# The Konference



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Maybe this has been discussed before. I'm sure it has. It seems too obvious. But I'm bad with the search feature, so I'm doing it anyway.

I want to propose an annual writing conference founded by and run by KBoards. Harvey, Ann, and Betsy will do all of the work, naturally. But I figured we could give them some ideas.

A few of my own:

-- The conference should be designed for two primary groups: Aspiring writers and voracious readers. Neither should have primacy. It would be a place for readers to come and mingle and meet some of their favorite authors. And a place for aspiring writers to come hone their craft or learn industry news. (Not very revolutionary; most good literary conferences cater to these two groups).

-- The conference will have in-depth writing workshops, followed by the more traditional 3-day or 2-day weekend of panels. The former could be paid 5-day writing workshops with a live and an online component. I haven't seen any writing workshops that do this, but I'm sure they exist. The online component would cost less and be provided via G+ Hangout or Skype. You would get the lecture and watch the feedback other attendees receive, but there wouldn't be any guarantee of your writing getting critiqued. I'm thinking of how cool it would be to have people like Bella, Barbara Freethy, Liliana Hart, Elle, Joe, Blake, JA, whoever Harvey could wrangle into coming up with a workshop on some particular topic and then letting the sell-through determine whether the workshop is put on (the Miami book fair does something similar).

-- Workshops on self-publishing, the ins and outs. Part of this would entail the attendee coming with a completed manuscript that has already been edited. By the time the weekend starts, there's a live product and proof copies of physical editions in the mail. Maybe voice actors are encouraged to come to the convention and ACX has a sound booth set up where anyone can pop in and record an audition.

-- The conference would bring together all the experts needed to produce a quality ebook, print book, and audio book. Imagine an "Artists' Row" where we have cover artists set up with their computers. Instead of doing drawings for people as you see at many conventions, authors can sit down, describe their book and their ideas, and then have the cover artist whip up something for a decent rate. The artists could also sell pre-fab covers right there from their booth. It would be a great networking opportunity.

Same for editors, who could sit and go through 15 pages and give examples of their work to prospective clients. One thing that would be really cool here would be to have the manuscripts brought in digitally (on thumb drives or emailed), and let the editor work in a Live Google doc that could be viewed publicly. This could be part of the online content for the convention. Writers could watch in real time to see what sorts of things to work on.

Ebook formatters and print paginators could also have booths to sell their services.

-- There would be tracks on the mechanics of publishing, on marketing, on writing from first word to final draft, on becoming "hybrid" (both the move from self to trad and the other way around). We could even have one panel on traditional publishing in a small room off to the side either early on the Friday when everyone is arriving or late on the Monday when people are flying out. (har har)

-- The host city could move around to give more people a chance to come. It would also be cool to set up a voluntary donation pool or have it part of the expenditures (or both) so that 50 or 100 authors or fans had their travel costs covered, some way to help those most in need.

-- Getting some sponsors would be nice. Maybe even an indie bookstore or library in the host city that would host events and readings leading up to and during the conference. And of course some corporate sponsors like Kobo or Smashwords or KDP or Createspace.

The way the industry is going, and seeing the excitement we had at BEA for our booth of indies, I think Harvey could really make this something special. What do you say, Harvey? And what other ideas does anyone have? Or am I just being dumb again?

(And if anyone sent me an email suggesting this as an idea a few months ago, and I remember the idea but have forgotten the email, or anything like that, chalk it up to jet lag or something. This feels both original and like I heard about it already from somewhere else.)


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

Errr, what about those of us who aren't "aspiring" but not exactly panel material? Huh? Where do we get to play? 
I feel ignored!


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Quiss said:


> Errr, what about those of us who aren't "aspiring" but not exactly panel material? Huh? Where do we get to play?
> I feel ignored!


Who says you're not panel material? I think most panelists would come from member authors here.


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Quiss said:


> Errr, what about those of us who aren't "aspiring" but not exactly panel material? Huh? Where do we get to play?
> I feel ignored!


I'd come to see you on a panel, Quiss!


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

Well, okay. Only if I get to sit next to Joe. Because zombie apocalypse. Be prepared.

Seriously, I would love to attend an event like this, depending on location. (_sotto voce_: New York)

Also, location-wise - picking a nice one in the summer perhaps would give people an opportunity to combine this with an annual vacation or something. So, Fargo in January is WAYYY out.
I hear Toronto is nice


----------



## Dee Ernst (Jan 10, 2011)

There already exists a Self-pub Con in NYC https://www.ibpa-online.org/event/self-publishing-book-expo-2013/ I went one year and did not get much out of it because it did not offer the kinds of panels you suggest. Mainly, it was a bunch of vendors telling writers how much their services were needed, and at what cost. I'd love something like this,really tailored to the author on a real DIY level, but since there is already at least one con already, with some pretty big sponsors, it might be a hard thing to get off the ground.


----------



## RM Prioleau (Mar 18, 2011)

I would love to go to an event like this. But yes, the problem is location since we have members all over the world here.

I would suggest an online convention, but I personally like the in-person experience.


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

Quiss said:


> Errr, what about those of us who aren't "aspiring" but not exactly panel material? Huh? Where do we get to play?
> I feel ignored!


Prawnference?

I'm in. Sometimes kboards feels like an ongoing conference with all the amazing ideas flying around, but it would be great to meet some of the people behind the avatars. I like the online/offline workshop thought too that would allow more people who don't have the cash for travel expenses to participate.

I'd like to submit Hugh Howey as the inaugural keynote speaker.


----------



## Rachel Aukes (Oct 13, 2013)

I'm all for it. And, I believe the most valuable part of the Kon is to network and connect with one another.


----------



## Nathalie Aynie (Nov 24, 2013)

Quiss said:


> Errr, what about those of us who aren't "aspiring" but not exactly panel material? Huh? Where do we get to play?
> I feel ignored!


If Quiss doesn't get a panel, there is going to be serious eye-licking. And not the good kind!


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

RM Prioleau said:


> I would suggest an online convention, but I personally like the in-person experience.


A combination would be nice, I think. It would bring the content-providers into one place.



Dee Ernst said:


> I went one year and did not get much out of it because it did not offer the kinds of panels you suggest.


Yeah, I've been to and have sat in on my share of funky panels. I would suggest a couple things (this is general advice for anyone who sits on a panel, not just for this non-existent-conference): Panels should be geared to *who is in the audience*. I like polling the audience early on in the panel to see if it's mostly fans or aspiring writers and catering the content to those needs. I also think panels should leave lots of Q&A time, but this requires a strong moderator who can squelch those in the audience who want to be heard rather than ask good questions of the panelists. But here's the most important thing I've found: Panels are not places for selling your book. Ever. It's never a good idea. For one thing, there aren't enough people in the audience for the sales to matter. For another thing, it just doesn't come off well. Panels work exactly like a forum does: Those who run around hawking their wares are ignored. Those who dispense helpful advice are the ones that people come up to after the panel and want to spend more time talking to.


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

Quiss said:


> So, Fargo in January is WAYYY out.


Hey....come on it isn't that bad up here...we have minutes of sunshine each day. Plus everyone looks better in giant coats.


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

KeithAllen said:


> Prawnference?
> 
> I'm in. Sometimes kboards feels like an ongoing conference with all the amazing ideas flying around, but it would be great to meet some of the people behind the avatars. I like the online/offline workshop thought too that would allow more people who don't have the cash for travel expenses to participate.
> 
> I'd like to submit Hugh Howey as the inaugural keynote speaker.


Let's not forget after-hours get-togethers. A chance to get into some HUGE arguments featuring Russell, perhaps. Betsy can bring the prod. Drinks, fights, eyeball-licking!


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Nathalie Aynié said:


> If Quiss doesn't get a panel, there is going to be serious eye-licking. And not the good kind!


She could moderate the panel on how to get on panels.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I'd love to help in any way I can.  In the past I've been part of an organization panel for a national conference (but not for writers) and have some experience with coordinating this kind of thing.  I'd like to pitch in and make it happen!


----------



## nico (Jan 17, 2013)

I would certainly be interested in this. I have a lot of friends in the conference organizing world (and i've even run one myself). Not a trivial effort, but i think it would be a great opportunity to knit together this community even tighter. 

Happy to help in any way i can.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Quiss said:


> Let's not forget after-hours get-togethers. A chance to get into some HUGE arguments featuring Russell, perhaps. Betsy can bring the prod. Drinks, fights, eyeball-licking!


HA!! Russell and I would end up drinking buddies after meeting in person.


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Quiss said:


> Let's not forget after-hours get-togethers. A chance to get into some HUGE arguments featuring Russell, perhaps. Betsy can bring the prod. Drinks, fights, eyeball-licking!


The most popular cosplay outfit will certainly be a wig, a quilted cape, and a cattle prod.

