Norwescon's Livejournal

Registration for Norwescon 36 is open!

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:10:07 GMT

The rumors are true -- registration for Norwescon 36 is now open! Our brand-new, quick, simple, and easy-to-use registration system is right here, or if you're not already convinced, just head to our Memberships page to see all the reasons why you should register today!

And of course, you can also reserve your room at the hotel at this link, or check out our hotel page for more details on that!

Look for more details on Norwescon 36 on our website in the coming weeks -- the rollover to the full Norwescon 36 site is almost here!

Yet another year, gone

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:59:42 GMT

well, another year. gone, Norwescon is over, and it makes me sad, i love norwescon, and everyone there i miss my friends, i miss the dealers room i miss the dance, i miss the music, i miss the parties, the costumes and i miss the hotel. i kind of dont want to wait until next year, but i have to.. until then i miss you guys, and will see you all next year!!! til then... as me Spock would say.. live long, and prosper

NWC35 Onions and Roses

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:41:15 GMT

Norwescon 35 just finished, and we'd love to hear your feedback! What went well this year, what could use improvement? It all goes into our Onions and Roses file, and we do everything we can to make next year's convention even better!

You can leave comments here, via Twitter by tagging your tweets with #nwconion or #nwcrose, via our Facebook Page, through the "Feedback" module that just opened up in our latest Guidebook smartphone app update, or through emailing us directly at info@norwescon.org.

Thanks much!

A few spots left to fill in Artists' Alley

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:05:07 GMT

We're almost full and only a few weeks left till con comes to town! Are you and artist who would like to interact with the public and show 'em what you've got? If you do then send in for an application to artistsalley@norwescaon.org or fill out the online registration. Participate and meet those who would love to learn about what you do!

David Ketcherside
Artists' Alley Manager
Norwescon 35

Norwescon 35 March 17th Meeting Announcement

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:51:53 GMT

The FINAL Norwescon 35 planning meeting will be held soon:
DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012
TIME:
10:00 - 12:00 Executive Team Meeting
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 - 4:30 Convention Committee (ConCom) Meeting
PLACE:
DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport
18740 Pacific Highway South
SeaTac, WA 98188
206-246-8600

Please consult the hotel readerboard when you arrive for the location of the meeting room.
(NOTE there is a discounted charge of $8.00 for parking.)
For directions and a map, please see
http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/CTAC-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-Seattle-Airport-Washington/index.do

FUTURE EVENTS:
Stuffing Party 4/1/2012
Norwescon 35 4/5-8/2012
Post Con Meeting 5/12/2012

Varying versions of this announcement are being posted to:
Norwescon General Google Group
Norwescon ConCom Google Group
Norwescon Announcement Google Group
NWSFS Google Group
nwconleague Yahoo mailing list
Norwescon 35 Org Chart Contacts
Norwescon LiveJournal
We apologize if you receive multiple copies.

Shannon Hillinger
Mailing List Administor, Norwescon 35
Secretary@Norwescon.org

The Schedule of Events is now live!

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:27:09 GMT

It's here! The Norwescon 35 schedule of events! Get the rundown of every event happening all weekend long with our full event listings. Select the underlined day below to view the basic schedule and/or scroll down to use Guidebook and access printable versions of the schedule and grid.

Thursday, April 5 | Friday, April 6 | Saturday, April 7 | Sunday, April 8

Guidebook

This year, Norwescon has partnered with Guidebook to provide our online convention schedule. If you have a smartphone (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or web-enabled devices), just visit this link to install the Guidebook app and download the Norwescon 35 (2012) guide!

While the Guidebook will be the most up-to-date version of our schedule, we are happy to provide downloadable files for your convention planning as well. You can find them on our Schedule of Events page.

Norwescon 35 March 17th Meeting Announcement

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 02:09:48 GMT

The FINAL Norwescon 35 planning meeting will be held soon:

DATE: Saturday, March 17th, 2012

TIME:
10:00 - 12:00 Executive Team Meeting
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 - 4:30 Convention Committee (ConCom) Meeting

PLACE:
DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport
18740 Pacific Highway South
SeaTac, WA 98188
206-246-8600

Please consult the hotel readerboard when you arrive for the location of the meeting room.

(NOTE there is a discounted charge of $8.00 for parking.)

