A FIYAHCON Retrospective

November 9, 2020 7:58 AM

L. D. Lewis writes "A FIYAHCON Retrospective": a detailed narrative of why and how organizers put together an online convention for BIPOC+ in speculative fiction. Included: "Below, you’ll find a fairly extensive overview of the costs associated with set-up of our virtual convention, as well as some notes on what worked and what didn’t." Including how much it cost to set up two "Calm Room" live cams with Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I’d never run a convention before. I have a good head for logistics and execution. But when you’re putting together something like this as a Black woman especially, you know that if it falls apart, if something breaks, if you’ve botched oversight or failed to make sure everyone essentially in your care from the staff to the attendees, is literally cared for, it’s not a reflection of you and your personal failings. Someone somewhere is going to turn it into The Problem With Black/Women/Black Women. Our wiggle room, our margin of error, is non-existent.....

Throughout the process, probably the most grating part was anything having to do with emails.....

As ever, our goal is not to be the ONLY space doing what we do. If you see a lack in the community, it’s within your power, through the grace of the internet and social media, to correct it. And that’s what you should do rather than relying on the unwilling or unequipped existing structures to broaden their own tables after you’ve badgered them for years to do it.

posted by brainwane (5 comments total)

Oh this is fascinating.
posted by Wretch729 at 8:38 AM on November 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

I really appreciate when people take the time to do this kind of after-event writeup. It can be so helpful to people who are thinking of producing an event—the reality check of what it costs, and what the work involves.

This sounds like it was a great event, and I admire the planners for their commitment to accessibility and honoraria. I know from my own experience that an honorarium, even one that comes nowhere near covering your time and effect, changes how it feels to present or lead a workshop.
posted by Orlop at 9:18 AM on November 9, 2020 [3 favorites]

Fiyahcon was a fabulous event! I'm so impressed that everything went smoothly, and especially for a first-time con. I was going to go to Wiscon in person for the first time this year, but wound up attending that one online, and it was lovely how much I felt like I had found my space and my people. But I'm a white woman, so Fiyahcon by contrast was an exercise in stepping aside and listening. The space didn't feel like it was mine to stretch out in, and it shouldn't, but I still felt welcome and I'm sorry to see mention in the article that the con staff had to field annoying emails from white people.

And I learned so much, both on the Discord and by watching panels. (Just as an example, some things I haven't thought much about due to my white American perspective, but there was a big focus on international speculative fiction, and the push and pull between source and diaspora cultures.) I'm still working through the backlog of archived panels they've generously posted on their site, especially the ones that went on overnight for me in the US. It's actually really cool that they did that intentionally for their non-western attendees and panelists!

Anyway, FIyahcon is a huge delight, the panels were brilliant, the awards ceremony pronounced people's names correctly and actually honored all the nominees and winners, my TBR is going nova, and I'm planning to continue supporting Fiyah and Fiyahcon. And hope to get to that or Wiscon (or both) in person, safely, soon.
posted by j.r at 9:48 AM on November 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

→ Shipping: USPS Small flat rate boxes (qty 100 with prepaid postage for domestic: $830) + (qty 50 without labels for international: free)

this Canadian weeps quietly into his terrible coffee, dreams of affordable flat-rate shipping perma-dashed by CPC.
posted by scruss at 9:58 AM on November 9, 2020

If it is any consolation, sweet Canadian, the weird dimensions of our flat rate boxes make shipping a lot of things flat rate nigh-impossible. Sigh.

I do know motherfuckers who have managed to fit basically an entire set of free weights inside of the large flat rate box, so dreams can come true.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 8:47 PM on November 9, 2020 [1 favorite]