SpaceCon (Space: 1999 convention)

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Convention
Name: SpaceCon
Dates: 1978-1999, 2001, 2003
Frequency: Periodic
Location: Various cities in the USA
Type: fan-run con
Focus: Space: 1999
Organization: The International Space: 1999 Alliance
Founder: Jeff Jones
Founding Date: 1978
URL: SpaceCon XV
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SpaceCon was a Space: 1999 convention first held July 28-30, 1978. It was the first in a series of Space:1999 conventions held in various cities throughout the USA from 1978 to 2003, benefiting various charities.

The first thirteen cons were held under the auspices of the International Space: 1999 Alliance. Two additional independent SpaceCons, also benefiting charitable causes, were mounted in 2001 and 2003.

Following the 1978 con, two fans broke away and attempted to organize their own con. See The Space: 1999 Convention.

SpaceCon I

  • program for 1978

SpaceCon II

  • Held July 27-29, 1979 at the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Guests: Barry Gray, Nick Tate, Prentis Hancock, Anton Phillips; shortly before the con Gerry Anderson had been a confirmed guest
  • read the contents of the program book here
  • Attendance: Approximately 500
  • Charity: Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. Donation: ???
  • con reports by fans are here in the "Command Center" downloads: Dragon's Domain, Archived version
  • Performance of The Sound of Alpha filk songbook

In June 1979, the editor of Alpha Newsletter #21 wrote:

Hello people! As we all know the Space Convention is only three short weeks away! Can hardly believe it! And with this little announcement comes another little announcement* Presently the "Alliance" treasury has the minimum to cover con expenses. The guest list for this year's convention is most impressive as you know but those overseas flights ad up - close to $1000.00 each. For this con to succeed more fan response is needed and NOW! Even if you are not going a supporting membership is very important - and if you are going get that membership in now! Final date is July 15th and all membership orders must be accompanied by a S.A.S.E. to receive your membership. I hope all members will support Con'79 for without it this will mean a large blow downwards for Space fandom.

  • program for 1979

SpaceCon III

  • Held July 25-27, 1980 at the Neill House Hotel, Columbus, Ohio
  • Guests: Nick Tate, Prentis Hancock, Dave Prowse (Beta Cloud Monster), plus, Herb Jefferson, Jr. (Boomer from Battlestar Galactica)
  • Attendance: Approximately 400
  • Charity: Columbus Children's Hospital
  • read the contents of the program book and the post-con report here
  • There is a con report in Linguacode in September 1980.
  • con reports by fans are here in the "Command Center" downloads: Dragon's Domain, Archived version

  • program for 1980

SpaceCon IV

  • Held August 7-9, 1981 at the * Sheraton Inn Airport, Atlanta, Georgia
  • guests: Barry Gray, Suzanne Roquette, and David Hirsch (writer for Starlog magazine)
  • Charity: Egelston Children's Hospital. Donation: ???
  • Attendance: Approximately 300
  • read the contents of the program book here
  • con reports by fans are here in the "Command Center" downloads: Dragon's Domain, Archived version

  • Program for 1981

  • Spacecon1981flyer.jpg

SpaceCon V

  • Held July 30-Aug 1, 1982 ata the Marriott Hotel, Springfield, Massachusetts
  • Guests: Barry Morse, Sarah Douglas (Superman movies and Series 2 guest star), Martin Bower (Space: 1999 staff modeler), and Gray Morrow (illustrator of the 1999 comic books)
  • Charity: Springfield Children’s Hospital
  • Attendance: Approximately 500
  • read the contents of the program book, the post-con report here
  • This was the first convention that was not directly run by the Alliance president and national officers. The hands-on planning was trusted rather to certain regional Alliance representatives. However, due to gross mismanagement of convention funds, the organizing staff were unable to pay the extensive bills incurred and fans had to be solicited for money at the con in order to cover costs. Largely regarded as an enjoyable convention, due in large part to the presence of Barry Morse in his first con appearance. In fandom it is considered a disaster due to the fact no donation could be made to the designated charity due to the gross mismanagement funds by some members of the organizing staff. This resulted is a re-thinking of convention planning by the Alliance leadership. All future conventions would be closely overseen by the then current Alliance President(s); any regional director(s) who planned conventions away from the home base of the serving president would no longer be given control of any money. The President's control of all convention funds was a standard maintained through 1999.

