July 19, 2009 - 11:00am:   Notes from the AU Panel

For those not at the con who may be following the community -- these notes came from suggestions given by con attendees; this is by no means a definitive list, and people are welcome to add suggestions in the comments. :)

( Categories + Titles of AUs We Love, Hate and Boggle At )

  July 14, 2009 - 5:58pm:   Notes for Dealers -- Goodies on Offer -- Weather Forecast

Notes for Dealers (and the folks who are selling things at Orphan Sales)

* Dealers may begin setting up at 8:30 on Friday morning; if you're going to be setting up much later than NOON, can you send me an email so that I do know when to expect you? I can be reached at gblvr169@gmail.com. (Mysti, you may come in as early as 8:30 on Saturday morning, if you'd like -- please let me know?)

* If you're attending the con, and dropping off items for Orphan Sales, you may do so starting at 9:00 on Friday morning.

* If you're not attending the con (or are a local who is only attending on Saturday/Sunday) and you are dropping off items for Orphan Sales, you may do so Thursday evening; you can get the name to ask for at the front desk from the post on the mailing list.

If you have *any* questions at all about set-up, etc., please let me know, either here, or via email.

Goodies on Offer

Just like last time, we have a great selection of Pros merchandise, from zines to videos to knitting needles to art prints.... Dealers this year include:

*Sisters of the IDIC -- lovingly pre-owned items, including zines, printed circuit materials and collectibles
*Equinoxe -- DVDs of various movies and series featuring Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins, as well as collectibles (on the Orphan Table)
*P.R. Zed -- slash zines, including the premiere of a Pros slash novel
*Agent With Style (on Saturday only) -- both slash and gen zines - for titles, see their website at www.agentwithstyle.com
*Print Shop -- the print shop will have prints available from the collections of Suzan Lovett, Lorraine Brevig and others
*Orphan Sales -- new and used zines, Pros merchandise and collectibles

Weather Forecast (assume humidity on all days)

Jul 16 Thursday
Scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low 70s.

Jul 17 Friday
Isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

Jul 18 Saturday
Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

Jul 19 Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s.

Jul 20 Monday
Isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

A reminder for those that chill easily -- area businesses tend to run their air conditioning on the cold side, so you may want to pack a sweater. We don't anticipate having problems in the con suite, though, as we control the thermostat there. ;-)

--

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!

Heather (gblvr)

  July 10, 2009 - 5:43am:   Panel survey - last call (and website updates...)

I've extended the panel survey for one day - it'll be up all through today. There are still some of you who are registered for the con but not yet filled it out - so please go to the survey and vote for the topics you want to talk about!

The final, detailed con schedule, with panel topics, will hopefully, be up on the site by Sunday night. In the meantime, I've put a rough schedule up so you can see how the weekend will go (pretty much the same as last time).

Also, remember that you can see a list of some of the great Pros stuff that'll be available for you to spend your hard-earned cash on the Dealer List page of the website.

These are the main dealers; there will be lots and lots and lots of other goodies on the Orphan Sales Table, too - gblvr, my faithful minion and organizer of all things Dealer, will give a more detailed report about that next week.

And the turnout for the dinner looks awesome!

  July 7, 2009 - 3:56pm:   Group dinner Saturday

The Saturday night group dinner was a huge hit last time, so it's definitely on for this year as well! I figured we'd go to the same place, since everyone seemed pretty happy with it. It's called the Greene Turtle - it labels itself a "sports bar," but it has a varied and surprisingly good menu, moderately priced, with options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. They'll also put us in an area pretty much by ourselves, either at one long table (like last time) or a few very large tables - so we can talk Pros without having to be careful of kiddies listening in! *g*

You can see the full menu here.

The restaurant is a five minute walk from the hotel. I've personally done the walk and eaten at the restaurant, so I'm speaking from experience. If there is anyone for whom such a walk would pose difficulties, I will have a car that seats five, and I imagine others will have cars, as well.

I've already reserved the night, but I need to get a more solid idea of our numbers. This would be on Saturday night, around 6pm - after panels but before the quiz (once again, the team Pros quiz will be Saturday night's major event!). If there isn't a sufficient number of people, I'll need to modify our reservation so they don't reserve the entire area for us. But I'm hoping most of you who are attending will want to come - it was so much fun last time.

