Convention

[[Image:startrekcon1969.jpg|thumb|cover of early con program from 1968 University of Iowa Digital Library There were about 300 attendees.]]
A convention is a pre-arranged gathering of fans at a specific place and time. Conventions vary widely in their scope and size. Some conventions are small fancons, that is run by fans for fans, focusing on a specific topic or fandom, e.g., Vividcon, a 125-person convention devoted specifically to fannish vidding. Vividcon. (Accessed 07 Aug. 2008.) At the other end of the spectrum are procons like the commercially-run San Diego Comic-Con, with hundreds of professional guests and over 125,000 fans attending.Comic-Con is bursting at the seams by Geoff Boucher, July 2008. (Accessed 07 Aug. 2008.) Comic-Con is also characterized by a huge corporate presence, with virtually every major Hollywood studio attending to promote upcoming television and films. Middle of the road are non-profit fan run cons with invited professional guests, such as Scorpio or Anglicon.
== Distinguishing Features and Common Elements of Conventions ==
* Are they fan-run cons or commercial cons? Fan-run conventions generally run on a break-even basis (or, commonly, at a loss) and are organized by fans in their spare time. Commercial conventions are generally professionally organized with the intent of making a profit. Some believe that commercial conventions exist to "rip off" fans.Creation Entertain (Creation Entertainment spoof site). (Accessed 7 Aug. 2008.)Conventions That Don't Suck posted by psychodave on rec.arts.sf.fandom, 2006. (Accessed 7 Aug. 2008.) On the other hand, some feel fan-run endeavors may be more prone to financial problems.Personal Statement from Denise Adams posted by rowanceleste, 2001. (Accessed 7 Aug. 2008.) 
* Do they have professional guests? (Both fan-run cons like Anglicon and Scorpio, and commercial cons like Comic-Con may have professionals as guests.) Pro guests are fun, but they tend to raise con costs (since they have to be paid for their attendance), and back in the day, cons with guests restricted some fan activities (such as selling slash zines, and showing songtapes) that were felt to be inappropriate around pros.
* Are they for one specific fandom, or for all fandoms of their type (media, sf, slash, etc.)? SHareCon is a Starsky & Hutch slash con; Escapade is an example of a general slash con, open to all slash fans. (Often, if a specific fandom con last long enough, it will become a more general convention: many general media cons started as Star Trek cons; ZebraCon started as a Starsky & Hutch con, but gradually became a cops and robbers media con. Winchestercon went multi-fandom and was renamed Wincon.)
From Boldly Writing writes of a fan-run con Love of Trek that had professional aspects: 
Many types of conventions may include some or more of the following:
* Art Show
* Auction
* Autograph Session
* Awards Presentation
* Badge
* Blood Drive
* By Hand purchases
* Con Charity
* Convention Games
* Con Suite
* Convention Goody Bag
* Convention Program Book
* Convention Skit
* Concom
* Dead Dog Party and Dead Dog Panel
* Dealers' Room
* Fanzine Reading Room
* Filking
* Gofer
* Guest of Honor
* Masquerade
* Ops
* Panels
* Progress Report
* Room Party
* Saturday Night Banquet
* Vid Show
* Video Viewing Room
== Early History of Science Fiction Cons ==
"Con" has been used since before 1942 to mean a specifically fannish convention.
Science fiction writer Frederick Pohl claims that the first science fiction convention was a trip that he and seven other New York-area fans took to meet a similar group of fans in Philadelphia in 1936. A group of British science fiction fans had a more carefully planned public event in Leeds on January 3, 1937.THE FIRST EVER CONVENTION. ROB HANSEN'S FAN STUFF website. text reproduction of THE STORY SO FAR, a 1987 Worldcon publication. See also photographs from the Leeds convention. (Accessed 4 January 2012) The first World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) was held over the July 4, 1939 weekend in New York City and, aside from a few breaks during the second world war, has been held annually ever since.Francesca Coppa, "A Brief History of Media Fandom." In: K. Hellekson, K. Busse (eds.) Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet. New Essays McFarland, 2006. p 43.
The first annual 日本ＳＦ大会 Nihon SF Taikai was MEG-CON in 1962SF大会リスト (SF Taikai List) (accessed 23 January 2009). (This convention became famous among international anime fans for the short opening videos at Osaka's 1981 and 1983 cons (DAICON 3 and DAICON 4)Gainax's official page for the videos (accessed 23 January 2009. These fan animators went on to form the animation company Gainax, which produced EvangelionFans Who Would Be Kings: the author describes Gainax as 'by fans for fans'. (accessed 23 January 2009)) The Nippon 2007 convention in Yokohama doubled as World Con that year.
Comiket (コミ) more formally known as the Comic Market (コミックマーケット) is a twice-yearly gathering of fans first held in December 1975. It started as a spinoff from Nihon SF Taikai to encourage freer and more creative approaches in fanzine circles, and has grown into a three-day extravaganza of fanzine and manga making, cosplay and other fan and pro activity. Attendance for the three days is currently over half a million, with more than 15,000 cosplayers. Overseas visitors to Comiket are increasing, placing additional strain on its resources: although there are now a small number of paid staff and the convention has been incorporated, the vast majority are still volunteers.
Italy had its first science fiction convention, EmpireCon, in 1994.
== Early Media Cons ==
Newsweek:
Arguably the first SF convention of any type was a media convention, The Vril-Ya Bazaar and Fete, held in the Albert Hall, London, in 1891. It was planned as a three-day charity event themed around Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel Vril: The Power of The Coming Race, featuring costumes, magic acts, and other material based on the novel. Unfortunately it was not a success and it eventually ran to five days, in an unsuccessful attempt to recoup financial losses which bankrupted the organizer. The idea seems to have been abandoned and forgotten completely until well into the 20th century.The Strange Story of the Vril-Ya Bazaar and Fete, the 'World's First Sci-Fi Convention'
The first major Star Trek convention, run by Joan Winston and others, was held in New York in 1972 and drew 3,000 people. The 1973 convention drew 6,000, and in 1974, 15,000 people attended and 6,000 more were turned away at the door. These cons vied to have the largest number of professional guest stars. For more information, see Star Trek Convention.
The first media fan-run cons (small, no guest stars, no profit) were ReKWest*Con in July 1975 and August Party in August 1975. 
This first con that would become MediaWest*Con was called T'Con and held in 1978 at the Lansing Hilton Inn. It was organized by Lori Chapek-Carleton and Gordon Carleton, who were zine publishers. The convention was formally re-established as MediaWest*Con in 1981. MediaWest*Con was one of the first cons (if not the very first) to feature a Fanzine Reading Room.
The first unabashed slash con was IDICon in Houston, in 1984, run by Pam Rose, Linn O'Brien, Barb Lewis and others.
The current longest-running slash con is Escapade (2010 was its 20th!) held every year near Santa Barbara, California by Megan Kent and Charlotte C Hill.
==Star Trek Cons==
 
