Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 13:56:36 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Capclave Attendance
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

> twhite8 at cox.net 01/16/04 12:36PM
>>----- 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?

Well, if it's just warm bodies that buys tickets, then emulate Dragon*Con. =
 If so, then I'll be elsewhere.

But I hope that's not what the club wants.  It's certainly not I plan for =
Capclave 2005.

I believe we can have a good fun gathering of literate people - and not =
lose money at it either.

mjw

>
>--Ted White
>