tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76392064192565127642024-03-18T21:10:32.745-07:00Ro-LaxiconRo-Con is a small convention celebrating all things geek an wonderful, featuring panels, presentations, vendors, gaming and more.
Due to an issue with our venue, instead of Ro-Con 3, we will be running Ro-Laxicon, a one day event of panels, games, and geeky fun in Norwich.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-11510342521544253912018-01-01T14:27:00.001-08:002018-01-01T14:27:28.559-08:00Ro-Con on a Ro-CationSoutheast Connecticut is a very difficult place to find a venue for a small con. There are great venues for large cons, but not much for a con of this size. This could be overcome by a great deal of staff time or an infusion of money, but in 2018, we lack both of these options.<div>
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As such, we'll be holding off on a 2018 Ro-Con and will take a run at in 2019 when certain anticipated changes in Michael and Amy's personal and professional life should liberate some additional resources of time and money.</div>
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We may still have a Ro-Laxicon in July. That is to be determined.</div>
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If you have thoughts or would like to help out with any of our events, please email us at <a href="mailto:michael@ro-con.org">michael@ro-con.org</a></div>
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Thank you for your interest, and stay tuned!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-65622429021739107572017-05-27T14:00:00.000-07:002017-05-27T14:11:26.455-07:00A Lost Venue, Cancelling Ro-Con, and the Ro-LaxiconIt is with deepest regret that we must announce that we are cancelling Ro-Con 3. For the full background, you can read the explanation that Amy Whitehouse wrote <a href="http://ro-con-2.blogspot.com/p/full-story-of.html">here</a>.<br />
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In short, due to issues with our intended venue Upward Hartford (formerly Innovate Hartford) that occurred too late to move the convention, we will not be able to run a the full convention that we had planned to run.<br />
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Fortunately, <a href="https://www.foundry66.com/">Foundry 66</a>, a wonderful innovation center run by the <a href="http://www.askncdc.com/">Norwich Community Development Corporation</a>, has agreed to host a 1-day "Ro-Laxicon" on Saturday, July 22nd. Unlike Upward Hartford, they are fully engaged in this event, offering to promote it for us, and believing that it will be an excellent addition to their programming and community.<br />
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Due to the nature of the smaller event, we lack the budget for guests, so Daniel Kimmel and V. Nigel Taylor will not be appearing at the Ro-Laxicon, although we will be inviting them for Ro-Con 4 if they are available, because we were excited to see them.<br />
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We are, however, still inviting all the panelists to attend and we are waiting to hear who will be able to attend. From that will build a panel track.<br />
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For any attendees who have already paid for Ro-Con 3, you will have the option of a full refund <b>or</b> rolling over your admission to Ro-Con 4, which will be July 20-22, 2018 at a <i>hotel </i>which is <i>already </i>built and has <i>air conditioning</i> to be determined. If you roll over your admission, you will be able to attend the Ro-Laxicon at no additional charge.<br />
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For anyone else admission to the Ro-Laxicon, which will run from 10 AM until late night, is $10 pre-registration and $15 at the door.<br />
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On behalf of the entire Ro-Con staff, we apologize for the necessity to do this, but we felt very strongly that it would not be possible to restructure the event at this late date and still have an event worthy of the Ro-Con name.<br />
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<b>Regarding the Venue</b><br />
Foundry66 is located at 66 Franklin Street, Norwich, CT in downtown Norwich. There is plenty of free on-street parking and a small parking lot. We will be making arrangements with a local hotel for a special Ro-Laxicon rate, but unfortunately, there are no hotels in walking distance of the facility.<br />
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For any questions, you may email <a href="mailto:michael@ro-con.org" target="_blank">Michael Whitehouse</a>.<br />