I think if the KB regulars all came together on this, it would be a chaotic but cool event that would do some real good for aspiring writers. I think the goal should be to take all that's great about writing conferences (the networking, the good panels, the dealer rooms, the artist corners) and fix the things that often need improvement (trying to really help attendees rather than seeing them as a source for profits, giving actionable advice, putting together solid craft workshops, promoting a dealer room as the heart and soul of a conference rather than a noisy stepchild, and finding space on panels for authors like Quiss).


----------



## AndreSanThomas (Jan 31, 2012)

Prawnference- lol!

In my day job, I used to put on conferences like this for my work.  It takes about 6 months of planning and the hardest part is getting something actually meaty and practical into the mix.  Well, that and picking a lunch meal that doesn't generate more than 10% complaints.

You also need a hunk of seed money to reserve the conference space, enough room for break out sessions and plenary sessions, reliable well-spoken speakers that aren't just doing infomercials for their products, a vendor area for the people that ARE doing infomercials, someone in charge of things like pipe and drape (we had more nightmares over pipe and drape than you can imagine), someone to develop the conference brochure/website, someone to manage the registrations and money and scheduling, someone to interface with the hotel, someone to manage the online component...  It took several hundred hours of work to pull off, and that was with a very well-oiled machine that did them twice a year for over a decade.


----------



## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

I think it's a great idea, and I'd be happy to help coordinate too. I was on the conference committee for several years and then chaired it for a regional conference of about 200 attendees, we had a mix of panels and workshops, and included agents and editors (though we probably wouldn't include that aspect here, or would we for those interested in a hybrid career?).

Love the idea of taking part of it virtual as well. I just watched a seminar that was in a google+ hangout, maybe something like that could work, a live beam into the Konference hangout.

Sounds fun!


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

AndreSanThomas said:


> Prawnference- lol!
> 
> In my day job, I used to put on conferences like this for my work. It takes about 6 months of planning and the hardest part is getting something actually meaty and practical into the mix. Well, that and picking a lunch meal that doesn't generate more than 10% complaints.
> 
> You also need a hunk of seed money to reserve the conference space, enough room for break out sessions and plenary sessions, reliable well-spoken speakers that aren't just doing infomercials for their products, a vendor area for the people that ARE doing infomercials, someone in charge of things like pipe and drape (we had more nightmares over pipe and drape than you can imagine), someone to develop the conference brochure/website, someone to manage the registrations and money and scheduling, someone to interface with the hotel, someone to manage the online component... It took several hundred hours of work to pull off, and that was with a very well-oiled machine that did them twice a year for over a decade.


I was thinking Harvey would do all that. Are you saying he would need help?


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> (trying to really help attendees rather than seeing them as a source for profits, giving actionable advice, putting together solid craft workshops, promoting a dealer room as the heart and soul of a conference rather than a noisy stepchild, and finding space on panels for authors like Quiss).


Dealer rooms? Will there be blackjack?
Don't worry, after a few drinks I'll just sit quietly in the back of the room and heckle under my breath. I'll leave the stage to the big boys and girls.


----------



## AndreSanThomas (Jan 31, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> I was thinking Harvey would do all that. Are you saying he would need help?


I'll have to hunt through my files. I might just have the last remaining copy of the document known as "Conference in a Box". It might be available, for a small price


----------



## Craig Andrews (Apr 14, 2013)

I love this idea. As I just got done saying in my own post, the information on this board is invaluable. I'll help in anyway I can!


----------



## Joe_Nobody (Oct 23, 2012)

Quiss said:


> Well, okay. Only if I get to sit next to Joe. Because zombie apocalypse. Be prepared.


I've got your back, Quiss. Park it _right_ there.

I'm in, and will play any role you good folks think is a fit.

Did someone mention "fights" above? Tee he he he.


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Joe_Nobody said:


> Did someone mention "fights" above? Tee he he he.


I think an MMA match where you beat me to a pulp for charity would be fun.

For everyone else, I mean.


----------



## AndreSanThomas (Jan 31, 2012)

Holy cow!  Ok, not only do I have it, I was able to put my hands right on it.  Pretty impressive since I haven't used it 20 years.  

Just for planning purposes, there's 101 pages before we get to the actual day of the prawnference.


----------



## fallswriter (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm all for this idea. Especially with the workshop component as well as some possible breakdown for panels within genres. One thing I've noticed while reading threads is that different genres have different needs. And the breakdown could be as specific as needed (such as paranormal romance vs. just a fantasy panel). Although I don't know if a panel needs to get as specific as new adult zombie apocalypse paranormal science fiction romantic mystery horror thriller.


----------



## Joe_Nobody (Oct 23, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> I think an MMA match where you beat me to a pulp for charity would be fun.
> 
> For everyone else, I mean.


LMAO. Who are you trying to fool? The pics of those abs are viral. That match would probably be even-money.


----------



## Susanne O (Feb 8, 2010)

Good idea, in fact really, really good.  

Except- it would probably take place in the US and I'm in Ireland...


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

Joe_Nobody said:


> LMAO. Who are you trying to fool? The pics of those abs are viral. That match would probably be even-money.


The first rule of writer fight club is....you don't write about writer fight club.
The second rule is...you do not write about writer fight club.
The third rule is...no hurting of the hands
The fourth rule is...if this is your first night at writer fight club...you have to write.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Susanne OLeary said:


> Good idea, in fact really, really good.
> 
> Except- it would probably take place in the US and I'm in Ireland...


The conference I used to help with traveled to a new location every year. That gave people the opportunity to travel to a new place if they wanted an excuse to visit it, or to wait it out until the conference was near enough that they could easily attend. I like that idea!


----------



## summerdaniels71 (Jul 23, 2011)

How about a panel on self-promotion, advertising, sites (like WTRAFSOG) that you can take advantage of to get word about your new book out there, etc. ...


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

It could work and be beneficial, if you got peeps from Amazon, and B&N, and Kobo, Draft2Digital, to come and talk about their author platforms, how to get more exposure there etc.

I've been part of the planning with RT and it is a helluva lot of work and the planning needs to start a year in advance, especially to book a good place with lots of conference rooms etc.  

And you'd need something different and/or special to bring people, because there are a lot of conferences out there all competing for aspiring writers etc to come.


----------



## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I'd love something like this.

The only question I might have is what kind of rules there should be around sponsorship and/or vendors? Seeking $$ opens the possibility of some of those seedy places we don't like to talk about ("buy our $20,000 best-seller package!") ponying up the cash. A conference like this would be prime fishing waters for such outfits.


----------



## Scottish Lass (Oct 10, 2013)

Susanne OLeary said:


> Good idea, in fact really, really good.
> 
> Except- it would probably take place in the US and I'm in Ireland...


What she said - except substitute Scotland for Ireland...


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

Rick Gualtieri said:


> I'd love something like this.
> 
> The only question I might have is what kind of rules there should be around sponsorship and/or vendors? Seeking $$ opens the possibility of some of those seedy places we don't like to talk about ("buy our $20,000 best-seller package!") ponying up the cash. A conference like this would be prime fishing waters for such places.


Maybe to be a sponsor/vendor they have to have been vetted on kboards? Gone through the trial by fire that most new services/vendors go through when they post here.


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

Susanne OLeary said:


> Good idea, in fact really, really good.
> 
> Except- it would probably take place in the US and I'm in Ireland...





RozMarshall said:


> What she said - except substitute Scotland for Ireland...


When you come can you please bring the glorious whiskys from your respective countries?


----------



## 48306 (Jul 6, 2011)

Vivi is right. I've also helped with the RT conference in the past for several years in a row and it does take a year to really coordinate everything well. I'm sure you could do it in less time, but the more time you have the longer you have to work out kinks that arise. It sounds like a fun event. And for those outside of the US something like this might be a great excuse to make the trip, especially if Amazon, Kobo execs attended. It'd be a great social networking opportunity with other authors and readers too.


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

P.T. Michelle said:


> Vivi is right. I've also helped with the RT conference in the past for several years in a row and it does take a year to really coordinate everything well. I'm sure you could do it in less time, but the more time you have the longer you have to work out kinks that arise. It sounds like a fun event. And for those outside of the US something like this might be a great excuse to make the trip, especially if Amazon, Kobo execs attended. It'd be a great social networking opportunity with other authors and readers too.


Or we could just do it at Konrath's place this summer. Pick a weekend!


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Vivi_Anna said:


> It could work and be beneficial, if you got peeps from Amazon, and B&N, and Kobo, Draft2Digital, to come and talk about their author platforms, how to get more exposure there etc.


This. But I do really like the idea of a con that's composed of both reader and writer tracks.

Depending on the location I might attend. And I'd be totally willing to do my IP law workshop if you're interested.


----------



## MorganKegan (Jan 10, 2013)

Hugh Howey said:


> The most popular cosplay outfit will certainly be a wig, a quilted cape, and a cattle prod.


And second most popular: A blue neck warmer.


----------



## DRMarvello (Dec 3, 2011)

Sounds like a good idea. I'd be interested in attending the online sessions, and maybe even attending live if the conference is close enough.

