Noreascon First Night & the SCA

[jducoeur]

It occurs to me that I mentioned this on the Carolingian Mailing List, but should probably also put a tickler here --

I just found out (via ladysprite) that Worldcon is going to have a "First Night" celebration on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 2nd. I'm already seeing if I can do a couple of outreach-type activities there, but it would be lovely if others wanted to get involved. They have a slot on the large stage (suitable for combat demos or suchlike) and the small stage (suitable for magicians and jugglers and such, but too noisy for music), as well as an open booth which they're looking for carnival games for.

Their timeframe for adding stuff is apparently quite short, and Pennsic means that a lot of people are away this week. But if you see this, and would like to do something, please contact me ASAP, so we can talk details...

Comments

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

X-post to SCA-East and Carolingia LJ communities?

And if something is happening, notify SCA Today, so we can rope in some people from other kingdoms who are here for the con (at least, warn them to bring garb).

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

I'm in!

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

I'm working during the day that Thursday, but I'll be free after 3pm-ish, and I don't need to be at work until late morning Friday. So count me in for whatever needs doing. :)

Carolingian Business Cards

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

In discussion yesterday, you mentioned that we didn't have any really up-to-date flyers to hand out. It occurs to me that, in this digital age, you can get a lot of bang-per-buck out of business cards. Just a simple design like:

  The Society for Creative Anachronism
       "Forward Into the Past!"
            www.sca.org
   Boston Chapter: www.carolingia.org

(In a better font, obviously.)

A little on-line research shows that these things are in 2-5 cent range. Maybe you can get a run of 500 or so printed up in time to hand out at the con? I'd be amazed if Council didn't approve the expense.

Just as an anecdotal data point from my last few years of con-going, cards are far more likely to come home with me than flyers are.

Re: Carolingian Business Cards

[jducoeur]

Intriguing idea. The con is before Council, so I'd have to run with it without explicit approval, but I suspect that you're right that it wouldn't be a problem. Makes a lot of sense, especially if we can include a simple graphic (eg, Baronial arms) to make it a bit more eye-catching...

Re: Carolingian Business Cards

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the business card idea. I need to come up with some sort of handy-outy thing for Heavy Duty Recruiting the first week or so of school.

In a way, I'm glad that I have to move onto campus on the first of September (crosses every available appendage that Mara doesn't start dance that day, or I lose all my movers) because I'll already be there when the freshmen and new grad students come in. It's not just an advantage for recruiting, but for a whole myriad of things.

Do I have the guts to go to my first three classes in garb? Probably not, because I don't want to annoy the professors by creating a distraction.

Were you thinking 500 cards, or 500 sheets? At 10 cards a sheet, 500 cards is only 50 sheets, which won't tax most laser printers too badly. If they can be in black and white, I can probably arrange something.

Re: Carolingian Business Cards

[matildalucet.livejournal.com]

Going to classes in garb is not all that distracting. Going to classes in cutoff shorts and a scrub shirt that is about long enough to cover them is distracting. And will get back to all your friends before you get home from classes, especially if you are a couple of minutes late and the prof stops what he is saying until you are safely seated.

Re: Carolingian Business Cards

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

Why does that remind me of when Daffydd came into dance in a tunic that wasn't quite long enough to be in any way decent, yet was just long enough to conceal the fact that he did have bike shorts on underneath...

Re: Carolingian Business Cards

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of 500 cards, but only as a random figure, not for any particular reason. I was thinking about going to a local (or internet) print shop; it hadn't occurred to me that laser-print might make sense.

Re: Carolingian Business Cards

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

It all depends on the "shiny" factor. I laser-print my own business cards, plain black on white stock, and I consistently get compliments on them. But this is in an academic setting, where bright and shiny isn't really the order of things.

At a con, I don't know if it would take something more flashy to get people to take one and actually keep it. It very well could. But if black-on-white with a little graphic would suffice, it's probably cheaper and easier to have someone with access to a laser printer pound them out instead of going through a shop. We could also keep the template(s) around, and maybe a stash of blank cards, so anyone who needed to could make some on the fly in time for their next [insert event here].

Garb for class

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Class might not be the best place, but there's no reason not to go to supper in garb.

At supper my freshman year is where I met the local provost, entirely by accident. Supper is a good place for weirdness.

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

I'd like to help out (not to mention attend), but there's the small detail that I'm not going to Worldcon. The $50 Thursday price tag would be a bit steep considering I have to work until 4pm that day.

Let us know how it goes!

[richenza.livejournal.com]

possibly too late, but I might be able to make some shortbreads or something and drop by to represent cook's guild. Let me know when and where and how much it costs to get in for the evening if you're still on with this idea.

[jducoeur]

If you're not going to Worldcon anyway, it probably isn't worth it -- it's something like $50 for a day pass. (The con is $200 at this point.) But if you had time to make a bit of shortbread, I'd love to have it at the table to pass out. Nothing gets peoples' attention like good food...