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You may pre-register through our <a href="https://ro-con.ticketleap.com/ro-con-3/" target="_blank">Ticket Leap Page</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-22054417772494247492017-03-27T04:19:00.003-07:002017-03-27T04:19:30.499-07:00Musical Guest V. Nigel Taylor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Iwke4VTDh0ErFzsTvgZLd6j26DonGPOszfd_uYy-JrkiBTrUhuTzzEzBax9Z5C2GJ1l_d29B7Q0UqgcERpZUcXW_RY_DK0fuhKAnUnwzvQEX_h33vm_7SwrlsQ5ktt5MQHAzyjGZg_s/s1600/Nigel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Iwke4VTDh0ErFzsTvgZLd6j26DonGPOszfd_uYy-JrkiBTrUhuTzzEzBax9Z5C2GJ1l_d29B7Q0UqgcERpZUcXW_RY_DK0fuhKAnUnwzvQEX_h33vm_7SwrlsQ5ktt5MQHAzyjGZg_s/s200/Nigel.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ro-Con is proud to announce that <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sirnigeltaylor" target="_blank">Nigel Taylor</a>, lead singer of <a href="http://www.platform-one.com/" target="_blank">Platform One</a>, will be doing an acoustic set for us on Saturday of Ro-Con. While you may know Platform One for their synthpop music, Nigel brings a delightful combination of storytelling and unplugged music that you won't want to miss.<br />
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You still have time to get the <a href="https://ro-con.ticketleap.com/ro-con-3/" target="_blank">$25 pre-registration rate</a>, so be sure to join us.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-22432804648316561662017-03-06T04:28:00.002-08:002017-03-06T04:28:32.538-08:00Ro-Con 3 Planning UnderwayThe planning for Ro-Con 3 is well underway!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_akpP1zDS-KwOW6-73u-O4xKrvt9SyRHrB8SXl4klybqm2x5_xmdem8dLPfoXT8nOgTIHF_ZMjy8pYXXz_YAxyXmHkAt5N37E0j5_67isUihYsCGDcuDvZqYr9GNyACE0POP5CRqfOSnf/s1600/Dan+Kimmel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_akpP1zDS-KwOW6-73u-O4xKrvt9SyRHrB8SXl4klybqm2x5_xmdem8dLPfoXT8nOgTIHF_ZMjy8pYXXz_YAxyXmHkAt5N37E0j5_67isUihYsCGDcuDvZqYr9GNyACE0POP5CRqfOSnf/s200/Dan+Kimmel.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Media Critic Guest of Honor<br />Dan Kimmel</td></tr>
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Ro-Con is excited to announce that we will be the first ever scifi convention to have a <b>Media Critic Guest of Honor </b>with Dan Kimmel! Dan brings fun and humor to discussion of media and literature past and present and we are excited to have him.<br />
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Do you want to be involved in Ro-Con? Click the tabs above to sign up as a panelist or vendor. We are also accepting applications for performers through the same programming form as panelists.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-21315011839295174152016-07-25T18:27:00.000-07:002016-07-25T18:27:06.069-07:00An Awesome Con Gone By!That was an awesome first Ro-Con. Thank you to everyone who came and helped make it awesome. We'll have a more comprehensive thank you after we recover a bit. It was wonderful to have you all help us run the hottest con around!<br />
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Ro-Con 3 will be July 21-23, 2017, tentatively at the same hotel, but after they have had a year to remodel, renovate, and install the AC. There will also be air conditioning.<br />
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We are still working on all the details, but we have selected a Guest of Awesome whom we will announce shortly. We will also have an Historical Inventor of Awesome: Willis Carrier, the inventor of the air conditioner.<br />
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Come back next year for the coolest con around.<br />
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If you like to get a jump on things like we do, the panelist application for Ro-Con 3 is ready. <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/pMdw8aTzK9QxMl453">Click here for it.</a><br />
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Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, we'll have air conditioning in the hotel next year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-37406948853668879302016-07-16T12:21:00.002-07:002016-07-16T12:21:20.684-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjll_yM2Z_uOBzif32QSqt4u-99i48NMRqz2LmiomzW1C9_1pDGygd1BSj6a9Bl68zyuHl8C_y42kBXemVQPuSNRl7TqWlKv1pgfL49yrUlMmcQc4VigjWcgffW4u42HRkw6K7NXlhLphcF/s1600/Pokehunt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjll_yM2Z_uOBzif32QSqt4u-99i48NMRqz2LmiomzW1C9_1pDGygd1BSj6a9Bl68zyuHl8C_y42kBXemVQPuSNRl7TqWlKv1pgfL49yrUlMmcQc4VigjWcgffW4u42HRkw6K7NXlhLphcF/s400/Pokehunt.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ro-Con will be hosting two PokeHunts during the convention. The hours are due to the expected popularity. We don't want to draw attendance away from all the other great programming.<br />
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There are two ways to win: Most total Pokemon caught and Most different Pokemon caught.<br />
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Here's the rules:<br />
1) All players must start at the Ro Desk at 9:00. No prior sign up necessary.<br />
2) Must be registered for Ro-Con to participate.<br />
