Dragon Con Updates

Dragon Con 2022 is just around the corner, and we are looking forward to having so many fans join us for another exciting Labor Day in downtown Atlanta. While we spend a lot of time each year planning to make sure that Dragon Con is the greatest pop culture convention on the planet, we always make health and safety a top priority.

We want to thank everybody for their patience as we have worked very hard to develop COVID protocols intended to keep our Dragon Con Family safe. While things are certainly better now than they were a year ago, we are not yet out of the woods. Unfortunately, the spread of Covid in the metro-Atlanta area is currently at a high level. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to take precautions to keep our attendees, guests and partners safe. These decisions were not made lightly and came as a result of many discussions with health officials, our venues, and the city.

In 2021, we committed to following CDC guidelines, and as a result, Dragon Con 2021 was a safe environment allowing our fans to come together for a much needed celebration of all things fandom. CDC guidelines will continue to be our guidepost as we determine the safest way to gather. This includes:

• Well-fitting and appropriate masks are required indoors at all our convention venues, including all five host hotels and AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three. Last year our members did an incredible job with mask compliance and we expect no less this year.
• This year’s convention will have reduced capacity compared to 2019’s convention, though we will welcome more fans than in 2021 and will bring back a limited number of Saturday-only memberships. We expect memberships at all levels to sell out.
• Related to that, there will be no onsite membership sales to reduce congestion, increase social distance, and improve traffic at badge pickup in the Sheraton. If memberships are available for purchase, they will only be available online through Growtix.
• We have made other changes throughout the convention to reduce traffic flow and increase personal space.
• Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test are not required this year. We highly encourage everyone to get vaccinated to help reduce the spread and severity of COVID 19. Additionally, we encourage every person to make informed decisions about attending our event in the best interest of their own health and that of their loved ones. If you are not feeling well or have been recently exposed to somebody with Covid, please plan to stay home.
• To help spread the joy that is Dragon Con to those who stay home, we continue to offer Dragon Con Goes Virtual, featuring overlapping coverage of the live convention and exclusive programming just for the platform from our amazing fan tracks, available to fans for the low price of $10. Additionally, we will again host the virtual marketplace from September 1 through September 9, allowing fans both at the event and at home to purchase from and support their favorite vendors and artists.

The very best part of Dragon Con is the community. We know that you have each other’s backs, that you care for your fellow fans, and that you will follow the rules because it’s the right thing to do. We trust you to make good decisions and look forward to welcoming you back.

We will continue to evaluate our policies and procedures and follow the guidance of public health officials in order to keep the convention as safe as possible.

Dragon Con Media Engagement welcomes you to Dragon Con 2022!  We are pleased in your interest in covering our convention and excited to see and your fellow reporters. Every week until the convention we will send you an email blast which will help you to report from Dragon Con.  We are anticipating this year’s attendance to be up 50% more than 2021, which. will still maintain enough room for social distancing.

While we have a few topics included in this email, we are open to finding out what you, as reporters, want to see in future updates.  Please contact us with your questions and concerns.

Contacting Dragon Con

Who should you contact? A general rule is that you contact mediarelations@dragoncon.org for administrative support and dancarroll@dragoncon.org for in depth information about the convention itself.

• For questions about reporting from Dragon Con, please contact Samm Douglas (mediarelations@dragoncon.org). She supports you with badge processing and helping with the tools for navigating the convention. She and her team are your support specialist.
• For questions about the convention itself, interviewing a Dragon Con representative, and understanding what this whole thing is about, please contact Dan Carroll (Dancarroll@dragoncon.org). He is your Dragon Con expert who is here to help you get better background on Dragon Con and find the best stories.
• When in doubt include both Samm and Dan they will fight to be the first to answer your questions.

When you reach out to us, remember to put your name or your outlet in the subject line so we can more quickly serve you.

How To Pick Up a Media Badge at Dragon Con/Media Room Hours

Dragon Con, Atlanta’s world-famous pop culture festival, will launch on September 1 and run through September 5.  As reporters approved by Dragon Con you will be able to pick up your badge during the convention when the Media Relations Room is opened.  The Media Relations Room is located Greenbriar Room of the Hyatt Regency Hotel (265 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303).  The room can be found on the bottom floor, “Motor Lobby Level”, of the Hyatt.  Our hours are:

• Thursday (Sept 1): 12PM – 8 PM
• Friday (Sept 2): 9AM – 8PM
• Saturday (Sept 3): 9 AM – 4PM
• Sunday (Sept 4): 10AM – 3 PM
• Monday (Sept 5): 9AM – 1PM

Those arriving while hotel badge checks are in process will need to alert the security personnel that you are a reporter coming to pick up your badge.  There may be a delay while an escort is found to walk you down to the Media Relations Room.

