A round table discussion of how to let go of a lost favorite character via death or banishment into another dimension. And the hope of them returning and how
The character of Spock connected in many ways with fans around the world. What is it about the character and his relationships with others that helped define generations of Star Trek fans?
Hypo sprays that cure epidemics instantly, bio beds in sickbay that monitor without wires and tubes to the patient. Experts discuss health care apocalypse scenarios, how do we see medicine practiced in 20 or 50 years, etc.
Join long time Star Wars collector Scott Gibson as he shares tips and suggestions for building and maintaining your collection from his 38 years tracking down treasures from a galaxy far, far away...
We have designated this room for parents to take their kids to allow the kids to decompress, should the con become overwhelming. There will be coloring and crafts available. NOTE: This is NOT daycare. You must remain with your child(ren). Runs from 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
From Hunger Games to Mad Max, the world ends and humanity survives. What can we learn about ourselves and our future from these stories?
From Star Wars to the Marvel Universe, fans can get vocal about our feelings. Are we entitled to our say, or just entitled?
This will be an open discussion among our literary guests about everything related to writing. This is the place to ask all those burning questions that you have. What they find to be the most difficult aspect of writing, why they derive joy out of this craft, and how they think the future of writing will evolve.
ConGregate is using the mobile platform of Sched.org as the way to display the programming and guests for the convention. This panel will introduce you to the website and how to use it.
A space habitat is a logical next step beyond the International Space Station. Where might we build it, and how? How would we make it safe to actually live in?
Given the explosion of superheroes in movies, TV, graphic novels and comics over the last ten years, can we get the room to agree on the top ten superhero media experiences that are absolutely essential?
Join WGoH, Michael Stackpole as he shares quick tips and tools for finding a story in almost any circumstance.
The Fantasy genre has typically produced epic length novels, while the SciFi genre has both long novels and shorts in magazines or anthologies. Why does SciFi lend itself to both lengths and Fantasy doesn’t? What are the attractions, pros, and cons of both lengths? As more people read in snatches of time on mobile devices, could the shorter length become more popular, why or why not?
From Star Wars to Babylon 5, puppets and puppeteers have held a place in the genre. How do puppets compare to CGI and what makes the puppet define a character?
Four Carolina fan icons talk about starting their groups, what they hope for the groups, how to maintain the organizations and how to let go.
From Xena and Wonder Woman to Brienne of Tarth and even Zelda, warrior women can be very different. What defines them? What critical aspects of a character make them "warriors?"
Our panelists discuss how Steampunk, Supernatural Fantasy and Westerns connect to tell tales of the fantastic frontier!
Han Solo, Mal Reynolds, Artemis Entreri, Robin Hood, Aramis of the Musketeers, the Gray Mouser, Mat Cauthon, and Gambit are just some of the characters that could be considered rogues or scoundrels…so let's define the terms. Are rogues and scoundrels interchangeable or is there a difference between them?
How do you take your favorite story and turn it into an RPG (either table top or video)? What aspects of the world are critical to include and what do you leave out?
Everyone knows we should copyright our work. But what does that mean? Does mailing it to yourself really count? Our panelists discuss the legal ins and outs of protecting your work.
Great science fiction takes reality to the edge and leaps. Quarky Trons presents an interactive seminar -- “Science in Fiction” Thunderdome. Attendees will band together to test their science fiction supremacy, competing in a series of trivia trials. In the first trial only the penitent Sci-Fi readers shall pass. The second trial tests the word of the great writers. Finally, the remaining souls take a leap of faith.
Sign up at Registration.
From books to games to movies, crowdsourcing has become a new and different way to make dreams come true. What do you need to know before you take on your first Kickstarter? Tips and Tricks from Insiders who've done it before.
Taking the Nerdiquette Project to the next level, the panel talks about how conventions can help – from Harassment Policies to safe spaces.
