Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 13:52:46 -0500
From: Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at radix.net>
To: WSFA list <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Capclave: What do we want it to be?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

The following is something that I wrote while we were working out the
possible dates for this year and is what made me think that a WSFA email
list would be a good idea.  At the time, as I said in the rest of the
message, figuring out what the dates were was what was most important
but I hoped that people would start thinking about what we wanted
Capclave to become.  I like the idea of discussing it in writing so that
we'll have some record of ideas; often, when talking, all sorts of
things come up, too many to remember.

The second question, which influences the first, is "What do we want
Capclave to be?"

It was first conceived as a relaxicon with some programming, a 'party
for people who read'.  And it was.  The dealers were surprised at how
good the business was so soon after a Worldcon but the folks who showed
up simply like books, and went nuts buying them.  In '01 it also
attracted a number of conrunner-crossovers, people that we really enjoy
hanging out with.  For this the post-Worldcon September date worked
extremely well.  I suspect that this also had something to do with how
well the dealers did: most of us hadn't had *time* to buy books at
Worldcon.

Focusing on short stories also seemed to work well and it looks as if
we're going to stick with that.  I don't know that many people will come
*just* for that but it allows us to invite a number of very fine editors
and authors as guests.  That, along with the generally neat bunch of
people who showed up this year, is a good draw.

On the other hand, focusing on something different on a regular basis
would give us a lot more flexibility.  Conchairs could pick a guest and
build a theme around them.  (Doing it the other way around can be a real
hassle.)

But I'd like us to talk about what we want in the future, to think about
where we want this convention to go and to actually make some plans for
how to get there.  At the moment all that I'm aware that we've decided
for this one is that we want it to grow.  But in what direction(s)?  A
post-Worldcon relaxicon?  A mid-fall con?  Do we want a bigger dealers
room, more programming, a real art show or staying with exhibitors?
Might we want to do one-person shows rather than an art show?  Do we
want to keep pulling in conrunners?  More authors, including those who
don't write short stories?  Artists?  Focus on local fandom or try to
bring in more people from outside?

And, once we've considered those things, how do we go about doing it?

People might want to keep in mind that Disclave got into trouble, albeit
many years after its founding, in large part because we just let it sort
of roll along.  Hey, it mostly worked, didn't it?  There were some
abortive attempts do do something about the lack of direction and focus
but the fizzled.  And then, so did Disclave.  Since we're starting
fresh, and have many options, let's actually plan what we want to do.

Elspeth