For directions and a map, please see
http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/CTAC-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-Seattle-Airport-Washington/index.do

FUTURE EVENTS:
Stuffing Party 4/1/2012
Norwescon 35 4/5-8/2012
Post Con Meeting 5/12/2012

Varying versions of this announcement are being posted to:
Norwescon General Google Group
Norwescon ConCom Google Group
Norwescon Announcement Google Group
NWSFS Google Group
nwconleague Yahoo mailing list
Norwescon 35 Org Chart Contacts
Norwescon LiveJournal
We apologize if you receive multiple copies.

Shannon Hillinger
Mailing List Administor, Norwescon 35
Secretary@Norwescon.org

Norwescon 35 February 18th Meeting Announcement

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:51:02 GMT

The next Norwescon 35 planning meeting will be held soon:

DATE: Saturday, February 18th, 2012

TIME:
10:00 - 12:00 Executive Team Meeting
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 - 4:30 Convention Committee (ConCom) Meeting

PLACE:
DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport
18740 Pacific Highway South
SeaTac, WA 98188
206-246-8600

Please consult the hotel readerboard when you arrive for the location of the meeting room.

(NOTE there is a discounted charge of $8.00 for parking.)

For directions and a map, please see

http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/CTAC-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-Seattle-Airport-Washington/index.do

FUTURE EVENTS:
March meeting 3/17/2012
Norwescon 35 4/5-8/2012
Post Con Meeting 5/12/2012

Varying versions of this announcement are being posted to:
Norwescon General Google Group
Norwescon ConCom Google Group
Norwescon Announcement Google Group
NWSFS Google Group
nwconleague Yahoo mailing list
Norwescon 35 Org Chart Contacts
Norwescon LiveJournal

We apologize if you receive multiple copies.

Shannon Hillinger
Mailing List Administor, Norwescon 35
Secretary@Norwescon.org

Norwescon 35 February 18th Meeting Announcement

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:38:54 GMT

The next Norwescon 35 planning meeting will be held soon:

DATE: Saturday, February 18th, 2012

TIME:
10:00 - 12:00 Executive Team Meeting
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 - 4:30 Convention Committee (ConCom) Meeting

PLACE:
DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport
18740 Pacific Highway South
SeaTac, WA 98188
206-246-8600

Please consult the hotel readerboard when you arrive for the location of the meeting room.

(NOTE there is a discounted charge of $8.00 for parking.)

For directions and a map, please see
http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/CTAC-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-Seattle-Airport-Washington/index.do

FUTURE EVENTS:
March meeting 3/17/2012
Norwescon 35 4/5-8/2012
Post Con Meeting 5/12/2012

Varying versions of this announcement are being posted to:

Norwescon General Google Group
Norwescon ConCom Google Group
Norwescon Announcement Google Group
NWSFS Google Group
nwconleague Yahoo mailing list
Norwescon 35 Org Chart Contacts
Norwescon LiveJournal
We apologize if you receive multiple copies.

Shannon Hillinger
Mailing List Administor, Norwescon 35
Secretary@Norwescon.org

Artists' Alley DEadline Approaches

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:35:28 GMT

Do you want to be famous and have thousands of adoring fans. Ever want to show off your talents (no I'm not talking about those) to throngs of captivated people? Well, I can't promise you either of those things but I can promise that if you participate in Artists' Alley that you will have a chance to connect with people who are interested in what you do. If you are showing in the Art Show the Artists' Alley is a great way to extend your reach and show people how you do your craft. We are looking for creative individuals who want to interact with fellow con-goers and show 'em what they can do.

If you are interested then please go the the NWC main site and fill out an application or contact me directly and I would be more than happy to send you one!

Deadline for sending in applications is just a couple of weeks away!

David Ketcherside
Artists' Alley Manager
Norwescon 35
artistsalley@norwescon.org

Parking discount (limited time offer)

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:19:53 GMT

There's a limited time offer of a parking discount at the Wally Park across from the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport. Daily parking vouchers, good for one year, for half off ($7 rather than $14). It looks like you can buy vouchers now, then use them for Norwescon. Move fast, the deal expires in two days!

NOTE: Norwescon is not affiliated in any way with Wally Park, Dealsaver.com, or the Tacoma News Tribune. We have no further information about this deal and its terms and conditions, and we bear no responsibility if you are unable to use these vouchers during the Norwescon weekend. We're just passing on what looks to be a good deal that one of your fellow congers alerted us to. Caveat emptor!

Stuffing Party!

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:07:22 GMT

You're invited to a party!

