transcribed by Anna Hepworth
1 * A4 standard white page with black faux typewriter printing, folded in half to make a four page ‘booklet’. All relevant information about the con is contained in the text itself, so no commentary is provided here.
Just the Basics
Progress Report for Basicon 2
What’s Basicon 2? It’s the Australian Science Fiction National Convention, combined with the Australian Media Science Fiction Convention. It’s an opportunity to get together, meet other fans, discuss your favourite topics, make new contacts and have some fun.
When is it? Over the weekend of the 27th/28th September 1997
Where is it? At the newly refurbished Cato Conference Centre which is part of the YWCA, Elizabeth Street Melbourne.
What’s it cost? Not much at all. A mere $20. That’s the cheapest NatCon we’ve ever heard of. (But just to give you some encouragement to pay in advance, we’ve set the At The Door Price at $100)
Who’s your Guest of Honour? We haven’t got one. You are. Everyone who pays to attend Basicon 2 will be designated a GoH. You’ll get a badge providing you’re the GoH, and you’ll get a chance to deliver a Guest of Honour speech and sign autographs, if you wish. Of course, we can’t afford to provide free accommodation and transport for everyone, but that’s how we manage to keep our prices so low. We cut costs and pass the savings on to you. So if you’d rather be a Guest of Honour than pay big bucks to see some obscure author or washed-up actor flown in at great expense from overseas, then Basicon 2 is the con for you.
What’s on the programme? Whatever you want. After all, it’s your convention. Maybe you’ve been to a few cons and you’ve got some ideas about what sort of things we need on the programme, but you don’t want to go through the whole tedious process of running an entire convention yourself. Well, here’s your chance. Form a “Franchise” with your friends and tell us what you want on the programme. (“Franchises” are really Sub-Committees, we just call ’em that so we sound clever.)
Suppose you come along to us and say “Hey, you guys need a panel on Japanese Monster Movies / discussion on H. P. Lovecraft / exercise bike race in the gym. And I think I’m just the kinda guy to run it.”
Whereupon, we sit down with you, work out the logistics, come to an agreement over what sort of budget you’d need, give you an appropriate slot in the programme, maybe put you in touch with a few likely experts who’d be able to help and suddenly you’re part of the NatCon. You gather the kudos, develop your organisational skills, have a bit of fun along the way and op all the glory of a job well done.
We’ve already had volunteers step forward to do the awards, some of the panels, the Art Show, the Video Room, the Saturday Night Party and the Dead Dog Party (Zombiecon), but we’d still like to hear from people interested in doing more panels, games, the auction, the opening and closing video spectaculars, masquerade, Ops (Registration, Programme flow, etc.) Security and Technical (Sound and Light). Maybe you think we need a quiz? Or a scavenger hunt? Or a filk session? Or an introduction to 21st Century technology? Whatever. It’s your con. Tell us what you want: we’ll listen.
What’s accommodation like?Very nice, and quite inexpensive. Rooms range from dormitory style accommodation at low prices (get your whole gang together) with access to cooking facilities, through budget rooms to deluxe rooms with phone, fridge, remote-control TV and queen-sized beds. The whole building has recently been modernised and is a far cry from the usual seedy hotels that fandom has come to expect. The YWCA is located near the heart of Melbourne’s central shopping district, close by the Queen Victoria Market and handy to cafés, restaurants and airport shuttlebus terminals.
We’ll shortly be sending out booking details to members along with details of car park discounts.
So what do I do now? Join up! Send your $20 in to us, and you’re a member!
Join in! Form a “franchise” and run part of the programme.
Just ask! If you have any further enquiries about Basicon 2, send us a stamped, self addressed envelope or an e-message and we’ll get right back to you.
Who gets the money? Even at these low, low prices, we might just turn a profit. So, who gets it? Basicon’s official charity is Foodbank Victoria which has been doing good works feeding the homeless and hungry for years now. We think they’re a worthy bunch so most of any profit we make will go to them. The rest will be divided between various fannish casues such as the Fan Funds.
[box at the bottom of page 3 has a post office box and email address]
Page four is the ‘Basicon 2 Keep in Touch Form’, and allows for a number of ticky box options, such as joining the mailing list, asking to be a huckster, paying a voting (non-attending) membership, and many many options for volunteering.