This is a FREE two-hour round-table workshop, very informal, designed to answer questions and offer general guidance for a group of up to six new authors who have completed the first draft of a novel and now face the challenges of a second draft. Gray Rinehart, the primary submissions reader at Baen Books, will also be present to answer questions from the perspective of his five years’ experience in that position. Attendance is limited. Please sign up at Registration.
This is the new version of our opening ceremonies. There will be door prizes and short speeches by some of the guests!
“eh koh-moh my-ee” (means Welcome! in Hawaiian)
The do's, don’ts, and how‐to's of conducting a podcast interview. What technologies are available to let you interview people from across the globe?
From Lt. Uhura To Captain Janeway To Seven Of Nine, Star Trek Has Changed The Face Of Women In Space. Panelists will discuss its representations of women as well as the contributions of women behind the scenes.
Sometimes costuming your favorite character means stepping across genders. What does it mean to costume as a character of another gender? What tips and tricks can you use to minimize those aspects of your original gender?
Race, class, gender, sexuality and economic assumptions in epic fantasy... who holds the power and who is powerless? Who has agency—the ability to move around freely and take action that makes a difference—and who doesn’t? Who is inside the system and who is outside of the status quo? How did some people outside the norm find ways around the status quo? Let’s talk about the assumptions we make reading/writing epic fantasy—the past was more interesting, varied and weird than you might think!
Artists bring a sample of their work and receive suggestions and constructive feedback by our guest artists and editor.
Do you have what it takes to play “Tic-Tac-Toe”? Take your chance by signing up to agree or disagree with the answers given by our celebrity squares. Contestants will be drawn randomly from the audience. Prize will be awarded to the player who wins the most rounds.
Additional Squares: Glen Beattie & Figment, Wendell McCollom
How to play:
When you enter the room, you will be given a ticket. Don't lose it! When your number is called, you will step and attempt to win by agreeing or disagreeing with the celebrity answers. Winning player stays, the next contestant is drawn.
Given the rapidly evolving role of authors in publishing, particularly in regards to means of publication — i.e., self-publishing, shared- responsibility publishing, traditional publishing, etc., how does a new author decide what is the best path for them?
From blasters to lightsabers, from railguns to handguns, what weapons have their history in the real world and which ones are pure fantasy (at least for now)?
This year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of DUNE. What's made that work so enduring and important? What impact has it had on the rest of SF/Fantasy?
Let’s talk about #12, Clara, Companions new and old and how the ‘madman in a blue box’ in all his regenerations looks when viewed from the perspective of female fans. What about the Doctor's daughter? How could she evolve in the storyline?
From Hildebrandt to Eggleton, from Williams to Queen, how has music and art influenced our understanding and enjoyment of SF&F? What makes music or art look and feel futuristic? Does the definition change as contemporary music and art changes? If the several decades old music and art in Star Wars wasn’t considered so iconic, would it still be considered futuristic?
You know those panels where a bunch of stuffy scientists talk about science in fancy language that goes over your head but everyone comes out feeling 20 IQ points smarter? Yeah, didn't think so, and that's good, because this is not one of those panels. Science - it's confusing, mysterious, and sometimes you just have to wonder what the scientists were thinking when they came up with the ideas. Here's your chance to corner some scientists in a panel room for a Q&A on new, funny, important, weird and/or confusing science. It's late in the evening, so let's see if we can have some fun with it!
A general discussion of Cyberpunks representation in anime classics such as Ghost in the Shell, Pycho Pass and others.
This presentation will provide an overview of what prospective self-published authors need to know (editing, sales, marketing, etc.) followed by an in-depth discussion with panelists on their insights and experiences as successful author/publishers.
Defining "should" as appealing to broad tastes as well as genre specific. Audience and panelists discuss what's new in the realm of Horror novels and which authors we should be looking out for.
Recording Live Podcasts…What do you need know and what challenges do you face?
