Welcome to the Informal Side of Philcon 2009!

Philcon is a fully scheduled formal conference filled with panels on topics ranging from art to science, from literature to late-night panels, but sometimes you just want to do something a bit more laid back and not as structured. Here at Philcon we offer a lot of informal ways to enjoy yourself where there is no set time to do something, and you can come and go as your schedule allows. These suggestions are also a great way to meet people.

Opening Ceremonies, Meet the Pros Reception & Dance

Our opening ceremonies kick off the weekend. Hosted by our fabulous Rock Robertson, the quick event will get everyone in the mood to have a great weekend.

After the Opening Ceremonies, walk over to the Art Show where the Meet the Pros reception is held. This is your opportunity to meet and chat with your favorite author, artist, editor, scientist and more. All professional guests are invited to this reception and encouraged to mingle with the fans.

After this reception, join us for the Philcon Social and Dance. The Social features a Meet-and-Greet with local-area fan groups. Come learn about the groups, enjoy the company of your fellow fans in a party setting, and dance the night away. The Friday night Philcon Party has been a big hit these past few years.

Party-goers are encouraged to dress in formal or Victorian style. Fairy wings, tiaras, cyberpunk,western steampunk, Goth, Moulin Rogue, Wild Wild West, kimonos, Chinese dress, etc. are all welcome, but dressing up is not required by any means to come and enjoy the party. Our musical entertainment will be provided by our own Rock Robertson who will keep us dancing and partying through the night.

Hall costume award ribbons will be given out by our judges during the party and throughout the weekend.

Hall Costumes

Hall costumes are for people who enjoy dressing differently from their usual “street clothes,” but who do not wish to participate in the formal masquerade held on Saturday night. Philcon encourages hall costumes all weekend long. It's a great way to meet people as they will come up to you and want to talk to you about you costume, and often want to take you photograph. It’s an easy ice breaker and a lot of fun. Our secret hall costume judges will be roving around the con all weekend to distribute ribbons to those con goers in the most creative and unusual costumes. Cosplayers are welcome!

Con Suite

Philcon’s hospitality suite (the “Con Suite’) opens Friday afternoon at the start of the con, and stays open from early morning to late in the evening. It's a great way to have a few quiet moments and recharge yourself with some quick snacks or a central place to meet up with friends. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, often with lively conversations going on where you can just jump into the mix. We try to stay open until the wee hours of the night, and everyone from the guests to the first-time con goers finds their way into the con suite at some point during the weekend. This place is Philcon's own party room and everyone is welcome!

Ask at the information table, or check the party room board for the exact location, and there will be a sign in front of the con suite showing the exact hours of operation.

Gaming

Another great way to meet people is in the gaming area. Our gaming area is open all weekend. Stay for one round, or stay the whole weekend. Bring your own games, or enjoy the plentiful games the con will supply. You can learn new games because there is always someone who wants to teach you their favorite.

Room Parties

Philcon is host to many room parties. Most, if not all will take place on Saturday night. There are parties for magazine and book premieres, Worldcon convention bid parties, and for other cons to promote themselves. Parties are usually held in a specific part of the hotel designated as the “hospitality floor.” If you wish to stay on that floor because you want to host a party or simply want to enjoy being in the center of all the fun, please tell the operator when you book your room. If you want to be on a quiet floor, please also relay that information to the operator as well. Asking to be on a party/non-party floor is much like asking for smoking/non smoking and the operators will be able to accommodate you. Please be sure to also notify our Hotel Liaison if you request either the hospitality floor or a quiet floor so we can ensure that the hotel honors your request, as possible. If you want to host a party, please contact us at parties2009@philcon.org so we can work with your group and make all the necessary plans ahead of time.

When planning to host a room party please remember that Philcon requires advanced notice in order to keep all the parties on one floor to benefit your organization as well as the people attending the con. We will work with you in advance to answer any questions you have about hotel issues.

To attend parties, start by checking the party board for day, time, hotel room and the name of the group sponsoring the parties. The party board is in the same vicinity as Registration and the Information Table. Open parties listed on the board are open to all Philcon members. Please make sure you have your badge on.

Filking

Do you like to sing, or listen to others sing? Come to late night filking where you can blend your love of music with your love of SF/fantasy. The hotel will supply water, but you bring your all night stamina. Stay for 20 minutes, stay all night, stay all weekend.

Volunteering

Philcon is put on by an all-volunteer organization. Anyone who has a few hours to donate some time is very appreciated. It is the best to meet people and learn about how a convention is put together. Please stop by at the volunteer table, or click here to find out more about voluntering before the conference even starts!

So there you have it. All of this, plus more than 100 other events going on through the course of the con. It's going to be a lot of fun and we look forward to having you as our guests at Philcon 2008.