Guest list update

Dragon Con has been on a roll announcing guests! This is great news, but it is sometimes hard to keep up with the announcements.  In the past two weeks we have announced a number of guests from The Flash, Stargirl, Flash Gordon, Gotham and a handful of Star Trek guests including two captains! (That’s right, one of them is William Shatner!). The guest list is too long to list in an email, so we recommend you keep up to date online at our list of featured guests:

https://www.dragoncon.org/people-to-see-2/

A guest at Dragon Con is a celebrity or presenter who our attendees come to see. TV stars, writers, authors, artists, comic book creators, musicians and singers, scientists, and other creatives and experts who cover a broad array of interests.  To see the entire list of Dragon Con guests, follow this link!

https://www.dragoncon.org/people-to-see-2/guests/

Lots more after the fold!

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OKORAFOR, LAW SELECTED AS 2022 LITERARY AND ARTIST GUESTS OF HONOR

Dragon Con Selects Open Hand Atlanta as its Official 2022 Charity

ATLANTA – June 16, 2021 – Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention, has named Nigerian-American science fiction writer Nnedimma “Nnedi” Okorafor and American fantasy artist Stephanie Law as its 2022 Literary and Artist Guests of Honor.

The convention also announced that Open Hand Atlanta has been selected as the convention’s 2022 official charity.

Dragon Con’s 2022 convention runs from Thursday, Sept. 1 to Monday, Sept. 5 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Sheraton Atlanta – and AmericasMart Buildings #2 and #3.

Since 2013, the convention has consistently raised more than $100,000 for each of its annual official charities, including a dollar-for-dollar match from the convention up to an additional $100,000.  Funds are raised through convention-based auctions, special merchandise sales, special events, and the convention match.

Open Hand’s mission is to help underserved individuals prevent or better manage chronic disease through tailored nutrition interventions, which include a variety of therapeutic meal plans as well as nutrition counseling and coaching delivered by an experienced team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.  With the dedicated support of over 14,000 volunteers, they currently prepare, pack, and deliver over 5,500 meals per day in Metro Atlanta and rural Georgia.

“Dragon Con has partnered with Open Hand for years, dedicating one of our annual Superheroes community service projects to helping sort pantry items, pack meals, and even create Valentine cards for Open Hand’s clients,” said Rachel Reeves, convention co-chair.  “We are delighted to build an even stronger bond with Open Hand as our official charity this year.”

Beginning with its first convention in 1987, Dragon Con has recognized an author and an artist whose creative contributions to the realms of fantasy and science fiction are widely recognized as among the very best as Literary and Artist Guests of Honor. Both Okorafor and Law will be recognized throughout the event for their contributions to their individual fields, and will be on hand to meet fans and participate in panels to provide insight into their success and love of fandom.

Okorafor is an international award-winning New York Times bestselling novelist of science fiction and fantasy for children, young adults, and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, she describes her writing as Africanfuturism and draws from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings. She has received the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner, and Lodestar Awards and multiple Hugo Awards, amongst others, for her books, which include Who Fears Death (in development at HBO into a TV series), the Binti novella trilogy (optioned and in development with Media Res), The Book of Phoenix, the Nsibidi Scripts Series, and Lagoon. Her debut novel Zahrah the Windseeker won the prestigious Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. She has also written the Africanfuturist comic series LaGuardia as well as comics for Marvel, including Black Panther: Long Live the King and Wakanda Forever (featuring the Dora Milaje) and the Shuri series. https://nnedi.com/

Relying on the universal appeal of mythological concepts mingled with the movement of dance, Law’s images trace the boundary between dream and reality. She delves into the pictorial language of allegory, explores mythology in new contexts, chases tiny worlds of wonder from an insect’s viewpoint, and highlights the beauty of growth and decay found in nature. She interweaves texture, watercolor, gold and silver leaf, ink, and creates intricate layered pieces with resin and custom designed frames. In a meld of organic patterns and familiar archetypes, her paintings pose a question on the nature of perception and beauty, and it is against this backdrop that the ephemeral guides and strange creatures dance and beckon the viewer to follow through her various series. Early on, her career moved through the illustration and gaming world, but in recent decades she has focused more on her own body of work, gallery shows, and publications. https://www.shadowscapes.com/index.php