The Norwescon Stuffing Party will be held Sunday, April 1 at the SeaTac DoubleTree Hotel at 1 p.m. The room will be on the daily meeting boards at the hotel entrances. Stuffing should be over by 4:00 PM at the latest.

Please join us for fun and games as we take pieces of paper, paperback books, buttons and coupons and marry them together to form the packets that everybody receives at Registration. The more people we have, the faster it will go. Be the first in your neighborhood to see what sort of goodies everyone will receive. Cop a button or two advertising the next big movie. We might even have the latest programming grids on the wall for your perusal.

Working at the stuffing party counts towards hours worked at the con. Norwescon volunteers receive perks like early seating at the Masquerade and are entered into drawings for many items donated by Norwescon dealers. The drawings take place early Sunday afternoon of the con.

Please note: People attending the Stuffing Party will have to pay for their own parking. Parking should be $8.

If you or your organization has fliers or other material that you wish to include in the packets, you may either arrange to get them to the Norwescon Transportation Department by Thursday, March 29, or bring them to the hotel yourself by noon on April 1.

If you wish to mail materials in, please send them to:

Eric Pawtowski
Norwescon Transportation
#151
19709 Scriber Lake Rd, Suite J
Lynnwood, WA 98036

Please remember that materials mailed in must *ARRIVE* by March 29. If the shipment is very large (more than 200lbs) then the Transportation department must be informed ahead of time of what it is, who is sending it, the estimated arrival date, the shipping company, and the shipping company tracking number, once it is shipped.

If you wish to hand-deliver materials before the stuffing party, please contact the NWC Transportation Dept. at transportation@norwescon.org and make arrangements. The Transportation Dept. would appreciate advance notification of any materials that are brought to the stuffing party or mailed in advance, but that is not a requirement.

NOTE: Norwescon reserves the right to reject any material deemed unsuitable or inappropriate (this has very rarely been an issue in the past). Any materials placed in the registration packets must be appropriate and suitable for a mixed audience of SF fen, including those under 18. Norwescon does not sort the packets by age of recipient or any other demographic criteria. Non-SF&F related commercial or political materials may not be accepted. If you are at all concerned about your material, please submit a sample to the Con Chair for review in advance. Any materials not reviewed in advance will be reviewed by the Con Chair at the stuffing party and may be rejected at that time.

Organizations that wish to include fliers or coupons are asked to help with the stuffing if feasible, but that is not a requirement.

If you are bringing materials to the stuffing party yourself, please be on time. In the past, those that have brought material in late usually ended up in a corner of the room adding their materials to the packets that have already been stuffed. Not nearly as much fun as being in the conga line of stuffers. We plan to stuff ~3500 packets, so plan accordingly. Excess materials will be placed on the flier rack at the start of the con.

2011 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:28:25 GMT

The judges of the 2011 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia SF Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce seven nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:

A SOLDIER'S DUTY by Jean Johnson (Ace Books)

AFTER THE APOCALYPSE by Maureen F. McHugh (Small Beer Press)

DEADLINE by Mira Grant (Orbit)

THE COMPANY MAN by Robert Jackson Bennett (Orbit)

THE OTHER by Matthew Hughes (Underland Press)

THE POSTMORTAL by Drew Magary (Penguin Books)

THE SAMUIL PETROVICH TRILOGY by Simon Morden (Orbit)

First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 6, 2012 at Norwescon 35 at the Doubletree Seattle Airport Hotel, SeaTac, Washington.

The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust and the award ceremony is sponsored by the NorthWest Science Fiction Society. Last year’s winner was THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK by Mark Hodder (Pyr) with a special citation to HARMONY by Project Itoh (Haikasoru). The 2011 judges are Scott Baker (chair), Mark Budz, Roby James, Darrell Schweitzer, and Alice K. Turner.

For more information, contact the award administration: David G. Hartwell (914) 769-5545 or Gordon Van Gelder (201) 876-2551.

For more information about the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society: www.psfs.org or contact Gary Feldbaum (215) 665-5752.

For more information about the Philip K. Dick Trust: www.philipkdick.com.

For more information about Norwescon: http://www.norwescon.org/ or contact the NorthWest SF Society (425) 686-9737.

