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CONvergence
Status	Active
Genre	Multi-genre convention Science fiction convention Fantasy convention Speculative fiction Fan convention
Frequency	Yearly
Venue	Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Location(s)	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Coordinates	44°58′17″N 93°16′39″W / 44.9712981°N 93.2773887°W / 44.9712981; -93.2773887
Country	United States
Years active	26
Inaugurated	July 2, 1999 (1999-07-02)
Most recent	July 6, 2023
Next event	July 4, 2024
Participants	3,437 (2022)
Budget	approx. $400,000
Organized by	Convergence Events, Inc.
Filing status	Non-profit
Website	convergence-con.org

Convergence (stylized "CONvergence") is an annual multi-genre fan convention. This all-volunteer, fan-run convention is primarily for enthusiasts of science fiction and fantasy in all media. The motto is "where science fiction and reality meet". It is one of the most-attended conventions of its kind in North America, with approximately 6,000 paid members in some years. The 2023 convention was held across four days at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Attractions

The convention is known for several attractions, which are available to members throughout the event.

Art and merchandise

• The Convergence art show offers items created by artists around the country. Some are available for a live auction or silent auction.
• The artists alley provides space for artists to offer commissioned art.
• The dealers room features a larger number of vendors selling crafts, apparel, or collectibles.
• The charity auction funds community activities provided by the Geek Partnership Society.
• Official CONvergence merchandise is available with branded goods and commemorative event apparel.

Social attractions

• The convention is known for its themed room parties hosted by community and fan groups. Each party room is unique from one another, each with varied themes. The walls of the convention are usually plastered with advertisements for different parties.
• Space lounge presents a futuristic space-themed entertainment venue with music, entertainment, and sensory refreshments.
• Several spaces for gaming are available at Convergence, with options for board games, card games, and roleplaying games. The gaming area offers LAN-based gaming, tabletop gaming, and Artemis: Spaceship Bridge Simulator, among other things.
• The Convergence teen room is available for members between 13 and 20 years old.

Programming areas

• Harmonic Convergence features live music, spoken word, burlesque, and comedy.
• Cinema Rex is a couch- and sofa-filled movie room. Running popular movies, short films, and film festivals, Cinema Rex provides drinks, popcorn, candy, and other refreshments.
• Theater Nippon presents a series of classic and modern anime with free drinks and candy.

Hospitality

Members of Convergence have access to a con suite, with complimentary rice and soups throughout most of the day, and around-the-clock access to candies, veggies, fruits, and chips.

Events

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2018)

many parallel programming tracks are run at Convergence, filling several convention rooms simultaneously with panels, speeches, demonstrations, recognitions, and screenings.

Panels

Convergence panels are scheduled for each day, across a wide range of topics. Most panels are group discussions in front of an audience, while others are more interactive or performance-based.

Main stage events

The opening and closing ceremonies are held on a main stage, as well as live performances and other events that require a lot of space.

Masquerade

The masquerade event is held Saturday night, displaying the best in costuming and cosplay creations, usually with short skits.

Music events

Live music sometimes occurs at the main stage. Dances and raves are often scheduled for the late hours in the main stage area.

Mascots

The primary mascot of Convergence is the gynoid "Connie", who is occasionally opposed by Connie's scheming younger sister, "Connie Mk. II".

Guests of honor

Like most science fiction conventions, CONvergence selects a few special guests every year.

Timeline

The idea for Convergence began at a room party held 26 years ago at the Minicon 33 event, where 500 pre-registrations to Convergence 1999 were collected. The planning team celebrated the one-year-to-go mark with a picnic on the weekend of July 4, 1998.

Reception

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In 2008, CONvergence was voted "Best Fan Convention" by the City Pages arts/alternative newspaper. It has appeared in "Best of the Cities" in each year afterward until 2011 (when no award was given for "best fan convention" or "best annual convention").

Transition to Minneapolis

Convention organizer Convergence Events, Inc. sent an announcement to Convergence members on June 16, 2018. The announcement indicated changes to the party rooms at the 2018 convention, due to concerns from the hotel management.