My wife and I produced an online self-publishing conference for several years, and I agree that it takes an amazing amount of effort (which is why we don't do it any more). I'd say we spent four months of intensive preparation to schedule the 15, 1-hour speaker sessions over the three days of the conference. The "to do" list was pages long. It was reasonably lucrative, but utterly exhausting.


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Could be awesome. I was involved in planning an annual conference years ago. We hired a professional meeting planner and it was still a ton of work and required a lot of moola upfront.


----------



## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

Voracious reader checking in.    Sounds like fun.


----------



## Ashy (Jul 2, 2013)

Sounds good to me; I'm in.

And I second having it at Konrath's place.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

That's actually what I assumed it would be when I saw "Konference."


----------



## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

Great idea! I especially love the part about Harvey, Betsy, and Ann putting it together. I didn't see you mention the bar. Everyone knows that all successful konferences must take place in a bar.


----------



## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

tkkenyon said:


> I would be interested in attending


I think you're already pre-nominated for running the Google Play workshop.


----------



## Jan Hurst-Nicholson (Aug 25, 2010)

I propose that we hold it in Durban, South Africa. We have the weather, the beaches, the mountains, the wild life (all kinds  ) and the venues - and we hosted the soccer world cup. We also have a great exchange rate


----------



## notreallyhere (Oct 8, 2011)

Quiss said:


> Let's not forget after-hours get-togethers. A chance to get into some HUGE arguments featuring Russell, perhaps. Betsy can bring the prod. Drinks, fights, eyeball-licking!


All of this and panels, too? I'm in! 

Seriously - I would love to be part of it. I help organize events at work - not on the scale of some people here, but I love my lists, and I am good with streamlining processes. So sign me up.


----------



## thomaskcarpenter (May 17, 2011)

Hugh, how do you have time for all these great ideas with all the travel?  Or is that what you do stuck in airports all over the world?  

I'm in.  Would be fun.  We could have a cage match to decide what city it's hosted in.


----------



## Dee Ernst (Jan 10, 2011)

I volunteer to be a moderator.  I love telling people to shut up.  We also need a great location - beach would be good.  Folks would be more likely to travel to Hilton Head than, say, Detroit.


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

I would propose a central location for the first one... none of this west coast/east coast battle.... 

Or where the kbers who are organizing it are located.  A perk for all the work that's going to have to happen....


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Vivi_Anna said:


> Or where the kbers who are organizing it are located. A perk for all the work that's going to have to happen....


Let's see...Harvey, Betsy, and Ann have already been nominated to organize. Harvey's in Washington State, and Betsy and Ann are in Northern Virginia.

I vote for Northern Virginia! (See my location...below my name.)


----------



## John Hartness (Aug 3, 2009)

For my day job I run a lighting & sound company, so if we're not too far out from Charlotte, NC I can provide a serious discount on AV gear.


----------



## Ashy (Jul 2, 2013)

I have some ties with NC State in Raleigh. Might be able to get us a venue at a discount or maybe free if we pitch this just right...


----------



## Lloyd MacRae (Nov 18, 2012)

I recommend holding the first one in Toronto, Canada.

I'm right there...

...and with a crack smoking Mayor --

you can only imagine the fun trouble we can get in


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

Amanda Brice said:


> Let's see...Harvey, Betsy, and Ann have already been nominated to organize. Harvey's in Washington State, and Betsy and Ann are in Northern Virginia.


Umm, have we actually heard from one of them. I suspect they are hiding somewhere until this whole thing blows over.


----------



## C.F. (Jan 6, 2011)

Quiss said:


> Umm, have we actually heard from one of them. I suspect they are hiding somewhere until this whole thing blows over.


They're in the smoke-filled admin caves discussing how to quietly remove Hugh.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Quiss said:


> Umm, have we actually heard from one of them. I suspect they are hiding somewhere until this whole thing blows over.


I suspect so as well. But I still vote for Northern Virginia anyway. Washington, DC is a wonderful tourist location!


----------



## Nathalie Aynie (Nov 24, 2013)

I vote for an online conference like TED talks so that people like me won't miss out.


----------



## AndreSanThomas (Jan 31, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> Or we could just do it at Konrath's place this summer. Pick a weekend!


What? We're not having it at your place, Hugh?


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

caethesfaron said:


> They're in the smoke-filled admin caves discussing how to quietly remove Hugh.


Actually he hasn't replied in awhile...maybe they all ready shoved the "wool" in his mouth. (Today's bad pun brought to you by...Prawnference, aka the Konference


----------



## Rachel Aukes (Oct 13, 2013)

Onto the important question... Will all Kon attendees get a blue Hugh Howey scarf in their swag bag?


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

rachelaukes said:


> Onto the important question... Will all Kon attendees get a blue Hugh Howey scarf in their swag bag?


That's a great question, and I second it.


----------



## zzzzzzz (Dec 6, 2011)

AndreSanThomas said:


> What? We're not having it at your place, Hugh?


I hope not. I'm not allowed in Florida anymore.

There was... an incident.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Third! As long as it's made of wool...


----------



## Faye Hunter (Jun 5, 2013)

Would LOVE to attend something like this. If I could throw out a suggestion, for those of us that live off the beaten track, hosting something like this in Vegas is really nice because there are flights from pretty much everywhere to Vegas. I can't get to most places without major milk routing, but Vegas baby, that I can get to easy. Plus of course it is VEGAS


----------



## H.M. Ward (May 16, 2012)

Sounds awesome. Put it some place wicked cool.  

I'm supposed to be writing. I have no idea how I wandered in here. Procrastination, the worst form of ations... 

Back to the cave.


----------



## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Hugh Howey said:


> I was thinking Harvey would do all that. Are you saying he would need help?


That sweet-talkin' Hugh Howey is trying to volunteer me big-time! I *am* enticed by the idea, and especially the prospect of meeting more of you face-to-face.

I am going to have to do a serious inventory of my hours available before committing, though... I've been involved in conference planning for national IT conferences and, even from working on the peripheries I can see that amount of planning and coordination required to do it well is substantial.

Mulling...


----------



## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

I like Vivi's idea of getting execs from Amazon, Kobo etc to speak. Throw in alcohol and this could be a good event! I might even be tempted to travel all the way from Australia for it.


----------



## Bec (Aug 24, 2012)

CJArcher said:


> I like Vivi's idea of getting execs from Amazon, Kobo etc to speak. Throw in alcohol and this could be a good event! I might even be tempted to travel all the way from Australia for it.


Me too! I'll be going to North America sometime in the next few years anyway, to visit family and friends in Canada, so hopefully we can time it well and I can slip off and do this as well. Would be awesome!


----------



## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Forgive me if this has already been suggested, I read the first page and got all excited. (KK, I see Vivi mentioned Amazon execs, so I second that motion!)

What about Amazon? They do the ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) each year in January and announce the winner in the summer. I mean, they are kinda the poster-child for Indie publishing. Maybe they would be interested in tying in the awards announcement/ceremony with the conference. 

In any case, I would attend and/or volunteer to help. I could fly out if it's central or west coast. Totally would road trip it anywhere on the east coast.


----------



## wiccanhot (Aug 19, 2011)

I vote for either NYC, Boston, Atlantic City, Philadelphia or DC.  Mainly because they're all places I've been to before.


----------



## Guest (Dec 18, 2013)

Methinks someone has pulled the _Wool _ over Hugh's eyes.


----------



## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Dee Ernst said:


> I volunteer to be a moderator. I love telling people to shut up. We also need a great location - beach would be good. Folks would be more likely to travel to Hilton Head than, say, Detroit.


Virginia Beach has a pretty cool convention center and plenty of hotels at reasonable prices, even in the summer months. Been to several cheerleading conventions and dog shows there.


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

ebbrown said:


> Forgive me if this has already been suggested, I read the first page and got all excited. (KK, I see Vivi mentioned Amazon execs, so I second that motion!)
> 
> What about Amazon? They do the ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) each year in January and announce the winner in the summer. I mean, they are kinda the poster-child for Indie publishing. Maybe they would be interested in tying in the awards announcement/ceremony with the conference.
> 
> In any case, I would attend and/or volunteer to help. I could fly out if it's central or west coast. Totally would road trip it anywhere on the east coast.


Yeah, let's have Amazon do all the work!

For location, I would recommend airport hubs. Chicago, New York, Houston, Charlotte. If we do it near Charlotte, we could use my dad's place.


----------



## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

Hugh Howey said:


> Yeah, let's have Amazon do all the work!


I double dog dare you to pitch that to Dan.


----------



## D.L. Shutter (Jul 9, 2011)

> For location, I would recommend airport hubs. Chicago, New York, Houston, Charlotte. If we do it near Charlotte, we could use my dad's place. Cheesy


I'd vote for Charlotte, within driving rage of Jacksonville. Maybe me and Jude could carpool.


----------



## Magda Alexander (Aug 13, 2011)

I'd so do Charlotte. Wait! THAT didn't come out right. Seriously, anywhere on the East coast would work for me. Don't do it in July,  though. RWA Conference is held that month.


----------



## Joseph Turkot (Nov 9, 2012)

I suggested an annual dinner http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=166390.0, but this Konference has some serious weight behind it. Willing to pitch in any way I can.


