Skip to content

Penguicon 4.0

Sections
Personal tools
You are here: Home » General Info

General Info

Penguicon General Information
Penguicon 4.0
April 21-23, 2006
Livonia Holiday Inn
Livonia, MI
[email protected]
https://penguicon.org

[What is Penguicon?] [Guests' Attendance] [Program Book] [Dealers' Room] [Alcohol Policies] [Parental Concerns][Room Parties] [Computer Info] [Flyers] [Air Travel] [Costume Weapons Policy] [Buying T-Shirts]

What is Penguicon?

To those of you familiar with the Linux and Open Source community, think of a weekend long Linux Users Group meeting with hundreds of other geeks which also just happens to have nationally acclaimed guests, its own wireless network, free caffeine and snacks always available, lots of folks talking about Science Fiction and Fantasy, situated next to a place to buy really cool t-shirts and buttons and such, and with some extra events like amateur singing, anime, and a costume contest.

To those of you familiar with Science Fiction conventions, imagine all the convention features you know and love, with the addition of wireless internet access, computer gaming (including the fabulous Celebrity Frag Fest), non-stop Internet access, people who know about online publishing / books on demand / digital art, a programming track involving computing topics and another one focusing on the crossover between Science Fiction and computing.

In past years, author guests have included Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Cory Doctorow and Joan D. Vinge. Tech guests have included Eric S. Raymond, Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda, John "maddog" Hall, Jeff "Hemos" Bates, Nat Torkington, and Peter Salus. Gaming guests have included Steve Jackson and Kevin Siembieda. Web comics guests have included Pete Abrams and J.D. "Iliad" Fraser.

And what else is there at Penguicon? There is a shared computing and SF dealer's room. There a Masquerade, and a rocking Dance. There are reading and signing sessions from our guest authors, 24 hour gaming, an anime room, and a Live Action Role Playing game. There is a Linux Installfest, Birds of a Feather sessions, computing and programming tutorials, and email and Internet kiosks. We have coffee and the famed "Water Joe" (and we will serve OpenCola) in the con suite, which is open to everyone. We do technical presentations and seminars. There is a writing workshop. There is filk. There is homemade robots.

All of this on a three day weekend. And Penguicon 4.0 will have even more. We're looking forward to seeing YOU there!

Guests' Attendance

Our Guests of Honor and other invited Guests commit to attending Penguicon long in advance of the actual event. Along the way (and generally at the very last moment!) circumstances beyond everyone's control may happen, resulting in the Guest not being able to attend the convention as planned. Though this is rare, it can happen. If we are made aware of a Guest's inability to attend far enough in advance, Penguicon will attempt to invite another Guest as a replacement. However, this may not always be possible. In either case, Penguicon can make no guarantee that a particular guest will be able to attend the convention, and can not be liable for the results of a Guest's cancellation.

Program Book Advertising

Penguicon publishes a Program Book, which is given out to every attendee. Advertising space is available in this Program Book. This year, we are estimating that we will have 800 attendees, all of which will see your ad. Advertising rates are as follows, with all amounts in U.S. dollars:

Business_Rate
Non-Profit_Rate
Ad_Size_(w x h)
Full Page
$125.00
$75.00
6" x 7.5"
Half Page
$65.00
$40.00
6" x 3.5"
Quarter Page
$40.00
$25.00
2.75" x 3.5"
Inside Front Cover
$200.00
$120.00
6" x 7.5"
Back Cover
$250.00
$150.00
6" x 7.5"
Inside Back Cover
$175.00
$105.00
6" x 7.5"


Each page of the Program Book will be 7" wide by 8.5" high, printed in offset gray scale. Half pages can be split horizontally or vertically at your request. Let us know if you need to submit advertisements on camera-ready paper in the correct size, but electronic format (JPG, GIF, TIFF, or PDF) is preferred. If you are interested in making use of any of the cover pages, please contact us for availability before submitting your ad. Although we request that you place your insertion order by Thursday, March 31, ads that are confirmed and paid by that time will be accepted as late as Friday, April 8. Your insertion order will be a confirmation of what size of ad you wish to place, and whether you need the back or inside covers. Please send all requests and queries about program book advertising to [email protected].

Dealers' Room

Penguicon loves our dealers; this year we'll be providing an even larger dealer area than we did last year. We are actively seeking a wide range of dealers, so no matter what you're selling, whether it be books, collectibles, electronics, computer equipment, media items, T-shirts, or positronic brain tune-up kits, we'd like to see you at Penguicon.

Penguicon's dealer room coordinator will handle all communications. Please contact the dealer room coordinator directly at [email protected] with all questions and requests for tables.

All Penguicon dealers' tables are six feet long. Every dealer will receive one convention membership with the rental of their first table. There will be a limit of three tables per dealer. Rates are as follows, with all amounts in U.S. dollars: Rates coming soon

Contact: [email protected]

Alcohol Policies

As part of our offered hospitality, Penguicon will be serving beer during evening and late night hours in the Smoking and Non-Smoking Consuites. There may also be other events that will include beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages. In the interest of avoiding those awkward confrontations with the hotel, or those even more awkward late night meetings with the police, we ask that everyone please observe some common sense rules about alcoholic beverages at the con.