On the same day, Convergence Events, Inc. announced that the following year's convention would be hosted at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, after being hosted in the same Bloomington location since 2001.

References

1. ^ "CONvergence 2019 Will Be At the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Minneapolis". Convergence Events, Inc. 16 June 2018.
2. "Budgets and Reports". Convergence Events, Inc. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
3. ^ "Archive | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
4. "Art Show | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
5. "Artists Alley | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
6. "Dealers Room | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
7. "GPS Charity Auction | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
8. "Room Parties at Convergence". Archived from the original on 2009-11-24.
9. "Panoramic Photos of Garden Court and Room Parties at Convergence".
10. "Space Lounge | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
11. "Gaming | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
12. "Gaming".
13. "Teen Room | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
14. "Harmonic CONvergence | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
15. "Cinema Rex | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
16. "Theater Nippon | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
17. "Consuite".
18. Smith, Rod (17 July 2002). "Geek Chic". City Pages. Vol. 23, no. 1128. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
19. "Panels | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
20. "MainStage | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
21. "Masquerade | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
22. "Dances & Raves | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
23. "CONvergence Lore | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
24. Kakalios, James (2009). The physics of superheroes (Spectacular second ed.). New York, N.Y.: Gotham Books. ISBN 9781592405084. OCLC 318411479.
25. "CONvergence 2008 News". 2008-03-18. Archived from the original on 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
26. McCullough, Kelly (2006). WebMage (Ace mass-market ed.). New York: Ace Books. ISBN 0441014259. OCLC 70685248.
27. "Michael "Knightmage" Wilson | AnimeCons.com". animecons.com. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
28. "CONvergence". MISFITS. 2007-06-29. Archived from the original on 2005-04-01. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
29. "CONvergence 1999: After All, It's Just a Party | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
30. "CONvergence 2000: No One Can Tell You What CONvergence Is, You Have To Experience It For Yourself | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
31. "CONvergence 2001: Curiouser and Curiouser | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
32. "CONvergence 2002: If Adventure Has a Name... | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
33. "CONvergence 2003: Time Flies | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
34. "CONvergence 2004: Out of the Shadows | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
35. Johnson, Richard L. "The Radisson Hotel South in Bloomington, Considered a Flagship of the Radisson Chain, To be Rebranded Sheraton; Radisson Founder Curt Carlson Built the 565-room Hotel in 1970 / January 2004". www.hotel-online.com. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
36. "CONvergence 2005: Snikt! Bamf! Thwip! | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
37. "CONvergence 2006: Boldly Go | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
38. "CONvergence 2007: Creature Feature | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
39. "CONvergence 2008: Ten Years | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
40. "CONvergence 2009: This Con Goes to 11 | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
41. "CONvergence 2010: Bring on the Bad Guys | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
42. "CONvergence 2011: Tomorrow Through the Past | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
43. "CONvergence 2012: Wonder Women | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
44. "CONvergence 2013: British Invasion | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
45. "CONvergence 2014: A Midsummer Night's Dream | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
46. "CONvergence 2015: DoublePlusGood | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
47. "CONvergence 2016: ...And How Do We GET There? | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
48. "CONvergence 2017: To Infinity and Beyond | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
49. "CONvergence 2018: Natural Twenty | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
50. "CONvergence 2019: The Next Celebration | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
51. "CONvergence 2021: The Stuff of Legends | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
52. "CONvergence 2022: Your Reality May Vary | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
53. "CONvergence 2023: All Dressed Up | CONvergence Convention". CONvergence Convention. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
54. "Closing Ceremony Presentation".
55. "Best Fan Convention". City Pages, LLC. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-11-22. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
56. "CONvergence 2018 Party Room Restrictions From the DoubleTree by Hilton | Convergence Events". Convergence Events. 2018-06-16. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
57. Regan, Sheila. "Bloomington DoubleTree bans some alcohol at CONvergence 2018". City Pages. Retrieved 2018-07-11.

External links

• Official website

• Science fiction conventions in the United States
• Conventions in Minnesota
• Culture of Minneapolis
• Tourist attractions in Minneapolis
• 1999 establishments in Minnesota
• Recurring events established in 1999