----------



## D.L. Shutter (Jul 9, 2011)

> I'd so do Charlotte


Lol, everyone's getting erotica plot ideas from this thread!


----------



## H. S. St. Ours (Mar 24, 2012)

Amanda Brice said:


> Let's see...Harvey, Betsy, and Ann have already been nominated to organize. Harvey's in Washington State, and Betsy and Ann are in Northern Virginia.
> 
> I vote for Northern Virginia! (See my location...below my name.)


I concur with the nomination for the DC area. In milder months, it's got beautiful parks, great restaurants and the museums are free! And they know how to do "conference."


----------



## Lionel&#039;s Mom (Aug 22, 2013)

Beach, beach, beach! I live in the middle of dang Texas and would love to see the ocean again. This would be so fun!
If it's in Austin, I have an extra bedroom for someone. I _guess_ it's nice here in Austin.


----------



## dalya (Jul 26, 2011)

I don't travel much, and I'll need to get a passport to be allowed to leave Igloo Country, but I'd go if everyone else is going.

If any of you are euro gamers (board games), you may know of the "Gathering of Friends." It's an invite-only annual event created by game designer Alan Moon. Designers, publishers, and superfans come together in a non-commercial gathering. I have friends who go, and it's pretty cool.

Fellow kboards author Cassia Leo was up in Vancouver in September and we actually ate dinner and discussed algorithms and mailchimp and so many things. It was a total nerdfest, and so neat to be able to talk, in person, with someone who loves the same nerdy things as me.


----------



## fallswriter (Sep 11, 2012)

Thinking about those who have already suggested a way to be included by distance, that would require another level of admin and coverage during the conference itself to make sure it's pulled off without technical issues or to make sure any technical issues are dealt with quickly and smoothly. That would require those with the know-how to set it up and to attend to that throughout the entire event. I think it's a good idea, but it will require some attention to include those from a distance in the most interactive way possible!


----------



## WG McCabe (Oct 13, 2012)

My cousin and his business partner put on a comic con here in Akron (two years worth, so far, and it is getting bigger) and I've helped out with it. I've actually had a similar thought, Hugh, but never mentioned it since, ya know, I don't have the muscle or cred to pull it off. But I am definitely down to help in any way, shape, or form.


----------



## NoCat (Aug 5, 2010)

Seattle is an airport hub, you know. And driving distance from me. Clearly important even though I'm not cool enough to be on panels. But I think I do qualify as a voracious reader...


----------



## Magda Alexander (Aug 13, 2011)

D.C. is REALLY expensive hotel wise BUT Alexandria, Virginia (Northern Virginia) is much more reasonable and you can fly into Reagan National in D.C. or Dulles Airport in Virginia. Or you can take the Amtrak to Union Station and take the subway to Alexandria or a taxi. It's only a 20-minute cab ride from the train station and a 10-minute cab ride from Washington National. I planned a convention in Alexandria in 2008 and it was a great venue and got the hotel rooms dirt cheap (like around $130 a night).


----------



## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Finding a cheaper conference town off season is wise. More people could attend.


----------



## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

Aw, heck, why not have the conference on a cruise ship?


----------



## GUTMAN (Dec 22, 2011)

Don't forget the Masked Ball so those of us writing under pen names can come!


----------



## erikhanberg (Jul 15, 2011)

Ok, I've gone through the thread and loaded every North American location mentioned so far into an EasyPoll for us to vote on. Maybe we can use some _science_ to figure this out! 

Select as many locations you'd like. Let's see where KB'ers want to go!

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=52b288b1e4b08b981831a3d0

EDIT: Only 3 people responded so far, so I added the cities also suggested by Betsy to get a full range. First three voters will need to re-vote. I won't do it again!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Here are some affordable convention locations:

http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Conference-News/Site-Selection/Articles/The-New-Affordable-Cities/


----------



## Jan Thompson (May 25, 2013)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Here are some affordable convention locations:
> 
> http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Conference-News/Site-Selection/Articles/The-New-Affordable-Cities/


Interesting! I vote for Daytona. Except hurricane season. 



Gutman said:


> Don't forget the Masked Ball so those of us writing under pen names can come!


LOL!


----------



## Joseph Turkot (Nov 9, 2012)

Okay, who wants to share a hotel room?


----------



## MGalloway (Jun 21, 2011)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Here are some affordable convention locations:
> 
> http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Conference-News/Site-Selection/Articles/The-New-Affordable-Cities/


I'm surprised they didn't list some place like Des Moines...


----------



## 48306 (Jul 6, 2011)

I vote for Charlotte! Gives me an excuse to go home and visit family.


----------



## S.A. Mulraney (May 20, 2011)

I'd love to attend an event like this. The Princeton, NJ, area is nice and right between NYC and Philly. And ten minutes from home...   But, if done right, I'd be willing to go just about anywhere.


----------



## Rachel Aukes (Oct 13, 2013)

MGalloway said:


> I'm surprised they didn't list some place like Des Moines...


Des Moines would be great! But, even though they have an international airport, they're not an airline hub.  
Though, if we did Des Moines, I could offer up a farm for the event: Wordstock!


----------



## Edward Lake (Mar 11, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> Maybe this has been discussed before. I'm sure it has. It seems too obvious. But I'm bad with the search feature, so I'm doing it anyway.
> 
> I want to propose an annual writing conference founded by and run by KBoards. Harvey, Ann, and Betsy will do all of the work, naturally. But I figured we could give them some ideas.
> 
> ...


I salute you, Captain Hugh.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Quiss and CJArcher are the only two who have even mentioned booze in this thread. Unless everyone is willing to get serious about the drinking at this thing, I just can't get excited about it.


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

rachelaukes said:


> Des Moines would be great! But, even though they have an international airport, they're not an airline hub.
> Though, if we did Des Moines, I could offer up a farm for the event: Wordstock!


Plus there's all that corn...and I could just drive there.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Picking the location should be done the American way. Put up a map of twenty popular locations then have people pick one along with their donations. Whichever spot collects the most money....


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

vrabinec said:


> Quiss and CJArcher are the only two who have even mentioned booze in this thread. Unless everyone is willing to get serious about the drinking at this thing, I just can't get excited about it.


Count me in on that part. 

I've been to an awful lot of academic conferences. The best ones all started out short and small but high quality, and then built slowly over the years as word got around and more people wanted to attend. Some of them have been going for decades and are just terrific -- great hotels, great locations, excellent panels. I also know of one organization that started out too big and tried too hard to keep the costs down for attendees. Maybe because they were going for size, they didn't exercise enough quality control on presenters. The whole thing was thin, and after a few years it withered and died because people quit wanting to go.

I don't know whether other kinds of conferences are subject to the same risks, but if they are, it might be best to start with a one-day event with a limited number of panels -- possibly no concurrent ones, just a single program that everyone attend (or cut out of to socialize and sight-see). The goal could be to grow slowly into something a lot bigger.


----------



## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

I just voted and toss my support in for anything in Virginia.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I vote for Vegas. I still won't be able to come, but I'd like to see the photos.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

vrabinec said:


> Quiss and CJArcher are the only two who have even mentioned booze in this thread. Unless everyone is willing to get serious about the drinking at this thing, I just can't get excited about it.


Booze is a given. Everyone knows the bar is where all the serious business happens at a writer conference...


----------



## MGalloway (Jun 21, 2011)

vrabinec said:


> Picking the location should be done the American way. Put up a map of twenty popular locations then have people pick one along with their donations. Whichever spot collects the most money....


Whichever one has the most Dunkin' Donuts nearby wins.

With another conference I have been to, they rotate their conventions through different cities around the country. For instance, one year it was in Alabama and then the next conference was in Pennsylvania. The next one will be in Iowa and beyond that there will be one out west.

Of course this would depend upon a long-term plan to keep things going...


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Amanda Brice said:


> Booze is a given. Everyone knows the bar is where all the serious business happens at a writer conference...


And most others...the only time I ever had to send out for more booze was at a party for my sister-in-law, largely attended by schoolteachers and ministers....could NOT believe how much those people drank.....

Betsy


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

I used to waitress at an Irish pub. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was actually shocked by how much alcohol was bought/consumed after the annual priest and nun golf tournament. 

And I'll go on record now as agreeing with Magda...Alexandria, VA would be an awesome choice. Close to the nation's capitol, but much cheaper. And we have ghosts!


----------



## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

Amanda Brice said:


> Booze is a given. Everyone knows the bar is where all the serious business happens at a writer conference...


So true!


----------



## Silly Writer (Jul 15, 2013)

John Hartness said:


> For my day job I run a lighting & sound company, so if we're not too far out from Charlotte, NC I can provide a serious discount on AV gear.


Hey! I'm just outside I'd Charlotte, NC, neighbor!


----------



## MGalloway (Jun 21, 2011)

Great. Thanks for the image, Betsy. Now I'm thinking of this song.


