We know you are excited to celebrate twenty amazing years of CONvergence this year at CONvergence 2018: Natural Twenty! Here is a list of things to keep in mind to ensure both you and everyone around you have a fantastic convention.
Getting to the Convention
For those of us without the use of transporters, warp drive, or portal guns, click here for a list of current and upcoming road construction projects in the Twin Cities Metro area that my impede, obstruct, or otherwise complicate your vehicular travel to and from CONvergence 2018. You may also be interested in learning about other transit options.
Picking Up Your Badge
Your first stop at CONvergence 2018 will probably be picking up your badge. Head over to the Badge Pick-Up page for Registration’s hours of operation, and everything else you need to know about picking up your CONvergence 2018 membership badge.
Be Aware of Changes for 2018
This year has been filled with many challenges, changes, and updates. We know you’re wondering what exactly is going to be different this year. There are a few changes and a few exciting new features around the convention for 2018. Here is an overview of things for you to be aware of:
- Signing up to volunteer has gotten easier than ever! Check out the Signing Up For Volunteer Shifts page for information and tutorials for using CONvergence SignUp Genius!
- No longer will you need to track your volunteer hours on paper cards. Instead, we’ve move the volunteer hours tracking system online! Check out the Tracking Your Volunteer Hours page for the complete run-down!
- Don’t have time for Masquerade or Art of the Dress but want to show off your awesome costume? New this year, you can enter the Hall Costume Contest!
- CVG-TV has been producing a TV show especially for CONvergence called CON-Link! The show features interviews with CONvergence 2018 Guests of Honor and past and present Convergence Events Board of Director members. Catch episodes on CVG-TV during the convention, on the CONvergence Facebook page, or on Youtube!
- Cinema Rex, Theater Nippon, and the Teen Room will not be offering snacks or beverages this year. (Cinema Rex will still have an amazing film line-up and comfortable couches; Theater Nippon will still have excellent anime, and the Teen Room will still be a great place for those of appropriate chronological age to gather.)
- Food or beverages from other locations should not be brought into the Plaza or Atrium rooms. (There will still be water stations in these spaces!)
- Instead of smoothies, this year Space Lounge will have a very cool sensory bar to appeal to each of your other senses. It will be glowy. So, soooo glowy. Definitely not something to miss!
- Due to many uncertainties around policies for 2018 that were still in place at the final deadline for placing food orders, ConSuite will not be offering hot soup in 2018. (Soup is expected to return in 2019!)
- ConSuite will have FOUR new caffeinated soda flavors: Cola, Diet Cola, Lemon-Lime, and Blood Orange Ginger, as well as un-caffeinated fan-favorites Butterscotch Root Beer and Blue Lemonade, among others.
- 5 of the 29 CONvergence 2018 Room Parties will be offering alcoholic beverages, served by DoubleTree by Hilton bartenders. The bartenders will have tip jars; we encourage you to be kind to the bartenders and to show them how amazing our community is.
- Room capacity limitations are in place and will be enforced. Specifics have been shared with the party hosts; we anticipate that the effects of this will be minimal for most room parties.
- To comply with requirements specified by the DoubleTree by Hilton and the Bloomington City Fire Inspector, members may not stand, queue, or otherwise remain stationary in the hallways around the party room cabanas. Members experiencing the party rooms must be in a party, actively moving to a party room, or leaving the cabana areas. The silver lining to this is it should make the hallways much more accessible to those with mobility impairments!
- In past years, you may have seen police officers from Bloomington PD wandering through the convention. You will see more of them this year. CONvergence has built a strong and collaborative relationship with Bloomington PD over the past 20 years and, while you will see more officers this year, they are very familiar with our event and our community and are collaborating with us and with the DoubleTree to make sure this year’s event is safe and fun for everyone.
- All-Gender Restrooms are back! For a list of which restrooms are remaining binary and which restrooms are All-Gender, see the Maps page.
- Programming Operations moved to the Lobby Conference Room in the DoubleTree by Hilton.
- For the gamers up on the 22nd floor, the VR Suite and Special Events & Open Gaming have swapped rooms.
