Announcements

Done for 2007!

Giza — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:57:51 -0400

Anthrocon 2007 has come and gone! We would like to thank our hard working staff and volunteers for helping to put on such a successful convention!

2,849 members attended. 353 fursuiters took part in the fursuit parade.

We received newspaper coverage in both the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mark Evanier, one of our Guests of Honor, also wrote about us on his blog.

If you lost or found something, have some comments for us, or have pictures to share, please stop by our post-2007 forums:

http://www.anthrocon.org/forums

If you attended the con, we would appreciate it if you could take 5 minutes to fill out our post-con survey:

http://www.anthrocon.org/survey

Most of the staff are going to take a well deserved break for a few weeks. We'll still be reading our email and the forums, but may be a bit slow to respond.

Our 2008 convention, "It's a Jungle Out There!", will be once again held in the Westin Hotel and David L. Lawrence Convention Center from June 26th to 29th, 2008. Our Guest of Honor will be Floyd Norman. ("The Jungle Book", "Monsters, Inc.", Disney's "Robin Hood", and more!)

We'll see you there!

Room Share and Ride Share forums are online

Giza — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:07:50 -0500

We are pleased to announce that the Room Share and Ride Share forums are now online. In addition, we have created a new forum for members who would wish to arrange an in-person meetup at the convention. Please click the link below for the forum you wish to view:

Anthrocon's Ride Share Forum

Anthrocon's Room Share Forum

Anthrocon's Meetup Forum

Happy New Year!

Suites Available! Omni Available! Westin getting full!

Unclekage — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:22:04 -0500

Our room block at the Westin Hotel is now approximately 80% full. We have opened up our room block at the nearby Omni Hotel in anticipation of the rooms at the Westin selling out. Also, suites are now available at both hotels. Suites at the Westin are arranged through Anthrocon; suites at the Omni are arranged directly with the hotel. Further information is available on our hotel page.

Please note: Sometimes the rooms on a single night will sell out before the others. If you use the online registration system and are told that the hotel is full, trying setting your arrival date a day later, or call the hotel directly and inquire.

Anthrocon Newsletter, Issue #2007-02

Giza — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 23:47:19 -0400

1) Traveling to Pittsburgh: Directions, shuttle info and more!
2) Parking in Pittsburgh
3) I-376 Outbound closure from 8 PM on Friday to 6 AM on Monday
4) Want to volunteer?
5) Never been to Anthrocon before?
6) Programming schedule and hours are now available
7) Meeting your friends at the con
Lose something? Have questions or concerns during the convention?
9) About this Newsletter

Traveling to Pittsburgh: Directions, shuttle info and more!

Whether you are traveling to Pittsburgh by plane, train, automobile, or boat(!), we have you covered. Directions on how to make it to Pittsburgh by all of these methods of transportation are on our website at:

Omni Hotel nearly full

Unclekage — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:45:08 -0400

At this time, the Omni is sold out of all room types except for non-smoking rooms with one queen-sized bed on Thursday, July 5. There are a limited number of double non-smoking rooms available again on Friday, July 6. Of course, suites are still available at both hotels. If this won't work for you, we have compiled a list of nearby hotels that are in a comparable price range.

Anthrocon Newsletter, Issue #2007-01

Giza — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:32:25 -0500

Table of Contents:

1) Need a Ride to Anthrocon or a Room during the convention?
2) Attention Fursuiters! Request the Fursuit Floor Online!
3) Got a Programming Suggestion?
4) Westin Hotel Sells Out; Omni William Penn Hotel Lowers Room Rates
5) Small incident at Convention Center; Anthrocon not affected
6) Anthrocon Dances
7) Anthrocon Charity Auction
Anthrocon Masquerade
9) Help Contribute to the Anthrocon 2007 Conbook!
10) Credits
11) About this Newsletter

Need a Ride to Anthrocon or a Room during the convention?