3) Players must be back at the Ro Desk for counting by 11:30 for their captures to qualify.<br />
4) Captures will be counted based on the Journal in the Pokemon Go app, and only captures between 9:00 and 11:00 will qualify.<br />
5) In the event of a tie, winner will be based on highest CP captured.<br />
6) Breaking any laws or otherwise making a nuisance of yourself will be grounds for disqualification from the Hunt.<br />
7) Cheating, hacking the app, or interfering with other competitors will be grounds for disqualification from the Hunt.<br />
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There will be prizes. They will be awesome. We haven't confirmed what they are yet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-14912531527331220202016-07-12T17:03:00.000-07:002016-07-12T17:03:15.346-07:00The Schedule is Here!While there may be minor modifications, the schedule is final enough to share with the masses!<br />
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The schedule is organized as one track of panels (multiple participants), one track of presentations (focused single presenter), plus some round tables and an outdoor demo or two that may involve swords. Additionally, we have a game/food/consuite room and a vendor room with 12 awesome vendors.<br />
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<br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yyApjp8PD5nwMDi8QdJdNVQlV3BwDHqJg13QHB53fK0/edit?usp=sharing">See the schedule grid</a></h3>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-2729698810276234162016-04-18T04:29:00.002-07:002016-04-18T04:29:21.805-07:00Programming, Performance, and Games!This new venue is shaping up to be awesome for us. We now have space for a gaming/con suite area. Since the hotel lets us bring our own food, we'll be able to have refreshments there.<br />
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Just outside the event area is an outdoor green space that we can have outdoor presentations and performances.<br />
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We have over 30 panelists and performers who will be providing three tracks of programming.<br />
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There is even talk of a 3 foot tall Koalid balloon statue. But that's only a rumor.<br />
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Don't wait, pre-register now! When you pre-register, we take that money and use it to bring in even more awesome performers and cool stuff, so don't wait. Do it now!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-57144086932980576862016-04-10T17:32:00.004-07:002016-04-10T17:32:52.324-07:00Ro-Con Has Moved to Awesomer Lands!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rY7U5_7pR8X0U9xrMd_DSIdbfkGi73HeC7-_l56Lr_hsH3_yUJXn2y04ywJFRUdOYXVdq6riUp5gnWyJ1vJEGINO5GEM_3CLvuKEF81HYeiwKcaXgPa4s63vGDSgFNLRaNTJTFNjI3GC/s1600/ramada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rY7U5_7pR8X0U9xrMd_DSIdbfkGi73HeC7-_l56Lr_hsH3_yUJXn2y04ywJFRUdOYXVdq6riUp5gnWyJ1vJEGINO5GEM_3CLvuKEF81HYeiwKcaXgPa4s63vGDSgFNLRaNTJTFNjI3GC/s320/ramada.jpg" width="320" /></a>Ro-Con was previously scheduled at be at the Holiday Inn New London, but we have moved right down the road to the Ramada in Mystic. It's just as much space, a similar room rate, and a much better deal from the hotel allowing us to do more awesome things!<br />
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Rooms are only $159/night, which is an absolutely amazing rate to get in Mystic in July. To get this rate, register by phone at 860-980-3160 and use the group code Ro-Con.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-15637489072235434232015-08-21T07:35:00.001-07:002015-08-21T07:38:11.395-07:00Announcing East Coast Combative Arts at Ro-Con!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz-hf24F2VtSnwT3YSt1ZUKv4D4afKk0Dn3nQI3bxeTj76DSwORghafOGihdFlThMvyQuZl_MHyakLLOif24ahzeKw74pFo88UBNRRxKAaSALZhicoMxTxImt6voeGX9B7IAv2KFifvv1/s1600/East+Coast+Combative+Arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz-hf24F2VtSnwT3YSt1ZUKv4D4afKk0Dn3nQI3bxeTj76DSwORghafOGihdFlThMvyQuZl_MHyakLLOif24ahzeKw74pFo88UBNRRxKAaSALZhicoMxTxImt6voeGX9B7IAv2KFifvv1/s320/East+Coast+Combative+Arts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are pleased to announce that <a href="http://www.eastcoastcombativearts.com/" target="_blank">East Coast Combative Arts</a> will be coming to Ro-Con to give presentations on authentic melee combat techniques. We saw these guys at 9Pi-Con this past summer, and they we're fantastic. Be sure to check them out!<br />
