Hello, Penguicon.
Guest of Honor, Baha Blast, will no longer be joining us this year.
Why? In all honesty…
First, I completely neglected to follow up on communication that I should not have assumed had been handled. This is something a conchair should always be on top of, especially with Guests of Honor! I was not. They were understandably frustrated.
Second, when they came to me with safety concerns, I first misread the severity of those concerns, and though immediately offering the extra backup they requested, my response came through in a way that did not make them feel that their safety was my priority. I can not blame them in the least for this.
And so, sadly, this is an announcement to say that all of the Drag programming will be cancelled this weekend. I made decisions early on in the process and of which I should have foreseen the consequences, and this is the result.
Please make sure to support your favorite Drag Royalty, and show them all of the love that they clearly deserve. ❤
-Bagel
ConChair, PenguiCon 2024
Category: News
bookmark_borderHOTEL ROOM BLOCK DEADLINE
The hotel room block absolutely ENDS on March 28. We need to fill up the last of the rooms, and if you want to stay for our discounted Penguicon rates, then you HAVE TO BOOK your room now!
EDIT: Date has been pushed to April 5th, but that’s definitely going to be the hard deadline.
See the Hotel Page for all the details, or go straight to the Penguicon booking link here.
bookmark_borderPenguicon 2024 Masking Requirements
Everyone (age 2+) is required to wear an approved Mask while attending Penguicon 2024. An approved Mask must, at a minimum; fit properly and snuggly, fully covering your nose and mouth, and secure under your chin.
Masks/Face Coverings Not Permitted:
- Masks with exhalation valves
- Face coverings, including bandanas, that are unable to be secured under your chin
- Neck Gaitors
- Masks with mesh materials
- Masks that contain holes or are significantly damaged
- Costume masks
- Clear, open bottom, plastic face shields, only. (may be worn in conjunction with an approved mask)
This policy applies to all members (Age 2+) including staff, dealers, artists, presenters, guests, and cosplayers, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. There are no exceptions to the Mask Mandate, however, as always, email us at [email protected] for help with accommodations for those with disabilities.
DUE TO ONGOING CHANGES REGARDING TESTING AND VACCINES:
2024 PENGUICON WILL NOT REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION OR NEGATIVE COVID-19 TESTING. MASKS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.
bookmark_borderAnnouncing our final Guest of Honor: Baha Blast (they/them)
Baha Blast (27, They/Them) is Michigan’s Clown Shapeshifter; with 7 years in drag and even more in cosplay, this multi stage conquering clown is ready to make your day. Baha Blast is so named for their laugh (and of course, the drink) and is finally coming to Penguicon for the first time! They’re known for helping their local communities through Drag events and deep cleanings. They’ve done drag in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania- and soon enough, the Penguicon stage! Stay tuned for a release on their socials (@bahablastdrag) for what they’ll look like the days of the con. They’re super excited to be here and meet you all~
bookmark_borderUpdate on the Penguicon Schedule
Hello Penguicon Peoples and Folks!
This is a State of the Penguicon Schedule post. Feel free to share it. Let’s talk programming, the schedule, and a tentative timeline of when it will be open.
Currently we are in the process of sorting thru the programming you submitted. Once we’ve properly sorted everything we will get it into our Sched and contact everyone who submitted a proposed event.
Program Ops has set a goal of being in contact with all submitters by the end of the weekend. (Feb 25-26th.) We will also be in contact with those of you who have filled out the “I want to be on panels” form.
After we have the bulk of programming into Sched, we will publish a list of panels looking for additional panelists. This list will be published after Feb. 26th (ish).
The Writer’s Block applicants will also be hearing from team Program Ops hopefully next week. (If not sooner.)
Those of you who have completed the Room Parties form will begin to hear from us around March 1st.
Maker Market applicants – you should have been contacted already, so check your emails!!!