Anthrocon now accepting American Express again

Giza — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:30:34 -0500

For a while we were not accepting American Express. We did not like the fees, nor the way the money was reported on our bank statements.

They called and asked why we had dropped them, and we told them.

They said, "Oh, we can fix all that!"

Who'd have thought it? So Anthrocon is once again accepting American Express for payments.

Special note for our Canadian (and other foreign) dealers

Giza — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:12:53 -0500

Last year, we had some reports of dealers from Canada being denied entry into the US because of their intention to sell artwork or other wares at Anthrocon; the border patrol agents seemed to believe this constituted "work" and required a work permit. Anthrocon has no control over the U.S. border nor the agents who guard it, but be assured that we are still doing what we can to make it easier for our dealers from neighboring countries to attend the convention.

For those who have not had any problems thus far, we really do recommend shipping your wares ahead instead of bringing them with you.

Small incident at Convention Center is resolved -- updated 2/14/07.

Unclekage — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:48:15 -0500

There was a minor accident on February 5 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, involving a semi trailer, the 10th St. Tunnel, and excessive gravity. The damage to the Center is being repaired and has been judged by engineers to be "an isolated incident." The building is certified safe and sound, and Anthrocon will be moving in on schedule.

DONE FOR 2006!

Unclekage — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:34:48 -0400

Anthrocon 2006 has come and gone, and was a rousing success. At just shy of 2500 attendees (missed it by 11 people), we continue to be the largest gathering of Anthropomorphics fans in the world. Our charity auction raised nearly $6000 for the Western Pennsylvania National Wild Animal Orphanage; a benefit performance by 2, the Ranting Gryphon and Uncle Kage raised even more, but the final count is still coming in.

We would like to recognize one more time our honored guests Scott Shaw! and Diane Duane, as well as to Peter Morwood -- who has excellent taste in socks -- and our musical guest Tom Smith. Thanks also to all of our programming participants, our hard-working staff and volunteers, and to all of you who joined us and made us what we are.

No doubt about it: We took the city of Pittsburgh by storm! It seemed that everyone was talking about us, from the restaurateurs downtown to the cab drivers going to and from the airport. Every city paper and nearly every major news station covered the event, and though they thought that our outward appearance was rather unusual, they generally treated us with respect. Everyone associated with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Westin Hotel, the Omni William Penn, and the Pittsburgh Convention and Visitor's Bureau went all-out to make us feel welcome and to make sure everything ran smoothly for us.

Planning for next year is already in the works. Mark your calendars for July 5-8, right back in the same spot.

Omni Hotel rate change: now $105 flat rate

Unclekage — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:15:34 -0500

Previous reports that the room rate at the Omni was $105 for two people, with surcharges for three or four, have been determined to be erroneous. The room rate at the Omni will be $105 for single, double, triple, or quad occupancy. We apologize for the mistake, and promise to read our contract more thoroughly next year!

Guest of honor

Unclekage — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 16:57:51 -0400

Guest of Honor

ROB PAULSEN

Guest of Honor

MARK EVANIER

Guest of Honor

CAROLYN KELLY

Westin Hotel is sold out!

Unclekage — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:34:51 -0500

There are only suites left at the Westin at this time. For information on how to go about reserving a suite at the Westin, please click here. The Westin is keeping a waiting list, although we cannot guarantee when (or if) a room will become available, nor can we guarantee what type it may be. You can learn how to get on the waiting list by visiting our Westin info page. There are still plenty of rooms at the luxurious Omni William Penn.

Pre-registration goes up to $45 on Feb. 1

Unclekage — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:07:37 -0500

For those who like to procrastinate, be advised that pre-registration goes up to $45 on February 1! You can save the cost of a nice breakfast at the coffee shop, or five Squishies at the Kwik-E-Mart across the street by registering before then. Don't wait too long!

Dealers! Book your rooms now!

