food, and only non-alcoholic beverages, could be served. As Parties are WisCon spaces, masking was still required between sips.

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  • Only individually pre-packaged food was served in the ConSuite, and meal vouchers were provided so members who needed them could obtain free hot meals at the hotel or a nearby restaurant following their own safety needs and comfort levels. We also had designated rooms for eating for those who were not staying in the hotel and could not eat in their rooms.

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  • The Dessert Salon (which includes the Guest of Honor speeches) utilized a takeaway format, with no eating at the salon itself during the speeches and the desserts served afterwards in containers. Dessert Salon seating was a spread out auditorium format (rather than seating people close together at round tables for eating and talking). The Dessert Salon ticket system for both seating and serving discouraged crowding as people waited to be seated or served. The Dessert Salon was also streamed, and members attending in person who did not wish to be in the ballroom but still wanted a dessert could purchase a ticket, watch from wherever they felt comfortable, and come get a dessert after the event was over.

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  • In all programming spaces, we requested and the hotel developed individual room layouts such that seating was reduced and spread out.

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  • The 2023 Con Co-Chairs asked for and the SF3 Board approved a budget of $3,000 for the COVID-19 Safety Team; not all of these funds were used.

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  • The COVID-19 Safety Team provided free N95 masks, hand sanitizer, and rapid testing kits to in-person WisCon members. They also provided clear masks to panelists. Here is a list of supplies purchased or donated for WisCon 2023.

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  • The COVID-19 Safety Team used a reporting and contact tracing form for anyone who tested positive or was experiencing symptoms, including space for members to specify their locations and activities while at the con. The COVID-19 Safety Team sent emails with all shareable details of these reports daily at 6pm if new cases had been reported. The emails included information on local healthcare resources. The COVID-19 Safety Team had a member (with backup) dedicated specifically to the task of communication, compiling and disseminating this information.

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  • The COVID-19 Safety Team recruited at-con volunteers to help provide quarantining or isolating WisCon members with supplies such as food, testing kits, and medication without those members having to leave their rooms.

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  • The COVID-19 Safety Team distributed five LEVOIT Core 400S commercial air purifiers and fifteen Corsi-Rosenthal boxes stored from 2022 in key locations around WisCon spaces.

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  • The COVID-19 Safety Team purchased materials for 24 additional Corsi–Rosenthal Boxes to supplement the commercial air purifiers and the hotel’s HVAC system. The day before WisCon started, ConCom members, COVID-19 Safety Team members, and at-con volunteers constructed the boxes in a Fan Club party.  Between the Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes and the commercial air purifiers, all public WisCon spaces had at least one kind of supplemental air purification, with larger spaces having multiple boxes and/or purifiers. After WisCon, most of the Corsi-Rosenthal boxes were given away to reduce storage.

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  • We also distributed 18 CO2 monitors throughout WisCon spaces to help members decide if they felt comfortable in the space. The monitors were for informational purposes only.

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  • And, of course, we did our best to offer hybrid programming, including streaming of Guest of Honor speeches and three fully online programming tracks, so that members, whether in-person or online, could participate from their homes or hotel rooms.

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We truly believe that the hotel, the ConCom, our Online Con department, our COVID-19 Safety Team, our at-con volunteers, and our entire in-person membership did a great job working together to keep everyone safe! Thank you all so, so much!

 

Final COVID-19 Case Report and Takeaways

We stopped our case tracking two weeks out from the end of the convention. We had a total reported count of 3 cases, or 0.6% of our estimated 570 in-person attendance. Our COVID-19 reporting was sent directly to all members who had purchased an in-person membership, An anonymized record of all 3 reported cases, and location information, is available publicly at in this Google sheet.

 

We want to especially extend our thanks to those who tested positive very soon after arriving and took the necessary measures to take care of themselves and keep those around them safe, up to and including leaving the convention entirely. We know it must have been so gut-wrenching and disappointing. Thank you.

