Steampunk Road Trip – Geneva Steam Convention

 

Next stop – Geneva Steam Convention, where Camille “Pixie” Sanders will share a bit about her event.

 

Hello Camille! Let’s start off with your role in putting on this event.

Camille Sanders: I am a Co-Chair and general “cheerleader/Muse/task master” for the convention.

 

Conventions and events take a lot of cheer leading, marketing, and communication to keep the message and news in front of people. Regarding the news, where is your convention located?

Camille Sanders: We are happy to have our convention at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI, which is located next to Lake Geneva WI.

Our convention fills a lovely “empty” spot of Mid-winter in the convention season, held the weekend of March 9-11th this year.

 

March is a good time among all the other conventions and options that people have. How did this convention get started?

Camille Sanders: The convention began as the founder Melinda “Pinky” Mitchell borrowed skills from her Steampunk and Vintage clothing store “The Filigree Toad” and her role working on the planning committee at “Pirate Fest Las Vegas”.  She married those skills into a Steampunk Convention because working the conventions were so much fun.  The first year she and a few volunteers created a very small and cozy convention.  Only 4 years later (and now with a baby!)  I have taken over most of the creative force and management.  For me it has grown into a Steampunk Family Reunion.  We are now being called the “Relax-a-con” for we keep things more or less simple and we do this purely for the love of the Steampunk Community.

 

Steampunk events as a family reunion are such a great thing. Sometimes, these events are the only place we really get to see some people in person and really catch up. Phones calls and live video are great, but there’s nothing quite like enjoying someone’s company while enjoying a cup of tea. What will people find in your event programming?

Camille Sanders: We offer a variety panels during the day that highlight makers, beginners and advanced lessons, theme driven content and more.  Friday night and Saturday night we offer musical entertainment and sometimes other variety show performers. We also are lucky to have Terra Mysterium, a theatrical group from Chicago, perform for us each year. We are lucky that they create the performance specifically for our convention each time.  There are a number of other activities in the works this year that we aren’t ready to reveal!  It also must be noted that the hotel is configured for the perfect Steampunk Victorian Stroll in view of the lake without having to go out doors!

 

Are there any notable moments or performances you can share with us?

Camille Sanders: Our convention is a family friendly during the day and the evening entertainment is more or less geared towards the adults.  Our Evening entertainment has included The Dead Man’s Carnival Variety Show, Dublin O’Shea Band, Phoole’s Panharmonium and various burlesque and Circus and Contortionist acts.  Also, we are proud to offer an exclusive performance created just for our convention each year by the acting group Terra Mysterium who are based out of Chicago, IL.  Our author panel is starting to grow and has included, Danielle Arthur Lieber of Black Rose Writing, Dan Jager, author and gaming enthusiast and Geoffrey Mandragora.  We also added a professional body paint artist in 2017.  Additionally we have the fantasy photographic talents of Realtime Portrait Studios.  This year we have also added Tin Type photographer. We enjoy the creative process and finding new things to offer each year.

 

What a great lineup! When someone arrives for the first time, what will they see?

Camille Sanders: The convention is held at the historic Lake Lawn Resort, that has a rustic charm and fascinating history.  Views of the lake can be enjoyed indoors throughout most of the hotel.  Since the location is in Wisconsin during March it is a bit unpredictable what weather we are going to have. Year one we had snow and the last few years the weather has been spring-like which allowed guests to wander the beautiful grounds and enjoy the lake views outdoors.  (So pack for both eventualities!) There are a large variety of rooms that are available at the hotel to help with those who may want to share rooms or have their own space.  The hotel has a variety of restaurants, bars and a spa onsite for convenience and the surrounding are a being in such close proximity to Lake Geneva which provides endless other options to supplement your experience. It may be nice to add a day and explore.  I will note that the internet reception, due to the location, can at times be in and out. However since we are traveling back in time to the Victorian era this should be expected 🙂

As far as our convention offerings go, our convention has been described as the “Relax-a-con” or the “Steampunk family reunion”. We have created a lovely event with offerings of panels and entertainment scheduled in a simple way.  We encourage you to relax and connect with the steampunk community without the hustle and bustle of a very packed and rich schedule. We all enjoy the rich offerings of Teslacon and Symposium, yet our patrons have stated they delight in the more “Victorian Stroll” pace of our event as a bit of change with “just enough” to go to.  My goal has always been to build the Steampunk community with a welcoming aura for new and veteran steampunks alike.  We are a community that feels like a family, please come enjoy the cozy atmosphere and connect with the creative people who attend.

 

This sounds like such an enjoyable convention! How can people best keep up to date on news and information?

Camille Sanders: To follow our event please like us on Facebook at “Geneva Steam Convention” and our website at “www.genevasteam.com“.  We also have a fan page on Facebook “friends of geneva steam“

Time is flying by, Travelers! Get your tickets ASAP!

Until our next stop, follow the whole steampunk road trip on the Master Link List