Balticon Update
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Dale Arnold
Mar 21, 2022, 10:58:10 PM3/21/22
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This update is about our convention Balticon in its 56th year of being the Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention held at the Baltimore Renaissance Harborplace Hotel during May 27-30, 2022. Info about Balticon at www.balticon.org
New Balticon 56 Special Guests Confirmed:
We are pleased to announce the addition of special guests: Kevin Roche – Kevin Roche has been costuming since he was 8, and a con-runner for years. In his secret identity as a scientist at IBM Research Almaden Lab, he’s hard at work wrangling giant robot vacuum chambers and electrons in atomically engineered materials, and is an IBM Q Ambassador and Qiskit Advocate, explaining the weird world of quantum computers to audiences around the world. He is also the editor of Yipe! The Costume Fanzine of Record and his husband, Andy Trembley is also a new special guest. Andy found organized fandom in semi-rural Wisconsin when he learned of a SCA shire in his hometown. SCA led to costuming, and filking. Costuming, and filking led to conventions, and that led to attending events all over the upper-Midwest. Most recently, Andy ran the “San Jose in 2018: Make the Future” campaign to bring Worldcon 76, the 2018 Worldcon, to San Jose. Both new special guests will participate at Balticon 56 in person.
Art Guest of Honor News:
Regretfully, our Artist Guest of Honor Odera Igbokwe has withdrawn from our convention due to personal reasons. We wish them only the best.
Virtual Balticon 56 News:
We will be streaming multiple program tracks during the weekend from the in-person con at the hotel and there will be Virtual only program panels as well with participants far and wide. Virtual pricing for the whole weekend is $30 for adults and $20 for young adults. Virtual membership is automatically included with any in-person membership purchase and if you buy virtual, but later decide to attend in-person, you can upgrade to full membership for the difference. You can think of it as a supporting membership equivalent with virtual perks as well if you like. Visit the Balticon Prices and Information page at https://www.balticon.org/wp56/registration/
Balticon Membership Numbers Update:
At this point we have more pre-registered members of Balticon 56 than at any past year at this many days before the con. (excepting Balticon 50) This is for the at the con memberships and not virtual memberships as those have just opened. Not sure how far back in number of Balticons we are at this point higher in preregistered members (excepting Balticon 50) but at least back to Balticon 40 when we started to have better record keeping of pre-registered numbers at earlier points in the process… Seems people missed going to cons and are buying memberships to reflect impatience with getting back to the community. Of course usually many folks buy their membership at the door so given this is a strange year everything is new again.
Balticon Room Block Report:
As of today we are at 45.2 percent of room block and have approximately caught up to a normal year of sleeping room bookings this far out from the con. We usually get a big surge around this point and onward as people realize it is spring and that reminds them Balticon is approaching--so it looks good so far for a full in-person convention...
Balticon Mascot Needs a Name:
Although the Baltimore Science Fiction Society logo has stood in for a Balticon logo for decades, some of the younger folks wanted us to have a more colorful logo for Balticon itself and so one was created and you get to suggest a name. To see the art and suggest a name go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_weDLI-hk6inaZiyEcP1zV6wd1NBYnxbsVMt12vC_QMEasA/viewform and submit ideas by March 30, 2022.
People have reported to me that they heard a rumor that the Balticon hotel (or some of the rooms) have been turned into condos. No, the Baltimore Renaissance Harborplace Hotel still has the same number of sleeping rooms. The old Balticon hotel we used downtown 20 years ago (Omni then Wyndham) has been converted into condos, Not the new one.
There is a new (well since the last in-person Balticon) Royal Farm Store 2 blocks from the Balticon hotel on Lombard Street right across the Street from the Burger King. If you are not familiar with Royal Farm Stores they have a deli and convenience store fare. They fall in quality and selection well above 7-11 and just a little below WaWa in nature. (I am sure others would place them at or above WaWa, just my opinion as I prefer WaWA) A great place for snacks, sandwiches, chicken and more during Balticon. Open 24x7.
The 7th floor patio will be open 24×7 during Balticon so smokers/vapers can get the type of “fresh air” they believe they need high above the city streets.
I told everyone before, but the Pool has been restored at our hotel. Two weeks ago I looked through the window at the pool and there was water and people swimming and everything pool like going on.
If you would like to volunteer to help at Balticon we can use volunteer help with logistics (moving stuff around) staffing the green room (where you get to see SF authors close up and maybe give them a cupcake or something) and all around the con. Balticon is an all volunteer convention and no one gets a salary (except hotel employees of course) out of working at Balticon. We all do it to keep the tradition alive for our friends. (and fund the literary programs of BSFS) If you (or a young fan you know) need volunteer hours to get a high school diploma that also can happen as BSFS/Balticon is a 501(c)3 educational organization. (BSFS/Balticon is also registered as a charity with the State of Maryland) You also can get a T-Shirt and bragging rights… To volunteer send email to Volun...@balticon.org
At Balticon you join the action. That is why you buy a membership and not a ticket, you join Balticon and make it partly your own extending the community of creatives by that bit you uniquely contribute.