- The list of Safe Spaces has been updated for 2018.
- The CONvergence Photography Policies have been significantly expanded.
The Convergence Events Board of Directors have also published a letter to you, the CONvergence membership, regarding this year’s changes: What’s New and What’s Not at CONvergence 2018.
Lastly, it is a very good idea to look over the CONvergence Member Conduct Policies before you arrive at the convention, as they are revised every year.
Official CONvergence Media
Keep a look out for official CONvergence media during the convention! They photograph, video, and report on the convention to share online, on CVG-TV, on social media, and to create an archive of the event. You can always identify them by their media badges.
By registering for CONvergence, you gave consent for the convention to record your image. Depending on the situation, official CONvergence media staff may not always ask before taking a photo or video. Please be understanding as they do their jobs for the convention. If you have any concerns about CONvergence media policy, please contact the Convergence Events Board of Directors.
Treat Everyone With Respect
CONvergence is serious about providing a safe environment for all members, and we enforce our Harassment Policy very seriously. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t harsh anyone’s squee.
Ask permission before you take a photo of another CONvergence member. (Not only is this polite, but it almost always results in a much better photo!)- Costumes are not consent to be hugged, touched, groped, grabbed, or sexually advanced upon. But this is also true for fancy dress, kilts, swimwear, or even just jeans and a t-shirt. It does not matter what gender a person is or what they are or aren’t wearing; harassment is harassment. If someone tells you they do not want to talk to you or do not want you to touch them, respect that and leave them alone.
- A good rule of thumb is to just explicitly ask for permission before touching any person in any way. Examples include:
- “May I put my arm around you for a photo?”
- “May I hug you?”
- “That fabric on your costume is so interesting. May I feel the texture?”
- Volunteers are doing a job and it is important to recognize that. If someone is volunteering, it is definitely not an appropriate time to make sexual advances or try to touch them. Just let them do their job. This goes double for elevator monitors, as they are on their own in confined spaces.
- If you’re not sure which pronouns to use for a new friend at CONvergence, check for a pronoun sticker on their membership badge. If they don’t have a sticker, it’s always OK to just ask. You do this by saying, “What pronouns do you use?” It really is just that simple! If you don’t have a good opportunity to find out a person’s preferred pronouns, you’re generally safe using the gender-neutral pronoun, “they”.
- Restroom policing is very uncool. People know which restroom they belong in. Trust them to do their business in the place most comfortable for them and leave it at that.
If You See Something, Say Something
Part of being a community is taking responsibility for protecting that community. We’ve all got to look out for each other, and it really is quite simple!
- If you spot someone who looks like they are in distress, ask them if they would like you to contact Operations or First Advisors for them.
- If you witness someone being harassed, do not stay silent. Speak up and defuse the situation. If that doesn’t help, please report the harassment.
- If you witness someone breaking the rules outlined in the CONvergence Policies, try to educate them. It’s possible they are just ignorant of the policy. If that doesn’t help, contact Operations via The Bridge.
- If you spot someone whose prop weapon has not yet been Peace Bonded, suggest that they head to The Bridge for “The Talk”. They get a badge ribbon for doing it!
And contacting Operations at The Bridge is easier than ever with their text number: 651.800.1.OPS (651-800-1677)
Don’t Overload the Elevators
During CONvergence, the public elevators are running nearly constantly for close to eighteen hours a day, and it is in our best interest to keep them from breaking. Because of this, we have instituted a policy where there are only 8 people allowed per elevator car (7 plus an elevator operator.) Large pieces of luggage and/or props may also be counted as a person because the limitation is about weight, not warm bodies.
Additionally, only five people will be allowed to board the elevator on the 22nd floor (four plus the elevator operator), so that we can pick up people on the in-between floors (4 through 21).
Remember the 6-2-1 Rule
The 6-2-1 Rule is:
- 6 hours of sleep per night
- 2 meals per day
- 1 shower per day
Practice self care while at CONvergence, and try to remind your friends to do the same. Also, remember to wash your hands often to prevent the spread of con crud! If you’d like regular reminders to self-care, try following Professor Max on Twitter. He’ll be tweeting self care tips all weekend.
