The People Come and Go
There have been a number of web log entries and web site articles talking about the demise of the fan run convention or about that the corporate run conventions killing the fan run conventions and then dying themselves from bloat and over reaching.
I have been going to conventions for pretty much 40 years now. I might be off by a year or so but it is so close I will say 40. I have been to all kinds of conventions in many different countries and worked a lot of conventions as well both as staff and a guest. Heck, I was the tech director for DragonCon way back in the day. I have worked Art Show, Masquerade, Con Ops, and Security.
And you know what? I have heard this all before.
There will always be fan run conventions. There will always be the Creation Ltd or Wizard World or Reed-Pop conventions. There will be fans who make a living working for the corporate conventions or the talent as a wrangler. There will be fans who decided to put on a convention and twenty years later find themselves still putting on that convention. There are conventions that turn into one offs but are remembered fondly or not fondly depending on one’s experience.
There will be World Cons, World Fantasy Conventions, Costume Con, and World Horror Convention. If not under those names, there will be an equivalent.
There will be children that grow up going to conventions that will then bring their children to the conventions where they will do the same.
I like that I can wander around some of the large conventions and I see friends and families wandering around and having a good time. I like that conventions have recognized that families are good customers so to have activities and panels for the children as well as panels for the adults is a good idea.
I was at a convention last year and sitting down for lunch with Caroline. At the table in front of us was a girl a little younger than Caroline dressed up as a storm trooper. Her brother was dressed as Robin and the Dad dressed as Batman. The baby was dressed as Yoda and they had done the stroller up to look like the baby was sitting on a rock. They were working out the rest of their day and who was going to go see what. It was a lovely picture of a family having fun together. I asked the Mom who’s idea was it for the costumes and it had been the kids who wanted to be these characters so the parents went along with it for fun.
Conventions aren’t going anywhere. They may morph into different things. Some will succeed and some will fail. Some will fade with time and interest waning. But there will always be something going on every weekend for the fannish minded.
I am grateful for all the fun I have had a conventions.
I have been going to conventions for pretty much 40 years now. I might be off by a year or so but it is so close I will say 40. I have been to all kinds of conventions in many different countries and worked a lot of conventions as well both as staff and a guest. Heck, I was the tech director for DragonCon way back in the day. I have worked Art Show, Masquerade, Con Ops, and Security.
And you know what? I have heard this all before.
There will always be fan run conventions. There will always be the Creation Ltd or Wizard World or Reed-Pop conventions. There will be fans who make a living working for the corporate conventions or the talent as a wrangler. There will be fans who decided to put on a convention and twenty years later find themselves still putting on that convention. There are conventions that turn into one offs but are remembered fondly or not fondly depending on one’s experience.
There will be World Cons, World Fantasy Conventions, Costume Con, and World Horror Convention. If not under those names, there will be an equivalent.
There will be children that grow up going to conventions that will then bring their children to the conventions where they will do the same.
I like that I can wander around some of the large conventions and I see friends and families wandering around and having a good time. I like that conventions have recognized that families are good customers so to have activities and panels for the children as well as panels for the adults is a good idea.
I was at a convention last year and sitting down for lunch with Caroline. At the table in front of us was a girl a little younger than Caroline dressed up as a storm trooper. Her brother was dressed as Robin and the Dad dressed as Batman. The baby was dressed as Yoda and they had done the stroller up to look like the baby was sitting on a rock. They were working out the rest of their day and who was going to go see what. It was a lovely picture of a family having fun together. I asked the Mom who’s idea was it for the costumes and it had been the kids who wanted to be these characters so the parents went along with it for fun.
Conventions aren’t going anywhere. They may morph into different things. Some will succeed and some will fail. Some will fade with time and interest waning. But there will always be something going on every weekend for the fannish minded.
I am grateful for all the fun I have had a conventions.