Icon

[highlydubious]

So.. Icon is over.

I wish I could sum it all in one coherent post, but that is not really probable. So I'll skip the "coherent" part and probably the "one" part as well and try only to sum some of the things that made Icon for me.

Comments

[shiffer]

ICON - way too long. I came to four days and that was one too many.

Mike's budget was not that small, actually. More information on coded channels.

And you forgot to mention that the content was excellent. A significant improvement from where ICON was a few years ago.

[avgboojie]

Funny, I've heard a great variety of opinions regarding the content. Apparently, many people complained that they couldn't find much of interest (which I found weird, because I was struggling all the time with too many options for each slot, but well, that happens to me always).

[highlydubious]

You're right -- on both counts.
The content was very good (although personally I don't really care about the content) and Michael's budget was indeed not that small.

[avgboojie]

Man, I tried. You just didn't find the time for me. I will keep trying even if I have to force-feed you that damned cake.

The young ICon added a new level of weirdness to ICon. On the personal side of thing (that is, beyond trying not to step over mini-fans), I gave two SF-lit-101 lectures which were great fun, but had to juggle all along between the grown-ups, who were interested in more serious stuff, and the kids, who at best had some d&d experience under their belts. Considering the fact that improvising is totally not my forte and this was all bloody improvised, I had a surprisingly good time. But I really would have been happier had I known in advance that those lectures were actually categorized as "young ICon".

[cogitationitis]

It was interesting meeting you. Icon's situation and financials are different, but not as unusual as you think. For example, your festival is something like Finncon. It also resembles many commercial media cons.

What concerns me is that there's not only stagnation, and loss of information, but the con becomes one person's vision: always problematic.

[highlydubious]

Icon is not in stagnation, it keeps evolving and growing each year. Also while there is some loss of information - most of it, especially in the high levels does not get lost.

As for the last thing, I can see why you would think that, and it's not really far from what I see (there are a few nuances) but -- at least there is a vision, which is a lot better than what we had but 5 or 6 years ago, when we did Icon without really thinking about why. I agree that it is not optimal, and I try to convey this feeling onwards, but as I said - it's better than nothing

[spelljammer]

Surprisingly (or not), I agree with almost everything you’ve said in your original post. This was a huge and spectacular leap for Icon. On the other hand, the atmosphere of the stuff, and the inner dynamics of the managing team were concerning. I’ve said as much to the people involved. Shouting and bossing people around is not a good management tactic.

And to the thread at hand - The person we are talking about have been great to Icon. We would all love to see him involved in the management of future Icons. That said, it requires a lot of hubris to think that Icon is a single person’s journey. Many people are involved with all aspects of Icon, and the convention will not go back to the way it was years ago just because one person will (not) be there.

A convention becoming a single person’s domain and dream is not right. Not for the convention, not for the communities involved, and even not for that person.

[highlydubious]

With all due respect, I believe you are so wrong.

No one in the cinemateque will talk to someone new at the same level - they will take advantage and screw Icon in every conceivable way. No one in the Municipality will talk to a new guy, let alone invest so much money in Icon (and this was stated quite clearly). No one has the know-how or the time to invest in marketing and PR that will sum to 1/2 of the current level and there are many more examples.

I have no desire to fight about this issue. You can keep your opinions and I will keep on maintaining they are wrong and are based on idealism which is not necessarily connected with the real world.

[lovechilde]

You were an angel, a blessing and a savior of sanity and lives, those first few days. I can't thank you enough.

And yes, things were strained. I see several very long talks in the near future to see how we can maybe straighten things out. Some of the talks may involve a blunt object applied to someone's head or backside. We'll see.

[highlydubious]

You are too kind.
Really. Far too kind.