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At-convention Prices Extended through 3/31/08

Our Filemaker host is experiencing technical problems that have prevented us from generating the new reg database for Escapade 2009. We hope to have it sorted out this weekend. As a result of this SNAFU, we are extend the at-convention rate (only for people who were members of Escapade 2008) until 3/31/08. We’ll send a message as soon as the new database is working.

At-convention pricing is $85 for membership, $35 for dealers tables. You can always send a check to: Escapade, P.O. Box 1753, Goleta, CA  93116. Or you can paypal the money to info@escapadecon.net.

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Escapade Debt Retired, with Our Thanks

As you all know, Escapade had a potentially huge shortfall this year and we asked for your support to help retire the debt. The support was… phenomenal. So generous that we were deeply moved by your contributions. The total amount contributed to retire the Escapade debt was $2,456.

And then we lucked out with the hotel. Due to some very sharp negotiating from Charlotte, we reached a settlement that was covered by our initial contract plus an mount far less than the $5,000 Jenn feared and, in fact, far less than the $2,456 you contributed.  So. If you wrote a check directly for the debt retirement fund, we have torn up your check and will contact you privately. THANK YOU—we’re grateful for your support, and grateful that we are able to return it to you. If you contributed via the art show charity auction (thereby receiving a valuable service *g*), or in cash, any remaining funds are in a kitty that we’re trying to decide what to do with. More on this below. If you contributed in your pre-reg check for 2009, we can refund you by check or paypal, or place your contribution in the kitty to be discussed below. We will contact you privately via email and act per your wishes. Again, our thanks to all of you.

WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO. So. We have approximately $600 in cash remaining in the debt retirement kitty, and no clear idea to whom this money belongs. Because part of our negotiation involved a much more strict contract for next year (that we believe we’ll be fine with—we were very careful about our room guarantees and such), it might be wisest to leave this money sitting in case there is a shortfall next year. If there is NOT a shortfall (and we should know this based on room blocks by early February of next year), those of you who so generously contributed would be “sponsors” for the post-convention dead dog party, with some really nice food and drink. If there is a shortfall, then the hotel would get it anyway. 😉

We’re open to ideas about how to identify contributors and return the money to you, or to any other thoughts you have on what to do with the remains of the contribution. To those of you who contributed, please email us with your thoughts or comment here or on the con LJ, and let us know what you’d like us to do.

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Post-convention Hangover…

Well, it’s almost 96 hours since we finished negotiating with the hotel to close out the bill for Escapade 2008, and we’re already in the planning stages for Escapade 2009. There has been much sleeping, and some re-engagement with real life.

Closing out 2008 includes:

  • Mailing art (and payment) to non-attending artists – DONE
  • Mailing vids to non-attending vidders – scheduled for this weekend
  • Mailing reg packets and vids to supporting members – scheduled for this weekend
  • Making the bank deposit (DONE) and closing the books – scheduled for this weekend

Planning 2009 includes:

  • Creating a new database (with enhancements per comments from attendees) – this weekend
  • Choosing dates – today
  • Update critical information on the website – this weekeend
  • Begin plan to revise & expand the website info – rest of the month
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Panel Ballot Results

Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out your panel ballot. Here are the top-chosen panels, along with a few of the write-ins that sounded interesting. The topics in red were popular, but no one volunteered to lead them. If they’re not adoped in the next 24 hours, they’ll be dropped from the schedule, and others will be promoted in their place. Would you like to lead one of these? Comment here, or drop a note to info@escapadecon.net.
Continue reading “Panel Ballot Results”

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Escapade Panel Ballot

It’s crazy late for this, but some of the best ideas came in at the last minute! So, the ballot is finally done, and it’s time for you to do your part. Let us know what panels you’d like to attend, and which you’d be willing to lead. The ballot is here. Deadline for responses is Wednesday 2/27 at noon (PST). Vote. Now!

ETA: You can preview the results here.

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Panel Suggestions?

