CONvergence Convention

CONvergence 2015 Costuming Event Overview & Tips!

Posted on June 30, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Events, Masquerade

CONvegence 2015 has more exciting costuming events scheduled than ever! Here is some information on the events and how to participate, as well as a link to some tips for costuming at CONvergence!

Masquerade

CONvergence Masquerade is one of the premiere events of the convention, showcasing the talents of costumers spanning all skill levels, from beginners to masters. Awards are given by the judges for both workmanship in the construction of the costumes and performance in the presentation.

To participate in the Masquerade, you must register your entry online and then visit the Masquerade Registeration Table in CONvergence Central, just outside CONvergence Mainstage, before 10:00am on the Saturday of the convention to confirm your spot.

Check out the Masquerade page for a link to the CONvergence 2015 Masquerade registration form. You’ll also find information and rules of CONvergence Masquerade.

Costume Wars

The Costume Wars are new competitions for CONvergence 2015. Show off your last minute costuming skills by making something awesome from practically nothing. There are two different competitions to try!

Costume Wars: 11th Hour
Great costumes are not always built with loads of time to prep or with expensive materials. Costume Wars: 11th Hour is a contest to see what you can throw together in the last days before a con. In the days immediately before CONvergence 2015, spend less than $10 on materials building an 11th hour costume around the theme, “dystopian limits”. When you arrive at the convention, stop by the Masquerade Registration Table in CONvergence Central, just outside CONvergence Mainstage, to enter your 11th hour costume into Costume Wars: 11th Hour. Winners will be selected Friday at 3:15pm in Garden Court, so plan to turn up wearing your creation, and be ready to show it off! Afterwards, head over to Art of the Dress to wow the crowd at CONvergence Mainstage!

Costume Wars: Guerrilla
Do you and your friends have what it takes for guerrilla costuming? Are you ready to prove it? Stop by the Masquerade Registration Table in CONvergence Central, just outside CONvergence Mainstage, to register your two-person team for Costume Wars: Guerrilla. Come to the Garden Court at 1:45pm on Friday and we will give your team a bag of supplies and a theme. You will have exactly one hour to make the most impressive guerrilla costume you can. Winners will be selected when time is up. Afterwards, all participants are welcome to display their creations in Art of the Dress!

If you have any questions about Costume Wars, please contact CONvergence Masquerade.

Art of the Dress

Art of the Dress Costume and Couture Show gives all CONvergence members a chance to show off their costumes, ensembles, and unique fashions on stage without the pressure of performance or competition!

To participate in Art of the Dress Costume and Couture Show, you must register before Noon on the Friday of the convention. You may do this online or at the Art of the Dress Registration table in CONvergence Central, just outside CONvergence Mainstage. (Same place as the Masquerade Registration Table.)

Check out the Art of the Dress page for a link to the online registration form. There you will also find information and rules for Art of the Dress Costume and Couture Show.

Costuming Tips

Is this your first time wearing a costume at CONvergence? Check out our Costuming page for a quick introduction to different kinds of costumes, costuming tips and other great information to keep in mind as you plan your CONvergence weekend!

Tagged with: costuming, cvg2015

CONvergence 2015 Merchandise & Volunteer Swag Preview!

Posted on June 30, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Merchandise, Volunteers

Are you ready to see what cool CONvergence stuff will be available at this year’s convention?

Good news! The full lists of CONvergence 2015 Volunteer perks and Merchandise are now available online! Take a moment and check out all the awesome swag that you can take home from CONvergence 2015: DoublePlusGood!

Ready to become a CONvergence volunteer? Check out the Volunteer Positions page or contact the Volunteers Department to see what you can do to help!

Have questions about CONvergence merchandise? Contact the Merchandise Department!

Tagged with: cvg2015, merchandise, volunteer perks

Still Need a Hotel Room for CONvergence 2015? Rooms Just Opened Up at the DoubleTree!

Posted on June 30, 2015 by CONvergence Webteam Thomas Posted in Hotel

The DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington has received some room reservation cancellations this week. This is normal for the week leading up to CONvergence. The good news is that there are now a limited number of hotel rooms available in the DoubleTree! The rooms can be booked for Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 through Sunday, July 5th, 2015 and are available at the regular DoubleTree CONvergence rate of $105.00 \ night plus tax.

