2007-05-06 00:25![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
digitaldiscipline
digitaldisciplineWhy YOU should vote for Ybor City this year
Not because we have the coolest, most gothic city. Not because we've stuffed our committee full of big names. Not because we run around in black every day and answer to names like Vlad, Morticia, and Fester. We don't. We haven't. We certainly wear colors. Our committee has 3 people, none of whom are going to win the Miss or Mister Goth FL contest. We cover a huge range of musical tastes and interests but we all appreciate the gothic genre and have some damn fine friends amongst the alt.gothic krewe. Also, we like to throw parties. A lot.
You should vote for Ybor because right now - this year - we have a chance to take Convergence back. To show the newer attendees what the true purpose of the event has always meant. To put a definition to the phrase "Convergence is about people" rather than just giving it lip service. See, a Convergence where you need a mother fucking spreadsheet to figure out what's going on when is not a Convergence. It's a festival. Or maybe a traditional convention. It's not Convergence as it was meant to be.
Sil's - personal - Convergence Manifesto
1. Convergence exists to facilitate the gathering of net.goths. Events are set up for this purpose and no other. Conflicting events should be discouraged as much as possible. Events should not be scheduled so heavily that time for impromptu or offline gatherings are not easily accommodated. While many people enjoy the official events, there are plenty of sub-groups which use C* as their annual gathering.
2. The laminate is mostly used for recognition and keeping the strays out. There's no reason to have a $90 laminate. Given that a decent percentage of C* goers will eschew some of the official events for more intimate/personal gatherings, keeping laminate costs low allows folks to buy a laminate and miss some events without feeling like they got swindled.
3. We're adults. The vast majority of the net.goth scene is in their 30s at this point. Or even older. Very few of us need our hands held or to be entertained 24/7. We know what we like. We know who are friends are. We have access to Google. Give people a heads up as to where the cool restaurants, fun attractions, and well stocked liquor stores are and let them do their thing. If they need a shuttle, make it happen.
4. Show people your city. Almost every major city in this country has a weekend's worth of cool things to do and see. Pick out the best and present those to your guests as potential excursions. Not every C* attendee is going to sleep all day or spend the day getting their hair just so for the dance. Not every trip has to be an official event. There's nothing wrong with informally gathering a group of people to hit Busch Gardens or the Dali Museum (for example). Part of the charm of Convergence is that it's held in different locations. Use the city to your advantage, rather than holing everyone up in a club all weekend.
5. Convergence committees (I prefer the term hosts) should facilitate the event rather than lord over it with an iron fist. Be approachable and work with people to ensure they have a good time. Be there to answer questions and play host and trauma organizer as needed. Anything else is overkill. Committees need lots of indians and a few chiefs. A streamlined group of people leading the event is going to make a much smoother Convergence than having to run everything through 14 assistant DJ fluffers.
6. Music is great and a large part of the reason we're all drawn together, but non-stop music at club levels does not facilitate people gathering. Make musical events a special part of the weekend (not the whole weekend) and make sure there are plenty of low volume spaces for people to mingle.
7. Have beer. No. Really. We represent the kegger contigent.
Not because we have the coolest, most gothic city. Not because we've stuffed our committee full of big names. Not because we run around in black every day and answer to names like Vlad, Morticia, and Fester. We don't. We haven't. We certainly wear colors. Our committee has 3 people, none of whom are going to win the Miss or Mister Goth FL contest. We cover a huge range of musical tastes and interests but we all appreciate the gothic genre and have some damn fine friends amongst the alt.gothic krewe. Also, we like to throw parties. A lot.
You should vote for Ybor because right now - this year - we have a chance to take Convergence back. To show the newer attendees what the true purpose of the event has always meant. To put a definition to the phrase "Convergence is about people" rather than just giving it lip service. See, a Convergence where you need a mother fucking spreadsheet to figure out what's going on when is not a Convergence. It's a festival. Or maybe a traditional convention. It's not Convergence as it was meant to be.
Sil's - personal - Convergence Manifesto
1. Convergence exists to facilitate the gathering of net.goths. Events are set up for this purpose and no other. Conflicting events should be discouraged as much as possible. Events should not be scheduled so heavily that time for impromptu or offline gatherings are not easily accommodated. While many people enjoy the official events, there are plenty of sub-groups which use C* as their annual gathering.
2. The laminate is mostly used for recognition and keeping the strays out. There's no reason to have a $90 laminate. Given that a decent percentage of C* goers will eschew some of the official events for more intimate/personal gatherings, keeping laminate costs low allows folks to buy a laminate and miss some events without feeling like they got swindled.
3. We're adults. The vast majority of the net.goth scene is in their 30s at this point. Or even older. Very few of us need our hands held or to be entertained 24/7. We know what we like. We know who are friends are. We have access to Google. Give people a heads up as to where the cool restaurants, fun attractions, and well stocked liquor stores are and let them do their thing. If they need a shuttle, make it happen.
4. Show people your city. Almost every major city in this country has a weekend's worth of cool things to do and see. Pick out the best and present those to your guests as potential excursions. Not every C* attendee is going to sleep all day or spend the day getting their hair just so for the dance. Not every trip has to be an official event. There's nothing wrong with informally gathering a group of people to hit Busch Gardens or the Dali Museum (for example). Part of the charm of Convergence is that it's held in different locations. Use the city to your advantage, rather than holing everyone up in a club all weekend.
5. Convergence committees (I prefer the term hosts) should facilitate the event rather than lord over it with an iron fist. Be approachable and work with people to ensure they have a good time. Be there to answer questions and play host and trauma organizer as needed. Anything else is overkill. Committees need lots of indians and a few chiefs. A streamlined group of people leading the event is going to make a much smoother Convergence than having to run everything through 14 assistant DJ fluffers.
6. Music is great and a large part of the reason we're all drawn together, but non-stop music at club levels does not facilitate people gathering. Make musical events a special part of the weekend (not the whole weekend) and make sure there are plenty of low volume spaces for people to mingle.
7. Have beer. No. Really. We represent the kegger contigent.
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(no subject)
Maybe I'll actually not be borderline-destitute by next year, so I can actually go to this one. ;P
(no subject)
We got ya covered, man.
(no subject)
You have no idea how much I love you for this.
*mwah!*
-- A :D
(no subject)
[seriously, it's Sil's post, I'm just parroting]
Best Wishs
Cheers!
Jett Black - NocturnalMovements.net
(no subject)
Please don't make this a 30+ vs under 30 issue. I was an adult who didn't need to be entertained 24/7, etc., even in my late teens, as well as in my twenties. Age, more often than not, doesn't mature people as much as an innate awareness and intelligence. I'd hope "We're adults" would apply to most net.goths without any age qualifier.
Besides, what's a party with only over the hill chicks to meet -- there better be plenty of spring chicken at Ybor or no deal!
(no subject)
The core contingent of Cx folks, who've been doing this for a while, were in our early or mid-twenties when these shenanigans started... the march of time is inexorable. There's less hair to dye, for one thing. It's a shorthand way of saying, "We don't need a lot of high-energy entertainments, and are perfectly happy with a nice place to sit & talk with our friends, ready access to a drink, and some music at a non-intrusive level" as opposed to a parade of bands and big-ticket entertainment. It -is-, as you point out, a maturity thing.
Which isn't to say that I don't appreciate nubile 23 year olds, fetchingly attired. I just know that they have a *another* excuse not to give me a second glance these days. ;-)