From Helen Montgomery and Dr. Meg MacDonald
Program Division Managers, LAcon V
Welcome to LAcon V’s Program Division!
What does the Program Division do?
The Program division manages all items that are located in Program rooms, and a few other related items held elsewhere. Program items will include:
- Panels (3-5 participants at the front of the room participate in a moderated discussion on a topic)
- Presentations (1 person gives a solo presentation on a topic)
- Discussion Circles (moderated group discussions where all attendees are welcome to participate)
- Meetups & Socials (find your people!)
- Workshops (make-and-take creative workshops, writing workshops, etc.)
- Filk music circles and musical jam sessions
- Gaming room (board games and RPGs)
- Academic talks and papers
- Social creator-fan conversations like kaffeeklatsches and literary beers
The largest Worldcon items, like Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the Hugo Award Ceremony, the Masquerade, Theatrical Performances, and Concerts, are managed by the Special Events Division.
What To Expect
Topics covered by Program items such as panels, discussion circles, and presentations include:
- Literature (General SF&F, Young Adult, Horror, Romance, Children’s Literature, Poetry, Non-Fiction)
- Science & Technology
- Media (Film & Television)
- A dedicated Academic track
- Anime & Manga
- Art & the Business of Art
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Costuming & Cosplay
- Fandom & Fan History
- Transformative Fandom
- Music & Filk
- Gaming (Board gaming, RPGs, and Video Games) & the Business of Games
- Maker talks & workshops
- Theatre
- Writing & the Business of Writing
For our Child and Teen Members
LAcon V will feature a dedicated room for Children’s Program, with a wide range of activities for children of all ages. (Please note that this is not Childcare, and parents may be required / requested to stay with their child in the Children’s Program room.)
We are also hoping to have a Teen Lounge, which may have some program items exclusively for our teen members in addition to being a space where they can socialize with each other. (If your teen would like to help with this, let us know!)
Our Goals
The Program division is committed to creating an interesting, educational, and inclusive program. The program will highlight our Guests of Honor, exploring their careers and contributions to speculative fiction, fandom, and the wider community. We are excited about featuring Los Angeles and Southern California participants, the tapestry of communities that overlap with and are adjacent to Worldcon, and recent and current Hugo finalists and winners.
We will prioritize the participation of underrepresented voices from within the wider speculative fiction community, including participants who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQIA+, and participants with disabilities. We are hoping to have several panels in Spanish, presuming that there is enough interest shown. We are also very interested in having teen and young adult program participants.
Our Timeline
Our focus for the remainder of 2024 and first quarter of 2025 is recruitment of Area Heads and Staff for the division. If you are interested in working with us, please take a look at our Job Description Postings and fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.
We will also be taking suggestions for Program Items. These can be items that you want to present or moderate, or items that you are interested in seeing on the program as a member. You can submit your ideas through our Program Item Suggestion Form.
If you are interested in being a Program Participant, you can complete the Program Participant Interest Form at any time (also opening in late 2024), which puts you on our mailing list so we can inform you of next steps, coming in Summer 2025.
A more complete timeline will be released in Summer 2025.
Who We Are
For LAcon V, the Program Division will be co-managed by Helen Montgomery and Dr. Meg MacDonald. Helen has been active in the Worldcon community since 2004, and most recently was the Convention Chair of Chicon 8: The 80th World Science Fiction Convention in 2022. Meg has been active in fandom since 2014 and most recently was co-Division Head for Promotions for Glasgow 2024 – A Worldcon for Our Futures, the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention.
Do you want to be involved with the LAcon V Program?
Click on the following links:
- Volunteer with the Program Division
- Program Participant Interest Form
- Program Item Suggestion Form
