FAQ

	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 2017 BEAUTY AND THE BEACH CONVENTION FOR FANS ATTENDING THE CONVENTION NOTE: UPDATED INFORMATION IS IN BOLDFACE. This list is compiled of questions received from fans regarding the upcoming 2017 Beauty and the Beast convention to be held July 14 – 16, 2017, in San Diego, CA. Responses to these and any additional questions will be revised and updated as more information becomes available. We appreciate your patience as your con team pivots from what was originally envisioned to be a less structured gathering to our more traditional style annual convention! 1. HOW MANY FANS WILL BE ATTENDING THE CONVENTION? We won’t know for sure until registration closes on June 1st. However, as of April 5th, 43 fans have registered. That number is expected to grow based on conversations we have had with other fans. Due to the hotel meeting room configuration for a convention such as ours, the number of attendees will need to be capped at 64, so fans who are interested in attending should register as soon as possible. 2. HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONVENTION? We will be posting general convention information (dates, location, registration fee, etc.) on the CHSBB Facebook page, on Batbland.com, and on BBTV. Additional and more specific information will be posted on other private Yahoo and Facebook pages for those fans who have registered for the convention. 3. WILL THERE BE TOTE BAGS? Yes, although they will not be the traditional canvas convention totes. In keeping with the wishes of the majority of those fans who responded to a previous survey, registration fees for this convention are lower than in the recent past. As a result, the tote bags will be simpler than in prior years. In keeping with convention tradition, we welcome fans bringing or sending items for inclusion in the convention attendees’ tote bags. Fans will know how many tote bag items to bring or send as of June 1st when we have a final count of registrants. For planning purposes, please advise the con team in advance at CHSBB@aol.com as to what items you will be supplying. 4. CAN ATTENDEES HELP WITH SET-UP FOR THE CONVENTION? Yes! We welcome extra hands to assist in set-up activities once we have access to the meeting space the morning of Friday, July 14th. Extra hands are also welcome to assist in the tear down during the afternoon of Sunday, July 16th. Additional information will be available once we are at the convention hotel. 5. HOW LONG CAN WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPECIAL CONVENTION HOTEL RATES? The convention rate is good from the Wednesday prior to the convention (July 12th) to the Wednesday after the convention (July 19th). Remember to confirm the rate of $200/night (for single or double occupancy, plus tax) when booking your hotel room. Call the hotel at (619) 298-4707 to book within the convention room block, and mention “Siesta Fiesta Group.” Note that, if you are driving to the con, hotel parking rates will apply. Overnight parking in Old Town is almost non-existent, so please plan to pay for parking. The current parking rate for registered guests (which gives you in-and-out privileges) is $19/night. If you are a local and wish to park your car during the convention, there is a free parking lot directly across the street from the hotel, but it fills up early, and parking is prohibited overnight. Please note the hotel’s pet policy if you are bringing a companion animal: “Pets allowed based on the availability of pet friendly rooms. Up to 2 dogs per room with a 80 pound weight limit. Additional pet types (cats, birds, etc.) may be accepted at the hotel's discretion. Pet rate is $20 per day with a $100 per week maximum. A refundable cleaning & damage deposit of $50 is required upon check-in. If damage occurs or excessive cleaning is needed, the deposit can become non-refundable and the hotel may charge additionally to cover the costs of repair/cleaning.” 6. HOW MANY MEALS ARE INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE? Based on a majority of fans’ responses to a prior survey, only one meal is included – the traditional Saturday evening banquet. The convention hotel is situated a half block from the main street of Old Town San Diego, which offers varied dining options. Attendees will have ample time during the convention to leave the hotel for lunches and dinners. Remember, breakfasts are included in the convention hotel’s room rate. 7. IS THERE A THEME TO THIS YEAR’S BANQUET? Yes! Since this year is the 30th anniversary of Beauty and the Beast’s first airing, there is a Winterfest tunnel tog theme. 8. WILL THERE BE ORGANIZED GROUP LUNCHES AND DINNERS OTHER THAN THE TRADITIONAL SATURDAY NIGHT BANQUET? Yes! A Pre-Con Dinner is planned for the evening of Thursday, July 13th for those interested in attending. For planning purposes, please contact the con team at CHSBB@aol.com no later than Thursday, June 1st if you are interested in attending. The exact time and location of this dinner, as well as menu selections, will be forthcoming. Also, a post con dinner cruise is being planned for Sunday, July 16th for those who may be interested. Additional information and sign-up will be forthcoming in mid-April. Information regarding other possible organized group lunches or dinners may be forthcoming. However, we hope fans will take advantage of the opportunities offered during the convention to explore Old Town San Diego on their own or in small groups (based on collective interests) and enjoy the area’s ample dining options. 9. WILL THERE BE ORGANIZED AFTER HOUR ROOM PARTIES? Yes! Again, stay tuned for more information, but at this point, we do plan to host room parties most evenings, to which any convention attendee is welcome. As at Spring Fling and prior cons, individual monetary contributions to offset the cost of these parties are appreciated but not necessary. Attendees are also welcome to bring beverages and food items to share. Additional information will be forthcoming both prior to and during the convention. 