An attendee at HavenCon 2015
Organizers of “Texas’ only LGBTQ-A sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention” have announced dates for the second annual HavenCon, and launched a campaign to raise funds for the 2016 event.
HavenCon 2016 will be held April 22-24 at the Holiday Inn Midtown in Austin. The newly-launched fundraising campaign will help pay for equipment, event and production costs. Rewards for contributing include artwork, t-shirts, stickers, buttons, discounted HavenCon passes and more.
A campaign referral contest is also underway with a prize pack that includes a 2016 pass upgrade, a hotel room at the convention center, VIP access and more. To donate visit the HavenCon fundraiser on Indiegogo.
Organizers said that due to “overwhelming vendor interest and higher-than-anticipated attendance” this year, the 2016 con will expand to three days. They said vendor space is expected to sell out quickly so those interested in getting space should act quickly.
Anyone interested in being a vendor, panelist or sponsor can visit the HavenCon site or email Shane@HavenConTx.com.
The first HavenCon was held last month in Austin and “vastly exceeded expectations,” organizers said. The con drew more than 1,000 attendees over two days and included gaming tournaments, a cosplay contest, dozens of vendors and artists and panelists from the local and national levels of the industry, such as Janet Varney and P.J. Byrnes, stars of the animated TV series The Legend of Korra.
HavenCon Founder Shane Brown said he was “staggered by the amount of support and pure joy from attendees. Although Texas is no stranger to comic book and gaming conventions, this was the first time the state has ever hosted a convention of this type targeted specifically to a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and allied audience.”
He added, “Every vendor, attendee and panelist that I spoke with was amazed by the inviting, positive atmosphere. It was a celebration of what made our diverse crowd both different and united. And everyone seems excited to come back for more next year.”
