Worldcon party query

[randy_byers]

So my intention is to attend the Worldcon in Melbourne next September. The convention will be held just two weeks before my 50th birthday, and I was thinking it might be fun to throw a childhood's end party at the convention. However, I need some help in thinking about this.

First of all, should I throw the party in my room or should I try to get an official party room? If I were to do the latter, who would I need to talk to on the concom to reserve a room? Also, should I make it an open party or a private party?

This is an invitation to think out loud. Any and all suggestions or advice or anecdotes about past experiences would be welcome.

(And no, I don't have an attending membership yet; I only have a supporting membership. There are still a number of things I need to arrange before I know for sure that I'll be going.)

Comments

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

ooooooh excited :)

yes that was helpful wasn't it!!

consider me prwpared to be a party deputy in all things psosible...!

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely need help, so volunteers are very welcome. Thank you!

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

For whatever it might be worth -- I don't recall many open room-parties (or know of any closed/invitational ones) at AussieCon (One). This seemed consistent with British fan tradition (and Hotel practices). Things in Oz might have changed in the decades since then, but I'd suggest finding out if there is going to be a Fan Lounge (with corkage waiver) and trying to schedule an Open Party for that venue. Failing that, you might have to hold it In The Bar (there are worse fates, I'm sure). Much depends, I suspect, on the individual Hotel's policies, and these may not be accurately predictable in advance.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

These are good points, Don, thanks. There were official party rooms at the last Glasgow Worldcon in 2005 (and in fact there was an LJ party in one of them one night), but I don't know if there will be in Melbourne. I'm trying to remember if I've heard rumors of a Fan Lounge. Maybe smofbabe will know.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

We negotiated a general deal for corkage at the gLasgow worldcon for "official" small-scale parties - although it nearly ran acropper when one party-runner tried to bring in industrial quantities of cider..:(

I suspect dmw and dalmeny will know everything - have you asked them?

At the Adelaide natcon we certainly had some very nice wine at private room parties - everyone has been wine tasting! - which makes me suspect it will be unofficial as in eng & W but the hotels will be v v used to turrning a blind eye. remeber also that corkage is the norm in UK restaurants while BYOB is pretty much the norm in Oz.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't talked to anyone yet. I thought I'd start by throwing this out here and seeing where it leads.

[the-gardener.livejournal.com]

Only fifty years old? Pah -- you youngster, you!

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm doing the best I can!

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

I suspect my 50th (in April) will pass largely without note. Organising my own party doesn't really work for me (it's different at a convention; your friends are already there).

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize that you were soooooo much older than I am.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Cheeky young whippersnapper.

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

We are still negotiating on which hotel will be the official party hotel so I can't give you much information at this point. However, keep watching the skies australia2010 for more information about party policies once they are set.

As for other angles, throwing an open party will mean having to supply a lot more food and drink, and you'll have to do some active hosting. If you do a closed party for your friends and are worried about how to let people know the location, a sneaky technique used by people over the years is to agree on a boring sounding group party name ahead of time and post that on the party board at the con once you have the room number and day (for example, "Dystopian Supporters League"). Then just tell random people who might show up that it's a closed party.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. Many thanks, Smofbabe.

[http://users.livejournal.com/doctor_k_/]

I shall come along and carouse if that's any help!

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Yes, we'll be wanting expert carousers. Always good to have a doctor around in case things get out of hand, too.

[dougs.livejournal.com]

julia_winolj and I would be keen to participate, and may be in a position to offer a little person-power.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

By gum, this is starting to feel like a party already! I guess I'll have to think of something to wear.

[(Anonymous)]

Hmmm, this sounds like a reason to go to the con myself!

-- Denys

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Whoa! That would be really cool! What was the last Worldcon you went to? Was it the 1984 LACon?

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

Hm, that con's starting to sound better.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's in Australia, how bad can it be?

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

I know lots of people are very keen on Australia but it's just never really grabbed me for some reason. Seems a long way to go for something that's not that foreign. It's entirely possible I'd like it a lot more than I think.

I did have a very good Australian Pilsner on Saturday; brought back by the fishlifters. Number 238 of the 300 beers list.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think there's a lot of snowboarding in Oz, so maybe it's not your kind of place. Still, it's full of Aussies, who are pretty damned cool people, all in all. But of course you know the main reason I became interested in Australia, and you've even met her.

What was the name of the pilsner? My first visit down there I drank nothing but crappy to decent industrial lager in Queensland, then the next time I made it to Melbourne and Sydney and discovered that they have good beer there too.

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

Oh I can definitely see why you became interested in Australia. Well worth travelling for.

The beer was a James Squire Pilsner from Malt Shovel. I'm not a huge fan of Pilsners but I was rather taken by that one. I still liked the Fosters Sheaf Stout, which also came back from that trip, better.
I had another couple of lambics on the way home. I could get used to this.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I remember way back at the dawn of time when it was called Tooth's Sheaf Stout. Does Fosters own it now? I suppose I should be surprised it isn't owned by InBev.

[reverendjim.livejournal.com]

That's the stuff. It seems to have been owned by Fosters (or Carlton, which is the same thing) for quite some time but it's still the same beer and brewed in the same place. I was vaguely amused to be able to tell people I'd been drinking Fosters (and it was nice) as they're only known for dreadful lager over here.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Fosters' ad campaign here is "Fosters - Australian for beer," but I was told over and over in Australia that nobody drinks it there.