So if this appeals, please speak up (by emailing me or posting on the mailing list)!

  July 6, 2009 - 5:34am:   Panel Survey now up! Please vote!!

Okay, panel suggestions are now closed, and I've put up the panel survey - if you're coming to the con, please, please, please go to the link and take the survey (just once! *g*), so we can select the panels that are of most interest to you. And if you're interested in leading any of the listed panels, please note that that's one of the options!

In order to give adequate time to find panel moderators, make the program, etc., the panel survey will be close Thursday at midnight (That's July 9) - so you have four days in which to do it. As there are only about 19 choices, this should be plenty of time!

You can find the survey here:

http://cqcon.com/surveys/panel_survey_2009.html

There is a also a link to it from the Panel Suggestion page of the website.

If you have any questions or problems, post on the mailing list or email me!

  July 4, 2009 - 9:16am:   Last call for panel suggestions!

Okay, folks, remember - the panels for the con are going to be chosen from the panels you suggest! You can see the suggestions that have been made so far here - and there's still room for quite a few more. If you have something you want to talk about, or if these topics don't appeal to you, now is the time to make your own suggestion!

I'm going to close down the panel suggestion form tomorrow - Sunday, July 5 - in the evening some time so I can set up the panel survey to allow enough time to set up the schedule and assign panel moderators. You get to decide what you want to talk about - so make your suggestions before it's too late!

Again, to make a suggestion, go to the Panel Suggestion page of the CQ website and click the "Suggest a Panel" button. As you can see from the list of panels, your email address will not show in the list.

  June 25, 2009 - 8:54am:   Orphan Dealers Table

If you have a small-ish number of used zines or other Pros-related fannish items you might want to bring to the con to sell, but you don't want to buy a dealers' table; or if you are not coming to the con but would like to sell your Pros zines or other Pros-related fannish items at the con, the con can host your items for sale on the Orphan Dealers Table.

Full information about the Orphan Dealers Table, and how to get your items on it, is on the cqcon website. In short, you need to:

1) Set your prices and label each item with the item name, your display name, and the price (e.g., with a sticky note).

2) Fill out the Orphan Sales Form. You can get to the form by clicking the button at the bottom of this page. This is very important! This is how the information about you and your items gets into the database. The form is checked against the items you send. And this is how we'll ensure you are paid for the items that are sold, and that the items that are not are returned to you.

3) Either mail your items in advance (the address will appear when you fill out the Orphan Sales Form, or you can email me), or bring them to the con with you. If you mail them, they must be RECEIVED by July 9.

Make sure you include your Orphan Sales Form with your items.

The con will take 10% of the proceeds of sales of items off the Orphan table. The rest will be paid to you by check. Unsold items will be returned to you by the method you specify - you can either pick them up from the con on Sunday or have them sent to you.

If you have any questions, feel free to post on the mailing list, or email me at justacat at cqcon dot com - or even better, my fabulous minion, gblvr, at dealers at cqcon dot com!

  June 18, 2009 - 8:30am:   It's time to start thinking about PANELS!

The con is only a month away... (And btw, today is the very last day to get the con rate at the hotel - so if you haven't made your reservations, do it now!) So it's definitely time to start thinking about panels. You're going to be surrounded by other B/D fanatics; now's your chance to help decide what you want to talk about with them.

It's time to start making suggestions, and the con website is set up to take them. So go to the "Programming" section of the website and
click on "Panel Suggestions" (the direct link is here). There's a button at the top that says "Suggest a Panel". When you click on it, the Panel Suggestion Form comes up.

Fill out the form with your email address - if you're registered for the con (which you don't have to be to make a suggestion), please use the email you used to register - the panel topic, and a description. (Your email address will not show up on the website - I'm the only one
who will see that.)

IMPORTANT: If you want to lead/moderate the panel, or would be willing to do so, please indicate this (there's a button to check). Every panel will need a moderator to guide the discussion. Experience with panel modding is great, but not required; if you're a first-time modder, we can give you tips to get you started or pair you withsomeone more experienced. Again, your input on this question on the form won't show up on the website; I'm the only one who will see it.)

The site will be open to take panel suggestions through July 4 or so - then I'll set up a poll (non-LJ) to enable all of you (well, those who are registered) to vote for your favorites among the suggested topics...