Sci-Fi has many methods of traveling fast through space: warp, jumps, wormholes, FTL drives, folding space… What method makes the most sense? Or are we willing to suspend our disbelief as long as the method sounds plausible? What makes a technology plausible? What are things that pop a reader out of the story?
What are the primary jobs of a book cover? Does a cover need to portray different things on a printed book and a digital one? Should your cover be innovative and different than the other covers in your genre so people notice it? With so many people buying and reading books on small mobile devices, does the way a cover show up matter? I saw the perfect photo on the internet for my book cover, can I use it? Since it saves a lot of money, should I make my own cover? What makes a really bad cover? What makes a really good cover?
A round-table discussion on what Yoda and Obi-Wan’s true intentions were in training Luke. Did they want him rebuild the Jedi, or simply destroy the Sith?
In the course of events, an author sometimes has to eliminate a character. At times, depending upon the character, this causes readers great distress. We will discuss why this has to happen and learn a little about the art, methodology, psychology, and science of character-killing. Through the course of the panel, we will also delve into the greatest deaths in the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings/Hobbit, Narnia, and other novels that are near and dear to fans everywhere.
We have designated this room for parents to take their kids to allow the kids to decompress, should the con become overwhelming. There will be coloring and crafts available.
NOTE: This is NOT daycare. You must remain with your child(ren).
The Double Agent Initiative is a children’s scavenger hunt for “Hydra Sympathetic” individuals to retrieve antique tokens, keeping them out of the hands of Johann Schmidt (a.k.a. Red Skull). Participating Children will receive their orders from SHIELD’s founder – Agent Peggy Carter. The person with the most tokens turned in will receive The Tesseract, to take home for safe keeping, ensuring Hydra does not gain possession.
Children may sign up at Registration.
Join James “Butch” Allen as he presents 30 years of the Space Shuttle from his direct experience as a Technician.
We’ve all seen movies or read stories where what we know about science does not mesh with what’s presented to us. Science fiction readers are willing to suspend their disbelief to a point, and it’s important to know where that point is. This panel will focus on the finer details of writing combat in science fiction where the planet, the vacuum of space, and the technology can all challenge what we know.
Allen has been providing conventions with his workshop for many years. Joined by established authors, he provides a safe, creative environment to practice writing. New and established writers can benefit from this workshop. Limited attendance. Please sign up at Registration.
This is where you will find signings for your favorite authors.
The following guests will have tables in this room:
Timothy Zahn
Michale Stackpole
John Hartness
Silence in the Library Publishing
Mocha Memoirs Publishing
Signing Table
Michael D. Pederson interviews our Fan Guest of Honor Albin Johnson.
Join several of our guests as they provide a time to do some interactive science and engineering activities for the children.
Join the Slushmaster General from Baen Books, Gray Rinehart, as he shares upcoming releases and gives away Baen swag!
We have designated this room for parents to take their kids to allow the kids to decompress, should the con become overwhelming. There will be coloring and crafts available.
NOTE: This is NOT daycare. You must remain with your child(ren).
Runs from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
The 105th Squad is a multi-genre Costume and Prop Builder group. We refer to our members as engineers, because they work together in building various projects. Take advantage of this workshop to share your work and learn from others. Feel free to ask members for tips as they are here to help.
Additional members of the 105th Squad including: Jackie Craft, Jennifer Peltier, Matt Walker, Ashley Burnside, Sarah K. Thompson, Melissa Reynolds, and Ruth Suehle
Did you hear the one about the nuclear-powered windmill? The "Atomic Age" opened with many and often bizarre attempts to harness the new technology. A nuclear engineer explores those first decades, with many photos and videos.
Kid Friendly Filking (and cookies!)
Learn how to apply special effect pieces (scars, vampire bites, etc.) by professional Hollywood Special Effects Make-up Artist Jennifer McCollom. Jennifer will provide a variety of pieces for you to select from as well as the glue to apply it. She will teach you how apply the piece and then blend your make-up around it for a seamless appearance.
$30 – Includes one piece, glue
Limit 15 attendees. Sign up at Registration.