  • Program for 1982

  • Flyer for 1982

  • Friday & Saturday Schedule, 1982

  • Sunday Schedule, 1982

SpaceCon VI

  • Held July 15-17, 1983 at the Holiday Inn, Eastgate, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Guests: Anne Lockhart (Battlestar Galactica). All 1999 guests had to cancel due to work commitments
  • Charity: Cincinnati Children's Hospital, donation: $3,472
  • Attendance: Approximately 200

  • Flyer for SpaceCon 6, printed in Imperium #1

SpaceCon VII

  • Held July 19-21, 1985 at the Stouffer's Concourse Hotel, Arlington, Virginia
  • Guests: Frank Ashmore (Martin from 'V'), all 1999 guests had to cancel due to work commitments
  • Charity: Arlington Children's Hospital
  • read the contents of the program book, the post-con report here
  • mis-identified as "SpaceCon 8" by organizers

  • Program for 1985

SpaceCon VIII

  • Held July 18-20, 1986 at the Hollywood Holiday Inn, Hollywood, California
  • Guests: Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse and Nick Tate
  • Charity: Los Angeles Child Development Center
  • Attendance: Approximately 250
  • Also called "SpaceCon '86"

  • Flyer for 1986

SpaceCon IX

  • Held July 17-19, 1987 in Sandusky, Ohio
  • Guest: Jeff Jones
  • Charity: None as this was a small "relax-a-con"

SpaceCon X

  • Held August 11-13, 1989 in Wapokeneta, Ohio
  • Guests: Barry Morse & Sydney Sturgess
  • Charity: None as this was a "relax-a-con"
  • Also called "Relax-a-Con 2"

SpaceCon XI

  • Held July 17-19, 1992 at the Gateway Plaza Holiday Inn, La Mirada, Calfornia
  • Guests: Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, and Nick Tate
  • Charity: The Parkinson Foundation. Donation: $2,400
  • Attendance: Approximately 175
  • Mis-identified by organizers as "SpaceCon 10"; also known as "Command Conference"
  • read the contents of the post-con report here

  • Cover of post-con report

SpaceCon XII

  • Cover of post-con report

SpaceCon XIII - Breakaway: The Convention

  • Held September 10-13, 1999 at the Radisson Hotel, Culver City, Calfornia
  • Guests: Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, Nick Tate, Prentis Hancock, Anton Phillips, Zienia Merton, Johnny Byrne, and John Muir (author of "Exploring Space: 1999)
  • Surprise Guest: Fred Freiberger (first and only con appearance)
  • Ballroom had a full-scale replica of the Command Center view screen and doorways
  • "Message From Moonbase Alpha" (written by Johnny Byrne and starring Zienia Merton, reprising her series role of Sandra Benes) premiered as a surprise
  • Barbara Bain and Barry Morse starred in a production of A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters" on Saturday evening, September 11th
  • Prentis Hancock donated his original Comlock to the charity auction and it raised $1,999.00 for the charity, a number Hancock specifically had in mind
  • The original script for "Message from Moonbase Alpha' was auctioned off for $2,500.00
  • Highest charity donation ever: $20,000 was split between BookPals (charity supported by Barbara Bain) and the Parkinson's Foundation of the UK (charity supported by Barry Morse)
  • Attendance: Exactly 311, including walk-ins (there were 311 personnel on Moonbase Alpha when the moon blasted out of Earth orbit on September 13, 1999)
  • Final official con hosted by the Alliance

  • Cover of program

SpaceCon XIV

The con was also known as SpaceCon: 2001. It was held on July 27-29, 2001 at the Radisson Hotel at Sabal Park, Tampa, Florida. It featured actors Barry Morse and Nick Tate. There were a number of miscellaneous panel discussions, and fan fiction panels; as well as episode discussions with Nick Tate and Barry Morse following viewings of the episodes Death's Other Dominion and Black Sun. It was chaired by Ellen Celeste Lindow and benefited The Parkinson Foundation, donation: $4,770. Attendance was approximately 100 (held in conjunction with a local convention with 300 additional attendees).

Staffers and panelists included: Robert E. Wood, Anthony Wynn, Charlene Scott, Terry S. Bowers, and Jenny Lobb.

Some of the con highlights included:

Friday

  • Opening Session & Raffle
  • An Hour With Barry Morse
  • Shakespeare to Shaw & Beyond with Barry Morse

Saturday

  • Rubbish 101: An Actor's Life with Barry Morse
  • Trek Vs 1999 with Nick Tate

Sunday

  • The Magic of the spoken word with Nick Tate - "Voice Work in the 21st Century"
  • Space: 1999 Weakest Link hosted by Jenny Lobb
  • An Hour with Nick Tate
  • The Future of the Performing Arts with Nick Tate and Barry Morse

SpaceCon: 2001 Program

  • SpaceCon XV Program, front cover

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 2

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 3

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 4

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 5

  • SpaceCon XV Program, back cover


Original flyer, 2003

SpaceCon XV

  • Also known as SpaceCon: 2003 (the 15th and final SpaceCon)
  • Held July 19-20, 2003 at the Crown Plaza Downtown, Portland, Oregon
  • Guest: Barry Morse (Zienia Merton cancelled due to work commitments in the UK)
  • Included a bus tour with Morse and all attendees to Mt. St. Helens in Washington state.
  • Charity: The Parkinson's Center of Oregon, donation: $3,100
  • Celebrating the 25th anniversary of SpaceCon I in 1978
  • Chaired by Anthony Wynn
  • Attendance: 72

SpaceCon XV Program

  • SpaceCon XV Program, front cover

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 2

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 3

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 4

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 5

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 6

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 7

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 8

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 9

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 10

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 11

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 12

  • SpaceCon XV Program, page 13

  • SpaceCon XV Program, back cover

Related Cons

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