  • Penguicon will be checking IDs before serving any alcoholic beverages. You must be 21 or over in order to drink.
  • Proof of age will be required at the point of service, not during registration. In other words, you must bring your ID to the Consuite in order to drink. Con badges will NOT indicate age, or be accepted as proof of age. Acceptable forms of ID are drivers' licenses, state issued picture IDs, military IDs, and passports.
  • Anyone seen to be violating state drinking laws (for instance, by providing alcohol to someone under 21) will not be allowed into the con's hospitality areas. (This includes both Consuites and the Green Room.) Repeated or major violations may result in the violators' being removed from the hotel.
  • Open alcoholic beverages should not be brought into convention function rooms, or consumed in the public spaces of the hotel. Open beverages can be carried with you as you move from room to room, however.
  • Room parties in guest rooms are welcome (and supported - see our "Room Parties" section) to provide hospitality (potentially including serving alcohol). Each party will need to decide how to handle appropriate alcohol management, Penguicon asks only that everyone comply with the hotel's requirements about not having alcohol in the function spaces and common areas, and that all parties follow state drinking laws. We hope that everyone has a wonderful time!
Parental Concerns

Children in the 12 and under age range are welcome at the convention, and will not be charged for admission. However, parents should be aware that Penguicon does not provide any programming or services for children age 12 or under, and requires that a registered convention attendee always accompany these children. Unaccompanied children will not be permitted into non-public convention areas and functions. Please also consider that some convention panel topics may not be appropriate for young children, and that some evening and night convention functions may involve attendee costume and activities possibly inappropriate for children. Penguicon cannot be held responsible for any unaccompanied minors.

Room Parties

Penguicon would like to see room parties. Lots and lots of room parties! HUGE room parties!! And we're going to help try to make your room party a success. For every group that registers their room party ahead of time with the convention, we can make the following things available

  • A spiffy mention of your room party in our Program Book, including a description of your group. (A great help for WorldCon bid parties!)
  • Advance announcement of your room party on the Penguicon web site.
  • A link to your group's web site (if you have one) published on the Penguicon website "Links" page.
  • A mention of your room party on the hotel's information channel.
  • Help with room placement in the hotel, to insure you don't wind up in the "out of the way" location. (Unless, that is, you WANT that out of the way location.)

How could you possibly pass this up? But wait - there's MORE! You will also receive one coupon for broadband hotel room internet access per night that you have a party. Please e-mail all questions and any requests to register a room party to: [email protected]

Computer Info

Penguicon will once again be providing areas of free Internet connectivity and a wireless network to our attendees: a 802.11b compatible wireless network, available in the computer room and the lobby. This means you cannot plug in your ethernet cable, you must have a wireless card.

Convention members should not setup their own convention wireless access points.

Flyers

An event like Penguicon is a labor of love, created by a whole bunch of nifty people that are crazy enough to donate lots of time and energy to making it happen. Of course, we know that for every person that actively volunteers to help put on Penguicon, there must be five more that would like to help but just don't have the time or opportunity. If you're one of those five, here's an real easy way to help. Just download one of these Penguicon flyers, print up some copies, and take it somewhere where you think you'll find people interested in what Penguicon has to offer. Its easy - just post them or plop them on some table, and walk away knowing that you've done a big bit to help out! Here what's available right now...

To save the file to your computer without loading it into your PDF Reader first, right click on a link below and select "Save Target As..." Flyers coming soon.

Air Travel

The nearest major airport to the convention is Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), about a half hour's drive south of the Livonia Holiday Inn. If you are renting a car, its a very easy drive. Just follow the signs out of the airport rental car area to get on the I-275 north freeway. Stay on I-275 north for about fourteen miles to the Six Mile Road exit. Turn right off the exit ramp onto Six Mile Road. Then turn left onto Laurel Park Dr and the Livonia Holiday Inn is a few hundred feet up on your right.

If you don't wish to rent a car, there is taxi service from the airport. There is also airport limosine service available, which can be a less expensive alternative for groups, or a more comfortable one for individuals. Airport pick-up service at Metropolitan Airport is provided by Metro Cars at (800) 456-1701. (Penguicon is not affiliated with Metro Cars in any way.)

Costume Weapons Policy

Bladed weapons and replica firearms are allowed at Penguicon either as parts of costumes, or as part of dealer displays or pre-arranged martial arts displays. Blades that are a part of costumes must be peace-bonded, and can only be displayed openly when worn as part of the entire costume. Blades and/or firearms should never be carried openly by themselves at the hotel.

Replica and toy firearms are allowed, but no weapon which can actually fire any potentially damaging projectile (or which could ever have fired such a projectile) is allowed at the convention. This means that actual pistols and rifles, bb guns, crossbows, and any similar weaponry, are all not allowed. They are not allowed even if they have been altered in such a way so that they can not now be fired - it is too difficult for the convention staff to tell whether a weapon has been 'altered' to be made safe, and we can not take responsibility for making an error in evaluating the weapon.

Also, no weapon, whether it be a replica, toy, or anything else, can be brought to the convention if it contains gunpowder or any other explosive in any quantity. This means that caps for cap guns, blanks for starter pistols, bullets, or anything else with potential for explosion or fire will not be permitted. Also, costume items that contain or use an open flame or heating element are not allowed. The hotel does not allow glitter or bubbles.

Buying T-Shirts

Penguicon T-Shirts will be available later. Watch this space. There is also an optional t-shirt neck style available, you can ask to purchase a scoop neck rather than a round collar shirt for about the same prices.

Created by admin
Last modified 2005-10-04 10:56 PM
 

Powered by Plone

This site conforms to the following standards: