MediaWest*Con 40 – May 22-25, 2020
Virtual MW*C 40 Gallery
Don't forget to send us photos of your virtual MW*C 40! Today we attended a botany workshop given by MediaWest*Con 40 special guest, ET. |
 Hobbit Tea was hosted in the garden today at 4:00. Our kind regards to Mrs. Underhill! |
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Virtual MW*C 40 Kit Still Available!
For those of you who will miss not having MediaWest*Con 40 in Lansing, we offer a DIY MW*C 40 kit!
Kit includes:
MW*C 40 T'shirt (please specify size -- M, XL, XXL -- we are sold out of L and XXXL)
Pinback MW*C 40 badge (use a Sharpie to write your name)
MW*C 40 DIY Program Book
Color Postcard-Size MW*C 40 Mini Poster
All this for $15 plus $7.75 Flat Rate shipping, while supplies last!
If you need multiple kits to the same address, let us know and we can tell you shipping options, depending on number and sizes.
Via PayPal to mediawestcon@aol.com (please include size and mailing address -- see form below)
Make checks payable to MediaWest*Con and mail to MW*C 40, 200 E Thomas St, Lansing MI 48906-4047 (please include size and mailing address)
Hold your own virtual MediaWest*Con 40 at your house! (Please observe social distancing standards) Obviously it won't be on Memorial Day Weekend now, but you can celebrate MW*C 40 any time with this kit!
Makeup your own schedule of events and put them in the DIY Program Book.
Suggested events: Binge your favorite SF shows and movies, perform dramatic readings of fanfic, Art Show on your refrigerator, dress up for Masquerade, decorate your bedroom door, act out favorite scenes with action figures – use your imagination!
Send us photos of your virtual MW*C 40 for posting on the MW*C website!
Have fun while sequestered at home!
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Order via PayPal:
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MW*C 40 in Lansing Cancelled
Last year when we saw it was
unlikely we would make the minimum number of hotel reservations we
needed, we were able to renegotiate the hotel contract and cut back the
function space to reduce the financial risk. While this meant we had to
cut some long held functions like the Fannish Video Room and Fanzine
Reading Room, it proved a wise precaution as we did make the new
minimum but would not have made the original number of registrations
needed.
For MW*C 40 we kept the downsized function space but were able to add back the game room while maintaining the same reduced risk.
Sadly, despite our best efforts to increase membership to a sustainable level, advance memberships were at an all-time low and show no sign of improving. Even with repeating the function space downsizing we instituted last year, this year it does not appear we would make the minimum number of hotel reservations needed to avoid thousands in hotel penalties. Therefore, we had no choice but to cancel MW*C 40 and notify attendees so that they could cancel their travel and hotel reservations in a timely fashion.
We hope people will understand that this is not an easy decision for us, and that it does NOT mean MediaWest*Con is dead. Rather, it gives us time to consider how MW*C may continue in some form.
Obviously, the myriad causes are nothing new -- the graying of fandom, dwindling interest in fanzine culture, technology that makes face-to-face meetings seem superfluous, ever increasing travel expense and inconvenience, and SF/Media going mainstream, to name but a few. All have contributed to declining membership and participation in suggesting panel topics, Fan Q nominations, etc.. Nor are many of these issues unique to us, as other cons have suffered as well with no solution in sight.
As it turns out, we would not have been able to hold MW*C 40 anyway due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All MW*C 40 memberships have been refunded. If you expect a refund and have not received it by Feb. 29, 2020 please let us know at mediawestcon@aol.com. There are still some refund checks that have not been cashed, so please cash or deposit refund checks if you haven't already done so.
The Fan Quality Awards continued taking nominations, but not enough nominations were received to form a ballot.
As always, we encourage members to subscribe to the MW*C blog to keep up with the latest updates and announcements. We will continue to maintain the MW*C blog and website (www.mediawestcon.org) as your primary sources of MW*C information.
Thanks to all the members, GoFers, Staffers, and other volunteers who have supported MW*C for over 40 years. MW*C has nurtured many long-term friendships, facilitated many great discussions, supported many dreams, and provided a safe haven for SF/Media fans with diverse interests to gather and share their passions. We never expected the the party to continue for over four decades! It would be wonderful to gather again in the future in celebration.
We would like to do at least one final convention, but at this point it doesn't appear there is enough interest to carry it out.
-- Lori & Gordon
For MW*C 40 we kept the downsized function space but were able to add back the game room while maintaining the same reduced risk.
Sadly, despite our best efforts to increase membership to a sustainable level, advance memberships were at an all-time low and show no sign of improving. Even with repeating the function space downsizing we instituted last year, this year it does not appear we would make the minimum number of hotel reservations needed to avoid thousands in hotel penalties. Therefore, we had no choice but to cancel MW*C 40 and notify attendees so that they could cancel their travel and hotel reservations in a timely fashion.
We hope people will understand that this is not an easy decision for us, and that it does NOT mean MediaWest*Con is dead. Rather, it gives us time to consider how MW*C may continue in some form.
Obviously, the myriad causes are nothing new -- the graying of fandom, dwindling interest in fanzine culture, technology that makes face-to-face meetings seem superfluous, ever increasing travel expense and inconvenience, and SF/Media going mainstream, to name but a few. All have contributed to declining membership and participation in suggesting panel topics, Fan Q nominations, etc.. Nor are many of these issues unique to us, as other cons have suffered as well with no solution in sight.
As it turns out, we would not have been able to hold MW*C 40 anyway due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All MW*C 40 memberships have been refunded. If you expect a refund and have not received it by Feb. 29, 2020 please let us know at mediawestcon@aol.com. There are still some refund checks that have not been cashed, so please cash or deposit refund checks if you haven't already done so.
The Fan Quality Awards continued taking nominations, but not enough nominations were received to form a ballot.
As always, we encourage members to subscribe to the MW*C blog to keep up with the latest updates and announcements. We will continue to maintain the MW*C blog and website (www.mediawestcon.org) as your primary sources of MW*C information.
Thanks to all the members, GoFers, Staffers, and other volunteers who have supported MW*C for over 40 years. MW*C has nurtured many long-term friendships, facilitated many great discussions, supported many dreams, and provided a safe haven for SF/Media fans with diverse interests to gather and share their passions. We never expected the the party to continue for over four decades! It would be wonderful to gather again in the future in celebration.
We would like to do at least one final convention, but at this point it doesn't appear there is enough interest to carry it out.
-- Lori & Gordon
This official MediaWest*Con page was updated February 14, 2022