ConCarolinas FAQ
01: What is a Sci-fi Convention?
See the following link
The About Us Page should answer this question. However, if it is not enough...
Many folks make a big deal about a Convention and its identity. Some call conventions 'relaxicons', others are gaming cons, while others are general sci-fi or literary cons. All marketing BS aside, ConCarolinas is trying to be a good general sci-fi con with literary events and guests as well as gaming and media. Literary guests and panels are a big part of our Con. Gaming is a big part of our con also. We're trying to have growth in the areas we need growth while keeping the same quality in the areas that are already big. We focus in areas we are good at and build on other areas, while not focusing on areas we do not need to like Comics and Anime, because that is covered by other cons in our area.
The primary thing we are about is speculative fiction - sci-fi as well as horror and fantasy. In our minds, this starts at the literary level and then springs from there. If we didn't have sci-fi literature, we would not have sci-fi media or games. But of course, our budget is quite limited. So we can't always get a strong line-up of multiple guests. All Cons like ours struggle with that. Some guests require a speaking fee of $1000 or more. That's a big part of our budget, and when you include airfare and room at the hotel - well, you can imagine. So we try to get the best bang for our buck, just like every Con does.
Another thing that we are about is the Carolinas. We like to showcase what Charlotte and the Carolinas have to offer in the way of sci-fi literary, media and gaming. Many of our guests and activities involve local people and organizations who have volunteered their time and efforts to make this Con the best it can be. Sometimes we have your usual Star Wars, Stargate, Firefly or Star Trek groups while other times we may surprise you with something a little more quirky or odd.
And finally, we are also about family and the promotion of the speculative genres to the younger generations. Many of those fans who were 'born' from seeing Star Wars in 1977 (for example) are now parents and want to be able to attend a Convention that they feel comfortable bringing their children to. ConCarolinas is that Con. However, we do realize that certain aspects of the speculative genres (like, for example, certain aspects of horror) may not be appropriate for certain ages. We present these aspects in a tasteful and classy way, always informing parents what may or may not be appropriate for those certain ages.
However, that is not to say we don't have a nightlife. Children do have a bed time, right? Our 'curfew' for children is usually 10 PM.
More? Well, we are really no different from you. We are just fans - fans of a number of things sci-fi related, bringing what we are passionate about to the table. Literary fans, gamers, SCAers, club organizers, movie fans and fans of all speculative genres (sci-fi, fantasy and horror).
We were kind of thrown together somewhat resistant by an outside effort to attract WorldCon to Charlotte. When we saw the success of our first efforts, our resistance reduced and we slowly but surely became passionate about a central Carolinas Convention. We never got the WorldCon bid, but ConCarolinas stuck around. So we've stuck with it.
But who are we really?
Some of our core members are listed on the ConCom Page
03: Where does the money go? Why do you charge a fee?
Our convention is not-for-profit meaning NO ONE makes money from any money given to the Convention. All money from Convention fees pays our bills and then is spent on the following year's Con. During the year between Cons, it sits in a bank and some of it is spent over the year on publicity and supplies.
The biggest expense is our hotel rental fees which pay for the convention space. That amount is reduced by the number of room nights we get in the hotel. The more room-nights we get, the less we pay, and the more money we have for next year.
It also goes to paying for Guests' airfare, room and board, and sometimes speaking fees. This would be a second largest expense.
The remainder is spent on general business expenses, fliers, postage for mailings, web site, insurnace, business licensing fees, publicity parties, badge supplies, Con Suite supplies and anything else we need to spend money on to make the Con better every year. In 2004 for example, I have sent out over 2000 flyers to at least 20 other Cons in our area as far as Maryland and Orlando, Florida. That's not cheap.
I promise you, NONE of us are out to make money at this. However, we have signed contracts with the hotel and we do have obligations to fulfill with those contracts, so we have to charge something. That's the driving force behind our Convention Fee.
You would think we're some kind of masochists or something. No, we're not really. We do truly enjoy it despite the struggles we have or the screaming matches you might hear about on the mailing lists. We love this stuff so much, we want to share that passion with everyone else and help every aspect of it grow. We want to help this community grow and solidify by the development of friendships and acquaintances started at our Con. Each of us focus our passion into the aspects of the community we are most involved in - gaming, literary or whatever else - and do what we can to make that aspect grow and flourish.
It's truly a labor of love and caring. Every success drives us to do more and better every year. We all have a vision for this Convention and want to see it grow into that. With your help, we can do that.
05: How can I get involved in ConCom?
Anyone can get involved with ConCarolinas. We are not
some elite clique that keeps the "power" to
ourselves. We're not some professional organization that
has strict requirements for people to join. You simply
have to ask. That's it.
It helps if you have some kind of convention or event organization skills. It also helps if you have connections into some aspect of fandom. But the only real requirements are reliability, a passion for some aspect of sci-fi fandom, and the willingness to really help and do work. Locality is not a limitation if you have internet, but if you don't, we'd prefer you to be local and reachable by phone.
Contact the current Con Chair for more information on our needs. Take a look at our list
of Con Com positions (most of which we made up) and let us know what area you are interested in. If you don't see
something that should be there, feel free to suggest it.
06: What are your Program Booklet Ad rates?
Click the link below to see our ad prices:
Click the link below to contact us:
08: I would like to Volunteer for ConCarolinas. What do I do?
Click the link below to find out how to volunteer and what it is all about:
09: What are the Rules of the Con?
10: What are your Dealer and Art Room Table/Space Prices?
Click the link below for dealer and art room prices:
11: What are your Dealer Room Hours?
Dealer/Art Room Hours
Setup: Setup starts at Fri 10 AM
Friday: 3PM - 9 PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM
Sunday: 10 AM - 2 PMClick the link below for more about the dealers room:
Charity
North Carolina Search & Rescue Dog Assoc.
We support local Rescue Dogs! ConCarolinas has had a long relation with the NCSARDA and we are proud to donate a portion of the Charity Auction to their cause. The money goes to food and care for the dogs. We thank the fine people of the NCSARDA for their hard work and dedication to such a worthy effort.
Second Harvest Metrolina
We support Second Harvest Metrolina. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHFBM) strives through education, advocacy, and partnerships to eliminate hunger by the solicitation and distribution of food. SHFBM has been in existence since 1981.
American Red Cross
In 2011, we are hosting our first Blood Drive!
13: What are your Convention Hours?
Con Hours
Friday: 3 PM - midnight
Saturday: 9 AM - midnight
Sunday: 9 AM - 6 PM
13a: What are the Con Registration Hours?
Registration Hours
Friday: noon - 9 PM (noon to 2 PM, prereg only)
Saturday: 8 AM - 9 PM
Sunday: 8 AM - 1 PM
14: Do you send out tickets or badges in the mail?
We do not mail anything out. You can consider the PayPal email receipt as your confirmation. You can bring a copy of the receipt to the con and pick up your badge on site at the registration desk. We have specific line for pre-reg and only pre-reg'ed folks can pick up their badge as early as noon on Friday.