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From their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Coast-Combative-Arts/1544053522479808?sk=timeline" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>:<i><br />East Coast Combative Arts is a group of individuals dedicated to providing thrilling fight choreography for stage and screen as well as researched education on historical martial arts and fighting techniques. Each member holds several areas of expertise that may be used for the benefit of any film, play, or production company. Further more, our education programs are carefully designed to teach audiences on the fighting styles of ancient cultures not seen in the movies.<br /><br />Our members have had lifelong passions in martial arts, theater, film, and production. For over ten years our members have worked in combat related programs and performances at Renaissance Faires, playhouses, film, and educational settings. Some highlights include having performed fight scenes for Stan Lee, and most recently performed with Game of Thrones' The Mountain, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Furthermore, our organization has ties with Art of Combat and academic training in performance and historical education from The University of Connecticut, and Central Connecticut State University.<br /><br />Every event has a different budget, different budgets mean different cost, so each program is negotiated on a case by case basis to make sure you are getting what you need. East Coast Combative Arts is sure to bring realistic, yet engaging choreography and enriching educational programs wherever they are needed. Resumes and references are available upon request! So have a look at some of our recent projects!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-69358397457897168312015-08-03T07:42:00.000-07:002015-08-03T07:42:04.607-07:00The Awesomest PanelistsPi-Con held its final iteration this past weekend. It was a fantastic event with a fantastic array of programming and awesomely wonderful people.<br />
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Technically Pi-Con and Ro-Con are not related, but I will be bringing a lot of the most awesome parts of Pi-Con (which I chaired this year and was a founding member of in 2006) to Ro-Con, so I wanted to wait until 9Pi-Con was over before pushing the promotion on Ro-Con so as not to steal Pi-Con's thunder.<br />
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Now that Pi-Con has moved into the history books, it's time to look ahead to the great things we will do at Ro-Con. One of the great things about Pi-Con was that it was a low key con where writers could hang out with other writers. I hope to be bringing many of the wonderful writers who have enjoyed Pi-Con for many years to come and enjoy Ro-Con in much the same way.<br />
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These writers are a wonderful group of people who are a lot of fun to hear speak, and who are extremely personable when they hang out around the con. They are always open to meeting new people, and your life will be richer for meeting them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639206419256512764.post-64445021619018590542015-04-10T13:59:00.003-07:002015-04-10T13:59:43.789-07:00The Genesis of a ConventionSince the dawn of the 21st century, Michael Whitehouse has been running and involved in conventions of various kinds, including 5Con, OurCon, Pi-Con, Arisia, Wicked Faire, Steampunk Worlds Fair, and many others.<br />
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In the last week of July 2014, there was a small event that was referred to as BabyCon. It took place at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut. The main tent event at BabyCon was the birth of Michael's daughter Rowan to his lovely wife Amy. Really, that was all that happened at BabyCon, and there were only about 5 attendees, but with that main event, what else do you need?<br />
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Amy came up with the idea of "Ro-Con", a geek con that is both a great convention of all things geeky and also the most awesome birthday party that a child could possibly have. And, thus, Ro-Con was born.<br />
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Southeast Connecticut does not have a fan-run scifi con. A fan con is more than just a fun weekend. It is a place for members of the geek community to meet each other, exchange ideas, maybe start a club or another event or event a business. Conventions beget many other great things, and Ro-Con will be that convention!<br />
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Ro-Con is 15 months away, but there is plenty you can do to be involved. First, we have a Go Fund Me campaign, linked on the side bar, where you can help provide initial funding for Ro-Con. We need staff to do a variety of tasks. We need vendors. We need presenters. We need performers. We need people to run workshops. Whatever you have to offer, Ro-Con needs you!<br />
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To get involved, please email Michael Whitehouse at <a href="mailto:info@concardiagame.com">info@concardiagame.com</a> and let us know how you'd like to be a part of the newest con in New London County!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1