An Official Announcement!
The first North American Discworld Convention will beheld September 4-7, 2009 (Labor Day weekend which includes the Monday holiday) at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel in downtown Tempe, Arizona (near Phoenix).
The Con will be a celebration of the Discworld universe created by the Con’s Guest of Honor Terry Pratchett. Other guests will include Diane Duane, Peter Morwood, and Esther Friesner, with more to be announced. During the weekend several panels are planned, presentations, readings and other activities for Discworld fans. Also plans will include a Maskerade, a Banquet, a Marketplace for dealers to display and sell their wares and an art show, a Charity Auction to benefit the Orangutan Foundation, a Hospitality Suite, and other activities for attendees.
The North American Discworld Convention is being sponsored by Leprecon, Inc., an Arizona non-profit, volunteer corporation. The Guest of Honor, Terry Pratchett, is the international best-selling author of the Disc World novel series, which began in 1983 with “The Colour of Magic” and most recently continued in “Making Money.” Terry’s young adult and children’s books, including the “Johnny Maxwell” series and the “Tiffany Aching Discworld YA” books, have been well received, and he was awarded the 2001 Carnegie Medal for “The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.” He also co-wrote “Good Omens” with Neil Gaiman. Our additional guests are fans and good friends of Terry and his work. They are also excellent convention guests in their own right and everyone is looking forward to having them join the Con. Diane Duane and Peter Morwood have written many novels, comics, and screenplays, both singly and as collaborations. They co-wrote “The Ring of the Nibelungs” miniseries, which aired in the U.S. on the SCI FI Channel as “Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King”, and each has several new novels and projects in the works. Esther Friesner is a science fiction and fantasy writer best known for her humorous stories and anthologies, such as “Alien Pregnant by Elvis” and the “Chicks in Chainmail” series, as well as her fantasy novel series “Majyk,” “Demons,” “New York by Knight,” and ‘Gnome Man’s Land.” Esther recently embarked on a young adult series featuring a young Helen of Troy with “Nobody’s Princess” and the upcoming “Nobody’s Prize.”
Discworld will be hosting other guests with connections to Terry and Discworld in addition to those above and they will be announced as they are confirmed. The convention will run from early afternoon on Friday, September 4th to late afternoon on Monday, September 7th. There may be some limited activities available for pre-registered members on Thursday night, September 3rd, depending on the travel schedule of our guests.
Tentative plans for major events include a special program on Friday night, the Maskeradeon Saturday night, and a Banquet in the early evening on Sunday. The Con will have special panels with the guests including a spotlight talk/interview with Terry Pratchett, most likely occuring on Saturday afternoon. Outside of the major panels and events there are plans to have more discussion panels, presentations, readings, demonstrations, games, and other activities that will make this a fun and memorable weekend for everyone.
The Charity Auction will benefit Terry Pratchett’s favorite charity, the Orangutan Foundation, and will likely be held on Sunday afternoon. There may be some additional fund-raising activities during the weekend as well.
Pricing and other particulars
Discworld’s venue is the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe,Arizona. Leprecon, Inc. which has recently hosted the 2004 World Fantasy Convention and the 2006 Nebula Awards weekend and the hotel has received acclaim from fans and pros at those events. The hotel is located in the heart of downtown Tempe with a varied selection of restaurants, shopping and nightlife nearby. It is a short distance from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and is accessible via the Phoenix Light Rail system, which will be opening in late 2008.
Room rates are US $119 per night S/D, US $129 T, and US $139 Q with a US $9.75 per night hospitality fee that includes airport shuttle,valet and self parking, internet access, a fitness center, and more. The online booking code and the reservation phone number will soon be available on the Discworld website. The initial membership rate will be US $60 for a full weekend membership, or US $30 for a supporting membership. Children 6-11 will pay US $30 with kids 5 and under free with an adult membership. These rates will be in effect until March 31, 2008. This rate includes all regular convention events, panels and presentations.
The Banquet and a possible VIP event/charity event will cost extra and will be announced when details are finalized. Payments can be made via the mail or online via Paypal. Full details are on the Discworld website. The goal is to cap membership in the 900 attendee range to ensure that all attendees will be able to be seated at the major functions in the grand ballroom.
For those wanting to mix in some tourism around the convention Discworld will be looking into making arrangements with local touring companies for trips before and/or after the convention with the possibility for some special excursions being arranged for attendees. Keep an eye on Discworld’s website for details.
Discworld is looking forward to hosting a fun weekend for all of the Con’s attendees and guests. Please be sure to visit the website at http://www.nadwcon.org and join in the discussions on the official message board and live journal community.
Thank you for featuring the convention! We appreciate it, and will have even more news as time goes on. The Turtle Moves!
Emily
Vice Chair and Webmaster
North American Discworld Convention 2009