The North Star, the official conference newsletter for Terminus, will be delivered approximately once a month between now and August of 2008. Most regular editions of the newsletter will be presented outside of a cut tag because the newsletter is also part of the Terminus website. Between regular editions, the
terminus2008 community will post occasional updates and reminders, as well as in-depth articles on preparing for a programming submission, traveling to Chicago, and so on. The North Star is also available by e-mail; subscription information can be found at www.terminus2008.org/newsroom/subscribe.html.
THE NORTH STAR
The Official Newsletter of Terminus
Delivered via LiveJournal, Mailing List, Forums, Myspace, and Divination
Volume 2, Issue 4
Read the last issue here!We have a long newsletter this month, as we have a lot to report!Terminus Event Tickets UpdateAs of now, even if you can’t attend Terminus, you can purchase tickets for most of our events. Non-attendees may purchase tickets for the
keynote presentations, the
Trade Winds Quidditch Tournament and
Wrock Chicago by using the
Tickets Only option. (Current attendees may add tickets by using the
Change My Registration or Tickets option, and of course, new attendees may add tickets during the registration process.) Please note that anyone attending a Terminus event must meet the age requirements.
Also, please note that some of our tickets are becoming very limited. The keynotes are approximately 70% sold out, and Thoth’s Tournament of Knowledge, which is only open to attendees, has five slots remaining. Quidditch and Wrock Chicago have more availability, but we strongly recommend purchasing your tickets soon, especially since they are now on sale to everyone.
If you have questions or concerns about registrations or tickets, please e-mail us at registration[AT]terminus2008[DOT]org. We’re always available to help!
Hilton Chicago HotelTerminus attendees plan early--and the Hilton Chicago Hotel is filling up quickly; certain room types are no longer available on some nights of the conference. We recommend making a reservation for as many nights as possible on your preferred room type, and using a different room type for any nights when your preferred type is not available; then, call the hotel weekly to check availability. As other attendees' plans change and they cancel their reservations, your preferred room type and rate may become available again, and in the meantime, you'll be holding a room for each night of your stay under a special rate based on our TEM code rate for a standard 2-bed or King room. If you haven't made your plans yet and are looking for roommates, you're welcome to use our
forums to find one or a few.
For those of you who are giving up rooms, we ask that you do so as soon as you know your plans. For the next couple months, all cancelled reservations will be loaded back into the Terminus inventory and will be available for other attendees to reserve. If you wait until mid-to-late July to cancel your reservation, your cancelled room will not be made available to other attendees to use. Thanks in advance!
Our hotel liaison can be reached at help[AT]terminus2008[DOT]org if you have additional questions or problems.
Price JumpAs we approach the conference, registration prices rise accordingly. Registration for Terminus is currently $160, but will jump to $180 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on
April 30, 2008. Registration includes more than 150 hours of educational programming all about the
Harry Potter books, films, and phenomenon; two buffet-style banquets, the Arrival Dinner and Departure Breakfast; assorted games and challenges as part of the Pan-Magical Games; admission to The North Star Live!, our wizarding talk show; creative fan activities as part of Artists and Authors Night; the
Bon Voyage Ball; and a conference t-shirt. Additional tickets are available to hear our Guests of Honor Cheryl Klein and Tamora Pierce speak at the Keynote Presentations, to dance to the bands playing at Wrock Chicago, to test your knowledge of the
Harry Potter phenomenon in Thoth’s Tournament of Knowledge, and to take the pitch during the Trade Winds Quidditch Tournament.
The public is invited to shop in our vendor room and to take in the sights and sounds at the Trade Winds Quidditch Tournament, which will be held in Grant Park across the street from the Hilton Chicago Hotel. All other conference activities require a registration badge or an event ticket.
Art GalleryYes! We are still accepting art to be displayed in the Terminus gallery. At this time, we can only display 2-D works and items that can stand alone. (We've accepted our limit of fabulous 3-D items with special display needs.) Gallery display is open to Terminus attendees and non-attendees alike, and we will print 2-D works for display by request. For more information, please write to gallery[AT]terminus2008[DOT]org.
Programming and Programming ScheduleLately, we've had a number of questions about late proposals and presentation waiting lists. All proposals were due at the beginning of February, and the vetting boards have long since made their selections for Terminus and been released from their duties. We are still delighted to receive beta, sketch, and art critique booth applications from current attendees until April 30, as well as gallery art from everyone, but as much as we love educational programming, we unfortunately must direct you to our conference announcement list at <
http://www.narrateconferences.org/mailinglist/> for future opportunities.
As for the schedule, we have to say: Not Yet, But Soon. We continue to update our
accepted proposals page as presenters register and confirm attendance, and presenters do have until April 15 to do so. Then, we'll be juggling all of the pieces, rooms, and spaces to create the very best schedule we can while still meeting our presenters' needs. Keep an eye out for a schedule in late May!
Panelist RequestedAn accepted panel on how people from various religious backgrounds interpret
Harry Potter is seeking a couple of registered attendees to represent some missing perspectives. If you are a registered Terminus attendee and practice a religion traditionally sited in the Near East, the Indian subcontinent, the Silk Road, East/Southeast Asia, or the African continent and if you could speak about how you and others of your faith interpret the
Harry Potter series, please write 1-2 paragraphs on the topic and send it to programming[AT]terminus2008[DOT]org by April 15, 2008.
VendorsAs with our programming presentations, we'll publish complete information when our vendors are confirmed. Watch this space for announcements on the many vendors of
Harry Potter and fantasy merchandise which will be participating in the Terminus Vendor Station! In the meantime, we’re pleased to welcome
Sassy Tails and
Brigit’s Hearth, and we hope you’ll stop in to see them at Terminus.
Travel TipYou can check in for your return flight and print a boarding pass at the kiosks near the front desk of the Hilton Chicago Hotel. Many airlines now have separate check-in lines for those with luggage who already have a boarding pass, so this can save you valuable time at the busy Chicago-area airports.
Frequently Asked QuestionsDo I have to wear my badge during the conference? It doesn't match my t-shirt.Yes, please have your badge visible at all times when you're attending conference activities. The nature of our event space for Terminus is such that you'll pass by badge checkpoints, and if you're not wearing your badge, you'll have to stop and get it out, delaying your progress to the next presentation and delaying those around you who would like to grab a seat. If you do not have your badge, you will be asked to retrieve it or to leave. Please help us keep traffic flowing smoothly by having your badge visible on your person! (And no, you don't need to wear it in your room, in the hotel lobbies or restaurants, or out of the hotel.)
How can I volunteer? How much time do I need to have free?We'd love to have you volunteer! In fact, it's through our collective efforts that the conference runs smoothly. Please visit our
volunteers page and let us know a little something about yourself; when you're done, you'll be directed to the Volunteers mailing list, where you'll need to sign up with the same e-mail you gave us as a contact. From time to time, we have pre-conference projects to work on, but otherwise, presenters and your fellow attendees need the most assistance at the conference itself. Volunteer training is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, August 7, and we ask that volunteers commit to a 4-hour time block--either a morning or an afternoon--during the conference, though some blocks end up being shorter (particularly for programming room hosts!). Your donation of time to help attendees and presenters keeps your conference registration costs low, too. We can often schedule you to work with a friend or family member, as well as in your preferred type of volunteering (active, stationary, during your favorite programming, with lots of people-interaction or not), if you sign up early.