Norwescon Masquerade

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:18:37 GMT

Like it? Love it? Hate it? We would like to know what you think of the Norwescon Masquerade. Got something that you can't wait to see again? Wish that you could un-see something from the past? Is there anything that you would love to add or take away from the Masquerade to make it an even better event for you? Let us know!! Please email us at masquerade@norwescon.org with your thoughts, wishes, and suggestions!

Norwescon 35 January 7th Meeting Announcement

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:28:11 GMT

The next Norwescon 35 planning meeting will be held soon:

DATE: Saturday, January 7th, 2011

TIME:

10:00 - 12:00 Executive Team Meeting

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch break

1:00 - 4:30 Convention Committee (ConCom) Meeting

PLACE:

DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport

18740 Pacific Highway South

SeaTac, WA 98188

206-246-8600

Please consult the hotel readerboard when you arrive for the location of the meeting room.

(NOTE there is a discounted charge of $8.00 for parking.)

For directions and a map, please see

http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/CTAC-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-Seattle-Airport-Washington/index.do

FUTURE EVENTS:

February meeting 2/18/2012

March meeting 3/17/2012

Norwescon 35 4/5-8/2012

Post Con Meeting 5/12/2012

Varying versions of this announcement are being posted to:

Norwescon General Google Group

Norwescon ConCom Google Group

Norwescon Announcement Google Group

NWSFS Google Group

nwconleague Yahoo mailing list

Norwescon 35 Org Chart Contacts

Norwescon LiveJournal

We apologize if you receive multiple copies.

Shannon Hillinger
Mailing List Administor, Norwescon 35
Secretary@Norwescon.org

New Year Updates

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:58:46 GMT

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2012!

First things first: Pre-registration rates for Norwescon 35 go up on Sunday! If you haven't registered yet, and want to make sure you get in at the current rate of $55 for four full fun-packed days, don't dawdle! Register today!

We've rolled out a number of updates to the website over the holiday weeks. If you're following us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus, you may already know some of this -- but you might not know all of it! So, here's what we rolled out over the past week or so....

We've started listing attending vendors and artists on our Artists' Alley, Art Show and Dealers' Room pages. The Dealer's Room is now fully booked, but we are still accepting applications for both the Artists' Alley and Art Show. Those will fill up eventually, though, so if you're still thinking about it...don't think too long, or you just might miss out!

Our December e-Newsletter update went out. This is often the first place we'll make announcements, so if you're not on our mailing list, sign up today!

Our Norwescon 34 post-convention report also went out. This goes out the old-fashioned way -- ink on paper through the U.S. Mail -- but you're more than welcome to download the .pdf version (493KB .pdf) for convenient viewing on the electronic device of your choice!

We have a ton of programming lined up for the musically inclined, whether you're a music creator or just like to listen and dance! Our concert lineup of filk, chiptune, geek folk, and all sorts of gloriously geeky beats is live, complete with samples of some of the artists you can look forward to seeing perform this year. In addition, we wanted to give those of you into performing some time to prepare for the more participatory events, so we've also listed our events and workshops.

Our Sunday Special Event has been unveiled: Muggle Quidditch! Get that broom ready to go, practice dodging bludgers, and get ready to catch that golden snitch!

All of our attending pros and panelists are now also live on the site.

And finally, in a bit of a blast from the past, all of our photos from last year's Norwescon 34 are posted to our Flickr account. Stop by, look for faces you know, relive some memories, and look forward to what's coming in just a few short months!

That wraps it up for our holiday season updates. Of course, there's much, much more to come as we move ever closer to Norwescon 35!

One Week to Register for $55

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:35:59 GMT

Don't forget! Only one more week to register for #nwc35 for $55. Register now before prices go up on January 8th!

http://www.norwescon.org/about/memberships/

Maxi's at Norwescon 35

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:24:41 GMT

Norwescon 35, in conjunction with the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport, is pleased to announce that Maxi's Lounge will be open Friday and Saturday nights for the exclusive use of Norwescon 35 attendees. Maxi's will provide a new and exciting space for all attendees over 21 (with ID and Norwescon badge) to drink, eat, dance and hang out. It will be open both Friday and Saturday night starting at 10 p.m. As with any bar, you must be recognizable as the person you your ID -- no masks or feature-obscuring makeup.

We have two nights of exciting activities and entertainment lined up for you. Get on the first elevator you can, take it all the way to the top, and join us at Maxi's Lounge for an evening you will never forget!

