Circle Of Janus
SF&F Fan Club - Home Page
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Indianapolis, IN |
July 3 - 5, 2009 |
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Main Page Guest List Registration Info Hotel Information Masquerade Contest Dealers' Room Programming Anime Room Doctor Who Room Art Show Gaming Charities Program Book Committee Members Photo Album Web Pages Frequently Asked Questions Friends of InConJunction Search This Site...
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Frequently Asked Questions
| Q: | What sort of convention is this? Is this like other cons I've been to? | |||
| A: | This is a fan-run, not-for-profit general science fiction and fantasy convention with a strong focus on our literary roots. As for whether it's like other cons you've been to, probably in some ways and not in others, depending on what type of convention you've been to. There are many other fan-run conventions with which we would share a great deal. However, a lot of cons nowadays-- especially those that are for-profit and run by big organizations-- focus almost exclusively on media guests and have only a couple of things happening at any one time, mostly panels with the big-name guests and autograph/photo sessions. InConJunction, on the other hand, tries to have something for everyone-- with panels on writing, movies and television, comic books, art work, science, technology, culture, fandom, and many other things. At most times, there will be two to four panels going at the same time, giving you plenty of choices. If there's not a panel you're interested in, we also have a movie room, anime room, gaming room, art show, dealers room, and various special interest group rooms and tables. If none of that appeals, the con suite makes a great place to hang out, meet people, and have interesting conversations. In the evenings, there's the dance and many attendees throw their own room parties. So, it's much more than a few panels with the media guests, autograph sessions, and a dealer's room. We like to think it's more fun, but some people prefer a convention with a tighter emphasis or fewer choices. | |||
| Q: | Sounds fun. Why should I pre-register? | |||
| A: | It benefits both us and you. The benefits for us are that we have a better idea of our attendance and can plan accordingly. Also if we have more money ahead of time, we can make better purchases and cut better deals than we can do on credit (which, in turn, gives you a better convention). The benefits for you are that you get a price break from the at-the-door price and we also like to give out a selection of goodies to those who support us by pre-registering. | |||
| Q: | So, why should I stay at your hotel, rather than a cheaper motel I found just a few miles away. | |||
| A: | Let's do the benefits thing again, starting with InConJunction and then looking at yours. Any fan-run convention lives and breathes on hotel room nights. We're no exception. We get the convention space at an inexpensive price if we meet our contracted room nights. If we don't, we start paying extra for the space-- a lot extra. Also, failing to meet the room night commitment strains a convention's relationship with their hotel. They might keep a convention around, but the quality of service and communication ultimately suffers, and it can impact the attendees' experience at the convention as well as the organizers'. Honestly, there are only a handful of hotels in the Indianapolis area with the facilities to host a convention like InConJunction, so our relationship with our hotel is very important to keeping InConJunction going for many years to come, so we encourage our attendees to stay at our hotel. Now, that's our benefits. What are yours? First, the hotel is a really wonderful hotel, with great rooms and a lot of nice extras you're not going to get at a motel. Second, driving back and forth, even just a few miles, can be a real hassle-- especially if there's more than one of you relying on the same transportation and one or more of you wants to stay while others want to go. We have many things that run late into the night and it's so nice to know you can just hop on an elevator, walk a few feet, and be in bed for the night instead of worrying about driving when you're not sure you're awake enough. Likewise, you may find during the day you just want to go crash or relax for a while. That's easier to do if your room is right there in the same hotel. And if you want to get together with one or several friends in privacy to talk, go in on a pizza or what-have-you? There's your room right there. Picked up a ton of stuff in the dealers room? Pop up real quick and stash it in your room. There's also something to be said for having other fans sharing the pool, restaurant, and so on with you. Some of the best conversations this author has ever had at a convention have actually been in the hotel hot tub. Try it sometime! Lastly is a consideration for those who might avail themselves of the hotel bar or imbibe at a room party or other private function. While InConJunction itself does not provide alcohol and leaves the question of drinking to the discretion of our attendees, we are concerned about your welfare and enjoyment while visiting the convention and our hometown. Indiana law specifies that a blood alcohol level of .08% is legally intoxicated, which for many people can be reached in 2 to 3 drinks. A blood alcohol level of .05% combined with other factors (such as fatigue) that result in an accident or impaired driving can still get you arrested for drunk driving. Police are especially alert on the weekends for signs of impaired driving. Being arrested for DUI is sure to put a crimp in your enjoyment of the convention, but is hardly the worst that can happen to you in light of the number of deaths and permanent disabilities that occur every year in accidents involving alcohol. With that in mind, we strongly encourage anyone who thinks they may drink, even if it's just one or two drinks, while at the convention hotel to book a room at the convention hotel. | |||
| Q: | Okay, but I'm from the central Indiana area. Why should I stay at your hotel? | |||
| A: | The same answers apply to you as to the above question. Obviously, we can't make you get a hotel room and the cost-benefit analysis changes when you're comparing a hotel room price to sleeping free, but it does add a great deal to the convention experience that you miss by sleeping at home. It's a financial decision you have to make for yourself, but we would encourage you to try the experience at least once. | |||
| Q: | So, I've decided to stay in the hotel. Should I just go to one of those cheap hotel websites or use my [insert organization name here] rate reduction? | |||
| A: | NO! Please. Remember what we said about our contracted room nights? We only get those if you register under the InConJunction name. We've negotiated an extremely low price for rooms at InConJunction. You're not going to get anything cheaper. Just click on the Hotel Information button and follow the instructions to book a hotel room by phone, fax, or web. Remember you must book your hotel room by June 15 to get our low rate and have your rooms counted toward our commitment to the hotel! | |||
| Q: | So, I can't just get a hotel room when I arrive at the hotel? | |||
| A: | Not if you want our low convention rate, no. The hotel has a very generous cancellation policy. There's no reason to delay booking a hotel room till the last minute. Honestly, if you're pretty sure you're coming, please, go ahead and book the room. | |||
| Q: | So, you say this is fan-run? Who runs it? | |||
| A: | InConJunction is organized by the Circle of Janus, which is a science fiction and fantasy fan club located in the central Indiana area. We do this because we love it, not because we get paid. If you're interested in joining us or just want more information, check out the CoJ web page. All the convention organizers and workers are unpaid volunteers. | |||
| Q: | I have this idea for how to make to convention better. | |||
| A: | Join the club. No, really. If you're in the central Indiana area (or even further out-- we have some out-of-state members), check out the Circle of Janus. Don't want to do that? Just drop a note to the conchair. | |||
| Q: | In the past, you've had guests that don't show. Why is that? | |||
| A: | It varies from guest to guest, of course. Some of them have had health issues and family crises come up. With many of our media guests, their contracts stipulate that if they have a filming job come up and they can't work us in around it, the job has precedence. Hey, this is their career, the thing that puts bread on the table for them and their families. Much as they love their fans, it's understandable that career and family take priority. We don't like it when that happens any more than you do, but it's the risk of asking someone from a fickle industry to come to our convention. Because of these factors, our guest list should always be understood to be tentative, though with every intention on both ours and our guests' parts for them to be at the con. | |||
If you're not currently listed in the InConJunction Address Book, please feel free to add yourself using our Online Address Book.
We'll keep you informed of upcoming events and send you the latest convention flyer.
Send an E-Mail to The InConJunction 2009 Volunteer Coordinator
if you would like to volunteer to help out with the convention and potentially receive a refund on your admission.
Send an E:Mail to The InConJunction 2009 Con-Chair
if you'd like additional information about InConJunction.
Send an E-Mail to The Webmaster
with questions or comments about the InConJunction web page.