Feel free to post on the mailing list if you have comments or questions about panel topics, or if you see one that you'd be interested in moderating.

  November 13, 2008 - 4:52pm:   Close Quarters 2009!

I'm happy to announce that the second Close Quarters is open for registration! The dates are July 17-19, 2009, and you can register by going to the con website, http://www.cqcon.com, and clicking on the Registration button on the left side (or click here for a direct link).

Registration costs are:

$50 for the full con (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
$25 for any single day
$20 for a supporting membership

You can pay by Paypal or check; all information is on the site.

***NOTE: If you registered for CQ2007, please, please, please, if at all possible, use the same email address and/or name when registering for CQ2009! This will help preserve my sanity. *g* ***

Hotel and travel information is also on the site. The room rate is the same as last time - $99, which includes a full breakfast, and the hotel is currently taking reservations for the con - our room block isn't large, so if you plan to attend you might want to make your arrangements early.

The Close Quarters Mailing List is the place to ask questions, make suggestions, engage in discussion - whatever you want; all announcements and information relating to the con will also be posted there (I'll be posting only major announcments on this livejournal). Also feel free to email me any time with questions or for more information (contact information is in the LJ community profile and on the CQ website).

More announcements to come, of course - and I'll be looking for dealers of Pros-related merchandise, so anyone who is interested, or who knows someone who might be, please contact me.

Hope all of you will be there! :-)

  January 28, 2008 - 11:33am:   Vid show DVD update

I am going to make an official post about CQ 2009 very soon, but meanwhile, this is an update for those of you who have been waiting so, so patiently for your vid show DVDs...

I can't apologize enough for how long this has taken. The delay has been attributable to one of the remastered vids, which hadn't been approved by the vidder before being shown at the con (she'd told me to go ahead and show it, but she hadn't reviewed it carefully), and it turned out it wasn't quite right, because I'd been remastering it from a draft version.

She - and I - really wanted to include the vid on the DVD, so we've been working to fix this. It's been a much longer, slower process than I'd hoped. And the longer it took, the more reluctant I was to give up - the more I was determined not to put out the DVD without that vid after we'd put so much time into it! Slightly circular logic, I know, but...it's a great vid!

So anyway - I was about to give up, but then we turned a crucial corner. We're not quite done yet, but it does appear that we are down to the very end, and the wait is almost over. If all goes well, the final vid will be done very soon, and then it will not take long to put together the DVDs.

Meanwhile, the vidder has asked me to convey her personal apologies, and I am offering mine as well. I feel terrible that this has taken so long - you've all shown patience beyond the call, and I'm so grateful for it. Thank you!

(And if anyone who didn't order the DVD at the con is interested, drop me a line - justacat@cqcon.com.)

  July 17, 2007 - 4:00pm:   Notes for Dealers

As justacat posted earlier, the schedule is up, and I have some additional notes for Dealers and the folks who are selling things at Orphan Sales....

* Dealers may begin setting up at 8:30 on Friday morning; if you're going to be setting up much later than NOON, can you send me an email so that I do know when to expect you? I can be reached at gblvr@yahoo.com.

* If you're attending the con, and dropping off items for Orphan Sales, you may do so starting at 9:00 on Friday morning.

* If you're not attending the con (or are a local who is only attending on Saturday/Sunday) and you are dropping off items for Orphan Sales, you may do so Thursday evening; you can get the name to ask for at the front desk from the post on the mailing list.

If you have *any* questions at all about set-up, etc., please let me know, either here, or via email.

And now it's back to the ovens....

  July 17, 2007 - 11:40am:   Schedule and other important stuff!

1) The final schedule has now been posted! It's a bit later than I'd intended, and I'm sorry about that. But everything's on track, and you can see the schedule here: http://cqcon.com/index.php?page=Schedule.

Note that when you mouse over the panel topics and other events in the schedule that are links (like the Quiz and the Vid Show, and Slash Pictionary), you get a more detailed description in a fancy little box (I am very proud of this! *g*).

If anyone has questions, comments, or complaints, post on the mailing list or email me. Well...maybe go easy with the complaints! ;-)

Important point to note: if you are coming in Thursday night, come hang out at CQ HQ - that's mine and gblvr's room; you can get the name to ask for at the front desk from the post on the mailing list. You can register early (even help assemble your own registration package! *g*), watch eps and vids, assuming we get the technology working, and possibly be put to work. But in a fun way.


