Each year there is a National New Zealand Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, or NatCon, which is in essence a several day long get-together/party for fans of all things SF, fantasy, or generally geeky, with formal events and panels on a wide range of interesting topics throughout the weekend. Each year is run by a different group of people, typically with some people that have run conventions before and advice from previous convention committees, in a different location. (FAQ)
This year the NatCon is Au Contraire 2013, taking place in Wellington from Friday the 12th to the Sunday 14th of July, 2013 (last weekend of university holidays) at the Quality Hotel, Upper Cuba Street. This is the second Au Contraire, the previous having been in 2010, and was a lot of fun for all involved. Aside from the obvious overlap between gaming fans and SF/Fantasy fans, this year’s convention is planning on having a heavier gaming influence than previous conventions, with several LARP and RPGs being run over the event, and a board-gaming room.
The standard rate is $60 for the entire convention, but reduced rates are available for those on low incomes or for single day memberships, as low as $10 for just the Friday. Or if you can afford it, you can pay the solidarity rate to help subsidise those less well off. Do note there is no discount for running panels and/or games, as the convention has a lot of costs to cover; even the convention committee running it pay full price.
With the convention two months away, it’s not too late for suggestions. If there are discussion concepts that people would like to attend, or even talk on, we are welcoming suggestions for new panels that can be run at the convention.
We are looking for more GMs willing to run a game, so if there is a game you have sitting around that you want to bounce off a group of people that might not normally show up to a KapCon, then we’d love to see it. We intend on having games for people new to RPGs, and games for more experienced players. While somebody who’s just there to run a game will not need to join the convention (and hence, not pay any money) if they don't want to, joining would allow you to attend the numerous other events happening over the course of the con.
If you have any enquiries, comment on this post, or fire them to me at tamahori@gmail.com. Also contact me if you’d like to run a game.