If you are interested in making a reservation for all three nights (Thurs-Fri, Fri-Sat, Sat-Sun), please contact Hotel Room Allocations. Your subject line should read, “[Your Name] DoubleTree request”.

If you already have a reservation at a nearby hotel, please check that hotel’s cancellation policy before contacting Hotel Room Allocations. Remember, CONvergence provides a free shuttle service to many nearby hotels.

Tagged with: cvg2015, doubletree, hotel

Planning to Hang Posters at CONvergence 2015?

Posted on June 29, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Hotel, Policies

As in recent years, CONvergence members may begin hanging posters around the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at 6:00pm on Wednesday, July 1st, 2015.

DO NOT Hang Posters:

In the center of the escalator
In the elevators
On elevator doors or frames
On first floor lobby walls
In the hotel restaurant
On the hotel light fixtures
In hotel entryways
On room doors
On door frames
On the 8 narrow pillars in CONvergence Central
In party rooms other than your own (unless you have permission)

DO Hang Posters:

Virtually anywhere around pool-side/garden court/cabanas
On the walls and windows of your own party room
On the walls in the North tower plaza
On the walls outside elevators (except in the main hotel lobby)
On the walls in the public restrooms
On the walls in CONvergence Central
On the 2 wide pillars in CONvergence Central
On the walls connecting the North and South tower on the second floor

If you are unsure whether you should hang your poster in a particular location, please find a CONvergence volunteer or stop by The Bridge and ask!

Remember to use the One True Tape! Anything affixed to the wall or other surfaces at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel MUST be secured with low-tack blue painter’s tape.

Any posters found to be secured using other kinds of tape will be taken down without notice. Low-tack blue painter’s tape can be found at most hardware stores. If you run out of tape during the convention, stop by The Bridge – they may have some available.

We do not have currently have any signage guidelines from the Sheraton Bloomington or the Crowne Plaza hotels, but please respect the wishes of the hotels’ staff with regard to hanging anything up.

Tagged with: cvg2015, Posters

Attention Parents! Free KidsID Event at CONvergence 2015

Posted on June 29, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Events

CONvergence is proud to announce that we will be hosting a KidsID Event at CONvergence 2015! Montgomery Lodge #258 will be offering the opportunity to participate in the KidsID program to all parents of young children at CONvergence, and CONvergence is covering the cost!

KidsID, also known as the Masonic Child Identification Programs (CHIP), is a charitable initiative to aid in the identification and recovery of missing children.

The program provides parents the opportunity to create a kit of identifying materials for their child, free of charge. The kit contains a fingerprint card, a physical description, a DVD video of the child, and a DNA sample. The purpose of the kit is to provide critical information to the public and to law enforcement in the event that a child goes missing. The program has been lauded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The DVD video, besides capturing the appearance and voice of your child, includes questions tailored towards the child’s age group that can assist in finding children who might be missing for other reasons besides abduction.

Here is a four-minute video that briefly explains the Grand Lodge of Minnesota KidsID Child Safety Program.

Click here to check out a slide show of one recent KidsID event during KidsPo at the Eagan, MN Community Center.

The KidsID Program has been referenced by state and local law enforcement agencies as their model for establishing similar service. The difference between KidsID and others is that municipal and law enforcement agencies typically place all data that is collected (including fingerprints) into a database. Unlike those, the KidsID Program operates with strict confidentiality. All data entered into portable computers is removed from the system immediately after the DVD data has been written. No data is stored or transmitted to any location by this program. Parents have the only copy of all of the data when complete. If a DVD or video is lost by a parent or guardian, they can simply have another created free of charge by attending another KidsID event.

The CONvergence KidsID event will be held in the Northwest corner of Garden Court on Saturday July 4, 2015, from Noon to 4:00pm. This space will not be badged for the duration of the KidsID event so that children and parents who do not themselves have CONvergence 2015 badges may create a free KidsID identification kit.

Tagged with: cvg2015, KidsID

CONvergence 2015 Mobile App! Cinema Rex Schedule!

Posted on June 27, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Programming, Screening Rooms

Keeping track of your CONvergence schedule during the convention is still easier than ever with the CONvergence 2015 mobile schedule app for both iOS and Android!

Download the App:

The app is free to download and use. If you have any questions about the CONvergence 2015 mobile app, please contact CONvergence Programming.

The CONvergence 2015 schedule is also available online via the internet browser on your computer, mobile phone or tablet. It can be accessed directly at schedule.convergence-con.org or navigated to from the Schedule page of the CONvergence website.

