Progress Report #4 - December 2019

Arisia'20 is over. Please visit the new convention site: www.arisia.org.

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Arisia Progress Report #4
December 2019

Arisia 2020
Jan. 17-20, 2020
Westin Boston Waterfront

Quick Links

Flu Shots * GOH * Volunteer * Blood Drive * Publications * Access * Registration * Tech * Gaming * Martin Luther King Service Project * Bake Sale * Boston Bag Ban * Follow Arisia

GET A FLU SHOT

Arisia has people with compromised immune systems who attend meetings and the convention. Do your part help protect all members of the community. The CDC's website provides more information.

Artist Guest of Honor: Kristina Carroll

The Arisia 2020 Art Show is thrilled to have Kristina Carroll as our Artist Guest of Honor! Both a fine artist and illustrator Kristina’s work follows fantastic, surrealist and symbolist aesthetics and is usually figurative. Kristina started participating in the Art Show at Arisia 2015 and since then has won 4 awards in 2015 (for 2 different works), 2017 and 2019. Her helpful suggestions over the years have helped the Art Show become better. Kristina has created art for multiple gaming companies such as Wizards of the Coast. Her works have appeared in several editions of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and other publications. She creates both color and monochrome artworks and often makes prints of her originals. At Arisia 2020 she is debuting some new work and will have some special, framed limited edition prints of some of her most popular pieces. Be sure to pick up an Arisia t-shirt with her design at the fan tables. Please check out her website, along with all our guests' conveniently linked from the main Arisia page.

Make Arisia Happen: Volunteer

This year, Team Arisia will be structured differently from previous years.
HQ will be a closed-door space for staff to get a little downtime, store food in a fridge, and take care of business.
We'll have a new Volunteers table out in the lobby that will help you get connected with people who need your help at-con, give you a timesheet, or take your found duck turn-ins. Hours for the table will be posted in the Quick Reference and if you need us anytime the table isn't staffed, feel free to knock on the HQ doors.

Blood Drive

Blood Drive at Arisia! Friday afternoon is for Children's Hospital and Saturday is for Mass General Hospital.

Publications

Attention parents! The Family Friendly Guide is your quick reference for wrangling children at Arisia, including events on the schedule of particular interest to the younger set, babysitting and Fast Track hours, tips on keeping your kids fed at Arisia, etc. However, we will not print it out on paper this year. The information will be accessible from Guidebook on your smart phone. Please download the Guidebook app on your phone before the con, and visit www.arisia.org in January to view it online. A PDF version of the Guide will be available on the website for downloading as well.
The procedures for updating the schedules and bios have been brought up to date. The second draft of the Guidebook has been released for comment, with final data on dealers. There are placeholders only for Family Friendly and Quick Reference sections. There's an initial version of the maps. The next step is to install final map file(s) and define regions, so guests can click on a location code in the details for a session and be pointed to the correct room on a map.

SAVE TREES! SAVE ARISIA MONEY! At A'20, paper Pocket Programs will NOT be distributed. But there are options.

The program is available through the app Guidebook on your app-capable smart device. With it you can browse our programming listings, mark the items you want to attend, and will remind you what is upcoming. Bonus: It will even tell you if you have a schedule conflict! Detailed instructions on getting started with GuideBook will be on the Arisia website.
There will be a PDF of the Pocket Program available from the website around New Year's, so you can print it yourself at home. Come to the Con Suite where you can view a reference copy.
To request a large print and Braille versions of the Pocket Program, contact Access. Printed Program Grids will be available.

Registration

Most Registration rates change to $75.00 on January 1st. Student rates remain the same (age 13-25 with a valid student ID). For details and the link to register, visit the Arisia website.

Access

Important Deadline: Requests for ASL interpretation must be received by December 31st. We are committed to providing interpreters for everyone who needs them, but we require this advance notice in order to locate and arrange for the interpreters who may be needed. Contact Access to put in your request.

Also note that CART transcription will be available at the Masquerade. Anyone who needs special seating, either to see the CART screen or due to visual limitations, can get the appropriate sticker at the Info desk. The Info desk will also have large print and Braille programs and publications available for distribution to those who need them. Special seating in panel rooms will be available for those with visual/auditory limitations or who for some reason need end-of-row seating. Parking spaces for mobility scooters will also be clearly marked.

Art Show tactile tour will be available.

Tech

There will be some changes this year for mainstage, dances and Arisia TV. Due to low staffing levels, we won't have Arisia TV or club lighting for DJ dances. If having these events is important to you and you have experience with dance/stage tech, you can still make a difference by volunteering for our Tech team. Contact Tech with your experience and interests and you could help make Arisia happen!

Gaming

Video gaming wants to borrow your games for the weekend! We would like to borrow games for any of the following systems for the weekend: PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Wii, WiiU, Nintendo Switch, and N64. Don't bring anything irreplaceable. However we will replace any game in the unlikely event that it is rendered unplayable over the course of the weekend. Drop off games Friday night between 5pm and 11pm and pick them up Monday between 10am and noon! Thanks for contributing to our video game library!

Martin Luther King Service Project

This year, at Arisia, there will be a Martin Luther King Service Project to benefit 826 Boston, a literacy and writing charity which works free of charge with under-served Boston public school students from early elementary school to age 18. Their current writing prompt is Bigfoot. They publish and sell books of their students' writing.

They have given us a wish list of new books they would like, and the quantity of each title needed. We will be posting a link where you can sign up to donate specific new books to bring to Arisia, and put in a box marked MLK Service Project Book Drive. While some books are readily available at bookstores, others, such as Spanish language editions, may need to be ordered, so please allow time for the books to arrive.

The staff at 826 Boston are exited and thankful for your book donations.

Boston Bag Ban

The city of Boston has an ordinance about plastic bags, which requires businesses to charge an extra 5 cents for a bag. Further details about this ordinance.

Bake Sale

This year, the Bake Sale @ Arisia will be on Saturday from 9:30 am-12:30 pm (or until we sell out). The Arisia Bake Sale benefits the Otherwise (formerly the James Tiptree Jr. Award), an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender, and Con or Bust, which helps fans of color fans attend SFF and other cons. Please consider bringing something to be sold: all non-refrigerated foods are welcome (particularly those that also suit dietary restrictions). If you are thinking of bringing something, we'd appreciate it if you'd let us know at @email. Food can be dropped off during the sale itself or at Team Arisia Services ahead of time. Even if you are not a baker, please mark your calendars, spread the word and stop by for a cookie!

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Last modified

09/13/2019 - 18:18

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Progress Report #4 - December 2019

Arisia Progress Report #4
December 2019

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Safety

Volunteer

Progress Report #4 - December 2019

Arisia Progress Report #4 December 2019

Sign up for Arisia Progress Reports

Arisia Progress Report #4
December 2019