Wait To Post Photos of Your Badge Online
When you get your CONvergence 2018 membership badge, please DO NOT post a close-up photo of it online or share a close-up photo of it with your friends until AFTER the convention is over. If you see your friends doing this, please ask them to take their badge photo(s) down until Sunday. Convention badge counterfeiting is real and this is something you can do to help prevent it at CONvergence!
Be aware of Members with Disabilities
There are many CONvergence members with both visible and invisible disabilities. Here are a few simple things you can do to help make their CONvergence 2018 as awesome as yours!
- Keep paths clear. Don’t stand in the middle of a hallway or doorway. Always ask yourself, is there room for a wheelchair to get through? If not, make some. If everyone does this, it makes a big difference!
- Never assume ability. Many, many disabilities are “invisible”. This means that you can’t tell a person has the disability just by looking at them. It’s a good idea to never assume a person you don’t know is able-bodied. Don’t criticize them for their elevator, escalator, or chair use; they know their limitations much better than you do!
- Bathroom policing is never ok! You cannot determine a person’s disability or gender just by looking at them.
- Treat mobility aids as extensions of a person’s body. Never touch a person’s wheelchair, scooter, walker, crutches, or cane without their permission.
- Keep your mouth visible while you are talking. This is especially important if you are on a panel. Many hard of hearing people lip read in order to understand what is being said, and more people are hard of hearing than you might think. Keeping your mouth visible while you are talking is a huge help!
If you want more information about accessibility at CONvergence, check out the Accessibility & Inclusion page.
Sign up for the Blood Drive
In the great tradition of blood drives at science fiction conventions throughout the country, the crew of the USS Nokomis is proud to host this year’s blood drive. Please make your appointment to save up to three lives with your donation at www.redcrossblood.org or call Jane at 651-283-6736 to choose your time.
Visit the Blood Drive page for more information.
Don’t Forget Your Fuel
Remember that 6-2-1 rule? A very important part of that is eating. ConSuite is great for snacks throughout the day, but it isn’t a replacement for a real meal.
You may want to check out the CONvergence 2018 Restaurant Guide for your full selection of dining options during the convention. Some are even offering discounts!
Have Props? Make sure to have “The Talk”
If you have a prop of any kind—even a fictional weapon—please bring it to The Bridge to be peace bound. An Operations volunteer will have “The Talk” with you, and you’ll walk out with a snazzy badge ribbon! Even if your prop weapon is just plastic and foam, getting it peace bound is a great signal to everyone around you that your weapon is safe. Your prop will not be damaged in the peace binding process!
Check out the CONvergence Props policies by clicking here.
Check the CVG-TV Schedule
CVG-TV, CONvergence’s television channel broadcasting on the DoubleTree by Hilton TVs and streaming online during the convention, has posted their broadcast schedule. Head over to check it out so you can plan to catch rebroadcasts of MainStage events from the comfort of your hotel room!
Member Advocates Have Your Back
Do you need ear to listen at CONvergence? Have you found yourself overwhelmed while at the con? Or do you need to connect to a department but don’t know where to go? CONvergence Member Advocates want to help!
Member Advocates are here for CONvergence Members and Convention Committee. They can guide you in the right direction to make sure that issues, ideas, and problems are addressed by the right department or be an ear to listen and connect you to the right resources for support. If you would like to utilize Member Advocates, simply stop by the Member Advocates table next to the Accessibility & Inclusion table in the DoubleTree by Hilton Lobby or email
memberadvocates@convergence-con.org. You can also request a Member Advocate any time by visiting The Bridge.
Lost & Found
Did you know CONvergence has an at-con Lost and Found? If you find something or if you lose something during CONvergence 2018, head over to The Bridge!
Have Fun!
Whatever epic destiny brought you to CONvergence 2018, be it overthrowing an oppressive galactic tyrant or simply a quest through the stars to rescue a space prince or princess, make sure that you have fun while you are here! Volunteer, get your geek on, and don’t forget to party to the max!
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