The San Francisco Bay Area Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
May 22-25, 2009
The Hyatt Regency, Santa Clara, CA

PR #2

Chairman's Message

"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases: 1- It's completely impossible. 2- It's possible, but it's not worth doing. 3- I said it was a good idea all along." –Arthur C. Clarke

Your convention staff has been hard at work bringing you the best entertainment and experience BayCon has to offer! A lot has gone on since you last heard from us:

The Masquerade

We have acquired more function space this year, allowing us to seat many more of you for the show. In addition, we will be offering premium front row seats with early access to the theatre bar and lounge at the Charity Auction on Saturday. To top things off, our half time show will be a professional re-enactment of Orson Welles' original radio show "War of the Worlds." Fun! We also have many sponsored awards for the various divisions, plus a few more special theme awards – see what you could win in the Masquerade on page 2!

Registration

Check out the Registration article on Page 3 for information on our plans for improving registration. Also, we have recently added the option to purchase pre-registered one-day badges on our website www.BayCon.org.

Programming

For the first time ever, BayCon will be offering Karaoke on Friday night in the lobby bar. On Sunday evening, the local rock group Tempest will be playing live on our main stage, with space for all of you to dance. We will be offering the "Let's Make a Movie" panel again – along with several live action role playing events, boffer tournaments, 24-hour-a-day gaming, anime, and so much more! Our guests Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Tim Kirk, Jennifer Brozek and Fred Patten have so much to share with us, and are just as excited about how much there is to do at BayCon as the staff is.

Hotel

Last, and not least, our home. We plan to host our annual all weekend long Memorial Day BBQ out on the pool deck again, and if you choose to stay until Tuesday, the hotel has discounted Great America Tickets for you on Memorial Day.

As I said, there is a lot in the works, and our gears have been turning. A brief note on our theme for 2009, "The Lost Sky City of Pyrocumulon," – steampunk is key. Steampunk has an ever growing following, and BayCon is here in celebration of many fannish interests. So join us in costume, art, or writing this year, and show off the fruits of your work at BayCon.

I'll see you there!

–Tycho Petersen
Chairman

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Special Sunday Concert: Tempest

Since forming in 1988, Tempest has delivered a globally-renowned hybrid of high-energy folk rock fusing Irish reels, Scottish ballads, Norwegian influences and other world music elements. The last 20 years have seen the San Francisco Bay Area based act release twelve critically acclaimed CDs and play more than 2,000 gigs. It's also enjoyed an evolving line-up that's enabled its musicianship and creativity to rise with each new member–something highlighted by the group's current roster.

Tempest is regularly featured at prestigious festivals including The Philadelphia Folk Festival, Denmark's Skagen Festival, Britain's Cropredy Festival and The Winnipeg Folk Festival. The band is also a mainstay at countless American Celtic festivals.

Help BayCon raise funds for our charity this year, The Alex Foundation, and enjoy an evening of rocking good music at a live Tempest concert on Sunday night in the Grand Ballroom.

–Kimmi Allbee
Head of Programming

BayCon Masquerade 2009 Special Awards

This year the Masquerade will include the following special awards:

Young Fan Awards – sponsored by Alter Ego Comics, www.alteregocomics.com. Any young fan entry is eligible for these awards. Alter Ego is also offering a special discount code for ALL BayCon attendees. Look for it in the Program Book!

Lost City of Pyrocumulon Award – sponsored by Baen Books, www.baen.com. Entries that compete for this award must complete a special entry form with a 100 word maximum story or description that explains how their entry relates to the theme of the Lost City of Pyrocumulon. Writer Guests of Honor Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon will present this award.

Imagination Award, sponsored by Sideshow Collectibles, www.sideshowtoy.com, is for the costume design that best embodies the spirit of imagination. Artist Guest of Honor and former Disney Imagineer Tim Kirk will judge and present this award. All entries are eligible.

Steam Punk Award, sponsored by Foggy Night Jewelry, www.foggynight.net, is for the costume design that best embodies the Steampunk aesthetic. All novice, journeyman, and open division entries are eligible.

GBACG Rising Star Award and GBACG Fine Workmanship Award, presented by the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild, www.gbacg.org, are open to entries in the novice division.

Silicon Web Dreamcatcher Award will be presented by the Silicon Web Costumers' Guild, www.siwcostumers.org, for entries with creative use of technical/special effects.

Director's Choice Award – an award of exploration gear suitable for furthering the career of intrepid adventure seekers. All entries are eligible.

Hall Costume Awards – Carole Parker and her team of roving judges will be honoring spectacular hall costuming efforts with special ribbons and opportunity for newsletter inclusion and other recognition.

Phil and Kathe Gust
–Masquerade Directors

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Registration

Spring is upon us, but there's still time to pre-register for BayCon 2009! Purchase your membership using PayPal at www.baycon.org or use the handy form included in this PR to register by mail. Pre-registration closes May 10, so act fast!

New for 2009: The official BayCon self-registration kiosks! No longer will you have to struggle to print legibly through three sheets of paper. Instead, you can merely type your information in at the self-registration computer and then proceed to the desk for payment and printing! The only way to get your badge in less time is to pre-register! For those of you who prefer the traditional hardcopy method, our friendly registration staff will still be happy to provide a registration form and answer any questions you may have.

Please note: Per the BayCon Name & Identification Policy, the Registration Weasels at the desk will need to see your ID in order to release the correct badge. Please have it handy.

-Cindi Cabal
Head of Registration

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