----------



## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

Amanda Brice said:


> And I'll go on record now as agreeing with Magda...Alexandria, VA would be an awesome choice. Close to the nation's capitol, but much cheaper. And we have ghosts!


I vote for ghosts!


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Seriously, who wouldn't vote for ghosts?


----------



## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> And most others...the only time I ever had to send out for more booze was at a party for my sister-in-law, largely attended by schoolteachers and ministers....could NOT believe how much those people drank.....


Driven to the bottle by their students and parishioners, perhaps?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Becca Mills said:


> Driven to the bottle by their students and parishioners, perhaps?


And the parents of the students...perhaps even more likely. 

Betsy


----------



## notreallyhere (Oct 8, 2011)

Amanda Brice said:


> I used to waitress at an Irish pub. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was actually shocked by how much alcohol was bought/consumed after the annual priest and nun golf tournament.
> 
> And I'll go on record now as agreeing with Magda...Alexandria, VA would be an awesome choice. Close to the nation's capitol, but much cheaper. And we have ghosts!


My aunt was a novitiate (hadn't taken final vows yet), and we would visit her in the convent. Dirtiest jokes I've ever heard in my life. And the rum balls at Christmas midnight mass - man, you could smell them across the room. The priest and the nuns drank the leftover rum at the post-mass reception. Needless to say, there were none of either left by the time they tottered off to bed. 

Ghosts! I vote for ghosts!


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Vegas, baby!


----------



## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

You could embrace the annual online conference that Julie already organises for the online side.

Give me five years and I'll be up for a conference in Vegas.  Or just a trip to Vegas!

In the meantime, if anything happens in London (England), I'll do my best to juggle childcare so that I can be there.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Doomed Muse said:


> Seattle is an airport hub, you know. And driving distance from me. Clearly important even though I'm not cool enough to be on panels. But I think I do qualify as a voracious reader...


Seattle is the new New York of the writing world, so clearly this is the superior option. Not that I'm biased, or anything. 

Bonus: if it happens in Seattle, my husband will take any interested parties on a free historic tour of The City Built on Hookers, Questionable Business Decisions, and Acres of Sawdust. It's thrilling.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Seriously, people...ghosts.


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

The problem for some places like Alexandria/DC for me is that if I'm going there, I'm not going to spend my time at a KBoards convention, I'm going to spend it at the Smithsonian and the rest of the awesome sights. You need somewhere that's got some good nightlife, but not much else = Vegas.


----------



## 73735 (Dec 2, 2013)

Apparently, Vertical Scope doesn't seem to think they need to comply with the right to be forgotten.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

But...ghosts!


----------



## Steven L. Hawk (Jul 10, 2010)

Seriously, Las Vegas would probably get the highest attendance rate. Hotel rooms are relatively inexpensive, as are flights from most locations. There's also a lot to do outside of the conference Konference, which means that readers and significant others would be more inclined to attend. And don't forget the plentiful (and often free) booze.


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Free booze > ghosts


----------



## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

Amanda Brice said:


> But...ghosts!


This. Seriously.


----------



## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

ElHawk said:


> Seattle is the new New York of the writing world, so clearly this is the superior option. Not that I'm biased, or anything.
> 
> Bonus: if it happens in Seattle, my husband will take any interested parties on a free historic tour of The City Built on Hookers, Questionable Business Decisions, and Acres of Sawdust. It's thrilling.


     

Too funny. I really have to watch my money right now, but I'd love to be a part of this. Someone upstream suggested Princeton, NJ. I live in northern NJ, and if I can figure out that stupid 295/95 thing, I'd consider driving down. (I don't have GPS, so that wouldn't work for me, lol, just good old directions with landmarks please! )

If it's DC or Alexandria, VA, I could go for that. Again, depending on my finances, I could take a train down, but like Monique said, I'd want to hit a couple of the Smithsonian museums. Went to the Air & Space museum a few years ago, and it was fascinating. But I know there are a bunch more under the Smithsonian banner.

Can't really afford anything else, because as I said, my finances are slim. Went to Vegas years ago, it was okay (had more fun at Hoover Dam , but that's the history nut in me talking ). And yes, @Steven L. Hawk, the booze flowed quite freely sitting at the one-armed bandits when I was there. 

Looking forward to see what happens.


----------



## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Vegas would be awesome. Give me an excuse to finally go.


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

The location would need to be dictated by where the volunteers are. You need boots on the ground to deal with the venue, security, vendors, administration, set-up, break down, etc. etc. You need an enormous amount of manpower for a physical con. A physical event is also going to require someone setting up a bank account and funding it in order to pay the venue, event insurance, and all other expenses. Obviously, you can charge a fee to get in, but you will need money in hand to book a venue and then get reimbursed. 

Some of you know I run a virtual convention each summer. You have to be prepared for volunteers dropping out (half of the people who volunteer to help will not, either because they over-committed themselves or because something will come up or they will just change their minds) and you need to have people available 24/7 to put out unexpected fires. For me, these were "little" things like the site crashing or stamping out trolls or the chatroom not playing nice with Explorer or people not able to figure out how to download a file. For a physical event, you may well be dealing with a REAL FIRE! (this happened at a con I attended once. An outlet with too many plugs in it sparked and caught a vendor table on fire.  )

Might I suggest baby steps? If folks are really into this, maybe it would be a good idea to have a "mini-con" within a larger event. Reach out to some of the major conventions that get a lot of attendance and see about running events within the main convention. That way you benefit from a pre-existing infrastructure, can piggy back on the event's existing publicity, and have something more manageable on a skeleton crew (because you will, at the end of the day, be working with a skeleton crew).


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> The location would need to be dictated by where the volunteers are. You need boots on the ground to deal with the venue, security, vendors, administration, set-up, break down, etc. etc.


Which is why both Seattle and Alexandria have been batted around...since Hugh already volunteered Harvey, Betsy, and Ann for them. 

But I'll step up. I'd actually be willing to help with organization if we did DC area, particularly Alexandria. I have event planning experience and even though I'm insanely busy, I'd help if it were in my town. I couldn't take the lead, but I'd be willing to chair a committee.


----------



## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Hugh Howey said:


> Yeah, let's have Amazon do all the work!
> 
> For location, I would recommend airport hubs. Chicago, New York, Houston, Charlotte. If we do it near Charlotte, we could use my dad's place.


Not it talking to Amazon. Tag, you're it, Hugh!

Vegas?! Oy vey. I'd be at the Blackjack table and never make it to the conference. That's why I stopped going to the Emergency Nurse's Association conferences in Atlantic City. Every year I signed up for all these silly classes, but never made it to them.


----------



## Nomadwoman (Aug 25, 2011)

Vegas off season for the mega cheap hotel rooms and conference spaces on site. And booze.
Plus I live there


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> Vegas would be awesome. Give me an excuse to finally go.


Honestly, Vegas probably has the most affordable flight rates and hotel rates. Plus, you can get lots of free food there. I've been to quite a few various kinds of conferences in Vegas over the years, and they're always more affordable than conferences in other major cities.


----------



## Janet Michelson (Jun 20, 2012)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> The location would need to be dictated by where the volunteers are. You need boots on the ground to deal with the venue, security, vendors, administration, set-up, break down, etc. etc. You need an enormous amount of manpower for a physical con. A physical event is also going to require someone setting up a bank account and funding it in order to pay the venue, event insurance, and all other expenses. Obviously, you can charge a fee to get in, but you will need money in hand to book a venue and then get reimbursed.
> 
> Some of you know I run a virtual convention each summer. You have to be prepared for volunteers dropping out (half of the people who volunteer to help will not, either because they over-committed themselves or because something will come up or they will just change their minds) and you need to have people available 24/7 to put out unexpected fires. For me, these were "little" things like the site crashing or stamping out trolls or the chatroom not playing nice with Explorer or people not able to figure out how to download a file. For a physical event, you may well be dealing with a REAL FIRE! (this happened at a con I attended once. An outlet with too many plugs in it sparked and caught a vendor table on fire.  )
> 
> Might I suggest baby steps? If folks are really into this, maybe it would be a good idea to have a "mini-con" within a larger event. Reach out to some of the major conventions that get a lot of attendance and see about running events within the main convention. That way you benefit from a pre-existing infrastructure, can piggy back on the event's existing publicity, and have something more manageable on a skeleton crew (because you will, at the end of the day, be working with a skeleton crew).


Somehow it's not surprising that the voice of reason is coming from Julie.  Let someone else do all the hard work, and just do our own little thing the first year. After that, expansion can occur organically. Features can be added each year and at some point we can strike out on our own if we choose.

