DemiCon is an annual volunteer-run science fiction, fantasy, and gaming convention held in

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, in late April/early May. The convention was first held in 1990.DMSFFS home page
/ref> DemiCon's host organization is th
Des Moines Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, Inc.
(DMSFFS), a nonprofit group that promotes literacy, science, and the arts, especially through the enjoyment of science fiction and fantasy.

Inception

DemiCon was founded in 1990 by

fans Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

who learned the trade from the likes of

Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...

and graduates of his University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. These fans had formed the Des Moines Science Fiction Society in 1989, and at their first meeting, included a convention among their goals. The event's name, DemiCon, is derived from the words "Des Moines Convention."

Programming and Activities

DemiCon's decades of growth have led to a wide variety of programming, but some of the offerings remain consistent from year to year. The following programming is standard fare at each DemiCon: *Opening Ceremonies, including a performance b
Trans-Iowa Canal Company
*

Gaming Gaming may refer to: Games and sports The act of playing games, as in: * Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming" * Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles * Playin ...

*Masquerade &

Cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

(a structured and staged costume contest) *Hall Costume contests (informal, no staging) *Art show *Dealers' room *Panels with the Guests of Honor *Presentations by musical guests and professional guests * Consuite *Room parties *Closing Ceremonies In addition to the staples listed above, DemiCon offers parallel-programming (also known as multiple-track sessions) that can include many diverse topics from A

nime New Interfaces for Musical Expression, also known as NIME, is an international conference dedicated to scientific research on the development of new technologies and their role in musical expression and artistic performance. History The confer ...

to Z ombies. DemiCon is a family-friendly event, and offers a wide range of activities with appeal across generations of sci-fi and fantasy fans. A DemiCon member (attendee) might experience: *Music room featuring

filking Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s. Etymology and defin ...

*Gaming competitions with prizes (from board games to electronic games) * Live Action Role Playing (LARP) *Fhannish Film Festival *Venue D ( open-mike entertainment) *Discussions of literature, television, movies, media *Panels on science, technology, and the future *

Steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

and

alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...

activities *

Anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

programming and

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

*Children's programming *Teen Lounge *Presentations pertaining to a wide variety of hobbies and activities, such as: **needlework show-and-tell **home-brew tasting and judging **belly dancing **defending the world against zombies *Demonstrations of costume and

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

construction *Iowa's Writers Forum *Live theatrical performances, such as
TICC
After Dark" *Video room *

Blood drive Blood Drive may refer to: Donation *Blood drive, campaigns and special events to solicit blood donations Games *Blood Drive (video game), ''Blood Drive'' (video game), a 2010 vehicular combat video game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 *''Corpse Pa ...

Scavenger hunt ''Scavenger Hunt'' is a 1979 American comedy film with a large ensemble cast which includes Richard Benjamin, James Coco, Scatman Crothers, Ruth Gordon, Cloris Leachman, Cleavon Little, Roddy McDowall, Robert Morley, Richard Mulligan, Tony Randa ...

Venues

DemiCon has always made its home in the metro area of Des Moines, Iowa, USA. DemiCon 1 through DemiCon 7 in 1990 to 1996 were held at the Howard Johnson (which is now the Holiday Inn Northwest) on Merle Hay Road. This was also the venue for DemiCon 9 in 1998. The Inn at University was the venue for DemiCon 8 and 10 in 1997 and 1999. For DemiCon 11 in 2000 through DemiCon 13 in 2002, the location was the University Park Holiday Inn in West Des Moines (which is now Sheraton). The Hotel Fort Des Moines in the downtown area was the site of DemiCon 14 through 20 in 2003 through 2009. In 2010, DemiCon 21 returned to its original location at the Holiday Inn Northwest. This is slated to be the convention's site through DemiCon 35 in 2024.

Guests of Honor and Themes

The following table lists the annual themes, and the guests that have honored DemiCon since the event was founded.DemiCon home page
/ref>

References

External links