 

Ultimately, we wish there had been zero cases, that no one arrived sick, got sick during travel, or got sick while in Madison for WisCon. But we think everyone who works to put on WisCon — which specifically includes all our members, who are the people who make everything from panels to chairing possible — did an amazing job doing our best to keep each other safe.

 

Thank you all for your hard work, your communication, and your care.

 

Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

Parties! Parties! Parties!

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Have you checked out the 2023 Wiscon party lineup? We’ve got a little nighttime socialization planned, and the good news is, we’re all going masked. All parties this year have chosen to follow the “Covid-Safer” protocol, with the same masking expectations as our panels.

Take a look a look at what we’ve got planned, both in the hotel, and online.

THURSDAY
7pm: Haiku Earring Party (online): The Haiku Earring party is back—this time with haiku written in chat, and earrings that come to you in the mail! It’s a fantastic way to participate in a beloved WisCon tradition from wherever you happen to be. This party will take place asynchronously in a dedicated discord channel and will run through Sunday.
FRIDAY
7pm: Share Your Wiscon Story (Room 629): Let’s take some time to come together, share our favorite WisCon memories, and celebrate everything WisCon has meant to us since the very first one in 1977. We’ll have some prompts and plenty of paper so you can write or draw your own WisCon stories and add them to our Story Wall. You can also participate remotely via Discord.
7pm: Wiscon Vid Party (Wisconsin): The one, the only, Wiscon Vid Party returns! Watch fanvids on a big screen with a cheering crowd, or tune in for the livestream.
SATURDAY
8pm: Comic Book Party (Room 629): Comics are for everyone, and everyone is welcome at this relaxing comics-themed party! Pick from our wide variety of comics to read, settle in with a coloring page, or just chat with others.
Signout Autographs with Martha Wells and Fan Mixer (Room 634): Unfortunately Ms. Wells won’t be available for the SignOut Autograph Party on Monday, so if you want her to sign something, this is your chance! Ms. Wells will sign from 8:00-9:00, after which we will have a casual icebreaker mixer game, a Sanctuary Moon costume contest (yes, this means you can create your own space lawyer and dress up as them), and other fun activities.
Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

WisCon Moderator Training 5/14

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Are you a WisCon moderator? Or have you considered becoming a moderator at WisCon or another convention in the future? This training is for you!

Our second and last pre-con WisCon Moderator training will take place via Zoom on May 14th (4pm CT).

We encourage all WisCon panel moderators or potential moderators to join Gretchen Jones for a discussion of tips, tricks, moderator best practices, and how to make your WisCon panel the best it can be.

Current moderators check your email for a zoom link, others can email panels@wiscon.net for a link, or newsletter subscribers can refer to the email from 5/5 with the subject line “WisCon Moderator Trainings 5/6 & 5/14 – All welcome!”

Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

Sign up for Special Session Workshops!

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We still have openings to attend all of our special session workshops. To sign up for a special session, please send an email to workshop@wiscon.net.
Artist Trading Cards, Friday, 4:00 p.m. 
Art in your Pocket: Artist Trading Cards, possibly with popups or mini books. Free to make and take to keep, gift, or trade with friends.
Theatre Camp, Sat. 10:00 a.m.
Miss acting, or just want to try it out in a stress-free setting? In this low-commitment WisCon experiment, we’ll be getting together to read a selection of short SF/F plays, monologues and scenes, and even put them on their feet if we’re feeling bold! Get guidance from experienced directors and playwrights as you explore speculative theatre both classic and contemporary. No materials, experience or prep required!
There will be an (optional) performance opportunity at a Sunday Workshops Open Mic at 4pm (sign-up for the open mic will be during WisCon weekend).
Writing Through Hard Times, Sat. 1:00 p.m.
“Writing Through Hard Times: How to Keep Up Your Routine During Grief, Depression, and Disability” details planning techniques and strategies for writing through the hardest times. Be prepared to share tips and resources.

Artist Roundtable, Sun. 10:00 a.m.

