The beautiful thing about bringing kids to GeekGirlCon, is that it is very family-friendly. From panels about parenting and kid creators (which I’ll be moderating!) to our kid-focused DIY Science Zone and kid-friendly costume contest, GeekGirlCon has gone out of their way to make sure that kids are not just allowed, but welcomed at the convention.
That being said, it can be a challenge to bring kids to any convention. After many years of trial and error, I’m here to share the tricks and tips that have worked for the Parenting Geekly family.
At GeekGirlCon, we’re all about idolizing the achievements of women and girls in geek culture. Whether we’re talking comics, gaming, science, or tech, our goal is to highlight the accomplishments of these women while actively enforcing a productive conversation about the obstacles and challenges that they face in the field.
GeekGirlConnections, one of the many stellar components of our convention, helps give women the ability to connect with professionals on their desired career path. In fields where women are often underrepresented, GeekGirlConnections aims to inspire and encourage women and girls to pursue their passions. Located on the 4th floor of the convention in our Exhibitor Hall, we’ll have teams of these professionals ready and waiting to build connections and chat about their organizations!
Two game developers presenting their work at GCon ’15. Photo courtesy of NPR.
GCon GConwas made into being after women were barred from attending an all-male gaming convention in Saudi Arabia that was held in 2011. Co-founders Tasneem Salim and Felwa al-Swailem joined forces and curated a group of large-scale gaming companies to back them in starting their own convention, specifically geared for young Saudi women that love games! Salim, who served as our own Corporate Sponsorship Manager at the beginning of 2016, explained in an interview with NPR that videogames aren’t only for play, but can be used to help learn or further their skills in languages such as English or Japanese. Not only do they encourage girls to not be afraid to express their love of gaming, but encourage them to pursue careers in technology.
In just one month, GeekGirlCon ‘16 will be under way, and the numberof things I’m excited about just keeps growing. The list of exhibitors, panel highlights, and our DIY Science Zone fundraiser have me counting down the days until October. Even so, there’s one topic that gets me excited for con like no other: cosplay.
Awesomely elaborate or elegantly simple, cosplay is an excellent way to express your creativity and fandom. I’m always thrilled to see my favorite characters come to life through the imagination of fellow fans. And yet, I’ve never tried my hand at this cool activity.
Stepping into the world of cosplay can be a little daunting. What character do you choose? How do you find the right materials to make the perfect costume? If you’ve decided you want to step into the magical world of cosplay but aren’t sure where to start, the hosts of Cosplay 101 are here to help. These veterans will give you tips on everything from dealing with unconventional fabrics to what to do if you don’t know how to sew. This body-positive environment celebrates the fact that we’re not all shaped like comic book characters; you (and your cosplay) are perfect just the way you are.
Can you believe that GeekGirlCon ‘16 is less than a month away?
And if you haven’t got your passes yet, here are two reasons to do so right now:
We’ve also sold out of passes every year, and this year we expect to do so again.
Our early bird pricing officially ends at 11:59pm on Saturday, 9/17.
After that, the prices for our one- and two-day pass prices will each increase by $10, to $40 and $55 respectively. Passes for kids 6-12 will remain $10, and tiny geeks under the age of 5 will still have free admission, so bring the family!
Image Source: GeekGirlCon Flickr.
Don’t forget that our con has expanded for Year Six! We’ll have a whole additional floor at the Conference Center! That’s more room for panels, games and exhibitors this year. While we remain a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit organization, all proceeds from our sales go to furthering our mission and expanding our convention.
We hope that with your support we will continue to sustain our organization in future years!
GeekGirlCon ‘16 can’t stop and won’t stop with the extra surprises and events for you, our favorite attendees. This time, we’re rolling out everyone’s favorite way to connect at a con: Fan Meetups!
For specific, glorious hours throughout the con, fans of different series, movies, books, and more can now easily meet other aficionados, hang out, and make some new friends. Fan meetups are con-organized events that are specifically organized to help you meet other people who are just like you. Go ahead and meetup!
There’s a lot to do to prepare for a con, from buying passes to making sure you have comfortable shoes. One thing you can check off your list now is getting all that information together, because I’ve got your back!
One of the best things about GeekGirlCon is that it’s two and a half days of amazing, family-friendly panels, merch, cosplay and science experiments! There’s a lot we have in store for you for October 8 and 9, and that’s not to mention that there’ll be our kickoff party on the Friday before as well!
One of the worst things about GeekGirlCon is that at the end of the day you’ve got to schlep home with all your new swag, only to fight the traffic the next day to get back into the city. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just crash somewhere safe, comfortable and affordable nearby to the Conference Center at WSCC?
Have you heard all about it yet? GeekGirlCon 2016 is coming up fast, faster than you might have known—63 days, which is just 9 weeks, which is just 63 days! Wait, my argument is getting a little circular there. Let’s avoid that. Instead, just—get your passes!
GeekGirlCon is filled with fantastic cosplay, handpicked exhibitors and panels, a bustling game room, and more. We do our utmost best to make GeekGirlCon enjoyable and welcoming to all, so we have offerings like quiet spaces, family-friendly panels, and even early admission for those with accessibility issues. It’s a party, and not only is everyone invited, but we want to make sure everyone has a great time.
All good things come to an end, and so too will our Agent application period, at 10pm PST tonight. If you’ve ever thought about being an Agent, this is your year to apply!
Okay, I get that sometimes for us with geekish leanings, it can be difficult to be outgoing and friendly and talkative to a whole bunch of new people. But if that’s a concern for you, never fear! GeekGirlCon is an incredibly welcoming and inclusive environment, geared especially towards making all of our attendees feel safe. We work hard to foster that sense of community, and we would love for you to help us!
Fandom! Fandom is what brings us together—today, at GeekGirlCon this October, or any other day of our lives. Fandom is the community that surrounds that which excites us, be it a movie, a book, a TV show, or sometimes even a carpet design. This year, at GeekGirlCon, it’ll bring even more of us together for some fantastic panels.
