Re: [UUPoly-L] UUPA literature at SF conventions

[alan7388 <alan7388@gmail.com>]

Victor,

Thanks for the suggestions! I don't know the flavors of most of the
cons, and that's the kind of advice I'm looking for.

If I'm going to carry the ball, this is what I have in mind to do:
Create a calendar of the large and/or appropriate cons. Find out who's
in charge of the freebie tables. Ten days beforehand, mail this person
a small packet of handouts -- from UUPA and probably other poly
organizations -- with a note asking that they be put out. Maybe with a
comment about the overlap that exists between science fiction/fantasy
fandom and poly interest.

Suggestions for proceeding? Where can I find the best con calendar?
Could you go through such a calendar and tick off particular ones to
include or skip?

Thanks,

Alan M.


> From: Victor Raymond <vraymond@iastate.edu>
> To: uupoly-l@uupa.org
> Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:52:26 -0600
> Subject: Re: [UUPoly-L] UUPA literature at SF conventions
> Dear Alan,
>
> SF conventions are a diverse bunch.  Arisia, for example, is a major
> regional convention, getting a broad base of attendees across a wide
> range of interests.  Similar conventions would include:
>    * Convergence, usually July 4th weekend, in Minneapolis-St. Paul
> (attendance somewhere around 2500-2700)
>    * Norwescon, in Seattle (attendance somewhere around 2000 or more)
>
> ...but there are smaller, more focused conventions, handling
> different interests:
>    * Wiscon, "world's foremost feminist SF convention" - Memorial
> Day weekend, in Madison, WI (attendance around 1000)
>    * Readercon, on the East Coast, fairly small (I've never been,
> but you may have gone)
>    * Potlatch, a fundraiser for Clarion West, rotates around the
> West Coast, medium sized
>    * ...and many, many others.
>
> The trade-off is between size of convention and likely
> attendees.  Larger cons are great for spreading the word, but the
> vast range of interests ensures that a relatively small number will
> be interested.  The smaller conventions work a little better, *if*
> you pick one with a compatible focus - Wiscon might be a good fit,
> for example.  You probably know about all of this anyway, so I'll
> leave it at one more point:  having programming at the convention
> related to poly themes is the best way to ensure people will pick up
> flyers.  Since a lot of SF speculates about changes in human society
> in the future and in fantasy settings, this is pretty easy to do.
>
> Maybe a discussion here of worthwhile panel topics and how to take
> them to conventions might be a good idea?
>
> Victor
>
>
> At 04:03 PM 1/21/2008, you wrote:
>>
>> I just got back from the Arisia science fiction convention in Boston,
>> attendance 2,000. The con had three well-attended poly panels, 50 - 70
>> people at each.
>>
>> On the freebie literature rack by the registration desk, I put out
>> several bunches of flyers about different poly groups and events.
>> Interesting datum: The UUPA flyer (the one titled "Polyamory in
>> Liberal Religion") got picked up by convention-goers quite a bit
>> faster than any of the others (a Poly Boston flyer, a general-purpose
>> "What is polyamory?" handout, one for the upcoming Poly Living con in
>> Philadelphia, and one for Florida Poly Retreat put there by someone
>> else).  This despite the fact that SF fandom is highly irreligious (by
>> American mainstream standards) and UUism has nothing to do with
>> science fiction (though one could argue).
>>
>> A similar experiment at last year's Arisia had the same result.
>>
>> This says to me that we oughta routinely get our flyers onto the
>> freebie racks at SF cons. Anyone know how to do this by mail? Anyone
>> wanna pick up this ball and run with it? Or suggest how I could?
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Alan