Cinema Rex Schedule

Due to the constantly shifting landscape of movie rights, Cinema Rex will not be listing their movie schedule online this year. The Cinema Rex schedule will of course be in the printed CONvergence Programming Guide, Grid, and posted on Cinema Rex fliers around the hotel. You can also, as always, just come on down to Plaza 4 at any time during the convention to see what’s playing for the day!

If you use the online schedule or CONvergence app, you’ll notice that there are time blocks for Cinema Rex movies that do not list the movie name or description. This way, after you see the line up of truly awesome dystopian films and events slated for your viewing pleasure, you can still use the online schedule or app to plan your trips to Cinema Rex throughout the convention.

Erm… we mean, the schedule has never been available online. And we’ve always been at war with Eastasia.

Tagged with: Cinema Rex, cvg2015, mobile app

Exciting CONvergence 2015 Volunteer Opportunities Abound!

Posted on June 26, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Volunteers

As CONvergence 2015 draws closer, you’re no doubt starting to think about the awesome ways you can volunteer to help make this year’s convention a smoothly-operating dystopian paradise, plus earn yourself some exclusive volunteer perks. Fortunately, there are many options for lending a hand! Here are just a few.

Help Herd those Nerfs!

Interested in helping with badging, elevator monitoring, or managing lines at CONvergence? Sign-ups are now open for Nerf Herder Crowd Management volunteer shifts. It’s one of the most fun, exciting, and easy ways to volunteer during the convention, often right in the middle of all the action!

Please use the following links to access the CONvergence 2015 Nerf Herders schedule and sign up for a Nerf Herder volunteer shift.

Click here to sign up for Badger shifts!
Click here to sign up for Line Manager shifts!
Click here to sign up for Elevator Monitor shifts!

But wait, there’s more! Before you arrive for your volunteer shift with CONvergence 2015 Nerf Herders, you must first complete a short training session. That way, you will be prepared for all the different scenarios you might encounter while volunteering.

Before the convention

When: Sunday, June 28 at 2:00pm
Where: GPS Event Horizon (Waterbury Building, 1121 Jackson St. NE, Mpls) Rm. 106

During the convention

When: Wednesday at 12:00pm, 3:00pm, and 7:00pm, and Thursday at 1:00pm and 4:00pm.
Where: The Bridge

More at-con Nerf Herder trainings will be scheduled as they are needed. But please try to complete the short training as early as possible!

Record Video at Panels and Events

CONvergence Video and CVG-TV are looking for folks to help run cameras and record video of CONvergence 2015 panels, activities, events, and B-roll footage! Minimal experience with videography is okay, but a moderate to experienced level of videography knowledge is preferred.

Are you already planning to record a CONvergence 2015 panel, activity, or event? Are you going to use an HD camcorder to do it? If you provide your footage to CONvergence Video at the convention, you can get volunteer time for the time spent recording!

If this sounds like something you’re interested in doing, please contact CONvergence Video!

Are you a Certified Lifeguard?

Help keep the pool in garden court open for late night! If you are a certified lifeguard and would like to accrue some easy volunteer hours in the evenings (10:00pm and later), please contact Hotel Room Allocations with the subject line, “Lifeguard”.

You will have to provide proof of your current lifeguard certification to qualify for this volunteer position.

Additional ASL Interpreter Needed!

Can you interpret American Sign Language? Have you completed an ITP program and/or certification through RID/NAD? If so, CONvergence ASL would love to talk to you about volunteering during the convention. Shift lengths are only 1 hour, and it’s a lot of fun!

Please contact CONvergence ASL if you’re interested in joining the CONvergence 2015 ASL team.

Provide Move-in Help

CONvergence starts moving into the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington as early as Monday, June 29th, 2015 and there will be a need for volunteers to help all the way through Wednesday. If you would like to clock some volunteer hours before the convention even starts, please contact CONvergence Volunteers and ask how you can help!

More Information about Volunteer Positions

If you are curious about any of the volunteer positions above, or would like to see what else you could do to help out at CONvergence, check out the Volunteer Positions Page.

Hear about the La Quinta? Still need a Hotel Room for CONvergence 2015?

Posted on June 24, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Hotel

Did you catch the news earlier this month about La Quinta Bloomington’s facade damage and subsequent closure?