10. WILL THERE BE ADD-ONS? Yes! Although we are not quite ready to announce add-ons and prices yet, we are confident that on Thursday, July 13th we will be offering a visit to Lions, Tigers and Bears, an animal sanctuary in the eastern part of San Diego County. Also, on Sunday night we hope to offer a post-con dinner cruise on San Diego Bay. We are mindful of physical accessibility issues as we plan our excursion options. An official announcement for all the add-ons (not just these two) will most likely come in late March. 11. WILL YOU OFFER CON TEE SHIRTS FOR SALE? A CONZINE? Yes! An official announcement will come out in mid-April. Please note that the con registration fee does NOT include a conzine, so if you want one, be sure to order one in advance. To keep costs low, conzines will not be available for sale AT the con, only by pre-order. 12. WHEN WILL THE CON SCHEDULE BE AVAILABLE? As is customary, we expect to have the con schedule available at the start of the convention. For scheduling purposes, please contact the con team at CHSBB@aol.com with panel suggestions or if you plan to lead a panel. Please let us know should you have any scheduling preferences. We will do our best to accommodate such requests. 13. WILL WE BE HAVING A TALENT SHOW AT THE CONVENTION? Yes, although it will not be held on Friday night due to logistics with the meeting space. Instead, the talent show will be held either on Saturday or Sunday. Please contact the con team in advance at CHSBB@aol.com if you are interested in performing during the talent show. 14. WILL THERE BE AN ART SHOW AND A DEALERS ROOM? Given the late timing of a pivot from an informal gathering to a more traditional convention in 2017, there will not be a formal Art Show. However, we encourage artists to send/bring art to sell, or fans to bring/send art they wish us to sell for them. Please contact the con team at CHSBB@aol.com prior to the con so we can ensure we have a space set up to display your art. We will also have (limited) space for a Dealers Room for items to be sold, either by the convention team or by fans bringing or sending items to sell. Again, please contact the con team at CHSBB@ao.com prior to the con so we can ensure we have a space for items to sell. 15. WILL THERE BE A CHARITY AUCTION? Yes! If you have items to donate, we are happy to accept them. It is likely we will combine art sales that get multiple bids with the charity auction, but items NOT being sold for the charity will be clearly identified. Please contact the con team at CHSBB@aol.com prior to the convention if you wish to donate items for the charity auction. 16. HOW CAN FANS CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUN AS A REGISTERED CONVENTION ATTENDEE? Here are ways those attending the convention can contribute to our convention theme “Keeping the Dream Alive” (in both senses of the phrase): ~ Bring one or two Beast Bingo prizes with you as is now the tradition since the New Jersey convention ~ If you have an idea for a game or panel, contact the con team at CHSBB@aol.com right away to suggest it (and perhaps volunteer to run it, including contributing materials needed to make your idea a reality) for scheduling purposes ~ Create a table decoration that reflects the convention theme of “Keeping the Dream Alive” and bring it to the con, where it can be used on one of the days of the convention and later be put in the charity auction ~ If you have written or drawn something for the conzine and have not yet submitted it, you still have a small window of time to get it in! Find the conzine guidelines at http://www.batbland.com/cons/17/conzine.html. The conzine will be sold to raise funds for the convention charity. ~ Bring things to put in the convention tote bags that will be given to attendees ~ If you have B&B-related items to sell, bring them with you – if you sell them, consider donating a few dollars from your sale to the convention charity ~ If you have B&B item(s) you wish to donate for the charity auction, please contact the con team at CHSBB@aol.com before the convention, and bring the item(s) with you for the auction ~ Although we will not have a separate Art Show due to space and other considerations, if you have created art that you wish to sell, please bring it, and we will include it in a silent auction process ~ In celebration of 30 years of fandom, we thought it might be a nice idea to showcase fan photos from past cons at our convention. We would love it if you could provide us with photos that you may have taken at past conventions with a notation showing at which convention the picture was taken. Just scan those old photos and send them to Laura G. at ok_good_ok_fine@yahoo.com .jpg or .jpeg format. Digital photos can simply be attached to an e-mail. Please reference "con photos" in the reference line, if you'd be so kind. We recognize that many fans have already contributed pictures to Batbland so we are looking for other photos that may not have yet been posted. We would appreciate receiving your submissions by June 15, 2017. 17. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD PLAN FOR? Yes! We’re doing a few things that require participation by as many attendees as possible, to make it fun. So also: ~ Bring a photo of yourself as a child – it will be put up so that fans can guess who that little darling is! ~ As was done at the New Jersey con, bring a wrapped book with just a generic description of the storyline for a book swap. Include your contact information on a piece of paper in the book so that the recipient can contact you with their review. AS WE GET MORE QUESTIONS, THIS FAQ WILL BE UPDATED.
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