That said, I do agree that Vegas in the off season would be the least expensive, and there are very few distractions unless you are into gambling.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> The location would need to be dictated by where the volunteers are. You need boots on the ground to deal with the venue, security, vendors, administration, set-up, break down, etc. etc. You need an enormous amount of manpower for a physical con. A physical event is also going to require someone setting up a bank account and funding it in order to pay the venue, event insurance, and all other expenses. Obviously, you can charge a fee to get in, but you will need money in hand to book a venue and then get reimbursed.
> 
> Some of you know I run a virtual convention each summer. You have to be prepared for volunteers dropping out (half of the people who volunteer to help will not, either because they over-committed themselves or because something will come up or they will just change their minds) and you need to have people available 24/7 to put out unexpected fires. For me, these were "little" things like the site crashing or stamping out trolls or the chatroom not playing nice with Explorer or people not able to figure out how to download a file. For a physical event, you may well be dealing with a REAL FIRE! (this happened at a con I attended once. An outlet with too many plugs in it sparked and caught a vendor table on fire.  )
> 
> Might I suggest baby steps? If folks are really into this, maybe it would be a good idea to have a "mini-con" within a larger event. Reach out to some of the major conventions that get a lot of attendance and see about running events within the main convention. That way you benefit from a pre-existing infrastructure, can piggy back on the event's existing publicity, and have something more manageable on a skeleton crew (because you will, at the end of the day, be working with a skeleton crew).


I'd like to be the first person to volunteer and drop out. Here goes. I volunteer. I'm so psyched! Wait. I can't do it that day. I'm having surgery.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Having volunteers in the area certainly helps a lot, but I've assisted with coordinating cons in cities where I didn't live before.  Most hotels and other venues are pretty good at helping coordinate events even if the people in charge are only available via phone or email.

It does help to have a person who can go check on the place in person, though!  Make sure it's not crawling with rats, etc.


----------



## Magda Alexander (Aug 13, 2011)

If it's in Alexandria, Virginia, I can help as well. I live in Maryland, so it's just a skip and hop down Rt. 270 to the Beltway to the GW Parkway for me. Beautiful drive (the GW Parkway part) in the spring. And Cherry Blossoms, people. Have you ever seen those? Gor-geous!  We have not only the Smithsonian, but a Spy Museum which is uber cool, all the monuments, tons of theatres. And Alexandria itself has some very cool pubs. And a great ghost tour where at the end they leave you stranded in a cemetery.


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

ElHawk said:


> It does help to have a person who can go check on the place in person, though! Make sure it's not crawling with rats, etc.


Ye gods, yes. Those pictures you see on the hotel's sites never match the actual rooms!  You really need to have someone eyeballing a venue first to make sure it is a good fit and not a tourist trap. I've been to great cons where the hotel was within walking distance of wonderful places to eat and other attractions. And I've been to cons where you didn't even want to THINK about driving to a resturant because one wrong turn on the highways would put you on a toll road to nowhere, and the only place to get dinner was the overpriced restuarant in the hotel itself. Or worse, you didn't want to leave the hotel because it was in a really BAD neighborhood.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Magda Alexander said:


> And a great ghost tour where at the end they leave you stranded in a cemetery.


As I said...ghosts, people! Ghosts!

Oh yeah, and cherry blossoms, and Smithsonian, and Spy Museum, and White house, and National Zoo (new baby panda!), and Capitol, and should I go on?

And ghosts.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

What would you guys pay to get in? $100? Assuming you get lucky and get 100 people to sign up the first year, that's not gonna go far in a fancy place like Old Town Alexandria. And I wouldn't count on too many donations from this crew, based on all the "I don't have the cash for a professional cover or edit" posts.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Oh, yeah?  Not only do we have ghosts in Seattle, but we have HOOKER GHOSTS.

Seattle itself can be a little pricey, but just north of Seattle there's a nice new convention center, which I've heard has really good rates, in Lynnwood.  I still think the best rates on all factors (travel, hotels, venue rental, food) will be in Las Vegas.  That city is pretty much dependent on people traveling to it for its survival.  I'll be in Vegas at the end of April and I could  scope out a few places if necessary.

As for what I'd pay, that depends on a) who'll be speaking, and about what, and b) how fun the socializing aspect sounds.  

Maybe we need to think smaller and more informal for a first year of something like this.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

God, Seattle is SUCH a long flight. I just flew through there in July to go see my daughter up in Anchorage.  No way I make that flight again just to see all your sorry asses.


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

could we get Joe Nobody to give us a guided tour through the spy museum?


----------



## KeithAllen (Jun 5, 2013)

beccaprice said:


> could we get Joe Nobody to give us a guided tour through the spy museum?


And at every exhibit he says "Okay...so...here's what really happened."


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

Obviously not everyone is going to happy with the venue city.  That's just the way it is.

What needs to be the deciding factor IMHO, is the cost of the venue.  Because whoever books it is going to have to pay for it.  And I agree with whoever said to start small.

Put a cap on attendance. Start off with a con for 200 people, first sign up first served.  Most of the best and biggest writer's cons, started small at the beginning.


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

vrabinec said:


> What would you guys pay to get in? $100? Assuming you get lucky and get 100 people to sign up the first year, that's not gonna go far in a fancy place like Old Town Alexandria. And I wouldn't count on too many donations from this crew, based on all the "I don't have the cash for a professional cover or edit" posts.


Generally with a con, the ticket only covers the admission. You still have to get your own hotel room. You would rent conference space from the hotel and give them a pledge based on the number of rooms you expect to need for guest. For example, it might cost you $1000 to rent the actual conference area (assuming you get one large room for a vendor hall and several small rooms for panels), and you tell them to reserve a block of 50 rooms for guests. You aren't on the hook for those hotel rooms, but generally the hotel will offer a discount to attendees based on how many rooms they expect to sell. If you overpromise, the hotel probably won't want to host you the following year. So 100 guests at $10 each would cover the rental. And at least with gaming cons, people tend to double (or triple or quadruple) up on rooms to save money. So 50 rooms could cover anywhere from 100-400 guests. You'd probably have a dedicated thread here on KB for people looking to split rooms. 

Of course, you'll have other costs: event insurance, security issues, equipment needs (such as projectors, TVs, recording equipment, or anything else needed for presentations) paying stipends to guests of honor (Hugh, of course, would do it for free since this was his idea!, but most of your "guests of honor" at a minimum will expect their travel expenses and food expenses to be covered by the convention). Some stuff you can recoop on the back end (you can sell ads in the program guide to pay for the program).

While $100+ isn't unusual for a professional convention, it is a deal breaker for a "consumer" event. People who won't pay more than 99 cents for a book are not going to spend $100 to attend a convention with just indie authors. As a point of comparison, Comic Con tickets are around $150 for a FOUR DAY EVENT that includes appearances by major Hollywood stars. You are really, at best, going to be looking at no more than $20-$30 admission. So you need to work with that number and plan accordingly.


----------



## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Ye gods, yes. Those pictures you see on the hotel's sites never match the actual rooms!  You really need to have someone eyeballing a venue first to make sure it is a good fit and not a tourist trap. I've been to great cons where the hotel was within walking distance of wonderful places to eat and other attractions. And I've been to cons where you didn't even want to THINK about driving to a resturant because one wrong turn on the highways would put you on a toll road to nowhere, and the only place to get dinner was the overpriced restuarant in the hotel itself. Or worse, you didn't want to leave the hotel because it was in a really BAD neighborhood.


I've run a number of writing conferences too, and I agree with Julie in that I think you really need to do it near where one of the main organizers can easily go. One of the main things you need to do is walk the hotel and look at the available rooms and get a feel for capacity and what workshops are likely to be more popular so they go in the bigger rooms, and do they have plenty of available A/V equipment, there's always potential issues last minute with mics and things like that.

Anything 200 and under is fairly easy to manage, once you go above that size it can get more complicated not to mention more expensive with up front costs.

To give an idea of costs for our local conference which was held outside of Boston and had just under 200 attendees, we met on Friday afternoon, had a few workshops, and a welcome dinner, cocktails before and after, then the next day was breakfast, workshops all morning, lunch, workshops and then a bookfair to close out. Hotel costs ran about $110 a night and it was a Marriot, very nice. Cost for the conference including all meals was about $180.


----------



## erikhanberg (Jul 15, 2011)

27 voters so far.

Top 5 scoring cities are:

1) Las Vegas
2) DC
3) Seattle
4) New York
5) Virginia Beach

Personally, I think the best two choices are Seattle or Vegas.

Seattle because there really could be some synergy with Amazon (and I live 30 minutes away).
Las Vegas because people could stay as cheaply or richly as they like, and flights from all over the country are pretty reasonable.

I'll keep the poll open for awhile.

Maybe at some point I'll start a 2nd one with just the top 5 options and let people weigh in again.


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Generally with a con, the ticket only covers the admission. You still have to get your own hotel room. You would rent conference space from the hotel and give them a pledge based on the number of rooms you expect to need for guest. For example, it might cost you $1000 to rent the actual conference area (assuming you get one large room for a vendor hall and several small rooms for panels), and you tell them to reserve a block of 50 rooms for guests. You aren't on the hook for those hotel rooms, but generally the hotel will offer a discount to attendees based on how many rooms they expect to sell. If you overpromise, the hotel probably won't want to host you the following year. So 100 guests at $10 each would cover the rental. And at least with gaming cons, people tend to double (or triple or quadruple) up on rooms to save money. So 50 rooms could cover anywhere from 100-400 guests. You'd probably have a dedicated thread here on KB for people looking to split rooms.
> 
> Of course, you'll have other costs: event insurance, security issues, equipment needs (such as projectors, TVs, recording equipment, or anything else needed for presentations) paying stipends to guests of honor (Hugh, of course, would do it for free since this was his idea!, but most of your "guests of honor" at a minimum will expect their travel expenses and food expenses to be covered by the convention). Some stuff you can recoop on the back end (you can sell ads in the program guide to pay for the program).
> 
> ...