Unclekage — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 07:21:34 -0500

Due to a miscommunication on the part of the chairman (who apologizes profusely), dealer confirmations were inadvertantly delayed. Rest assured that if you have sent in a dealer application prior to January 15, we have table space for you. Go ahead and make your hotel reservations while there is still time!

Got a programming suggestion?

Unclekage — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:33:49 -0500

Many of Anthrocon's Programming events come from ideas suggested by our attendees. If you would like to suggest a panel discussion or workshop topic, we have created an online form that you can use to submit your idea. We welcome all suggestions, but ask please that our eager attendees try to keep their ideas on-topic!

Fursuiters: Request the Fursuit Floor online

Unclekage — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:28:06 -0500

Anthrocon tries to accommodate our fursuiting attendees in hotel rooms that are more easily accessible via the stairs. If you are going to be bringing your costume to the convention, you can request space on the Fursuit Floor by using this handy web-form.

Anthrocon's 2007 Guests of Honor announced!

Giza — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 12:52:27 -0500

We are very pleased to announce that the talented writer Mark Evanier and artist Carolyn Kelly (daughter of the late Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo Possum) will be joining Mr. Robert Paulsen as our guests of honor for 2007. You can learn more by clicking the "Guest of Honor" link to the left.

Dealer registration info is now available!

Unclekage — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:45:02 -0400

Applications are now available for the Anthrocon 2007 Dealers' Room! You can find the application as well as all the useful information for dealers at The Dealers' Room Page. We will begin accepting applications after November 13, 2006.

Online hotel reservations now available for the Westin!

Unclekage — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 19:49:30 -0400

You can now make your reservations for the Westin Convention Center Hotel online. Just visit our HOTEL page by clicking on the link to the left, and then click on the hotel's picture.

Art Show and Conbook Information

Giza — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 22:34:04 -0400

Winners from the Anthrocon 2006 Art Show have been announced! Visit our Art Show page at http://www.anthrocon.org/artshow for the full list, as well as information on the Anthrocon 2007 Art Show.

Do you have artwork or writing that you'd like to submit to the Anthrocon 2007 Conbook? Please visit our Convention Book Submission Guidelines for more information. Every piece that is entered puts you in the drawing for a free Supersponsorship to Anthrocon 2007!

Want to advertise in the Anthrocon 2007 Conbook? Further details and rates can be found on our Advertising Guidelines page.

New Forums Are Up

Giza — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 22:55:00 -0400

After much testing and tweaking, the new forums are live. They can be found at:

http://www.anthrocon.org/forum

I'd like to thank our hard working beta testers for helping to test out the forums and work the bugs out of them.

The old forums can still be found at http://forums.anthrocon.org/. We will be leaving them up for some time, in case folks would like to refer to any older discussions.

If anyone has questions or comments about the new forum software, feel free to reply to the post or contact us via email. Thanks!

Please note: You will have to create a new user account to participate in the new forums. Your login from the old forums will not work!

AnthroCon 2006 FurShoot Photo Shoot is up!

Giza — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 11:20:26 -0400

Anthrocon 2006 FurSuit Photoshoot pictures are now online.

The photography work and picture distribution were provided free of charge, as a service to AnthroCon and the anthropomorphic fandom community at large.
For any photo that you or a suit you own is in, you have the right to copy, display and use the photo in any non-commercial fashion. If you wish to use the photos for your business or a commercial opportunity, please contact Monoceros Media so that they can send you the rights to do so.
For any photo that you or a suit you own is in, you have the right to request it is removed from this archive and promotional use. Please notify Monoceros Media immediately and they will take the photos down, no worries.

For these and any other requests, please contact Monoceros Media at .

Monoceros Media AC2006 Gallery

What's in store for 2006?