From cons to stories to TV and Film, how do we as fans reach out to different races, cultures and make them more welcome and more obvious in SF.
Michael D. Pederson interviews our Writer Guest of Honor Michael Stackpole.
Join Phase 5 Publishing as they celebrate the release of some of their newest books.
Allen's plotting workshop takes you through the elements of plot. What is it? How do you do it? And how does it interact with other aspects of writing such as characters and dialogue. Sign up at Registration.
To register before the convention, please email tera@con-gregate.com to register.
Join several authors as they celebrate the release of their newest books! (Light snacks will be served.)
Matthew Saunders will also attend.
Join SHIELD’s founder – Agent Peggy Carter as she presents The Tesseract to the person with the most tokens.
Join Master prop-maker Cheralyn Lambeth as she takes you through basic puppet making.
Puppet Kits are $5.
Creating the Well-Dressed Puppet Workshop kits include:
Princess Leia
Han Solo
Luke Skywalker
Harry Potter
Mr. Hat (from SouthPark)
*Stormtrooper
*Queen Amidala
*Dalek
*Ghostbuster (any of the four--Ray, Peter, Winston, or Egon)
*4th Dr. Who
*Advanced kits, may require adult supervision.
Limited attendance. Sign up at Registration.
So you just bought a new camera, but the pictures still do not look quite as professional as you had hoped. Professional photographers James Rippe and Paul Cory will provide some hands on suggestions to help your pictures look more like art, rather than something snapped on your smartphone. Allegriana and Angela Pritchett will serve as Models and SFX Artist Jen McCollom will offer suggestions on make-up for pictures.
There will be a discussion of posing for cosplayers.
Participants should plan to show up within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time. When we finish with the introductory discussion, the workshop will be mobile to give participants a chance to work in real-con conditions.
Join some of our guest authors as they celebrate the release of their newest books!
Panelists: Debra Killeen, Cheralyn Lambeth
Have you ever used a favorite place in a story? Would it be easier to write a real setting? Or harder? How would you research it? How true to the place do you have to be? Could there be problems with describing the real setting too literally or taking too many liberties with it or its culture or people? What local or regional settings have you used or would you like to use in future speculative fiction?
Please note: This event is located in Suite 215 (Barfly Central)
Join guest Chris Kennedy as he launches his newest book!
Join as we present several local Awards: the Cornerstone Award for Fandom in the Carolinas and the Manly Wade Wellman Award for SF in the Carolinas.
The Cornerstone Award is an annual honor presented by a group of fans from the Carolinas known as the Singularity Effect, dedicated to acknowledging other fans’ contributions. To be eligible for the award, the fan must have been involved in promoting/helping fandom in the Carolinas (North and/or South) in some way for at least ten years. The award is named after a brick that was saved during the demolition of a High Point, NC hotel that hosted multiple conventions over a number of years.
The Manley Wade Wellman Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy was founded in December 2013 to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy novels written by North Carolina authors. The 2014 award, voted on by the combined membership of North Carolina science fiction and fantasy conventions (illogiCon, ConCarolinas, ConTemporal, and ConGregate), will cover novels published in 2013. Nominations will open at illogiCon in January ahead of a final voting round, with the award being presented at ConGregate in July. The award is named for long-time North Carolina author Manly Wade Wellman with the permission of his estate.
Nominees:
Also attending: Samuel Montgomery-Blinn
It’s a crash course in world building with Game Designer Steven S. Long. Work with Steve to design a world taking into account everything from ecology to community.
Have a question you'd really like to ask an editor. Join four pros in a relaxed atmosphere as they answer your questions from grammar to queries to submissions.
ConGregate’s charity auction will benefit Greensboro Urban Ministry, a non-denominational organization, which provides food and housing to assist those in need in the inner city.
Bring your guitar and sing or just listen along as musicians come together to filk your favorite songs.