Come join for a session of talking, advice, experience, and ideating on how to be an artist or maker in today’s world. How do you get your foot in the door? Where do you show or sell your creations and wares? How do you deal with cat hair getting on the art during shedding season? How do you find someone to give you a helpful critique, or a helping hand for an art fair, or help hanging your art? Whether you have experience to share, or are here to ask questions or listen to advice, this is a share-all round table for all the various kinds of arts and crafts that creatives hone. So come join us for a discussion on the million different ways to get out there with your creations in this world!
The Workshops Open Mic, Sun. 4:00 p.m.
Join us for an open mic/ sharing session to celebrate this year’s workshops. From (visual art) to (poetry/stories) to scenes from speculative plays, this is your chance to see new art of all genres created right here at Wiscon! Slots are five minutes (those presenting plays or scenes from the acting workshop may go up to ten). The open mic is open to all on a space-available basis, but we will be prioritizing pieces that originated at convention workshops. (Sign-up for the open mic will be during WisCon weekend.)
Volunteer with Workshops!
We also have volunteer shifts open for Writing Space Facilitators in-person and on Discord. You can sign up through the Volunteering link that shows up at the top of the WisCon website when you’re signed in to your WisCon account.
Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

POC Outreach Committee Registration and Travel Grants

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If you are a person of color who is attending or considering attending WisCon 2023 the POC Outreach Committee would like to help. The committee has 75 registration slots open that we want to offer to any person of color who is attending the con, even if you’ve already bought your ticket. Tickets will be given out on a first come first served basis.

We’re also able to give out $250 travel grants to 20 people to help with travel expenses. These will not be issued first come first serve, but instead will be raffled off to people who have filled out the survey.

We encourage all people of color who plan to go to WisCon 2023 to fill out this survey by May 17th in order to be considered for the registration and/or raffle.

Can’t wait to see you all there, whether physically or digitally!
Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

Hotel & 6th floor discounted room lottery deadlines are 4/25!

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Our hotel reservation deadline is THIS TUESDAY, 4/25!
If you’re attending WisCon in person this year, you only have until Tuesday before our discounted room block closes! Please make your reservation by April 25 so that you can get our special discounted rate and so that your room counts towards our hotel contract. (Cancelled reservations don’t count towards our contract, so please only make a reservation if you plan to use it.) You can make your hotel reservation by visiting the Concourse’s front desk, using the Concourse’s reservations link for WisCon, or calling the Concourse at 1-800-356-8293 and telling them you’re part of WisCon’s room block. If you have a hard time getting a room using the web link, please call! For more information, visit our Hotel page.

6th Floor Discounted Room Lottery deadline also THIS TUESDAY, 4/25!
Being able to stay in a room in the Concourse Hotel is one of the pleasures of WisCon — and also one of the biggest financial barriers to attending the convention.  As part of our commitment to affordability, each year WisCon is able to provide a limited number of rooms where WisCon pays for the Saturday night of the stay.  We hope that offering this discount can help just a few more people get to WisCon by making your stay a bit more affordable. To be eligible, you must already have a room reservation at the Concourse that covers Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. You may be staying longer, but you must at least be staying on these three nights.  More information at https://wiscon.net/6th-floor-discounted-rooms/.

Noise caveat: Because the rooms that are marked as “eligible discounted sleeping rooms” are on the sixth floor, that puts them on the same floor where many of the parties are held in the evenings and also where the Con Suite is. This means that there’s more noise generated by foot traffic, elevators, and so on. If you are someone who needs a very quiet room with not many people passing by at all hours, then the discounted rooms may not be a good fit for you.

To enter the lottery for a discounted room, please complete the Google Form at the link below. Entries are limited to one per party – that means if you have roommates for the booked room, only one of you should apply. If you received funds from the WMAF, you are still eligible for the room rate discount as well! Please don’t self-reject!
https://tinyurl.com/roomswiscon2023

Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

WisCon needs more organizing volunteers!

