How do we encourage fandom?

[figmo]

Every year it comes up: Why aren't we seeing more younger fen at Worldcon (or any of the many other regional general SF cons)?

I remember seeing panels titled "The Greying of Fandom" back when I first got into fandom. It seemed like practically all my friends were into fandom. Many of my co-workers were also fannish. As the years have gone by,

Comments

[nojay]

Another reason for smaller attendances at cons is the online "convention" experience. Time was I never got to talk to a lot of folks and interact with them except at cons but now I've got a lot of the social connections, book buying, discussions, movie watching etc. I only got access to through cons sitting here at my computer desk. I used to go to at least ten conventions a year, now I only do two or three mainly for this reason. The money saved is a bonus as is the travel time.

Numbers -- I can't say anything about Westercon but Worldcon plateaued a couple of decades ago at about 4500-5000 for a US Worldcon and a lesser number for out-of-continent Worldcons depending -- Australian Worldcons get fewer members than a British one but the numbers don't change that much con to con. British Eastercon numbers go up and down depending on a number of factors -- recent ones based in London, the main population centre in the UK with guests like Neil Gaiman as GoH limited out the site's capacity at 1400 attending whereas non-London-based Eastercons tend to have about 800-900 attendees.

BTW I remember the same "Greying of Fandom" panels back in the 80s here in the UK and long discussions of the impending death of mimeo fanzines and APAs which was going to be a disaster. We changed, cons changed and the folks following us will do things differently. Whether we'd recognise the cons they run and attend as cons I don't know.

[capplor]

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/king.html
?

[nojay]

Speaking of SMOFs:

www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/672/