2) Thanks to those who have volunteered so generously to be panel mods (and thanks, everyone, for filling out the survey - as it turned out, there were some overwhelming favorites, so the decision wasn't difficult at all!). I could still use a bit of help here, though. First, is there anyone familiar with Pros AUs who'd be willing to co-mod the AU panel with gblvr on Sunday at 1pm? And second, is there anyone who'd like to either lead the panel on Themes and Tropes in Pros Fanfiction (Friday 3:30), or co-mod it with me? Panel modding does require a bit of preparation, and time is the one thing I'm in short supply of right now!

If either of those sound interesting to you, let me know.


3) Volunteers... A few of you have kindly and generously offered your services, but I still need some people to help over the course of the con with manning the orphan dealers table and registration table and helping to keep the food supply replenished. This could be nothing more than an hour-long stint or two, and as the con is all in one moderately sized room, you'd never be far from the action.

Anyone willing to do this, let me know - and let me know also what days/times would work best for you, now that the schedule's up, or whether you're happy to be an "on call" sort of helper.


4) If you have questions about anything having to do with the con, now's the time to ask! :-)

  July 12, 2007 - 1:48pm:   Programming and Panel Survey Reminder

The final schedule won't be posted until the panels are decided - and reminder, the panel survey closes tonight at midnight tonight, so if you haven't voted and you'd like to have a say, now's the time to do it!

But I thought it would be nice to give you an idea of how the weekend will go, so you can make plans - and anticipate. *g* So I've posted a rough schedule of programming and events on the website, here.

It doesn't give exact times yet, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what's going on and when things are happening!

  July 8, 2007 - 1:01pm:   Panel Survey Now Up! Please Vote!

Okay, panel suggestions are now closed, and I've put up the panel survey - if you're coming to the con, please, please, please go to the link and take the survey (just once! *g*), so we can select the panels that are of most interest to you. And if you're interested in leading any of the listed panels, please note that that's one of the options!

In order to give adequate time to find panel moderators, make the program, etc., the panel survey will close Thursday at midnight - so you have five days in which to do it. As there are only about 15 choices, this should be plenty of time!

You can find the survey here: http://cqcon.com/surveys/panel_survey_2007.html.

There is a also a link to it from the Panel Suggestions page of the website.

If you have any questions or problems, post on the mailing list or email me.

Thanks!

  July 5, 2007 - 4:36pm:   Group Dinner Saturday

A few of you mentioned being interested in a group dinner. I've looked into the options in the area with Heather, who is my trusty and invaluable helper and a fairly recent Pros convert (you all can help finish the job! *g*), and come up with what looks to be a good choice. It's called the Greene Turtle - it labels itself a "sports bar," but it has a varied and surprisingly good menu, moderately priced, with options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, and particularly good crab cakes (which someone mentioned) - not quite the same as going into Annapolis and eating them in a crab shack right on the Bay, but since that's not really viable, this seems a reasonable alternative. It also has an area set aside that we could have entirely to ourselves, rather than separate tables - so we could even talk Pros without having to be careful of the kiddies at the next table! *g*

You can see the full menu on the website, which is here: http://www.greeneturtle.com/laurel/.

The restaurant is a five minute walk from the hotel. I've personally done the walk and eaten at the restaurant, so I'm speaking from experience. If there is anyone for whom such a walk would pose difficulties, I will have a car that seats five, and I imagine others will have cars, as well.

Does this sound appealing? I've tentatively reserved the night, but in order to commit I need to get a rough idea of the level of interest. This would be on Saturday night, probably around 6pm - after panels but before the quiz (the team Pros quiz will be Saturday night's major event!). If there isn't a sufficient number of people, we could still do something, but we won't be able to reserve that area.

So if this appeals, speak up! :-)

  July 5, 2007 - 1:55pm:   A few reminders

Two bits of business:

1) Panels again! We have about 12-13 panel suggestions now, for a total of roughly 7 panel spots. I'm going to keep the panel suggestion form open through Saturday; Sunday I'll be putting up a panel poll, which will stay open through Wednesday.