If you had a reservation for CONvergence 2015 at the now damaged La Quinta Inn & Suites and have not yet made a new reservation at one of the CONvergence overflow hotels or been transferred to the La Quinta Nicollet, please contact Hotel Room Allocations as soon as possible.

Please have the subject of your email read, “[YOUR NAME] moved from La Quinta”. The CONvergence Hotel department will work with you to ensure you have a place to rest your head after each exciting day of CONvergence 2015.

Unexpected Rooms Available at the Sheraton Bloomington

The Sheraton Bloomington, which previously could only commit to offering 50 hotel rooms during CONvergence 2015, is ahead of schedule with their renovations and have made more rooms available for CONvergence 2015 members! If you would like to reserve a room in the Sheraton Bloomington, located directly across the street from the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington, please contact Hotel Room Allocations and include the phrase, “Sheraton Available Rooms” in the subject line.

Update 6/24/2015 10:00pm

As of right now, all of the Sheraton Bloomington rooms have been spoken for. We will update everyone if more rooms become available.

Tagged with: cvg2015, hotel, La Quinta, Sheraton Bloomington

Attention Amateur Artists at CONvergence! Are you the next MasterArtist?

Posted on June 14, 2015 by CONvergence Social Media Posted in Artists

2014 MasterArtist Winner Jacklyn Hedlund

MasterArtist will return for CONvergence 2015!

MasterArtist was a huge success at CONvergence 2014 and is looking for its next champion. Patterened after the MasterChef competition, we would like to again invite all amateur artists attending the convention to compete for the title of MasterArtist at CONvergence 2015!

MasterArtist participants are given a theme around which they are chellenged to create a piece of art within a time limit. The mediums available for this year’s competition are painting and drawing. Artists may select which medium suits them best for the challenge.

CONvergence 2015’s MasterArtist competition will judged by CONvergence 2015 Guest of Honor Chad Frey, former CONvergence Guest of Honor Ruth Thompson, and local webcomic artist Daniel Mohr.

The CONvergence 2015 MasterArtist will win a trophy, have their art displayed in the CONvergence 2015 Art Show, and be invited to participate in CONvergence’s Art: Impossible on Sunday.

Amateurs are considered those who do not make a living off their art, and who create art mostly for fun.

Think you have what it takes to be the CONvergence 2015 MasterArtist?

To be eligible, please submit a sample of your artwork to info@convergence-con.org with “MasterArtist” in the subject line by June 21, 2015. The best amateurs will be selected from entries received and given the chance to win the CONvergence 2015 MasterArtist title and trophy. Come join us, have fun, and become the new MasterArtist!

Tagged with: cvg2015, MasterArtist

CONvergence 2015 Shuttle Service Expanded & News from the Days Inn

Posted on June 13, 2015 by CONvergence Webteam Tayefel Posted in Hotel

CONvergence’s free shuttle service has been greatly expanded for 2015!

There will be a total of three large transit-type bus shuttles, and one accessible van shuttle. One of the large transit buses will be used exclusively for transportation between the Crowne Plaza and the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington. To ensure all of the events at Crowne Plaza run smoothly, panelists and Harmonic CONvergence participants will receive priority boarding on this shuttle for the duration of the convention.

All other shuttles will stop at all CONvergence overflow hotels and overflow parking lots.

See the Shuttles page for full shuttle schedules, routes, and more information. Please note that the shuttles will be picking up at several different DoubleTree entrances.

As a reminder, there is no smoking while outside waiting for the CONvergence shuttles. Per CONvergence policy and in conjunction with the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington, CONvergence members may smoke in the DoubleTree’s East Courtyard, Smokers Paradise.

Staying at the Days Inn?

Days Inn Bloomington West has recently come under new management, which has caused some administrative confusion regarding reservations during CONvergence 2015. Any CONvergence members who have received cancellation notifications from the Days Inn Bloomington West and have not booked reservations elsewhere are asked to call the Days Inn front desk immediately at 952-835-7400.

They also kindly ask any CONvergence members who have made reservations at the Days Inn Bloomington West to please call the front desk at 952-835-7400 and reconfirm their reservations by June 25, 2015. Please state that you are with the CONvergence Room Block.

Days Inn apologizes for any inconvenience this management change has caused. Please report any problems you experience to the CONvergence Hotel department.

Tagged with: cvg2015, Day's Inn, hotel, shuttles