Enjoy a geeky burlesque show with a variety of styles and themes, bringing you the best and nerdiest in variety entertainment!
Show is 18+. Members must present ID and a ConGregate Badge.
Does audience enthusiasm for one (like the wildly popular Steam Punk) mean they are willing to experiment with others (like Weird West), or do these pockets of readers isolate themselves?
This open to all event will be led by Fans for Christ.
Join Valentine Wolfe as they offer something a little different... For this one, Sarah will be reading Poe poems and short stories while Braxton plays spooky and haunting soundscapes on his bass to set the mood.
Do you have a favorite Poe poem? If so, bring it and maybe you'll have a chance to read as well!
Semantics? ...Or is there a difference? And if so, what is it? And, how do fans educate each other on which they consider (think) they are doing?
We’ve all found a series we love reading and can’t wait for the next book. What makes one book good to expand into a series and another book’s sequel nothing better than soggy cereal? Can a series be created from a single book or does it have to be thought out before the first book is written. What is the difference between series and serials? What are the pros and cons of each? What kinds of linking can make a group of books a series?
This is where you will find signings for your favorite authors.
The following guests will have tables in this room:
Timothy Zahn
Michale Stackpole
John Hartness
Silence in the Library Publishing
Mocha Memoirs Publishing
Signing Table
Join Mark MacDicken as he entertains.
How faithful does Steampunk need to be to the real Naughty Nineties? How much of what we think we know about Victorians is real—and how much was hushed up?
Writing the opposite gender, sexual identity as well as touching disabilities, race and other aspects of humanity? How do you write characters with these aspects respectfully yet honestly? If lack of real life experience is the proposed reason, then why could that same author write a strong vampire or wizard character?
Join GoH's Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole as they talk about anything and everything as well as take questions from the audience.
Ribbons and Rivets teaches the class how to etch and dye a leather cuff.
Workshop Fee: $20
Limited attendance. Sign up at Registration.
Stormtroopers can't hit anything, the Death Star had a monumental weakness. Our panelists explain why these things happen with an eye toward 'real-life" situations and problems.
Audience members can jump in with possible problems that need explanations.
Where and how does an up and coming podcaster spread the word about their releases? How do you keep your enthusiasm for the podcast while you wait for your audience? Do you mix subjects you think others will like with what you like, or all one or the other?
Our panelists discuss using materials other than cloth, chainmail, foam, duct tape, leather. What are some unusual materials that you can use to make costumes and what are some that you shouldn’t use.
We have designated this room for parents to take their kids to allow the kids to decompress, should the con become overwhelming. There will be coloring and crafts available. NOTE: This is NOT daycare. You must remain with your child(ren). Runs from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Concert by musical guests, White Plectrum.
The panelists discuss comics and superheroes that push boundaries, break new ground, include more people and turn tropes upside down.
Why don't more women go into science and tech? What can we do to promote women to go into science? Why do we even need more women in science in the first place?
Think you know your Star Wars trivia? Well come to the charity auction (Sat.), bid on and win a seat in this game, and you will be paired up with Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole or Albin Johnson to play a game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit on Sunday of the con.
Three seats will be available.
Marty McFly travelled to the future this year and found hoverboards and flying cars, why aren't we there yet? And just how close are we?
How does the other stuff you love influence your fiction? How do other arts, sports or hobbies flavor the lives of your characters? And have the other loves of your characters influenced you?
There’s a lot of talk around conventions and the bigger pictures of harassment and diversity. Why should conventions look at harassment policies and the diversity of their guest list? What value does it bring to the greater SF fandom? Convention runners and guests discuss.
It's Sunday. It's late. Our remaining brave panelists will talk about whatever topics you (the audience) throw at them.
So, you have about 50,000 words written in your novel, and you’ve been stuck there for a month. Maybe you’ve lost interest in the story or maybe you’re a part time writer who has not found a way to get back to the story. Our panelists will discuss some of their favorite tricks to staying motivated and reinvigorating themselves to write.