So...everyone please take a look at what's up there and make sure the things you want to talk about are represented! In particular, earlier in the year a number of people mentioned that they wanted to discuss topics pertaining to writing Pros, but there are no specifically writing-related suggestions up there. We have a number of really skilled and talented authors coming; I'm guessing some of them would be willing to share and discuss experience and impart advice, but someone has to suggest the topic first. (I feel reluctant to suggest this sort of topic myself, since I am so thoroughly not a fiction writer and have little idea what writers might want to talk about!).

Or if there's anything else you've had a yen to talk about, put it up there! It doesn't have to be serious or deep, and no one will ever know you suggested it (well, except me, and I'm not telling *g*). The more options the better; don't be shy - sublime or ridiculous, we'll take it all, as long as it has to do with Pros!

2) Remember that if you have used zines or other Pros-related objects you want to sell on the Orphan Dealers Table, you need to fill out the form, even if you're going to be bringing them to the con yourself and not sending them. If you know you're going to be bringing things, please try to fill out the form as soon as you can, so we have a good idea how much room we're going to need. You can find the link to the form at the bottom of this page: http://cqcon.com/index.php?page=Orphan+Dealers+Table.

And just a warning that you'll probably be hearing more from me in the coming days - feel free to post (on the mailing list) yourselves, if you have questions, suggestions, or just want to talk about the con...

  June 26, 2007 - 5:43pm:   Vids, vids, vids!

Spamming you today... :-) But the con fast approaches, and there's lots to be done; meeting with the hotel rep today to plan the room layout, with trusty (and invaluable) minion gblvr, who's also taking a huge burden off me by handling dealers, galvanized me!

So next on the agenda: vids! I've been working on the vid show, and while I know what I love, I'd love to hear your suggestions/requests. I can't promise to honor every request (depends on formatting, availability, and time, among other things), but - what vids would you like to see, in an ideal world? What are your favorites? Are there any whose omission would cause you to lynch me?

And if anyone is producing, or knows of someone who is producing, a new vid that they'd like shown in the vid show, now is the time to let me know about it...I'm compiling the vid show well in advance of the con, so no last-minute additions will be possible. (Of course, there'll be a tv with vcr and dvd player available at all times in the con room, so it'll still be possible to watch vids that aren't in the show, too.)

Please post your responses on the mailing list rather than here. Thanks!

  June 26, 2007 - 5:14pm:   Orphan Dealers Table

If you have a small number of used zines or other Pros-related fannish items you might want to bring to the con to sell, but you don't want to buy a dealers' table; or if you are not coming to the con but would like to sell your Pros zines or other Pros-related fannish items at the con, the con can host your items for sale on the Orphan Dealers Table.

Full information about the Orphan Dealers Table, and how to get your items on it, is here: www.cqcon.com/index.php?page=Orphan+Sales. In short, you need to:

1) Set your prices and label each item with the item name, your display name, and the price (e.g., with a sticky note).

2) Fill out the Orphan Sales Form. You can get to the form by clicking the button at the bottom of the Orphan Dealers Page of the website. This is very important! This is how the information about you and your items gets into the database. The form is checked against the items you send. And this is how we'll ensure you are paid for the items that are sold, and that the items that are not are returned to you.

3) Either mail your items in advance (the address will appear when you fill out the Orphan Sales Form, or you can email me), or bring them to the con with you. If you mail them, they must be RECEIVED by July 13. Make sure you include your Orphan Sales Form with your items.

The con will take 5% of the proceeds of sales of items off the Orphan table. The rest will be paid to you by check. Unsold items will be returned to you by the method you specify - you can either pick them up from the con on Sunday or have them sent to you.

If you have any questions, feel free to post on the mailing list or email me!

  June 26, 2007 - 4:49pm:   Panels, panels, panels - make your panel suggestions now!

Okay, folks, remember - the panels for the con are going to be chosen from the panels you suggest! So far, all the suggestions are here - and only a very few people have made suggestions. If you have something you want to talk about, or if these topics don't appeal to you, now is the time to make your own suggestion! Back in November some of you were proposing panel topics on the mailing list - just take a moment to enter them on the website, so they appear on the list. I recall a few people mentioning things about writing, for example, and perhaps British culture?

You get to decide what you want to talk about, so take advantage of the opportunity... I need time to assign moderators and make the program in advance, so please, if you have suggestions, if the list that's there right now is lacking something you think would be fun to discuss, get those panel topics in before the end of the month!

