Hello from Carrie and Betsy, your co-chairs for WisCon32, and welcome to this issue of eCube.
We know it's a little early to think about tromping all over downtown Madison in your summer finest (since here in the Midwest as I write this, it is -7f/-22c!) but things behind the scenes are ramping up. Emails are flying, planners are planning, and aren't you glad WisCon isn't in January?
Betsy,
for Betsy and Carrie, your WisCon 32 co-chairs
There's been a great deal of anxiety over hotel rooms lately; please allow me to clarify the situation as best I can.
The Concourse is sold out.
Although they claim that they are not sold out, we believe that the rooms they are selling are being "overbooked", i.e., counting on cancellations. The overbooked rooms are being offered at the regular rate of something like $200/night. If you do not wish to pay $200 per night, I strongly suggest you book a room at the Inn on the Park (800-285-8000 or 608-285-8053.)
Why did we sell out so early? Honestly, we have no idea; it's never happened this early before. I could speculate that, perhaps, a number of people reserved more rooms than they actually needed, "just in case a friend needed one." Sadly, if they do not cancel an extra room before the cut-off date, which is April 23, people awaiting a room will be forced to either pay $200 per night, or book into the Inn on the Park.
We are working on a solution for next year; frankly, this took the ConCom as much by surprise as it did all of you. I ask that you all please remember that the Concom are all volunteers; not only do we not get paid to put on WisCon, but we have to buy memberships to get in just like you do.
We're doing the best we can to solve these problems. It is entirely possible that we might not be able to change this situation for this year, so take that into account when making your travel plans. If you already know that you can't come this year and you have a room reserved, or if you have extra "just-in-case" rooms set aside, please cancel them ASAP to give someone else a chance to be in the hotel.
Thank you,
Bill Bodden
Hotel Liaison, WisCon 32
WARNING - the window of opportunity to augment WisCon 32's programming with your own fabulous, scintillating and insightful program ideas is about to close! Suggestions submitted through January 31 will be considered for inclusion in this year's programming, but after that date, they'll go into the hopper for the 2009 convention.
What are we looking for when we ask you to submit ideas? In your proposal, we'd like to see at least implicit, but preferably explicit, recognition of and engagement with an expansive definition of feminism. Proposals for WisCon programming should be attentive to issues of gender, sexuality, "race," class, ability, and other issues of oppression and/or identity politics. We do not expect everyone to share common analyses of the problems and solutions posed, but we do expect respectful dialogue as our baseline. We hope this provides a useful context in which to share your passion for discussing all of these issues in the context of feminism and science fiction-whether your take is utopian, dystopian, pragmatic or ambivalent. We all want to take pleasure in thoughtful and well-informed programming. We encourage innovative programming ideas that engage audience members, and that continue and further the discussion post-con.
Don't delay - go to http://www.wiscon.info/ACprogramplanform.php today, and tell us what YOU want to see at WisCon this year.
Aaron Lichtov & Lori Selke, Programming Co-Chairs
If you are seeking free party space for your open WisCon 32 party, get your request in quickly. The deadline for requesting a suite is February 1st. Your email gets you onto the "request list", and then early in February you will be contacted as to whether you've been awarded a suite.
When you send in your request, please include information about what you are celebrating or promoting, contact information for all your party's key participants, whether you have a preference for a particular evening, and whether you would consider co-hosting a party with another organization.
Email all this to parties32@wiscon.info, and we'll get back to you as quickly as possible. (If you have already emailed us but did not get a note back, please email us again in case you fell into email no-man's-land.)
Tracy Benton, Parties Chair
One of the best parts of WisCon 31's souvenir book was the collection of heartfelt memories collected by editor Amy Hanson. Well, Amy will not be attending WisCon 32 and is not editing the program book, but we'd like to continue the tradition she began of reprinting memories from attendees of the previous WisCon.
So, please send us your memories! Did you have an interesting encounter with Laurie Marks or Kelly Link? Would you like to share an insight about how WisCon has changed your life? Did you experience one of those "wow, I'm glad I saw that" moments last May?
Short anecdotes or longer conreports will all be considered. Send memories to souvenirbook32@wiscon.info. Thanks!
P.S. The amazing Alison Anderson will again design the souvenir book.
If you have a room reserved at the Concourse already, and you stay up late every night at the parties, how would you like to have a convenient 6th-floor sleeping room?
Not everybody is cut out to live the wild life on the 6th floor; the Concourse tries hard to put those who want "a quiet room" somewhere else. But if you weren't planning on going to bed before 2AM anyway, why not sleep right on the party floor?
If the idea of simply walking a few yards and falling into bed appeals to you, please email us to let us know. (And for those of you running parties... it's really convenient to just carry your boxes a few doors down to set up!)
It'll be first come, first serve for the night owls. Drop an email to rooms32@wiscon.info and hoot.
Please check the eCube Archive for previous issues of eCube (at http://www.wiscon.info/progressreports.php)
For quicker response, contact the department directly:
Update your Mailing Address: maillist32@wiscon.info
Academic Programming: academic32@wiscon.info
Access: access32@wiscon.info
Advertising: advertising32@wiscon.info
Art Show: artshow32@wiscon.info
Childcare: childcare32@wiscon.info
Dealers Room: dealers32@wiscon.info
Disability Inclusion Services: access32@wiscon.info
Freebie Table Items: freebietable32@wiscon.info
The Gathering: gathering32@wiscon.info
Hotel Rooms rooms32@wiscon.info
Logistics: logistics32@wiscon.info
Newsletter (At-Con): newsletter32@wiscon.info
Parties: parties32@wiscon.info
Programming: program32@wiscon.info
Readings: readings32@wiscon.info
Registration: registration32@wiscon.info
Souvenir Book: souvenirbook32@wiscon.info
Sustainability: carbon32@wiscon.info
SignOut: SignOut32@wiscon.info
Tiptree Bakesale: bakesale32@wiscon.info
Tiptree Auction: auction32@wiscon.info
Treasurer: payment32@wiscon.info
Volunteers:volunteers32@wiscon.info
Web Page: web32@wiscon.info
Writers' Workshop: workshop32@wiscon.info
Not sure who: concom32@wiscon.info
Karen Moore
24 January 2008