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 1 -Sept. 5, 2022) in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over four days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

DRAGON AWARDS RECOGNIZE FANS’ FAVORITES IN FICTION, GAMES, AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT

John Scalzi wins Best Science Fiction Novel, Siobhan Carroll receives Eugie Foster Memorial Award

ATLANTA – September 6, 2020 – Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture, sci fi, fantasy, and gaming convention, announced the winners of its 5^th annual Dragon Awards, a fan’s choice awards program to recognize the best in books, comics, games, and filmed entertainment.

Leading this year’s Dragon Awards, The Last Emperox by John Scalzi was the fans’ choice in the Best Science Fiction Novel category. Scalzi was also the 2020 Literary Guest of Honor and was an active guest at Dragon Con Goes Virtual, giving interviews and keeping the beats bouncing as the DJ for one of the convention’s nighttime parties.

More than 8,000 fans cast ballots for Dragon Award winners, selected from among 93 properties in 15 categories covering the full range of fiction, comics, television, movies, video gaming, and tabletop gaming.  Winners were announced on Sept. 6 at Dragon Con Goes Virtual, a pandemic-inspired, five-day streamed convention featuring three channels of programming, bands, parties and the world-famous Dragon Con Parade.

“We are especially grateful to the Fulton, Gwinnett, and Cobb county library systems for their support this year,” said David Cody, Dragon Con Goes Virtual co-chair. “They made many of the nominated books available to their patrons through a variety of means. Along the way, they not only encouraged people to read the best new science fiction and fantasy, but they also encouraged them to participate as voters in the Dragon Awards.”

Fulton County Library System set up a digital collection of the titles it owns that will remain active beyond the end of the convention.  https://fulcolibrary.overdrive.com/collection/1107264

For He Can Creep, a dark fantasy novelette by Siobhan Carroll, was honored with the Eugie Foster Memorial Award for Short Fiction, established in the memory of the Nebula-award winning author and long-time Dragon Con volunteer director. A juried award, the “Eugie” celebrates the best in innovative fiction. Previous winners are Simone Heller (2019), Fran Wilde (2018), and N.K Jemisin (2017).

Because of the pandemic and this year’s virtual format, the Julie Award, given to an industry professional for universal achievement, and the Hank Reinhardt Fandom Award, given to an individual who has made significant contributions to fandom, were not awarded.  These recognitions will return in 2021.

The Dragon Awards were created in 2016 as part of Dragon Con’s 30^th anniversary celebration. All fans – not just Dragon Con members or attendees – were invited to nominate their favorite properties for the awards and then select Dragon Award winners by voting on the annual Dragon Awards ballot.

Final voting was held via the dedicated Dragon Awards website, and the voting period ran from August 10 to September 5. The ballot was selected in an open nomination process in which fans nominated their favorite properties. The nomination period ran from early April until July 17. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

And the Dragon Award winners are …

Best Science Fiction Novel

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi

Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth by Bella Forrest

Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel

Savage Wars by Jason Anspach & Nick Cole

Best Alternate History Novel

Witchy Kingdom by D. J. Butler

Best Media Tie-In Novel

Firefly – The Ghost Machine by James Lovegrove

Best Horror Novel

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

Best Comic Book

Avengers by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness

Best Graphic Novel

Battlestar Galactica Counterstrike by John Jackson Miller, Daniel HDR

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series

The Mandalorian, Disney+

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker by J. J. Abrams

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Respawn Entertainment & Electronic Arts

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game

Minecraft Earth, Mojang Studios & Xbox Game Studios

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game

Tapestry, Stonemaier Games

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game

Magic: The Gathering: Throne of Eldraine, Wizards of the Coast

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over five days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Fans’ Choice Awards Recognizes Excellence in Fifteen Categories of Fiction,

Comics, Gaming, and Filmed Entertainment

New Partnership with Fulton County Library System Will Promote Voting and Encourage Reading

2020 Dragon Awards ballot PDF

ATLANTA – August 10, 2020 – Dragon Con’s Dragon Awards, a fan-chosen awards program to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy literature, comics, gaming, and filmed entertainment, has published its 2020 ballot.

