Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 16:12:14 -0500
From: Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at radix.net>
To: WSFA list <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Capclave comments
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

I'm going to reply to a number of comments here rather than swamping the
list with a bunch of short replies.

Alexis wrote:

> . . . The Disclave recipe was day and night activity, with
> programming + art show + huckster room by day, and parties + a really good
> con suite in the evening after a decent break for supper.

Which sounds good to me.  The consuite may wind up being regulated by
size: it's very difficult to get a corkage waiver on function space
these days.  I managed it this year for 'sodas and snacks' because our
rep didn't want a lot of people hanging out in a suite and spilling out
into the halls.  But it's still not a very large space.  We'll see how
it works, and use that to figure out what we're doing next.

Ted wrote:

> Why do you want to "swell the throng"?  More bodies don't guarantee a better
> convention.   I think Capclave should find and exploit an underused niche and
> not try to be All Cons For All People.   And it seems to me that Capclave #1 has
> already moved promisingly in that direction.

I agree.  There are so many conventions out there that we need to create
a specific identity, one that we enjoy and attracts people that we want
to spend time with.  I have nothing against growing, and rather hope
that we do, but it should be controlled growth and in a direction that
we want.

On the other hand, more people means more money.  Money will allow us to
get more function space, not have to worry so much about paying our
insurance, and things like that.  As Ted said later, more people also
means More Headaches and More Work.  But most of us seem to have
recovered from burnout and we have a lot of new people pitching in.

[As an aside, WSFA meetings seem to be going quite well despite our
financial situation and I've enjoyed the more cooperative nature
resulting from people bringing contributions.  I hope that this won't
change.]

Steve Smith wrote, in response to what Ted wrote, above:

> I'll agree with Ted on this one.  Too many cons have had too much
> trouble by becoming meeting places for unrelated groups -- drunk
> unattended teenagers, Goths, S&M types, gamers, LARPs, you name it.
> Problem is not just that "they're not our type" -- they're not each
> others' type either.  You end up with large indigestible lumps of people
> who actively dislike each other.
>
> Capclave had an excellent mix of people.  Everybody seemed to talk to
> everybody else.  Everybody seemed to have a good time.  We need to keep
> this and build on it, and not just start taking out newspaper ads.

Which is what I meant by 'controlled growth'.  Most of us seem to have
liked what we did last year, so let's repeat it.  It's pretty clear that
we want to add an art show at some point so we'll most likely do that
once we have the space, but let's not just throw things into the pot.

For example, I had one person, not a WSFAn, ask about running a LARP
last year and referred him to the head of programming, but only after
telling him that it was going to be a very small convention.  He -- not
Mike, the person asking -- decided that he didn't want to run one at
Capclave that year.  Personally I'm glad: it might have attracted more
people but they'd be there for the game, not for the convention.

But other people may feel differently, which is why I asked what people
want Capclave to grow into.

Walter wrote:

> I like the Readercon concept---it's probably where I live and
> breathe---but I'm not sure that's who WSFA is.  WSFA does go to
> the movies, and does watch TV.  WSFA (and to a greater degree
> this region) has a not too small contingent of fanzine fans.
> WSFA has science geeks, medieval reenactors, maybe some LARP
> players, the odd filker, and even a couple of artists.  I think
> the variety within WSFA promoted the variety of activities at
> Disclaves making them into rather well-balanced regionals.

Readercon with extras?  Although, as mentioned, I can live without LARPs
I'd like to see some science programming, myself.  We had a Buffy panal
last year which people seemed to enjoy (I missed it).  What about
inviting people who write the shows we enjoy?  Maybe someday do some art
programming as well as an art show?  I'd also like it if we had more
parties.  Not the old Disclave blowouts, with blasting music and full of
people who came to do nothing but drink, but with lots of people and
good conversations.  And good things to eat and drink <g>.

"A party for people who read" was a good description of the older
Disclaves, and is something that I'd like to aim for.  We're people who
read but, as Walter pointed out, that's not all that we do.  So starting
with a literary focus and judiciously adding things sounds good to me.

Elspeth