This is a fan-run, not-for-profit general science fiction and fantasy convention with a strong focus on our literary roots.

As for whether it's like other cons you've been to, probably in some ways and not in others, depending on what type of convention you've been to. There are many other fan-run conventions with which we would share a great deal. However, a lot of cons nowadays-- especially those that are for-profit and run by big organizations-- focus almost exclusively on media guests and have only a couple of things happening at any one time, mostly panels with the big-name guests and autograph/photo sessions.

InConJunction, on the other hand, tries to have something for everyone-- with panels on writing, movies and television, comic books, artwork, science, technology, culture, fandom, and many other things. At most times, there will be two to four panels going at the same time, giving you plenty of choices. If there's not a panel you're interested in, we also have an Anime Room, Gaming Room, Art Show, Dealers' Room, and various special interest group rooms and tables. If none of that appeals, the ConSuite makes a great place to hang out, meet people, and have interesting conversations. In the evenings, there's the dance and many attendees throw their own room parties. So, it's much more than a few panels with the media guests, autograph sessions, and a Dealers Room. We like to think it's more fun, but some people prefer a convention with a tighter emphasis or fewer choices.

It benefits both us and you.

The benefits for us are that we have a better idea of our attendance and can plan accordingly. Also if we have more money ahead of time, we can make better purchases and cut better deals than we can do on credit (which, in turn, gives you a better convention).

The benefits for you are that you get a price break from the at-the-door price and we also like to give out a selection of goodies to those who support us by pre-registering.

Let's do the benefits thing again, starting with InConJunction and then looking at yours.

Any fan-run convention lives and breathes on hotel room nights. We're no exception. We get the convention space at an inexpensive price if we meet our contracted room nights. If we don't, we start paying extra for the space-- a lot extra. Also, failing to meet the room night commitment strains a convention's relationship with their hotel. The hotel might keep a convention around, but the quality of service and communication ultimately suffers, and it can impact the attendees' experience at the convention as well as the organizers'. There are only a handful of hotels in the Indianapolis area with the facilities to host a convention like InConJunction, so our relationship with our hotel is very important to keeping InConJunction going for many years to come, so we encourage our attendees to stay at our hotel.

Now, that's our benefits. What are yours? First, the hotel is a really wonderful hotel, with great rooms and a lot of nice extras you're not going to get at a motel. Second, driving back and forth, even just a few miles, can be a real hassle-- especially if there's more than one of you relying on the same transportation and one or more of you wants to stay while others want to go. We have many things that run late into the night and it's so nice to know you can just hop on an elevator, walk a few feet, and be in bed for the night instead of worrying about driving when you're not sure you're awake enough. Likewise, you may find during the day you just want to go crash or relax for a while. That's easier to do if your room is right there in the same hotel. And if you want to get together with one or several friends in privacy to talk, go in on a pizza or what-have-you? There's your room right there. Did you pick up a ton of stuff in the Dealers' Room? Pop up real quick and stash it in your room. Some of our attendees even bring (or buy) a cooler and quick-fix foods like sandwich fixings, Lunchables, fresh fruit and veggies, yogurt, cereal and milk, etc. and keep it in their room to cut down on their food costs during the convention. The author has even been known to bring a slow cooker and do chili or a hearty soup. There's also something to be said for having other fans sharing the pool, restaurant, and so on with you. Some of the best conversations this author has ever had at a convention have actually been in the hotel hot tub. Try it sometime!

Lastly is a consideration for those who might avail themselves of the hotel bar or imbibe at a room party or other private function. While InConJunction itself does not provide alcohol and leaves the question of drinking to the discretion of our attendees, we are concerned about your welfare and enjoyment while visiting the convention and our hometown. Indiana law specifies that a blood alcohol level of .08% is legally intoxicated, which for many people can be reached in 2 to 3 drinks. A blood alcohol level of .05% combined with other factors (such as fatigue) that result in an accident or impaired driving can still get you arrested for drunk driving. Police are especially alert on the weekends and holidays for signs of impaired driving. Being arrested for DUI is sure to put a crimp in your enjoyment of the convention and well beyond, but is hardly the worst that can happen to you in light of the number of deaths and permanent disabilities that occur every year in accidents involving alcohol. With that in mind, we strongly encourage anyone who thinks they may drink, even if it's just one or two drinks, while at the convention hotel to book a room at the convention hotel.

The same answers apply to you as to the above question. Obviously, we can't make you get a hotel room and the cost-benefit analysis changes when you're comparing a hotel room price to sleeping free, but it does add a great deal to the convention experience that you miss by sleeping at home. It's a financial decision you have to make for yourself, but we would encourage you to try the experience at least once.

NO! Please. Remember what we said about our contracted room nights? We only get those if you register under the InConJunction name. We've negotiated an extremely low price for rooms at InConJunction. You're not likely to get anything cheaper. Just click on the Hotel Information button and follow the instructions to book a hotel room by phone, fax, or web. Remember you must book your hotel room by June 1st to get our low rate and have your rooms counted toward our commitment to the hotel!