The Dragon Awards are decidedly a “fans’ choice” award. All fans – not just Dragon Con members or attendees – are invited to select the Dragon Award winners by voting – for free – on the fifth annual Dragon Awards ballot.  The full ballot can be found here.

This year, the Dragon Awards forged a partnership with the Fulton County Library System to promote the ballot and registration through their social media and other programs at the system’s 35 locations.

“The Dragon Awards are fast becoming the industry’s leading awards program where fans – the people who not only read, watch, and play, but also love, science fiction and fantasy – get to decide the best and most beloved,” said Pat Henry, president of Dragon Con, Inc. “We are delighted to be working with Fulton County libraries to help spread the word and encourage more people to explore the best works of fiction in the galaxy.”

All voting will be done electronically and only via a ballot emailed to each confirmed voter. To vote, fans must register on the Dragon Awards website. Ballots are then emailed in batches every few days through August.

Fans have until Friday, September 4^th at 11:59 p.m., Eastern, to register. Voting ends 24-hours later on Saturday, September 5^th at 11:59 p.m., also Eastern.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, Sept. 6^th as part of Dragon Con Goes Virtual. In response to the pandemic, Dragon Con shifted its traditional convention to a virtual four-day program, September 4 – 7, which will be streamed and available for free to fans anywhere in the universe.

The Dragon Awards were introduced in 2016 as part of the 30^th Anniversary of Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention. Nearly 38,000 fans have voted for their favorite works in the past four years, including more than 10,000 people who voted in 2019.

To accommodate as many creative genres as possible, awards will be given in each of 15 categories covering the full range of fiction, comics, television, movies, video gaming, and tabletop gaming.

The ballot was selected in an open nomination process.  Using the dedicated Dragon Awards website, fans were invited to nominate one (and only one) of their favorite properties in any or all the award categories.  Nominations ran from early April until July 20. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

Further details are available on the awards website awards.dragoncon.org. Please direct all inquiries to dcawards@dragoncon.org or mail them to: Dragon Awards, PO Box 16459, Atlanta, GA  30321-0459 USA.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,000 hours of comics, film, television programming, costuming, art, music, and gaming over four days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

DRAGON CON CANCELS 2020 CONVENTION AMID PANDEMIC

In Its Place, Organizers Launch a Virtual Convention That Will Be Free to The Universe

ATLANTA – July 6, 2020 – For the first time in 34 years, Dragon Con, the internationally known science fiction, fantasy, and pop culture convention, will not be held, a decision made in response to the ongoing pandemic facing the United States and the world.

In its place, Dragon Con will hold a live-streamed convention free to the universe and featuring classic panels and original programming for 2020.   Details will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Dragon Con will return in 2021 with an epic – and much deserved – five-day event from Thursday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 6.

This year’s convention, scheduled for Sept. 3 to Sept. 7, was originally projected to attract some 90,000 people to downtown Atlanta.

“After an exhaustive attempt to organize a much smaller, more focused, and socially distanced convention, it became apparent that we could not, in good faith, move forward with our 2020 event,” convention co-chair Rachel Reeves said. “We are heartbroken and did not make this decision lightly. Above all else, we want to thank our fans, our hotel partners, the ACVB, and the City of Atlanta for their support over these past few months.”

Fans who already purchased memberships for the 2020 convention will be able to exchange them for a 2021 membership or seek a refund. Both options are available at www.dragoncon.org.

The Dragon Awards, a fan’s choice awards program to recognize the very best in science fiction and fantasy literature, comics, gaming, and filmed entertainment, will continue as planned. To nominate a property and register for a 2020 ballot, please visit https://www.dragoncon.org/awards/.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (September 2 – September 6, 2021) in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over five days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Dragon Con Media Relations is asking for patience as we update our systems to accept media applications for Dragon Con 2020.  A technical issue was identified during testing for the application. Our technical team is working to resolve the issue and ensure smooth registration for all reporters.

We anticipate all will be well by April 1, 2020.  If we are able to open earlier, we will.  Otherwise, we are moving the date for accepting media applications to the first day of April. This is not an April Fool’s joke.

Thank you for your patience in this matter.  If you have any specific questions, please send them to mediarelations@dragoncon.org.

Dan and Samm

Dragon Con Media Relations Podcast Resumes with First Podcast of 2020

Dragon Con TV interviewer Chris Lloyd joins Dragon Con Engagement Director Dan Carroll to discuss a wide range of topics including his role as Dragon Con TV’s official interviewer, what Dragon Con TV is, the 2020 Dragon Con Charity – Big Brothers Big Sisters, Dragon Con Superheroes, and what makes a good interview.