See Star Trek Convention.
==Security at Conventions==
The larger conventions have a need for a security force of some sort. Doors and autograph lines need to be monitored, the art room guarded, the celebrities protected, and general order needs to be maintained. Some cons rely on volunteers and gofers. Some cons hire professional security. Other cons hire or negotiate with smaller, fan-run security "companies." The Dorsai Irregulars, FLARE, Allied Forces Security are examples of the latter.
==Convention Program Covers==
 
* Convention Programs (program books)
==Lists of Cons==
A list of slash and slash-friendly cons can be found at the slash cons page. An anime-specific list can be found at Anime Conventions. Recurring conventions are at List of Conventions Past and Present.
* FanCons.com - a database of conventions going back to 1936
* List of LGBTQ-Focused Conventions
* 
* The Official Mercedes Lackey Fan Club - contains a list of cons
* UpcomingCons.com - lists upcoming cons by date and location
* Fan Gatherings | Organization for Transformative Works - OTW's calendar of upcoming fan conventions
* Fanboy's Convention List (2002-2006)
==Additional Reading==
* The Making of the Trek Conventions: Or, How to Throw a Party for 12,000 of Your Most Intimate Friends (Doubleday, 1977) by Joan Winston
* Munday: a do-it-yourself participatory memoir (1981)
* Support Your Local Conventions in 1985 (1985)
* Cons - why we do it and what we want? (1996)
* (1998)
* (1998)
* (1991)
* , discussion on rec.arts.sf.fandom about terrible con events (1994) 
*I'm beginning to think I'm the only one suffering from Post-Con Depression, but I know that that can't possibly be true. - an essay written in 1997 of the difficulty of returning home to the 'real world' after a fannish convention
* , August 2002 post by Wheaton on his experiences as a con guest
* Let's Stop Conning Ourselves (2009)
* Tired Of The Con Game by lazypadawan (2015
* , by Lesley Goldberg for "The Hollywood Reporter" (2016)
==External Resources==
* Monsterkid, one fan's account of a lifetime in fandom, includes many, many photos taken and cons
*M. Horvat Collection of Science Fiction Convention Materials at the University of Iowa library
* an archive of Midwestern convention photos, information and material is at the Midamerican Fan Photo Archive
== See also ==
*Vitamin H - a group of fans that creates various panels for anime conventions.
*Swell Entertainment - a YouTuber who reviews conventions.
==References==
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