Our special convention rates are available up to the date of the convention, but after June 1st, they're subject to availability, meaning you may get stuck having to upgrade to a suite in order to get the kind of accomodations you need. The hotel has a very generous cancellation policy. There's no reason to delay booking a hotel room till the last minute. If you're pretty sure you're coming, please, go ahead and book the room.

Email hotel-problems@inconjunction.org as soon as possible and we'll see what we can do to resolve the situation.

We have some staff and guests who arrive at the hotel on Thursday and depart on Monday, so getting the convention rates on those days shouldn't be a problem. For anything beyond that, we'd have to speak to the hotel. Feel free to email hotel-problems@inconjunction.org and we'll se what can be done.

It might be worth picking up a badge even if they aren't fans. They might be surprised by the number of panels, games, and other activities they could enjoy at the convention. However, if that's not in the cards, Indianapolis has a number of great attractions-- a top-rate zoo, museums, galleries, theaters, music, dancing, shopping, restaurants, walking trails, historic sites, and parks. And being on July 4th weekend, there's always going to be a fireworks display to see. Check out http://visitindy.com for a list of events and attractions.

Our organization isn't really set up to do that kind of thing. It would probably be better for you to go ahead and do that yourself. Alternately, if you're staying at our convention hotel, they can frequently assist you in planning your stay. Click on the Hotel Information button to get contact information for the hotel.

1. Swimsuit. Obvious to some, but a lot of attendees forget theirs. The hotel has a swimming pool and hot tub which they leave open for extended hours for convention attendees.
2. Pillow. No matter how nice the hotel pillows, you never sleep as well as you do on your own.
3. Some form of long-sleeved overshirt, lab coat, or cardigan, and pants or a long skirt. With air conditioning running full blast, some rooms can get kind of chilly.
4. An assortment of pain killers, antacids, cough drops, decongestants, adhesive bandages, etc. Nothing stinks as much as getting sick at a con and having to go begging for drugs.
5. Some form of Vitamin C or other immunity boosters. A convention means people coming in with slightly different strains of cold and flu than the ones you've already built up an immunity to. Combine that with lack of sleep and bad eating habits common to convention-going and it can result in you catching a nasty bug.
6. A closed drink container. Air conditioning and caffeine can result in dehydration, and sometimes going to the ConSuite isn't an option. A closed container results in fewer spills, keeping you in water and your fellow attendees out of waterlogged chairs.
7. Dressier clothes, shoes, make-up, jewelry, and other accessories for dancing, eating out, costumes, etc.
8. PDA, cellphone, or small notebook to record contact information, URLs, notes from panels, and so on.
9. A good supply of business cards.
10. Chargers for your cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, etc.
11. For women, feminine supplies. Stress, travel, and exposure to other women on different cycles can throw off a woman's cycle, so it's better to be prepared and have some supplies on hand.
12. Birth control and prophylactics. Encounters between consenting adults happen at our convention. We encourage everyone to be prepared and safe. There are better ways to grow the fandom.
13. CASH (and checks). Some dealers are not set up to take checks or credit cards and using credit cards with the Art Show or Charity Auctions is considerably more difficult than cash or checks. Since we're on a holiday weekend, finding open banks can be difficult and we've even had nearby ATMs run out of money. We also encourage our attendees to remember to tip their servers, hotel cleaning staff, and porters. This is more easily accomplished with cash.
14. ID. Hotel check-in, InConJunction Registration, dealers accepting checks or credit cards, and even some room parties where alcohol is available may require proper ID. Make sure to have it with you whenever you leave the hotel.
15. Something to serve as pockets. Some costumes, swimsuits, and a lot of women's clothing lack useful pockets. Between the odd business card, informational handout, bits of cash, ID, and the ever-present pocket program, an attendee needs somewhere to squirrel away bits of stuff. The aforementioned overshirt/cardigan, a badge holder with some pockets in it, or a small waist pouch can be useful for when your outfit lacks pockets.
16. Some extra bags for convention acquisitions and a plastic bag or two for packing damp swimsuits.

InConJunction is organized by the Circle of Janus, which is a science fiction and fantasy fan club located in the central Indiana area. We do this because we love it, not because we get paid. If you're interested in joining us or just want more information, check out the CoJ webpage. All the convention organizers and workers are unpaid volunteers.

Join the club. No, really. If you're in the central Indiana area (or even further out-- we have some out-of-state members), check out the Circle of Janus. Don't want to do that? Just drop a note to the ConChair.

It varies from guest to guest, of course. Some of them have had health issues and family crises come up. With many of our media guests, their contracts stipulate that if they have a filming job come up and they can't work us in around it, the job has precedence. Hey, this is their career, the thing that puts bread on the table for them and their families. Much as they love their fans, it's understandable that career and family take priority. We don't like it when that happens any more than you do, but it's the risk of asking someone from a fickle industry to come to our convention. Because of these factors, our guest list should always be understood to be tentative, though with every intention on both ours and our guests' parts for them to be at the con.