FanWorks Convention

FanWorks will be in a hybrid format, with programming taking place both on-site in Chicago and online, on our usual platforms (Discord, Zoom, and the FanWorks website). The con will run on Central time in all formats.

Programming at FanWorks has three main types:

• Panels: discussions, presentations, workshops; suggested and run by con attendees
• Vidshows: themed shows, suggested and curated by attendee VJs; vidder-submitted shows, typically VJed by con staff
• Events: games, meals, parties, fanwork-focused activities

Things will look a little different from FanWorks 2019 this year. We're doing our best to adapt con programming for the current circumstances and working out ways to balance the online and on-site cons so that everyone has con programming to attend.


Panels

Submissions for on-site and virtual panels are open until July 15th.

( Panels )

Vidshows

( Themed vidshows )

( Premiering and Non-premiering vidshows )

Events

We're still working out some of the details of this year's events – particularly online events, which will be scheduled closer to the con and are likely to include past events like Zoom Pictionary.

This year, we're taking a break from Sparkle Motion and the vid singalong. We'll also be switching from the food buffets attendees may remember from 2019 to boxed lunches that can be eaten outside the con space. These are part of our overall risk reduction measures for 2022, and we hope to return to dance parties and communal meals in future years.

At present, the slate of con events includes:

( Events )

Spaces at FanWorks

The online con will take place primarily on Discord, with panels on Zoom and vidshow streams on the FanWorks website.

In Chicago, at the SpringHill Suites O'Hare, the con event space is on two floors. We'll have a full map of the space and accessibility information for the hotel closer to the con, but for now, here's a brief overview of the con space:

( Con spaces )

Scheduling

The con weekend will run on Central time, both in Chicago and online.

Unlike past virtual cons, which focused on the weekends, the August online con will match Chicago's schedule, with main programming running Friday - Sunday. The overall schedule format has three 2-hour blocks of daytime programming (with 1-hour lunch and afternoon breaks), a 2-hour dinner break, and a 2- to 3-hour block of nighttime events.

This is a sample of what the Friday schedule could look like:

( Sample schedule )

The FanWorks 2020 virtual con schedule is now live:

--> View the Schedule <--


Notes on the schedule:

- The con runs on Eastern time.

- If you are in another time zone, you can view the con schedule in your own time zone by clicking "Click here to show times in [time zone]" on the schedule page. (Edit: there may be a glitch in this system, so it might not work properly for you at the moment! We're looking into it.)

- There will be vidshow replays of Sparkle Motion and Premieres at 9:00am Eastern the day after they debut. This is for any overseas attendees who want to watch the shows with company but can't make the evening/night portions of the con schedule (or anyone who wants to get up early to watch again, or is still awake from the night before...).

- Aside from morning replays, there is no scheduled programming before noon. We're doing our best to balance Eastern and Western time zone needs in the virtual format; as part of that, each day's main schedule begins at 12:00pm Eastern.

( Key information & events for each day )

Games:

There's a scheduled game every night from 10:00pm to 12:00am. That's pretty late for some, so feel free to drop in for as much as you can stay for!

- Name That Fandom (Friday): Can you identify a fandom based on a deliberately garbled description of the source - or a seemingly unrelated image - or a meme? Join us and find out!

- Trivia (Saturday): A team based pub quiz, minus the pub. If you know things about stuff, you may or may not do great at FanWorks Trivia!

- Fannish Pictionary (Sunday): Come to Sunday night Pictionary ready to throw down your best stick figure art. (Or your worst, we won't judge.)


If you have any questions about the con schedule, you can leave a screened comment here or email fanworksprogramming@gmail.com.