Giza — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 23:52:28 -0500

Anthrocon will bid farewell to the City of Brotherly Love and will take a step into furry history. In touch with that theme of history, Anthrocon will become the first furry convention to ever require and be hosted at a convention center: the David L. Lawrence Convention Center of Pittsburgh, PA with accommodations in the Westin Convention Center Hotel. This year's Anthrocon will be held from June 15th to 18th, 2006.

We are also pleased to announce as our honored guests: artist, illustrator, and animator Scott Shaw!, and legendary science fiction writer Diane Duane. Watch for special announcements and news bulletins listed below!

(Just what IS "furry"?)

New items available in the Anthrocon Con Store!

Giza — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 22:23:59 -0400

The Anthrocon 2005 Highlight DVD, the 2006 con book, and the 2006 T-shirt, which had all been previously available only at the convention itself, can now be purchased from our online con store. Just click the "con store" button at the upper right, and have your credit card handy.

Last-minute rooms available at the Westin!

Unclekage — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 01:09:32 -0400

Due to some late cancellations, there are once again a limited number of rooms available at the Westin! It is strictly first-come, first-served. Get them while they last! Just go to our online reservation page to reserve your room. We strongly recommend that you list "no preference" for the room type. If the type of room you want is not available, the page will simply return "sold out" for the entire reservation.

2007 Pre-registration is open.

bennie — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 00:40:34 -0400

It's never too early to register for the con! While everyone is talking and thinking about it, why not go ahead and get yourself squared away for next year? The con will be July 5-8, 2007 and in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

https://secure.anthrocon.org/registration/

Get it out of the way now! Attending memberships are available for an early-bird discount of $40.00!

Take our post-convention survey!

Giza — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:24:34 -0400

If you attended Anthrocon 2006, we would like to hear your feedback on it. We would like to ask that each of our attendees take 5 minutes to complete the following post-convention survey:

http://www.anthrocon.org/survey

Thanks!

Check out what's coming to the CHARITY AUCTION!

Giza — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 21:36:07 -0400

The Anthrocon Charity Auction this year will benefit the Western Pennsylvania National Wild Animal Orphanage, a sanctuary for big cats and other "exotic pets" whose owners discovered the reality of trying to keep a wild animal as a housepet.

The auction will be held on Saturday afternoon right next door to "The Zoo" at Anthrocon. You won't want to miss it! Check out some of the astonishing items that will be available for bid:

An actual authentic brick from the Adams Mark Hotel!

Certificates good for FIVE FREE NIGHTS at the Omni William Penn Hotel!

A commission from the one, the only, the legendary artist WOOKIEE!

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Also, the famous furry comic 2, the Ranting Gryphon and Uncle Kage will be performing together on stage on Sunday afternoon, in a benefit for our charity. Admission will be available only to those who make a purchase at the charity auction, or who make a donation (minimum $5, please!) at the charity table in the dealers' room.

See you there!

Registration hours and locations

Giza — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 14:58:16 -0400

Registration locations are as follows for Thursday and the early part of Friday.

PRE-REGISTERED MEMBERS: Badges may be picked up on the 3rd floor of the Westin Hotel, in Allegheny 1, next door to The Zoo.

PRE-REGISTERED SPONSORS AND SUPERSPONSORS: Badges may be picked up on the 2nd floor of the Westin Hotel, in the Butler Room.

DEALERS: Badges may be picked up in the Convention Center, outside of Hall C, on the 2nd level.

ONSITE REGISTRATION: Memberships may be purchased in the prefunction area outside of the Allegheny Rooms (location of The Zoo).

At some point on Friday if traffic slows down in any particular area, we may relocate one or more registration areas to the prefunction area outside of the Allegheny Rooms.

The following are the approximate registration hours. I say "approximate" because we are in a completely new place and are not sure yet how long it will take us to set things up.

Thursday: Pre-reg badge pickup, 3 PM - 10 PM. Onsite registration 6 PM-10 PM.

Friday: 10 AM - 10 PM

Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM

Sunday: 10 AM - 4 PM