From: "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Capclave Attendance
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 12:36:59 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Strong, Lee" <strongl at sddc.army.mil>
To: "WSFAList (E-mail)" <WSFAList at keithlynch.net>
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 10:41 AM
Subject: [WSFA] Capclave Attendance

> At the risk of interjecting some science into a smoffish discussion,
> has anyone ever made a serious study of why fans and others either do or
do
> not attend [science fictional] conventions and what they're looking for
when
> they do attend?  So far, we have a number of theories about hotels,
dates,
> GOH's, and such, but it's still theorizing.  As fans ourselves, we might
be
> considered to be a sample of the potential universe of attendees, but,
> obviously, we're not a big enough sample for some purposes.  Has anyone
> actually done a serious scientific study of con attendance?

You need to decide who you mean by "fans."   Those of us who have been fans
for decades attend conventions -- as we always have -- to see old friends
from other areas.    Disclaves of the '70s and mid-'80s pulled fans from as
far away as Toronto, and more from NYC, Boston, et al.   The first Capclave
did much the same, to the delight of all concerned.  The second and third
have drawn far fewer out-of-the-area fans.   This is a dangerous downward
spiral.   I wonder of the WFC drew off some of those who might have come to
Capclave -- "I'm not going to DC twice in a month!"

Or do you just want warm bodies?

--Ted White