Gearing up for PAX West this weekend? So are we! Here are a couple of ways to add some GeekGirlCon to your PAX plans:
The GeekGirlCon Booth
This will be the SIXTH year GeekGirlCon has had a booth in the PAX Diversity Lounge. We’ll be there all weekend long, so plan some time to stop by and get your DISCOUNTED passes, shop our merch, or just say hi! Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Diversity Lounge is a laid-back, inclusive space where you can discover a ton of nonprofits that support underrepresented areas of geekdom.
The Golden Ticket
Yep, we’re bringing back the Golden Ticket scavenger hunt for its third year! You could win fabulous prizes by finding one of our Golden-Ticket-holding GeekGirlCon staffers. Keep an eye on our Twitter each day of PAX for hints on who to look for when and where. Once you find a staffer and get your ticket, take it to our booth in the Diversity Lounge to claim your prize!
Description: The 11th Doctor from Doctor Who jumping up and down holding a golden ticket and saying “Golden ticket! Spacey zoomer! Free ice cream!” Source: Giphy.
If you’re into games (or even if you’re not), PAX West is one of biggest gaming conventions of the year. GeekGirlCon will be making an appearance at PAX again this weekend! Starting from Friday and running all the way until Monday, we will be in the PAX Diversity Lounge. I talked to the amazing Kristine Hassell, who has worked to make sure we can take place at this awesome event, about what it means to have GeekGirlCon represented at PAX, and where you can find us!
What is the PAX Diversity Lounge and why is it important?
The Diversity Lounge was first launched in Boston at PAX East in 2014 by Benjamin Williams, co-founder of the Lounge and also GaymerX. The idea behind the Lounge was to offer a space with a specific focus on diversity where PAX attendees could find organizations that represent diverse groups in the industry that might not necessarily get exposure otherwise. The Lounge is free to its participants who have a tabling opportunity to network with PAX attendees, reach a new audience, and to improve the overall inclusion at PAX.
Since relocating to Seattle in 2006, I have attended every Seattle PAX. With each passing year, I was pleased to see better diversity in the attendees. So when GeekGirlCon was invited to participate in 2015, I felt it was important that we participate for several reasons. As a non-profit, our operating budget is snug and we could not afford the tabling costs to come to PAX. As a WOC geek, I demand better representation in my games, media, and at the functions I attend. I believe the inclusion of spaces like the Diversity Lounge benefits the greater geek community that might not otherwise be exposed to organizations like ours, AbleGamers, or I Need Diverse Games, to name a few.
Come and see Kristine Hassell in the Diversity Lounge at PAX this weekend!
What is GeekGirlCon doing at PAX?
GeekGirlCon staff members and board members engage with attendees to tell them about GeekGirlCon. It’s a treat when someone has already attended a previous GeekGirlCon convention and want to share a favorite memory from our convention. We pass out promotional cards and candy, sell passes to our convention in October, and offer a small amount of merchandise for sale. So you should totally swing by and say hello!
What can PAX attendees expect from meeting GeekGirlCon in the Diversity Lounge?
Smiling faces, answers to their questions about why GeekGirlCon is an important organization, witty banter, and candy. We always bring excellent candy. We will have a limited amount of merchandise to sell for those who couldn’t make our convention or who want to rock one of our sweet tees back home in Kalamazoo*! All proceeds directly fund our all-volunteer non-profit and support our convention which takes place October 8 and 9 at the Conference Center at the Washington State Convention Center.
I hope that if someone has never heard of GeekGirlCon, they walk away with a better understanding of why we do what we do. Our conventions are celebratory but they are also a carefully curated safe space with a strictly enforced zero tolerance harassment policy. Our focus is on the support and celebration of women in the geek community but it’s important to know that everyone is welcome at our convention. Our catchphrase this year is Every Geek, Everybody and we mean it. Our mission of inclusion and diversity is something that we are more than happy to discuss with curious folks. I like to tell people how I found GeekGirlCon and what it means to be as a WOC geek.
Sounds awesome! Where can I see GeekGirlCon in action?
If you are attending PAX, stop by the Lounge on the 6E Lobby on the 6th floor. Come and visit us between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Friday, September 2 through through Monday, September 5! Check out our swag, start a conversation, or just come by to say hello to some fab GeekGirlCon folks, myself included!
*Unbeknownst to Kristine, I actually used to live in Kalamazoo!