New Balticon 56 Special Guests Confirmed:
We are pleased to announce the addition of special guests: Kevin Roche – Kevin Roche has been costuming since he was 8, and a con-runner for years. In his secret identity as a scientist at IBM Research Almaden Lab, he’s hard at work wrangling giant robot vacuum chambers and electrons in atomically engineered materials, and is an IBM Q Ambassador and Qiskit Advocate, explaining the weird world of quantum computers to audiences around the world. He is also the editor of Yipe! The Costume Fanzine of Record and his husband, Andy Trembley is also a new special guest. Andy found organized fandom in semi-rural Wisconsin when he learned of a SCA shire in his hometown. SCA led to costuming, and filking. Costuming, and filking led to conventions, and that led to attending events all over the upper-Midwest. Most recently, Andy ran the “San Jose in 2018: Make the Future” campaign to bring Worldcon 76, the 2018 Worldcon, to San Jose. Both new special guests will participate at Balticon 56 in person.
Art Guest of Honor News:
Regretfully, our Artist Guest of Honor Odera Igbokwe has withdrawn from our convention due to personal reasons. We wish them only the best.
Virtual Balticon 56 News:
We will be streaming multiple program tracks during the weekend from the in-person con at the hotel and there will be Virtual only program panels as well with participants far and wide. Virtual pricing for the whole weekend is $30 for adults and $20 for young adults. Virtual membership is automatically included with any in-person membership purchase and if you buy virtual, but later decide to attend in-person, you can upgrade to full membership for the difference. You can think of it as a supporting membership equivalent with virtual perks as well if you like. Visit the Balticon Prices and Information page at https://www.balticon.org/wp56/registration/
Balticon Membership Numbers Update:
At this point we have more pre-registered members of Balticon 56 than at any past year at this many days before the con. (excepting Balticon 50) This is for the at the con memberships and not virtual memberships as those have just opened. Not sure how far back in number of Balticons we are at this point higher in preregistered members (excepting Balticon 50) but at least back to Balticon 40 when we started to have better record keeping of pre-registered numbers at earlier points in the process… Seems people missed going to cons and are buying memberships to reflect impatience with getting back to the community. Of course usually many folks buy their membership at the door so given this is a strange year everything is new again.
Balticon Room Block Report:
As of today we are at 45.2 percent of room block and have approximately caught up to a normal year of sleeping room bookings this far out from the con. We usually get a big surge around this point and onward as people realize it is spring and that reminds them Balticon is approaching--so it looks good so far for a full in-person convention...
Balticon Mascot Needs a Name:
Although the Baltimore Science Fiction Society logo has stood in for a Balticon logo for decades, some of the younger folks wanted us to have a more colorful logo for Balticon itself and so one was created and you get to suggest a name. To see the art and suggest a name go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_weDLI-hk6inaZiyEcP1zV6wd1NBYnxbsVMt12vC_QMEasA/viewform and submit ideas by March 30, 2022.
General Updates About Balticon Stuff:
There is a new (well since the last in-person Balticon) Royal Farm Store 2 blocks from the Balticon hotel on Lombard Street right across the Street from the Burger King. If you are not familiar with Royal Farm Stores they have a deli and convenience store fare. They fall in quality and selection well above 7-11 and just a little below WaWa in nature. (I am sure others would place them at or above WaWa, just my opinion as I prefer WaWA) A great place for snacks, sandwiches, chicken and more during Balticon. Open 24x7.
The 7th floor patio will be open 24×7 during Balticon so smokers/vapers can get the type of “fresh air” they believe they need high above the city streets.
I told everyone before, but the Pool has been restored at our hotel. Two weeks ago I looked through the window at the pool and there was water and people swimming and everything pool like going on.
If you would like to volunteer to help at Balticon we can use volunteer help with logistics (moving stuff around) staffing the green room (where you get to see SF authors close up and maybe give them a cupcake or something) and all around the con. Balticon is an all volunteer convention and no one gets a salary (except hotel employees of course) out of working at Balticon. We all do it to keep the tradition alive for our friends. (and fund the literary programs of BSFS) If you (or a young fan you know) need volunteer hours to get a high school diploma that also can happen as BSFS/Balticon is a 501(c)3 educational organization. (BSFS/Balticon is also registered as a charity with the State of Maryland) You also can get a T-Shirt and bragging rights… To volunteer send email to Volun...@balticon.org
At Balticon you join the action. That is why you buy a membership and not a ticket, you join Balticon and make it partly your own extending the community of creatives by that bit you uniquely contribute.
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