Okay, I get that I’m totally the cause, but I need to point out that we have a dearth of panel suggestions for Escapade 2008. Right now, we wouldn’t have to hold a ballot at all. I don’t think that’s the convention you want to attend. So, here’s what we have so far. If you don’t see your fandom represented (or the general topic you’re dying to discuss, or the workshop you can’t wait to lead) listed here, it’s up to you to suggest it. Remember, you don’t have to lead the panels you suggest (though that does often make things easier). Here are the panel suggestions received so far:

Type Fandom Title Source
Fandom FNL Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons: the gender politics of Friday Night Lights kassrachel
Fandom HP Whither Potter Fandom? Tree Wishes
Fandom HL Religion/Spiritual beliefs on HL MacGeorge
Fandom SGA The Women of Atlantis Sinead
Fandom SGA Hey, Let’s Build A ‘Ship! Sinead
Fandom SGA Stargate Atlantis: crack!fic, AUs, and characterization, oh my! kassrachel
Fandom TW Fantastic In Every Way? Melina
Fandom TW The Long, Strange Trip of Captain Jack (The Sequel) Melina
General   Immortality, just a dramatic device, or something more deep-seated in the human psyche? MacGeorge
General   Wayback Machine kassrachel
General   What we want to talk about NOW? kassrachel
General   He’s not Heavy, He’s my Brother KadyMae
General   You got meta in my squee! Dail
General   Slashability Tree Wishes
General   The thrill is gone — are slashy shows a thing of the past century? Katharine Scarritt
General   So, if your characters wrote fanfic… what would they write? Killa
Tech/Workshop   How to find and use free stuff on the web. Tree Wishes
tech/workshop   Point of View: Stop Bashing the “I”: It Makes the Contacts Hurt. pir8fancier
tech/workshop   Photoshop 101 Thalia
Tech/Workshop   Going Analog who?:

So, get with the program and make some suggestions! Remember to include type (general/fandom/tech), title, description (omitted from this list for space) and your badge name so I can contact you if I have questions.

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Submission of Songvid Info Fixed

Due to an error in the permissions structure, the submission of songvid info was not working. That’s been fixed now. To enter your vid info, you’ll need to log into the reg database. If you don’t haven’t recieved login info yet, you may need to create a new record. Just click the “Sign Up/Sign In” link at the right side of this page, and then select Guest Account, and follow the directions. If you’re a non-attending vidder, be sure to put that information in the notes field, so I don’t start hassling you to pay your reg balance.

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Happy New Year from Escapade!

Just a quick progress report to bring things up to speed.

Panels. It’s time to begin submitting your suggestions for panels. This is where the convention really begins to take shape, and it’s your opportunity to have it reflect your current interests. Look around at the topics that you’ve been discussing in groups or on LJ, wanting to discuss, or the unanswered (fannish) questions that have been preying on your mind.

The things to include with your suggestions are:

  1. Category: general, fandom-specific, tech/workshop
  2. Title. Note: Catchy titles get more votes. Panels with more votes are more likely to make the final cut.
  3. Description. Two or three sentences about the panel.
  4. Your badge name.

You can submit them any of the following ways:

  1. Respond to this post on the Escapade page
  2. Comment to this post on LJ
  3. Email to info@escapadecon.net with Panel Suggestion in the subject line.

Deadline for panel suggestions is January 23.

Once we’ve collected the panel suggestions, we’ll conduct online voting for the most popular panels, and begin creating the Escapade schedule.

Hotel Update.We’ve heard from some people that they’ve had trouble getting the rooms they want at the hotel at the convention rate ($125/night). I just spoke with our hotel representative today, and they have made more double rooms available at this rate. If you already booked your room and did not get the convention rate, please call the hotel. They should be able to accommodate you. Those of you who have not yet reserved your room, please do so as soon as possible, as the hotel is expected to fill up well before the convention weekend. We want to make sure you have a place to stay.

Escapade Scholarship. Each year we are delighted to offer a scholarship to someone who’s never attended Escapade before. We love to have new faces (and voices) at the convention. If you know someone who’s active in fandom (in the past we’ve had writers, vidders, artists, and essayists) that you think would be an asset to our community, let us know! Also, we gratefully accept contributions from the membership to help defray the cost of bringing this person to the convention. If you’d like to make a contribution to the scholarship fund, we’ll be adding a link to the Charity page on the Escapade site.

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Getting Logged In to the Database

The content of the Escapade site is available without the need to login. However, to access registration information, you will need to log in using your unique username and password. Access the registration database by clicking the Sign up/Sign in for Escapade! link at the right of this page, not the “Login” link at the bottom of the page. That’s for page maintenance, and yes, we’re going to try to move it or change the text so it’s not so confusing. Login information went out by email. If you didn’t receive an email but think you should have drop us a line and we’ll get you hooked up.