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> While $100+ isn't unusual for a professional convention, it is a deal breaker for a "consumer" event.


RT Booklovers Convention sells out every year, with readers paying $300+ for their registration. Not hotel/airfare. Just the conference registration.


----------



## 73735 (Dec 2, 2013)

Apparently, Vertical Scope doesn't seem to think they need to comply with the right to be forgotten.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Amanda Brice said:


> RT Booklovers Convention sells out every year, with readers paying $300+ for their registration. Not hotel/airfare. Just the conference registration.


We're gonna have to get some strippers, if we're gonna charge that much.


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

Amanda Brice said:


> RT Booklovers Convention sells out every year, with readers paying $300+ for their registration. Not hotel/airfare. Just the conference registration.


Yup they just sold out in record time for their 2014 con in NOLA. I couldn't even get a ticket in.

Most years about 1400 people go, and about 400 of those are authors, the other 1000 are hardcore readers.


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

Amanda Brice said:


> RT Booklovers Convention sells out every year, with readers paying $300+ for their registration. Not hotel/airfare. Just the conference registration.


Which doesn't disprove my point. That is a major powerhouse event in the genre that attracts the biggest names in the genre, and includes a host of perks that would be valuable to fans (I believe it also includes meals, doesn't it?).


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

vrabinec said:


> We're gonna have to get some strippers, if we're gonna charge that much.


Maybe you could volunteer for that job. We all have to contribute somehow, right?


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

Quiss said:


> Maybe you could volunteer for that job. We all have to contribute somehow, right?


He already volunteered, but then remember he had surgery scheduled for that day.


----------



## notreallyhere (Oct 8, 2011)

RT - I got in because I registered the day it opened.

As for tickets - they do have a range, including day passes, and special tickets for certain events (teen day, fan-tastic day). I don't know how complicated you want to get the first time out, but it's an option. Another money raising option is renting promo space or sponsoring something for the con, like bags, or an event. 

And Vegas - ugh. I swore I'd never go there again. But for you all, I might make an exception.


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

Hugh Howey said:


> -- The conference would bring together all the experts needed to produce a quality ebook, print book, and audio book. Imagine an "Artists' Row" where we have cover artists set up with their computers. Instead of doing drawings for people as you see at many conventions, authors can sit down, describe their book and their ideas, and then have the cover artist whip up something for a decent rate. The artists could also sell pre-fab covers right there from their booth. It would be a great networking opportunity.


OMG -- I'd be attending as a writer, reader AND artist? I'll need to bring along someone to man the design booth so I can sit in on Michael Bunker's panel about writing off-off-off-off-off-grid.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Come on, people...ghosts.


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

erikhanberg said:


> Personally, I think the best two choices are Seattle or Vegas.


Count me in for Seattle as well. (I'm in PDX.)


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2013)

Amanda Brice said:


> Come on, people...ghosts.


You know, you guys could compromise and pick Atlantic City. Not all THAT far from Virginia and we have casinos AND beaches! Within walking distance of each other!


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Quiss said:


> Maybe you could volunteer for that job. We all have to contribute somehow, right?


Yeah, 50 year-old balding strippers. Should be a YouTube sensation.


----------



## MGalloway (Jun 21, 2011)

ElHawk said:


> It does help to have a person who can go check on the place in person, though! Make sure it's not crawling with rats, etc.


Or...


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

vrabinec said:


> Yeah, 50 year-old balding strippers. Should be a YouTube sensation.


Or the newspapers.... (Warning: NSFW)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2450775/EasyJet-passenger-tasered-stripping-NAKED-challenging-pilot-fight-Manchester-airport.html


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Julie does make a compelling case for casinos and beaches...


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

vrabinec said:


> God, Seattle is SUCH a long flight. I just flew through there in July to go see my daughter up in Anchorage. No way I make that flight again just to see all your sorry *sses.


It's a short flight for me!


----------



## Joe_Nobody (Oct 23, 2012)

beccaprice said:


> could we get Joe Nobody to give us a guided tour through the spy museum?


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

erikhanberg said:


> 27 voters so far.
> 
> Top 5 scoring cities are:
> 
> ...


I'm happy to help in any way I can no matter where it's located, but I can take on more volunteer work if it ends up being in Seattle.


----------



## Moist_Tissue (Dec 6, 2013)

Is RT really sold out? Is it the readers only tickets that have been sold out? I wanted to know my vacation day schedule before I paid for my registration. Now, I'm worried that it is sold out.


----------



## Lionel&#039;s Mom (Aug 22, 2013)

I'd vote for Vegas because of the buffets. Seattle would be second, I could take my kid to see Kurt Cobain's house. Or Virginia Beach because it's so pretty.


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

I don't know if the readers-only tickets are sold out, the authors-only tickets, or everything. I am not intending to go, but I've heard of numerous author loops that it's been sold out for at least a month now.


----------



## S.A. Mulraney (May 20, 2011)

AC is awesome (and another short drive)! I proposed to my wife there... long story.


----------



## Moist_Tissue (Dec 6, 2013)

Amanda Brice said:


> I don't know if the readers-only tickets are sold out, the authors-only tickets, or everything. I am not intending to go, but I've heard of numerous author loops that it's been sold out for at least a month now.


Hm. I'll check. I know the hotel sold out a month ago. Thanks!


----------



## notreallyhere (Oct 8, 2011)

Moist_Tissue said:


> Is RT really sold out? Is it the readers only tickets that have been sold out? I wanted to know my vacation day schedule before I paid for my registration. Now, I'm worried that it is sold out.


You can go here: https://www.rtconvention.com/

I don't believe the reader tickets are sold out. But the hotels around the convention have been booked for months. There's a contact email on the site for any questions, and they are pretty quick in getting back to you. Hope this helps!


----------



## Hudson Owen (May 18, 2012)

ElHawk said:


> Seattle is the new New York of the writing world, so clearly this is the superior option. Not that I'm biased, or anything.


Really? I thought Brooklyn was the new New York of the writing world. Brooklyn now has its own film studios where they used to build battleships. The truth is, every metropolis has scads of writers, more than you might care to meet. The thing that makes K-boards so attractive and useful is that you get to interact with authors from around the world, at your convenience, in your slippers, smoking a ***, etc., presenting yourself as you wish to be seen and interacting with same. You can refuse to interact with X if you wish. Writers, as opposed to theatrical people, tend to hide behind their words.

Writers will pay and travel long distances to hear big time gurus inspire them to write a million dollar screenplay, or attend a pitchfest with hundreds of industry pros looking to sign up new talent. A K-boards convention would show that that girl with a pretty face has a pear-shaped body and doesn't quite light your fire as you might wish. You would discover how ordinary most writers look, or that the individuals with the strongest personalities, who light up a room, may have poor book sales.

The big con is an interesting conversation piece. I would not bet on K-boards converting virtual reality into 3-D reality. There is no structure to it, no treasurer; I can't appoint you to be chief pooh bah if you don't want to be that. It's sort of like the "international community" which is not a real community at all. But what you read and write here might matter a lot.


----------



## H. S. St. Ours (Mar 24, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> Vegas would be awesome. Give me an excuse to finally go.


Wait. What? You've never been to Vegas? Holy cow. Vegas it must be, then (even though DC is nearly walking distance).


----------



## 54706 (Dec 19, 2011)

I'm totally in.


----------



## 54706 (Dec 19, 2011)

I mentioned this to you in person Hugh, but I'd totally be up for a live writing challenge (the idea came to me in twilight sleep, where my best material comes from so I have to trust it would be awesome.  Weeeee!!!)

How it works:  Authors on live feeds flash-writing fiction using input from the audience, writing as people watch (people can come in and out of the room at will), maybe over a period of a few hours.  We could even do team writing with teams of authors doing "tag-team" writing over a few hours or half-day.

Audience votes on best finished product and we publish it with profits going to Kboards or event organizers.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Let's do this in Vegas so whatever we do in Vegas stays in Vegas. I'd rather not let my non-writer friends know about some of the deviant behavior that goes on at author / reader conferences...


----------



## AndreSanThomas (Jan 31, 2012)

vrabinec said:


> We're gonna have to get some strippers, if we're gonna charge that much.


I assumed you and Hugh would volunteer to do the stripping...


----------



## Wansit (Sep 27, 2012)

Vegas sounds cool - a pre-set up conference town with cheap rates.