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WisCon needs more ConCom volunteers! We need 5 more organizing volunteers to make WisCon run smoothly this year. With WisCon only seven weeks away, this is the perfect time to join!

You’re not alone: Every one of these 5 roles has an experienced Lead to act as trainer and mentor. Volunteers support each other at WisCon, if we know support is needed! If you and a friend would like to share a role, email us and Personnel will do our best to make that work!

Safety Co-Lead: Do you love meeting others at WisCon, help direct people to the right places, and help others? In this role, you’d get to provide training & guidance to Safety Volunteers. Communicate with Con Chairs and/or Anti-Abuse as needed. Receive and respond to reports appropriately. Safety procedures are well-established. You get to build supervisory skills to improve safety at WisCon. Mainly a during-WisCon role.

Join the Registration Team! We literally can’t have WisCon if we don’t register members!
Registration Co-Lead(s) At-Con : If you love meeting lots of cool people, this is the role for you. You will be stationed in the center of WisCon for much of the weekend, with the option to schedule others to cover the registration desk so you can attend programing. Primarily an at-Con position.
Program Book Coordinator: Do you love to fit information into print formats? You would edit, lay out, and get the (very not-fancy this year) program book printed using existing templates and procedures. If you are local or coming to Madison early, you would also get to run copies to and from the printer’s. This role could be split into Editor and Runner.

Hotel Event Spaces Organizer: Coordinate with WisCon to ensure that each event space is set up as needed. This is a pre-Con position, plus setup/teardown checks Friday and Monday at-Con.

Hotel Room Blocks Responder: Coordinate with WisCon to ensure that the correct number and type of rooms are reserved. This is a pre-Con position, with a possible surge of activity immediately pre-Con.

Time: Unless marked otherwise, the pre-Con roles take 1-5 hours each week, plus extra time for some closer to the convention. Some roles have tasks during WisCon, some don’t.

Action: If something here catches your eye, or if you’re not sure what you’re interested in, then email personnel@sf3.org to schedule a conversation. Personnel will match your interests with WisCon’s needs. Remote options available!

We also have openings for Twitter Specialist, Facebook Specialist, Personnel Chair, Comms Co-Chair, Online Workshop Manager, Safety’s At-Con Volunteer Scheduler, Safety’s At-Con Volunteer Recruiter, Trans & Genderqueer Safer Space Organizer(s), Disability Safer Space Team Member(s), Dessert Salon Apprentice/Co-Lead, Art Show Room Set-Up Apprentice, Restaurant Guide Coordinator, Restaurant Guide Updaters, and Access Team Members! These roles also have training mentors available.

You might want to join WisCon’s ConCom! Organizing with WisCon is a great way to meet wonderful WisCon people, practice and develop a variety of organizing skills, and learn how conventions can be run. Plus, it looks great on your resume or author’s bio! Email personnel@sf3.org to schedule a conversation!

Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

Panelists Wanted!

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Last updated 4/26/23

The Wiscon Panels team are looking to finish staffing a handful of panels for this year’s con. Please email panels@wiscon.net if you’re interested in stepping up to be on one of the following panels:

NEW Get That Lady Some Pants: Superhero Costumes – in-person panel – Friday at 7:30 PM – Looking for at least one more panelist for a fun evening panel.

NEW Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in SF/F – in-person panel, Saturday at 2:30 PM – Looking for at least one more panelist with experience working with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in SF/F spaces.

Pleasantly Parasocial – online panel, Saturday at 4:00 PM – Looking for at least one more panelist and/or moderator for this panel.

Tell Us About Your Virtual RPG Group – online panel, Saturday at 7:30 – Looking for at least one more panelist for a fun evening panel.

An Absence of Rippling: Queer Bodies in OFMD – in-person panel, Saturday at 9:00 PM – Looking for art least one more panelist for a late-evening panel.

Essential Skills for the Coming Apocalypse – in-person panel, Saturday at 9:00 PM – Looking for at least one more panelist for a late-evening panel.

