From The Philcon Chair:

Welcome! We're all glad you are interested in joining us for Philcon this year. For those of you who are not familiar with us, we've put together some information about our Con, as well as some tips for attending fan-run SF cons in general. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at info@philcon.org, and I look forward to seeing you in December!

Jeff Linder
Chair
Philcon 2002

Philcon 101 - How To Get The Most Out Of Your Weekend

What Is Philcon?

Philcon is a regional conference presented each year by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society (www.psfs.org), to further its goal of promoting Science Fiction and Fantasy literature. In addition to those two topics, the convention also has panels and events regarding gaming, costuming, media SF, anime and more (the most recent list of panels is available on our programming page). Over 1500 people meet each year to participate in over 125 events with over 100 professional writers, artists, and editors!

Is It All About Books?

No! Although a large part of the convention is dedicated to the literary part of Science Fiction and Fantasy (in keeping with our goal), we feature many other activities. These include: a 24 hour Gaming Area, with both scheduled and open events; a 24 hour Film and Anime room; an Art Show; a Dealer's Room; our Annual Masquerade Costime Competiton and more still to be scheduled! There is something for everyone.

Who Is Going To Be There?

This year our featured guests include Connie Willis, Donato Giancola, Nalo Hopkinson, Spider and Jeanne Robinson, and David Gerrold. In addition, over 100 professional writers, artists, editors join scientists and fans to participate in our panel discussions and other events. Panelists are usually confirmed around October and a panel schedule posted to the web in November.

Where and When Is It?

Philcon 2002 will be held from December 13th through 15th at the Philadelphia Marriott Center City, located at 12th and Market. Things get started around 3 PM on Friday and go till dinnertime on Sunday.

How Much Does It Cost?

If you sign up before the con, it only costs $45 for the entire weekend, which includes all events and programs! At the door, the entire weekend is $50. Single day memberships are available at the door only. There are lower rates for children.

Is This A Good Place For My Children?

Absolutely. We offer a children's programming track for our younger members, and they are welcome to attend almost any public program at their parent's discretion. For teens, we do require that their parents sign a waiver (it's a legal thing), but they are also welcome to attend any program. We do expect that parents and their children will choose appropriate events, we do have some events targeted to adults only (these will be indicated in the program listing.)

Do Events Go On All Night?

For the most part, scheduled programming is over by 11 PM each night. The film room and gaming area do stay open 24 hours. In addition, on Friday and Satruday nights, many groups and individuals host open Room Parties, at which all con members are welcome. These may run into (and sometimes beyond) the wee hours of the morning.

I'm Really Interested In Meeting Connie (or David, or....)

Many of our guests attend the Meet The Pros party on Friday night. Each featured guest also does a 1 hour panel which often includes a Q+A session. Each of the featured guests also will be signing autographs at our autograph table. Panel guests also often volunteer for autograph sessions, though this is at the individual guests discretion.

Is There A Charge For Autographs?

Our Guests of Honor will not charge for their autographs, with the possible exception of requesting a small charitable donation. Other guests may choose to charge a small fee, especially if they come at their own expense (as many do).

Can I Be A Panel Guest?

If you are interested in being on a panel, send a short note, along with a brief biography, to programming@philcon.org. Our programming team will contact you, and even if there are no open slots this year, your name will be kept on our list for 2003!

Can I Help With The Convention?

Oh yes! If you are interested in donating a little time, please send a note to volunteers@philcon.org and let them know what you might be interested in doing. Sometimes, we get special items and other perks for our volunteers.

What About The Hotel? How Much Does It Cost? Am I Required To Book A Room?

Our hotel is a four star hotel located in the heart of both the Center City historic and Shopping Disticts. With that in mind, the fact that we are offering a room rate of $79 per night for single/double occupancy is simply mind-boggling. You do not need to book a room, many of our attendees commute from their homes in the area. You may also choose to book a room for one night, for example, many of our attendees book for Saturday night only, so that they don't have to worry about driving home after a late night of room parties!

How Do I Get There?

It's not hard at all. The hotel is easily reached by car or public transportation, with a main station on the Market Frankford and Regional Rail lines connected directly to the facility. There is plenty of parking nearby as well, there will be a cost for parking. We negotiate with the various garages in the area on your behalf each year, as we get agreements, those locations will be added to the web site, which also will have public transit and driving directions.

Can I Host My Own Room Party?

You are more than welcome to! There are a few basic rules. 1> Parties open to the public cannot serve alcohol. 2> We need to know about it. If you plan to throw a party, please drop a note to party@philcon.org. In return, we can provide you with some snacks to get you started. Oh, and if you need more space, please include that in your note. We do have some suite rental space available!

I've Heard People Come In Costume?

Yes, they most certainly do. We have two costume competitions at the convention. The first, our masquerade on Saturday night is sanctioned by the costumer's guild. For more information, please contact masquerade@philcon.org. Our second is new this year. Our Hall Costume Competition is open to all conference members. All you need to do is wear your costume on Saturday and register at the information table to get you badge. More information will be available in our 8 page flyer. If you are not on our mailing list and would like a copy of our flyer, please mail info@philcon.org or it should be downloadable as a pdf soon!

What Do Your Dealer's Sell? Do I Need To Be A Member Of The Convention To Go In?

Our dealer's sell too much stuff to be listed here, from books to clothing. You do need to join the convention to enter the dealer's room.

Do you have a question that we haven't answered yet? Send an e-mail to info@philcon.org and we will get right back to you.