The Roundup of Convention ideas is here.
Hal-Con is a convention in Halifax Nova Scotia. It's got a diverse set
of guests and events, and when I talked to the staff, I found the
diversity applied to their profan events.
Hal-Con's approach is to be open about new panels of all kinds, and
seek a balance of fun and practical. When I say open-minded, I'm quite
serious – Hal-Con looks for and encourages diversity, and you'll find
everything from your typical events to serious discussion of lightsaber
handling. They like to see what the fans and guests will suggests and
have the courage to try.
This diversity also affects their profan panels in a delightful way. Among their upcoming offerings:
- Multiple writing panels, playing to the author's strengths.
- A panel with model Drakaina (warning, some NSFW content) whose fannish interests led to her modeling for fantasy and SF works.
- Multiple filmmaking groups discussing their efforts, and even a filmed "nerd debate."
Hal-Con's
open-mindedness looks to be their strength in producing pro-fan
events. This is certainly the first convention I've talked to with a
discussion of modeling, and I somehow get the impression Hal-Con will
find a way to top this in the years to come.
Over in Novia Scotia? A fan? Sounds like you owe yourself a trip to Hal-Con!
– Steven Savage