SpoCon is a full-spectrum

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

convention held annually in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...

, USA. SpoCon is a non-profit organization that supports literacy and the public schools through annual events and donations. SpoCon is a sister convention to MisCon (Missoula, Mont.), RadCon (Tri-Cities, Wash.) an
Tactical Solutions
(Spokane).

History

The first SpoCon was held in 2008 at

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the univ ...

. Attendance was far more than anticipated, in large part because the Guest of Honor was

Timothy Zahn Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. He is known best for his prolific collection of ''Star Wars'' List of Star Wars books, books, chiefly the Thrawn trilogy, ''Thrawn'' series, and has publis ...

. The second SpoCon, with the theme "Are You Fan Enough?", was held July 31 - August 2, 2009 at Gonzaga. The third SpoCon, with the theme of "The Year Fans Make Contact," ( From 2001: A Space Odyssey ) was held July 30 to August 1, 2010. The Guest of Honor was artist Michael Whelan. The 2011 convention had "The Power of Fandom" as the theme and featured best-selling author Patricia Briggs as Guest of Honor. This was the first SpoCon to leave the college campus and make a new home in the Spokane Doubletree Hotel. It was held August 12–14, 2011 and drew record numbers of attendees.Spokesman Review, August 14, 2011
Accessed November 5, 2011 In 2012, SpoCon changed from the traditional convention-committee style of leadership and operation to a business model, with the aim of creating a more efficient, forward-thinking and productive organization. In 2016 SpoCon changed back from a business model to a 501c3 non profit organization and the convention-committee style of leadership was reinstated. In 2017 SpoCon returned with a new convention committee and returned to the Doubletree Hotel. The 2018 convention had "Shoot for the Stars" as the theme. In 2019 the convention moved from the Spokane Doubletree Hotel to the Historic Davenport Hotel. The theme was "All Hail the Goblin King" with goblin-related programming and guests.

Location and dates

References

External links

SpoCon website
2008 establishments in Washington (state) Culture of Spokane, Washington Science fiction conventions in the United States Fantasy conventions Recurring events established in 2008 {{sf-convention-stub