Again, to make a suggestion, go to www.cqcon.com/index.php?page=Panel+Suggestions and click the "Suggest a Panel" button. As you can see from the list of panels, your email address will not show in the list.

  June 20, 2007 - 3:48pm:   It's time to think about panels!

The con is only a month away... (And btw, today is the very last day to get the con rate at the hotel - so if you haven't made your reservations, do it now!) So it's definitely time to start thinking about panels. You're going to be surrounded by other B/D fanatics; now's your chance to help decide what you want to talk about with them.

It's time to start making suggestions, and the con website is set up to take them. So don't make your suggestions here! (Or you can, but you also need to put them on the website). Instead, go to the "Programming" section of the website and click on "Panel Suggestions" (the direct link is here). There's a button at the top that says "Suggest a Panel". When you click on it, the Panel Suggestion Form comes up.

Fill out the form with your email address - if you're registered for the con (which you don't have to be to make a suggestion), please use the email you used to register - the panel topic, and a description. (Your email address will not show up on the website - I'm the only one who will see that.)

IMPORTANT: If you want to lead/moderate the panel, or would be willing to do so, please indicate this (there's a button to check). Every panel will need a moderator to guide the iscussion. Experience with panel modding is great, but not required; if you're a first-time modder, we can give you tips to get you started or pair you with someone more experienced. (Again, your input on this question on the form won't show up on the website; I'm the only one who will see it.)

The site will be open to take panel suggestions through the end of June - by that point hopefully I'll have figured out how to set up a non-LJ poll to enable all of you to vote for your favorites among those that have been suggested...

Feel free to post on the mailing list if you have comments or questions about panel topics, or if you see one that you'd be interested in moderating.

  June 8, 2007 - 12:00pm:   In need of your ideas, input, and suggestions

I posted this earlier this week on the closequarters mailing list and just realized I'd forgotten to copy it here! If you've already seen it, feel free to disregard - unless you haven't responded *g*.

So the con is getting closer - much closer! - and it's time for your fearless Con Organizer to start buckling down. But as this is your con - well, our con - and especially since this is the first CQ, what I really want is to know what you want out of it.

Of course panel topics are one aspect of this, and we'll definitely get to that - but right now I'm talking about broader issues of programming. So with that in mind, I have some questions. I'd love to hear your thoughts about any or all of these; they'll help guide me as I (and my minions - of which I'd welcome more, if anyone's so inclined; I'll be asking for volunteers as we get closer...) work to design the con.

1) Art: I'm not sure we're big enough to have a real art auction, this year at least. One possibility is to have an area of the room in which Pros art is exhibited, for show only (not purchase) - would that be of any interest?

What about a print shop? Is there interest in an official table for purchasing prints of Pros art by Lorraine Brevig and/or Suzan Lovett?

2) Vids: I'm assuming there's interest in a vid show - am I right? My proposal, for this year at least, is to have a vid show comprised of an anthology of "favorites" rather than (especially at this late date) requesting submissions.

Any thoughts on an ideal length for a vid show?

Would there be interest, if it was possible (it may not be), in purchasing a DVD of the vid show?

3) Zine library: A local fan has offered to bring her extensive collection of Pros zines for con attendees to borrow and read while at the con. Any interest?

4) T-shirts: Early on, someone mentioned t-shirts with the con logo on them (you can see the logo on the con website). I can't remember who this was... This might be possible, but only if I had commitments to purchase in advance.

5) Programming: How many scheduled panels would you like? This is a small con, with a single track of panels... my thought was to have two panels in the afternoon Friday, and two in the morning and two in the afternoon on Saturday, plus various other activities (an intro panel,
perhaps some games, and evening activities - vid show, quiz). How does this sound? Would you prefer more? Less?


These are some of the issues I've been thinking about, but of course I'd welcome any other thoughts/suggestions/ideas you might have about things you want, or don't, at the con!

And rather than post them as comments to this post, it'd be most helpful if you'd post them on the closequarters mailing list, where everyone can see them. Thanks!

  May 1, 2007 - 2:56pm:   Mini-Progress Report #1

Well, it's May 1, and Close Quarters is less than 3 months away, so I think it's time to start talking! I hope none of you worried about the long silence; this is a very small con, and there was little in the way of serious advance planning required.

I don't really have enough to say material for a progress report in the true sense of the word, but there are a few things I want to let all of you know about the hotel in particular, so I might as well call it a progress report.

