- Convention du Lac
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Convention du Lac / BayouCon 
New FrontiersStatus Active Genre Multigenre Venue Lake Charles Civic Center Location Lake Charles, La Country United States First held 2009 Last held N/A Organizer Justin Toney Filing status Non-Profit Official website http://www.bayoucon.net Convention du Lac is a North American multi-genre convention, held annually in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now operating under the name BayouCon, presented by the non-profit Southwest Louisiana Science Education Foundation.
Contents
History
Convention du Lac (a nod to the Acadian French heritage of the area), or Convention at the Lake, grew as the brainchild of life-long Lake Charles residents Justin Toney, Stuart Griggs and other residents of Southwest Louisiana. The convention organized in 2008 and officially became a legal entity in February of 2009.
Year One-2009
Convention du Lac held its first event at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex in South Lake Charles, with an estimated 280 attendees, and Battlestar Galactica actor Richard Hatch as the Guest of Honor. Fan groups, including the Bast Alpha Garrison and CajunBot[1] attended as well. After this successful first-run, the convention organizers quickly decided that expansion was necessary.
Year Two-2010
Expecting an even larger attendance for year two, organizers searched for a new host facility capable of handling the expected crowd. The event moved to the Lake Charles Civic Center and several programming options were added. Guests for this convention included Battlestar Galactica's Luciana Carro and Star Trek's Chase Masterson. Supporting guests included Larry Nemecek[2], Roger Nygard, Daryl Frazetti, and Curtis Webster. Many fan groups from Louisiana and Mississippi also participated in the convention. By the Boards estimate, attendance exceeded year one by more than 100 members.[3].
Year Three and beyond
After a great convention in 2010, the Board of Directors elected to combine the convention with the larger Contraband Days festival. This move was to offer a better selection of programming and expanded the space to accommodate more events and attendees. However, due to a raise of ticket prices with the Contraband Festival combined with other events in the area, the convention suffered a membership loss for 2011. The Board elected to return close to their original date in June. The convention will now take place in the Exhibition Hall of the Lake Charles Civic Center.
Programming
The 2 and 1/2 day convention provides over 20 hours of unique programming, spanning from Science Fiction, Comics, and Art, to Acting, Literature, and Cosplay (Costume Role-Playing). In 2011, the event added a Film Festival to it's programming.
BayouCon
Upon completion of 2 successful conventions, most the Board of Directors disbanded to form another event. At this point, a new board was formed and a name change occurred. The name BayouCon was thought of to continue the nod to Louisiana and its rich culture. A joint branding of the convention took place in 2011 and a complete removal of the original proceeded the end of convention 3.
References
- ^ "CajunBot visits Con du lac". CajunBot Labs. June 17, 2009. http://www.cajunbot.com/cajunbotphotos/287-condulac2009.
- ^ "Con Billboard...". Trekland. June 2, 2010. http://larrynemecek.blogspot.com/2010/06/dont-think-ive-ever-seen-con-billboard.html.
- ^ Richards, Brandon (June 12, 2010). "Sci-Fi fans flock to Civic Center for Con du Lac". KPLC-TV. http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12639172.
External links
Categories:- American science fiction conventions
- Multigenre conventions
- Culture of Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Recurring events established in 2009
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