Hi everyone and welcome to a Progress Report for Con 70 – A Retro Sci-Fi Adventure. As we are now only six months away from our great event, our intention is to give you a detailed update on how the convention is progressing along with any other news which may be of interest to you.
Membership
If you’ve joined Con 70 already than that’s great to hear and we welcome you aboard, but if you’re holding off joining until the date gets closer, just remember the price for the convention will go up to $90 on February 1st 2015, so getting in early ensures you’re all set and ready to ride our Retro Express.
Membership via Paypal
As you know membership payments to Con 70 can be accepted via direct bank transfer or cash/cheque, but we do offer a Paypal option. If you’re keen to pay by Paypal, just contact Clare our Membership Manager for all the relevant details – [email protected]
If you’re keen to order your very own Retro Con 70 T-Shirt then it’s not too late to do so, just remember that it must be paid in full before the convention otherwise you’ll miss out.
Venue
Our venue is the Amora Riverwalk Hotel in 649 Bridge Road Richmond.
* General location details: 4kms east from the CBD along Flinders St which turns into Bridge Rd
* Melway ref: 2H G7
* Tram route from city: #48 from Collins St (North Balwyn) or #75 from Spencer St (Vermont South) Stop 22 -
* Onsite hotel car parking for Con 70 attendees without a room booking is available for a fee, alternatively side streets (eg: Palmer St) offer free parking on the weekend
* The venue is wheelchair friendly
* If making a room booking, be sure to mention you’re a part of Con 70
Auction
One of the enjoyable segments of Con 70 will be our Auction to held for two hours on the Sunday of the convention at 1pm.
- Information for sellers
Being a 1970s themed convention our aim is to only have items that are either:
1. An item for a 1970s sci-fi movie or TV show that was actually created in the 1970s
2. An item created post 1980 that relates directly to a 1970s sci-fi movie or TV show
Refer to the Auction page on the Con 70 website for further clarification.
The great thing about submitting items to the auction is that you get to keep the money you make (with Con 70 accepting a 10% portion of the sale price).
How to submit an item/s
If you have any relevant items you wish to include in the auction just compile a list and send it to [email protected]. Be sure to include the name, description, condition and reserve price of the item/s. If you also have a picture of the item that would be handy too as this list will be placed on the website (in fact some items are already there).
Once we have received your list we’ll advise you as to what happens when you bring your items along to the convention itself. Also remember, the limit is 15 x items per person.
VERY Important note: you must have your list sent to us by March 1st 2015. Any Auction items just brought to the convention without a list being sent prior may be rejected.
Normally our auction would trade in cash sales only, however, we’ll be looking at setting up an online payment system for large purchases though keep in mind credit card transactions will incur an additional fee.
Displays
Con 70 – A Retro Sci-Fi Adventure is not only about having a great time but also creating a great atmosphere too. For this reason our aim is to setup some unique displays to take people back to 1970s science fiction and we have some great ideas already. With that in mind if you happen to have any sci-fi items you think would look great on display at our convention, then please let us know as we’d love to include them – and don’t worry you can be assured we will treat these items as if they were our own.
Disco (Discon ‘70)
No doubt this will be the highlight of our convention, the world’s only 1970s Sci-Fi themed Disco! Yes we’re looking at going all out to relive the days of busting a move on the dance floor in our own version of Studio 54 called Studio 70.
Discon ‘70 will kick off at 6:30pm and finish at 11pm.
There will be a pay on consumption cash bar and the event will also host our Costume Parade (see next paragraph). So be sure to whip out your finest 1970s attire or costume - or a combination of both - to truly make this a memorable night.
Discon ‘70 costs $10 to attend for Con 70 members and $20 for non-members.
Costume Parade
Within Discon ‘70 will be our Costume Parade. This event is being run by the Melbourne Costume Group and promises to be something truly special. The parade itself will commence at 7:30pm and will be the walk through* variety which means that during the Disco there will be a call up for those who wish to enter and strut their stuff.
*Walkthrough means you don’t have to prepare anything in advance with regards to your presentation.
Note: To participate in the Costume Parade you must be a paid attendee of Discon ’70, whether that be as a Con 70 member or non-member.
Volunteers
Con 70 – A Retro Sci-Fi Adventure is a volunteer run event and for this reason we’re always on the lookout for more helpers and assistants. If you’re interested in volunteering some of your time at the con, then just send us an email with your details.
Note you must be a fully paid member of the convention to become a volunteer during the event and be willing to work for a minimum of three hours each day during the weekend. As a bonus to this, every volunteer will receive a Certificate of Appreciation for their effort.
Programme (or what’s on at Con 70?)
For people who are new to the convention scene, you may be wondering what Con 70 has in store for you. Well we’ll be offering four streams of unique entertainment
For starters we have a two strand panel/discussion/presentation programme that runs for the whole three days where nothing will be repeated. Our panel programme has been listed on the website for a while, but to give you a quick idea on what to expect here are some discussion topics from the 70’s: The TV shows of Gerry Anderson; The work of Terry Nation; Music from the Sci-Fi films; Australian produced Sci-Fi; Movie poster art; Discussing the rebirth of Star Trek; Looking back at Planet of the Apes; Discussing 70s Sci-Fi collectables; A look at Sci-Fi comedy shows; The best decade of Dr Who; A debate on what was the best 70’s Sci-Fi franchise: Star Wars, Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica
Next to our panel programme are our two video streams. One stream focuses on Sci-Fi TV shows of the 70’s and the other focuses on Sci-Fi movies of the 70’s. Like the Panel Programme nothing will be repeated twice and on the Sunday both programmes will run until 10pm.
Another special event will be our own Con 70 Indoor Drive-In which will occur on the Sunday night.
The Con 70 panel programme has been listed on the website for quite a while now, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvements. If you have any panel/discussion ideas you’d like see then just let us know.
We’re also on the lookout for programme presenters. We know there are lot of people out there who are really knowledgeable with regards to their 70s sci-fi, so here’s your opportunity to get behind the microphone and share your knowledge with other likeminded fans. If you are keen to be a panel presenter then just let us know, however, if you suffer from stage fright then don’t let that worry you as you’ll be presenting alongside a number of other seasoned panellists who’ll help you along.
Promotions and Publicity
All successful events need to sell themselves to the world and at Con 70 we’re doing what we can to spread the word of our existence, but alas we can’t reach everybody so we’re keen to enlist your help.
If you are a keen supporter of our convention, then please tell your friends or family about us either by word of mouth or by linking our Website/Facebook site to your own website or Facebook page. We know there are plenty of fans out there of 1970s sci-fi movies and TV shows so all we have to do is reach them.
Sponsorships and Support
Although Con 70 is a not-for-profit convention, it’s still an event that will cost a lot of money to mount. For this reason we’re keen to hear from those who are keen to lend us support either through product donations or financial assistance. If you’re one of those people who would like to assist in this way, please contact us for a discussion.
Mailing List
Con 70 has our own Mailing List, so if you want to be informed of any news or updates with regards to the convention, just sign yourself up to the list (link below)
Summary
We hope this Progress Report has given you an insight into the plans of Con 70 – A Retro Sci-Fi Adventure. As a one off event we’re really looking forward to making this convention truly special and something that, just like the 1970s, will live on forever.
Remember the Con 70 motto, “if it’s not retro, it’s no go!”
See you in six months,
The Con 70 Team
Important Links
[email protected] – our main email address
[email protected] – our Membership Manager’s email address (Clare)
http://www.con70.com - our Website
http://eepurl.com/L0U4z - our Mailing list
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Con70 - our Facebook page
http://www.melbourne.amorahotels.com – our Hotel venue