RE NOMAVA - the Washington D.C. area is cool but seriously expensive. I lived there for 2 years and hosted international + national conferences while living there. I've paid upwards of $10,000 for a nice venue in Adams Morgan (central D.C.) and less for those 'outside' the city in Virginia. (Something to consider if someone or a company is pre-financing this convention since you need a down payment). As someone mentioned $130 a night in VA is CHEAP and I do not want to pay $130 for a night in a hotel for a conference in addition to flights (although I could stay with friends for free  )  plus attendance fees. That's not including conference promotional materials, speakers fees, speakers travel and lodging (like Kobo execs etc), AV equipment, separate hotel fees (like staff management for set-up), food & snacks, transportation to and from the airport (which is a hassle - Reagan is usually more expensive than Dulles but Dulles takes an hour (depending on traffic/how the metro is running) for you to get into the city). Just putting that out there. 

Plus most venues are booked year-round. Even in the summer. You want to have meetings at the NPR building or downtown near the White House? Good luck, even a year out. 

I think anywhere else might be cheaper - Charlotte, Las Vegas, don't know about Seattle.


----------



## Joseph Turkot (Nov 9, 2012)

Great idea Elle. Live writing competition, how awesome! Let the competition begin!


----------



## heidi_g (Nov 14, 2013)

YES!!!!!!  

Wherever it is, I'll go! 

I've been to some cons in the past, and really enjoyed them—a few World Fantasy, SDSU, some others, but not in a while. It's just that I'm a hermit and it's hard to get me out, but… 

THIS WOULD BE SOOOOOOOOO AWESOME! It would totally be worth shelling out the bucks for travel and dealing with the TSA.

I LOVE the idea of having it for readers and writers! I can bring both my personalities

Plus, I totally want the blue wool scarf in the swag pack, then we could make a wall of selfies…

(& if this happens, i'll help with whatever!)


----------



## 16205 (Jun 8, 2010)

I'm in!


----------



## blakebooks (Mar 10, 2012)

I'd have to check to ensure that the warrants and restraining orders have expired, but sounds promising.


----------



## Gennita Low (Dec 13, 2012)

Oh, all right.

All this enthusiasm is making me all enthusiastic.


----------



## Guest (Dec 20, 2013)

S.A. Mulraney said:


> AC is awesome (and another short drive)! I proposed to my wife there... long story.


Could actually book a venue in Wildwood (and I can get discount water park tickets through my day job for everybody) or even Cape May that would be really affordable and make a day trip to A.C. Of course, Cape May is lovely too (and you can do the whale spotting tours). There is actually a ton of stuff to do in our lovely state. It's a wonderful vacation stop, just ridiculously expensive to actually live here year round.


----------



## Saul Tanpepper (Feb 16, 2012)

Hugh Howey said:


> -- The conference should be designed for two primary groups: Aspiring writers and voracious readers. Neither should have primacy.


As a perspiring writer and a loquacious reader, I love the idea. As far as primacy, does that mean no monkeys? Because that might be a deal-breaker.


----------



## Joseph Turkot (Nov 9, 2012)

> I'd have to check to ensure that the warrants and restraining orders have expired, but sounds promising.


Hilarious. On the run at the Kon. Fugitive author meet and greet.


----------



## Jan Thompson (May 25, 2013)

ellecasey said:


> I mentioned this to you in person Hugh, but I'd totally be up for a live writing challenge (the idea came to me in twilight sleep, where my best material comes from so I have to trust it would be awesome. Weeeee!!!)
> 
> How it works: Authors on live feeds flash-writing fiction using input from the audience, writing as people watch (people can come in and out of the room at will), maybe over a period of a few hours. We could even do team writing with teams of authors doing "tag-team" writing over a few hours or half-day.
> 
> Audience votes on best finished product and we publish it with profits going to Kboards or event organizers.


What about writers who get writer's block under pressure? Do we get the non-speaking parts?


----------



## WG McCabe (Oct 13, 2012)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> You know, you guys could compromise and pick Atlantic City. Not all THAT far from Virginia and we have casinos AND beaches! Within walking distance of each other!


Yeah but then we'd have to go to New Jersey. When I stopped driving over the road I swore to myself I would never step foot in that state again.


----------



## Joseph Turkot (Nov 9, 2012)

Hey now. I'm from South Jersey. And if you've only seen the state from the interstate, then you don't know that we have some really great places and people.


----------



## Guest (Dec 20, 2013)

Patrick Szabo said:


> Yeah but then we'd have to go to *************. When I stopped driving over the road I swore to myself I would never step foot in that state again.


Fine, fine. We'll get people to carry you so you don't have to step foot on the soil.


----------



## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

I am a very bad person. The first thing I thought of when I saw that image was.... ooo I bet it would be fun to pull that wire that is running under them taught right about now....


----------



## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Joseph Turkot said:


> Hey now. I'm from South Jersey. And if you've only seen the state from the interstate, then you don't know that we have some really great places and people.


True dat. I grew up in Northern Jersey, in Sussex County, aka lakes and mountains country. I had to actually take photos of my town when I was home over fall break to convince my friends in college and even then they still didn't believe me! Everyone always assumes it's all Turnpike.


----------



## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

ellecasey said:


> I mentioned this to you in person Hugh, but I'd totally be up for a live writing challenge (the idea came to me in twilight sleep, where my best material comes from so I have to trust it would be awesome. Weeeee!!!)
> 
> How it works: Authors on live feeds flash-writing fiction using input from the audience, writing as people watch (people can come in and out of the room at will), maybe over a period of a few hours. We could even do team writing with teams of authors doing "tag-team" writing over a few hours or half-day.
> 
> Audience votes on best finished product and we publish it with profits going to Kboards or event organizers.


This is such a great idea! That would be ridiculously fun.


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Shouldn't we find out whether Harvey can fit this into his schedule between IT conferences before we get this giddy? Might all be for nothing. Either that, or have some contingency plan, you know, like having Julie put the thing on as part of her festival?


----------



## Guest (Dec 20, 2013)

vrabinec said:


> Shouldn't we find out whether Harvey can fit this into his schedule between IT conferences before we get this giddy? Might all be for nothing. Either that, or have some contingency plan, you know, like having ***** put the thing on as part of her festival?


I knew I should have stayed out of this thread. Eventually, I'd get volunteered for something.  

In all seriousness, anyone that wants to coordinate something in cooperation with the efestival is welcome to contact me. Hugh and some other folks in this thread have participated in the efestival in the last two years. I have a forum and a FB group with over 500 people as it is, so there is already a (skeleton) base.


----------



## Moist_Tissue (Dec 6, 2013)

OT:  The RT Convention has not sold out. I emailed the organizers and they asked me to inform everyone that they are still selling tickets.


----------



## Saul Tanpepper (Feb 16, 2012)

ellecasey said:


> I mentioned this to you in person Hugh, but I'd totally be up for a live writing challenge (the idea came to me in twilight sleep, where my best material comes from so I have to trust it would be awesome. Weeeee!!!)
> 
> How it works: Authors on live feeds flash-writing fiction using input from the audience, writing as people watch (people can come in and out of the room at will), maybe over a period of a few hours. We could even do team writing with teams of authors doing "tag-team" writing over a few hours or half-day.
> 
> Audience votes on best finished product and we publish it with profits going to Kboards or event organizers.


Sounds a bit like the _Hotel Angeline_ project. I'd totally be up for something like this:

http://seattle7writers.org/projects/


----------



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> I knew I should have stayed out of this thread. Eventually, I'd get volunteered for something.


That kind of attitude isn't gonna win you points in the running for KBoard Kween.


----------



## MorganKegan (Jan 10, 2013)

vrabinec said:


> That kind of attitude isn't gonna win you points in the running for KBoard Kween.


OMG, we *must* have a KBoards King and Kween contest there, too. And they must wear Krowns, and those must be horribly embarrassing.


----------



## Vivi_Anna (Feb 12, 2011)

Moist_Tissue said:


> OT: The RT Convention has not sold out. I emailed the organizers and they asked me to inform everyone that they are still selling tickets.


Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing the info. I've been hearing it all over the place.


----------



## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Joseph Turkot said:


> Hey now. I'm from South Jersey. And if you've only seen the state from the interstate, then you don't know that we have some really great places and people.


True that.


----------



## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Could actually book a venue in Wildwood (and I can get discount water park tickets through my day job for everybody) or even Cape May that would be really affordable and make a day trip to A.C. Of course, Cape May is lovely too (and you can do the whale spotting tours). There is actually a ton of stuff to do in our lovely state. It's a wonderful vacation stop, just ridiculously expensive to actually live here year round.


The Wildwood Convention center is also a good venue. (Been to multiple cheer competitions there.) And the boardwalk makes it super fun, with plenty of reasonable places to stay.


----------



## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

Pick some place with nice weather!

We're currently in a mess of freezing rain and it's icky and now I have to drive home.

Good news: Nobody knows I have Monday and Tuesday off, too, and I don't have to be anywhere important until Christmas. 
What does that mean: comfy clothes, wine and chocolate and 5000-word days from when I get home to January 2nd! That's the first draft on the WIP done.
I'll get showered and dressed just long enough to attend the obligatory festivities.


----------