1) Hotel. As a reminder, the special con room rate is $99, which includes a full breakfast. This special rate expires on June 20, and the con room block is about half full right now. If you are planning to reserve a room, *please* do so as soon as possible! The hotel tends to fill up in the summer, and if it turns out that I need to try to increase the size of our block, the sooner I know this the better. After June 20, you will not be able to get the $99 rate, and it's highly likely that any rate you're offered will be higher.

Technically the special rate applies Friday and Saturday nights only, but this is an extremely accomodating hotel, unlike the typical large convention hotel, and my contact has assured me that any of you who want it can get the special rate on Thursday and/or Sunday nights as well. If you have problems with this when you make your reservations, please either let me know and I'll take care of it, or call my contact, Susan Ardolini, directly - just call the main hotel number (301/206-2600) and ask for her or for extension 133.

If any of you are looking for roommates, feel free to post on the mailing list (this LJ is for announcements only, not discussion).

2) Dealers. I have a few dealers, but it wouldn't be bad to have a few more. I have a few leads, but if any of you know anyone who has Pros-related merchandise to sell and might be interested in coming, let me know, or send them my way.

3) Volunteers. Any of you who might be interested in helping out at the con, let me know (you can post to the list or drop me an email if you prefer or if you want to know more - justacat at cqcon dot com). This is not going to be a labor-intensive con as they go, and I have a few minions already *g*, but I will need a few folks to do things at the con like man (or woman!) the orphan dealer table, help check people in, etc., in addition to general helpers-out.

I could also possibly use one or two helpers in advance of the con - for example, someone who might be willing to take on the job of handling/coordinating dealers.

Okay, I think that's all the official stuff for the moment. Stay tuned, though, for my next post, which is going to be questions, questions, and more questions: this is *your* con, so it's time to
start thinking about what you want!

And feel free to post to the mailing list - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/closequarters with your questions, suggestions, ideas, or random thoughts about the con (or about anything *g*)...that's the place for discussion. :-)

  November 2, 2006 - 8:04pm:   Welcome... website up, registration open!

So: it's official - Close Quarters is on (July 20-22, 2007), the website is up, and registration is open!

http://www.cqcon.com

A million thanks to Suzan Lovett for the gorgeous logo. Any mistakes you find on the site are mine, and please let me know about them, so I can fix them; you can contact me at my regular email or justacat at cqcon.com.

You can register by clicking on the Registration button. Registration costs are:

$45 for the full con (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
$25 for any single day
$20 for a supporting membership

Supporting memberships are for people who won't be able to make it to the con but want to support it; you'll get all the con materials, including the registration package (program, etc.) and any other goodies that are handed out to attending members. These will be shipped to you (at no cost to you) after the con.

You can pay by Paypal or check; all information is on the site.

****

In addition, there's all sorts of information up there on the Hotel and Travel pages about the con hotel, various ways of getting to the con, etc. I'll probably be repeating lots of it here, since I know not everyone reads the website. ;-)

(By the way, all announcements posted here will also be posted on the Close Quarters mailing list, and hopefully on the Updates section of the website!).

****

You'll be hearing this from me again! :-) - this is a brand new con, and I need to hear from you about what you want! Should we have an art show? an art auction? a print shop? Do you want a vid show? Any ideas for games? How about a group dinner - there are tons of restaurants in easy walking distance. How much programming do you want? Do you want time set aside for episode watching?

You can comment to posts on this LJ, but you can't post - so most discussion of these issues will be happening on the mailing list. Please, join the list, jump in, post with any thoughts or suggestions or ideas or propositions you have! They are desperately needed, and wanted!

****

And please ... spread the word. I'm posting info in every place I can think of that might reach Pros fans who aren't on the main lists but who might be interested in a con, but I'm sure I'm missing some. Feel free to pass the info along to any appropriate list or to anyone you think might be interested. I know there must be people who aren't active in fandom anymore at all but who might like to hear about this sort of thing.

****

And finally, I've also posted a little personal explanation for why I'm doing this - it has a lot to do with obsession with B/D, something I feel fairly certain I'm not alone in feeling... ;-) - and my goals for the con in the "About the con" section of the website.

( Some sappy stuff ... :-) )

I hope to see you there ...

Jessica