Conflux 5

I’ve just found out I’ve been telling people the wrong dates for the virtual mini-con. It’s taking place August 4 to August 5, Saturday midday to Sunday midday. It was always my intention to run it Saturday to Sunday, I just got the dates wrong. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

 

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Just three months until Conflux 4, and here are the things we are confident are going to happen (can never guarantee of course, anything can happen in the next three months, but still…)

* Our guests are all booked and ready to fly/drive into town - Graham Joyce, Kevin J Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Jonathan Strahan, Garth Nix, Simon Brown, Kaaron Warren and Donna Maree Hanson are all looking forward to meeting you all

* Regency Gothic Banquet - the menu has been presented to the hotel and we’re just waiting on the final say-so, but the chef is really excited about it. It’s the same team that put together the much-lauded medieval feast last year, so it’s going to be great.

* Film festival - Rob Hood has been pulling together some fantastic films, and information about one of the features we’ll be showing is now available on the website.

* Podcasting - Joffre Street Productions are coming up from Tasmania to podcast the panels at the convention, and they’ll be available on the website following the convention.

* Dealers room - we’ve had some bookings, it’s going to be a finite space so if you want to be part of the fun, best get in as soon as possible.

* Workshops - it looks like we’re going to have 13 workshops, most of them free for members, covering a whole range of things.

* Panel program - we’re working hard to ensure that we cover as many things as people suggest as we can, keeping to the theme of Heroes from Near and Afar.

And we’re working on other aspects - art display, other social events, souvenir book, tshirts and lots of fun.

So, do you have your membership yet?

 

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If you’re planning on coming to the Conflux Christmas In July lunch (Saturday, July 7), here’s some of the stuff you could be feasting on - turkey, pork, ham, roast vegetables, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, fruite and cheese platter, egg nog and mulled wine. And there’s more, I just can’t remember. A great meal, plus an engrossing presentation by Gillian Polack, lucky door prizes and more. Who knows, since it’s Christmas, maybe a game of backyard cricket!

It’s $50 a head, and final bookings must be in by next Thursday. So email chair @conflux.org.au (without the gap, of course)

 

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The Conflux 4 Virtual Mini-con will be run from midday August 3 to midday August 4, 2007.

Featuring:

• Garth Nix
• Simon Brown
• Jonathan Strahan
• Kaaron Warren
• Donna Maree Hanson
• Fiona McIntosh
• Richard Harland
• Karen Miller
• Maxine McArthur
• Chris Barnes
• Gillian Polack
• Fiona McLellan
• Anita Bell
• Keith Stevenson
• Melaina Faranda
• Nicole R Murphy

Each hour, a new person will appear in the forums at www.conflux.org.au. You can get online, have a chat, find out more about some of the people who will be appearing at Conflux 4. The vitual mini-con will be free for anyone interested in coming along. There will also be a forum set aside as a con lounge, for people to drop in and chat to whoever happens to be there. There could also be lucky door prizes (yes, here at Conflux, we aren’t above bribery).

For more information and the timetable, check the website, www.conflux.org.au, in the week before the mini-con. Hope to see you all there.

 

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Thanks to Nathan Russell for pointing out you can book by calling the hotel. That’s great! The number is 02 6247 6244. Book under the name of Conflux. The prices are: $159 for a double room with two breakfasts, $149 for a single room with one breakfast. This price is available from Thursday September 27 to Tuesday October 2.

 

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For people who have been anxiously awaiting the ability to book their hotel room, hope is on the horizon! We’ve been told the website should be ready to go in a couple of weeks (head office is a bit backed up). We’re also busy organising our Christmas in July celebration (information available soon). Feauting a presentation by historian Gillian Polack on Christmas, it should be loads of fun! So keep your eyes peeled for more info.

 

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Last night, Conflux 4 hosted its first social event - a Friday the 13th dinner. It was at the Skyview restaurant at Rydges Lakeside, a nice venue with great food. It’s pricey, but if you’re looking for somewhere nice to eat during the con, it’s definitely an option.

We had 16 people there, including con guest Donna Maree Hanson. The special guest on the night, however, was horror writer Rob Hood, who gave us two presentations.

The first was information on the true history of Canberra. Did you know that Canberra was a prehistoric outhouse, and the home of the world’s largest dung beetle? As to where the dung is now, well, Parliament House is built on a hill… It was very entertaining and the artwork that accompanied it was terrific.

In his second chat, Rob talked about what horror was. It was an interesting and interactive discussion of the genre and whether it actually exists. Everyone present really enjoyed it.

There were lucky door prizes and lots of chatting and laughter and drinking. All in all, a terrific night.

The next planned Conflux 4 event is a Christmas In July function. Keep your eye peeled for more information. 

 

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A few people have tried to make bookings at Rydges Lakeside and have found they can’t. It’s lead to some concern that the con won’t be there but there’s no reason to worry. It’s simply been a case of people being too busy to make the final arrangements. I’m meeting with the hotel this week to finalise things. Hopefully you’ll be able to book your rooms within a couple of weeks.

 

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