Barring technical difficulties, it is Team Program Ops hope that by the end of the weekend we can allow Presenters to view their schedules, and then we release the Sched by next week to the public. We greatly appreciate your patience and support as we work to schedule in this new and exciting space.
Once we’ve got the initial release of the schedule up and public, we’ll work on providing PDF Maps in advance to the community so you can begin familiarizing yourself with the new layout. We’re going to do our best to reach our goal deadlines, so bear with us as we work to fit all the pieces into this new Pengui-puzzle that is the Eagle Crest Ypsilanti hotel.
If you have questions regarding anything you submitted, please email [email protected] .
Team Program Ops:
- Lithie Dubois
- Pete Cerra
bookmark_borderGuest of Honor: benny Vasquez
benny Vasquez (she/her) is the Chair of the Board of Directors at the AlmaLinux OS Foundation and brings nearly 20 years of experience to the role. With experience as Manager of Community and Developer Relations at Progress, Manager of Community Engagement at cPanel, and Head of Monitoring at LiquidWeb, all before joining Microsoft as an Open Source Security Program Manager, benny boasts a successful trac
k record in community building, customer engagement, and business development. With leadership roots in community management, product
management, and business strategy, benny is a leading voice in the world of community-driven software and everything AlmaLinux. benny is passionate about AlmaLinux OS and is dedicated to this innovative global community’s commitment to complete transparency and community-focused development.
bookmark_borderAuction Success!
Nearly everything from the Auction has now been shipped, and with not a single person requesting reimbursement for their shipping costs, the Auction brought in a total of $3,209.
This, plus additional non-auction donations, and the ticket sales we’ve made so far, went to making our first $5,000 payment to the hotel. I can’t even explain how much you all helped. This was a HUGE demand this early in the year, and we have done it! Well done, everyone.
We are already planning another for end-of-March into beginning-of-April next year, so that deliveries can be made AT Penguicon!
bookmark_borderTech Guest of Honor: J. Wolfgang Goerlich
J. Wolfgang Goerlich is a hacker and an Advisory CISO. Prior to this role, he led IT and IT security in the healthcare and financial services verticals. Wolfgang has held senior positions at several consulting firms, leading security advisory and assessment practices. He is an active part of the security community, co-founding and organizing communities and conferences. Wolfgang regularly advises on the topics of security architecture and design, identity and access management, zero trust, and resilience.
bookmark_borderGuest of Honor: Margret-Ann Miller
With Bagel as conchair, you KNOW there has to be some needle felting! I am honored and thrilled to announce our next guest of honor. Check out our auction for a piece she has graciously donated!
Margret-Ann Miller, a Toledo, Ohio native, started needle felting in 2011 and was teaching the art form by 2013. She has been featured in several international fiber arts and doll magazines, including Art Doll Quarterly, Fiber Art Now, and International Doll Artists. In addition, her needle felted dragons and dolls have been exhibited in galleries, museums, and international art exhibitions and competitions.
“I am honored and excited to have been asked to be a Guest of Honor at Penguicon again!” She refers to her 2020 GOH appearance, which was canceled due to COVID. “Let’s hope the second time is a charm. I’m looking forward to finally attending this event!”
bookmark_borderCyber Monday Auction Fundraiser
Hello, Penguicon!
We’re trying something I don’t think we’ve ever tried before. We’re going to try having an online auction, pre-con!
Starting on Cyber Monday (November 27), we will be hosting an auction with items donated by our generous congoers, makers, authors, and artists. It will run up to 11:45PM on Thursday (November 30). You can go check out what’s already been donated, at GiveButter. This platform is free for Penguicon to use, minus payment processing fees, and it is funded entirely by tips made along with donations. You can get registered now, so that you are all ready to bid, when the auction opens!
If you have something you would like to donate, please fill out This Form and email [email protected] with any questions. We are accepting new items, handmade items, collectible items, books, as well as gift cards, subscriptions, experiences, and services.
This is part of our attempt to front-feed funds to cover the Penguicon expenses that come many months before the con itself.