If you want to do more than just come to Maxi's Lounge and have fun, we have openings for assistant coordinators to help set up and run the fun events being held in Maxi's Lounge. We are also looking for DJs to light up the dance floor. If you are interested in these positions or you just have some great ideas, please contact us at vicechair@norwescon.org.

Alternate Hotels for Norwescon 35

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:43:57 GMT

The Norwescon room block has been sold out since early November -- but if you missed out on staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport, this doesn't mean you won't be able to stay close to the convention! In addition to the already announced Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, Norwescon has made arrangements with three other nearby hotels. Here's the full lineup of alternate lodging possibilities for Norwescon 35:

The Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, just up the road from the DoubleTree, has set up a room block for $120 a night for one to four people (the same rate as the DoubleTree's room block), plus the following perks:
- The guest rooms will be double KING rooms, providing larger beds and more comfort. This is the Hilton's premium room type and generally their most expensive room!
- All guests staying at the Hilton will be offered a complimentary continental breakfast each day in a private Norwescon Hospitality/Lounge room.
- Complimentary shuttle service between the Hilton and the Doubletree will be available each day for guests to get to and from the convention.
- The Hilton will honor the same parking rates as the Doubletree: one complimentary car per room, each additional car will be $8.00 per night.
Norwescon and the Hilton are happy to be able to offer these perks to those guests who didn't get space at the DoubleTree. Use the group code "NRW" when booking your room to be sure you get the Norwescon rate.

La Quinta, 2824 S 188th St, 206-241-5211 (distance: 348 ft.). Rate: $119. Mention Norwescon when making your reservation.

Coast Gateway Hotel, 18414 International Blvd, 206-248-8200 (distance: 0.1 miles). Rate: $89. Ask for Tonya De La Cruz or Michelle Fischer and mention Norwescon when making the reservation.

Holiday Inn Seatac, 17338 International Blvd., 877-573-2822 (distance: 0.9 miles). Rate: $89. Use code "INC". Includes breakfast buffet for 2.

Norwescon 35 Flyer!

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:49:19 GMT

Help spread the word!

Norwescon wouldn't be what it is today without all of you wonderful fans helping to spread the word -- and trust us, that's very appreciated! To that end, then...here's this year's flyer! Produced in two glorious colors -- black and white -- to ensure easy and inexpensive duplication, this stylish 8.5"x11" flier features headshots of our Guests of Honor (Stephen Baxter, John Picacio, Bridget Landry, and DAW Books) against a backdrop of artwork by our Artist Guest of Honor, John Picacio.

Download the high-resolution flyer (2.7MB .pdf), print it out, hand it to your friends, post it to your cubicle wall, mail it to random strangers, fold it into a paper airplane and send it flying...you're creative types, figure it out! Or, download the medium-resolution JPEG file (184KB .jpg) to post to your blogs, Twitter accounts, Facebook profiles, or anywhere else it might go in this electronic world we live in.

Plan Your Performance

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:54:59 GMT

Costumers: Have you started planning out your performance for the Norwescon 35 Masquerade? Designers: Do you know what you want your models to do when they strut their stuff during the Fannish Fetish Fashion Show? Get a jump start on your planning by downloading the stage plan directly here (40KB .pdf). We also have the plan linked from the Masquerade and FFFS pages on our website, in case you lose track of this post.

T-Shirt Art Chosen

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:56:15 GMT

Every year, the Norwescon ConCom votes among several artwork options provided by our Artist Guest of Honor to determine which piece to use for that year's commemorative t-shirt.

This year, the piece chosen is Artist Guest of Honor John Picacio's "The 13th Reality", the alternate cover illustration for The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner.

Be sure to pick up your shirt at the t-shirt booth in the hotel lobby this April during Norwescon 35!

Norwescon 36 Room Cancellation Policy

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:54:58 GMT

Changes are coming to our hotel room reservation policy. To see what to expect starting with Norwescon 36 in 2013, please see this blog post.

Guest of Honor Banquet Tickets Now Available

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:37:54 GMT

Norwescon 35 is pleased to offer our annual Guest of Honor Awards Banquet on April 5th, 2012, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in Grand Ballroom 2. This is a great way for our members to start off the convention by wining and dining with our Guests of Honor. We look forward to you joining us for a delicious dinner and hearing what our guests have to say. Come and learn about the scholarships Norwescon is donating, and perhaps you will even win a raffle prize!

Ticket and menu information can be found on the Banquet page.

Norwescon 35 December 10th Meeting Announcement

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:17:44 GMT