Westercon
| Westercon | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1948 |
| Website | |
| http://westercon.org/ | |
Westercon (occasionally WesterCon; long version West Coast Science Fantasy Conference) is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. Daugherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The original full name was West Coast Scienti-Fantasy Conference.
The location of Westercon each year is determined by a bid and voting process by the convention's members. Sites are selected two years in advance. Acceptable locations are cites on the continent of North America, west of the 104th meridian west, or in the state of Hawaii. (Sites in Australia would be eligible as well if either Australia or the United States were to annex the other, as a consequence of a whimsical provision added to the convention's bylaws in 1998 at the suggestion of Down Under Fan Fund delegate Terry Frost. Although this provision may have little practical effect, an attempt to repeal it at the 2003 Westercon Business Meeting failed.)
Guests of Honor are traditionally chosen to showcase professionals who reside in the Westercon region. Given that there are hundreds of potential honorees, it is preferred that guests are chosen that have not been guests of honor at a previous Westercon.
Westercon is traditionally four days long, and is traditionally held on a weekend adjacent to or including the American Independence Day holiday.
The name "Westercon" is a service mark of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and LASFS retains certain responsibilities regarding Westercon site selection and provisions in case of the failure of a Westercon committee. In practice, Westercon is left to organize itself, with each year's committee acting independently and in its own name, with the general organization (primarily rules for site selection and self-governance) managed through the convention's Bylaws and a Business Meeting (open to all members) held at each Westercon.
Through the years several events and activities are traditionally held at Westercon. These events are common to most science fiction and fantasy conventions. Westercon is traditionally four days long; however, due to it traditionally being held near the American Independence Day holiday, the actual days of the week on which it is held vary from year to year, and this can affect the precise timing of events.
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