We also talk about reporting from Dragon Con. With Media Access applications opening March 15, now is the time to get ready!

If you have topics you would like for us to discuss in depth, feel free to reach out to Dan Carroll (Dancarroll@dragoncon.org) or Samm Douglas (mediarelations@dragoncon.org). We are always happy to discuss anything Dragon Con on the DCMR Podcast.

Parade Registration Opens and Closes

One of the most talked about events at Dragon Con is always the Dragon Con Parade. Since 2002, the Dragon Con parade has filled Peachtree Street in Atlanta with costumed superheroes, aliens, hobbits and elves, Kirks and Spocks, Stormtroopers and a wide range of characters. As the parade has grown, the excitement to be part of the parade has grown with it.

Saturday, February 15, 2020, registration for the Dragon Con Parade opened and closed online in a matter of two hours. Completing full registration for all 3500 marching positions. Last year’s registration closed as full after only 4hours.

Dragon Con reporters will be able to view the parade from the Dragon Con Parade Media Corral, located at the corner of Peachtree Street and Baker in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Of course, with six months to go before the convention, this is subject to change, but anticipate this will be your viewing location again in 2020. Reporters will need Dragon Con media access badges to enter the corral, but those with valid media access will be allowed to walk through the parade for extraordinary access for photography and videography.

More details about the parade will be shared throughout the year. For more information about the Dragon Con Parade Contact Dan Carroll.

Dragon Con Superheroes/Charity

Dragon Con Superheroes spent their snow day in Atlanta a little differently than most fans in the area. Launching into their first Dragon Con Superhero event of 2020, 140 Superheroes spent the day at Open Hand Atlanta cooking, creating, delivering, and caring for Atlanta area clients with delicious meals and surprise valentine cards. DCTV Captured it in video!

The Dragon Con Superheroes is a community service project team for our members, volunteers, and staff to give back to our local community. Since 2014, Dragon Con Superheroes have contributed more than 3,100 hours to Atlanta-area non-profits. But, Dragon Con’s Spirit of Giving doesn’t end with The Dragon Con Superheroes.

At Dragon Con, we raise money for our designated charity throughout the convention via auctions and other events Organizations selected in the past have represented a wide range of community services, including support for families facing lupus, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and heart disease, assistance for the homeless, community food banks, education, and libraries. The 2020 Charity is Big Brothers, Big Sisters, an organization that is dear to the Dragon Con Media Relations Team.

And, Dragon Con has a blood drive! In 2019, LifeSouth, which has organized the convention’s annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” collected more than 10,000 units of blood and blood products from 3,600 donors

https://www.dragoncon.org/mediarelations/2020/02/21/dragoncon-2020-official-charity/ (Press Release about BBBS)

Registration Notes

Media Access Applications Open March 15, 2020. Media access is opened to reporters and photo journalists over the age of 17 who are on assignment from an established outlet. Media Access closes August 10 (15?) and onsite registration as media is limited to local broadcast and print and media with significant distribution. We do not provide media access to social media influencers unless invited by a Dragon Con director.

As we get ready for Dragon Con Media Access to open we are updating our qualifications and considerations page so you can better prepare your application. Look for a link to updated qualifications and considerations in early March, 2020.

Dragon Con 2020 Notes – Dragon Con Guests

The process for bringing guests to Dragon Con begins before the previous year’s convention and continues up to the first day of Dragon Con. Our guest committee works with individual guests and agents to ensure the greatest fan experience each year. We recommend that all guests apply to Dragon Con using the guest application form. This form is also used for attending professionals to apply.

Looking at a variety of factors, Dragon Con brings 400 guests each year! The breakdown for the guests on average is over 100 celebrity guests in the Walk of Fame, over 120 Comics and Pop Art alley guests, and the rest of the guests distributed through literature, film, music, and the reality tracks.

The guest list is updated all year round and new guests are announced through Social Media and the Dragon Con webpage. Dragon Con Media will do our best to share the major guest announcements and will update the guest list on both our website and our podcast, but Dragon Con itself is the best place to track guest announcements.

In late spring and early summer, we often field concerns that our guest list is not strong this year. You can include any year because this is a common concern before June. The reason for this is that Dragon Con tends to make major guest announcements in the summer. By mid-august the feedback that fans and reporters give to us is that “This year you have the best guest list ever!”