Decolonization and Diasporas: Race in TTRPGs – online panel, Monday at 10:00 AM – Looking for at least one more panelist. BIPOC panelists strongly preferred.

Building and Maintaining Community – in-person panel, Monday at 10:00 AM – Looking for at least one more panelist.

FILLED Assembling a Class Discussion Toolkit – online panel, Saturday at 4:00 PM

FILLED Abolition and Transformation – in-person panel, Sunday at 1:00 PM – Looking for one or more panelists to join our Guest of Honor Rivers Solomon in talking about abolition as a means of transforming society.

FILLED Healing from Cissupremacy – online panel, Friday at 4:00 PM

FILLED Labor and Sovereignty in Martha Wells’s Work – online panel, Friday at 2:30 PM

FILLED Generational Trauma in Rivers Solomons’ Fiction – in-person panel, Saturday at 1:00 PM

FILLED 50 Years of NSFW Transformative Fiction – online panel, Saturday at 7:30 PM.

FILLED Vid Deep Dive – online panel, Sunday at 10:00 AM.

FILLED Discussing Fanfic at Wiscon – in-person panel, Sunday at 1:00 PM

FILLED A Trans History of Wiscon – online panel, Saturday at 4:00 PM

FILLED May the Force Be With You: Spirituality in SFF – in-person panel, Sunday at 4:00 PM

FILLED Gaming Groups and Writing Groups – online panel, Sunday at 1:00 PM

FILLED How To Handle the Deplorables Among Us – online panel, Saturday at 1:00 PM

FILLED Queer Horror – online panel, Friday at 2:30 PM

FILLED Why Are Corporate Diversity Programs Terrible? – online panel, Saturday at 9:00 PM

FILLED The Schadenfreude of the Evil Rich Character – in-person panel, Friday at 7:30 PM

FILLED Where are the Pans of Yesteryear? – in-person panel, Friday at 9:00 PM

FILLED The Kids’ Books That Made Us – in-person panel, Saturday at 2:30 PM

FILLED More Celebrating Jewish SFF – in-person panel, Sunday at 10:00 AM

FILLED Use of Narrative to (re)Make the World – online panel, Sunday at 10:00 AM

FILLED Welcome to Wiscon 101 – in-person panel, Saturday at 10:00 AM

FILLED NOT ANOTHER F*CKING RACE PANEL – online panel, Sunday at 4:00 PM

FILLED Community Care for Burnout – in-person panel, Sunday at 4:00 PM

FILLED Plague Fiction in the Plague Times – in-person panel, Friday at 9:00 PM

FILLED Fighting the Good Fight with Limited Resources – in-person panel, Friday at 1:00 PM

Official Announcements, WisCon 46 in 2023

WisCon 2023 Schedule available!

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Our schedule for WisCon 46 in 2023 is now published! The public schedule is available at https://wiscon.net/schedule. We have some absolutely amazing sessions planned both in person and online, and we can’t wait for you to join us.

And while you’re checking out the schedule, please think about signing up for a couple of volunteer shifts. WisCon is volunteer-powered and we can’t make the con happen without you.  You can find volunteer shifts through the programming system! To sign up for shifts, log in at program.wiscon.net, select the “Volunteer” tab, and click “Add shifts” on the right. This will bring up a list of all Volunteer shifts, organized by time.

Confirm Panel Assignments, Round Tables, & Mod Training
The initial WisCon panels schedule has been set. Please visit https://wiscon.net and click “Your WisCon Account” to log in and confirm or reject your panel and moderator assignments!

Note that this year, there is a room dedicated to round table format panels where there are only moderators and no official panelists. These are spaces set for anyone to come and have a conversation on the designated topic.

Also new this year: Moderator training. On May 6th (11am CT) and May 14th (4pm CT) we will be hosting Zoom training sessions to help moderators of all levels prepare for their WisCon panels. This training is not required, but we strongly encourage you to come participate in building a better WisCon panels community. Zoom links will be forthcoming closer to the dates.