Places to talk; places to play
At our September open committee meeting, we started getting a lot more
specific about what goes where at the Hilton. In addition to the big,
formal things--spaces for registration, programming, art show, hucksters
room, smoking and nonsmoking consuites, convention services, and the like--we're
also planning for the important informal stuff like making sure there
are conversation areas near the flow of traffic, with a mix of
comfy furniture, and tables and chairs. Flat surfaces that invite gaming
near the center of the convention rather than tucked off in a room in
the basement. A friendly smoking area based on information from the hotel
engineer about airflow and ventilation. Coffee. Ahh, coffee. Yes,
coffee.
And music. Of course. What you probably want to know is, "where does the song go?" Well, it goes on the second floor at Minicon, with program rooms opening up at night for filking and other musical performances. And in the smoking and/or non-smoking consuites on the third floor, if musicians want. And probably in the coffeehouse consuite up on the 24th floor, too. This is Minicon, after all. Let there be music!
We're also making sure we have a comfy Green Room for program participants to gather in, and we're bringing back the Minicon Gopher Hole for volunteers. In addition to the things the concom plans, many Minicon members add greatly to the warmth and hospitality of the convention by hosting room parties. In particular, open room parties are great places to meet new friends, catch up with old friends, learn more about other fan groups and conventions, and, most of all, have enormous fun with like-minded fen, whatever your stfnal interests. We're glad to be in a hotel that offers lots of party suites and we're looking forward to a wide variety of room parties at Minicon 34.
Childcare
We're still in the planning stages, but we've budgeted to use paid, professional
childcare workers supplemented by volunteers, much as like at Minicon
33. Please check the box on the All-in-one Form to receive information
about childcare at Minicon. In recent years, childcare has been available
for ages 16 months and up. Please let us know if you would also like infant
care to be available.
We'll be taking an inventory of Minicon's childcare toys and supplies along with other items in the storage locker the weekend after this PR is mailed, but we already know there's a deplorable lack of good storybooks. We invite kids of all ages to bring a storybook to Minicon 34 childcare and share it by volunteering to read the story out loud and/or by donating the book so it can be enjoyed by kids at Minicon for years to come. We also invite musicians, artists, and scientists to volunteer to organize a sing-along, perform a mini-concert, put kids to work on stfnal arts and crafts projects, or provide science demonstrations to add to the fun in childcare. (Note to Camp WannaMakeABigBoom fans: we're talking safe science demos here. Thank you!) It doesn't have to be elaborate, just something you and kids in Minicon childcare would enjoy doing together. Please drop a note to Childcare at the Minicon PO Box with your ideas.
Our first Progress Report was stamped and mailed by:
Karen Johnson, Dave Romm, Scott Raun, Nate Bucklin, David W. Schroth,
David Dyer-Bennet, Dan Goodman, Fred A. Levy Haskell, Laura Krentz, Pamela
Dyer-Bennet, Mitch Pockrandt, David Wilford, Sybil Smith, Erin Lorenz,
Mark Richards, Ed Eastman, Margaret Eastman, Betsy Lundsten, Doug Wickstrom,
Margo Bratton, Joyce Scrivner, Beth Friedman, Polly Jo Peterson, Shaun
P. Kelly, Alexa Kelly, Karen Cooper, Jeff Schalles, Magenta Griffith,
Nathan Stohlman, Sharon Kahn, Lisa Freitag, Michael Pins, and Geri Sullivan.
Thanks to you all!