Introduction
When: LexiCon is being held over Queens Birthday Weekend, which is the 2nd – 4th of June, 2017. The official opening ceremony will be held on the Friday evening, though some events may take place before then, and the convention will run late into the night on the Sunday.
Where: The convention will take place at the Suncourt Hotel in Taupō, New Zealand. This is the first time a NatCon has come to Taupō, and we’re really excited about that! We've booked out the entire hotel for our exclusive use.
What: A long weekend full of panels, workshops, entertainment, and socialising. We’ll be developing our programme to provide a whole range of opportunities for attendees. If there is anything you'd like to see on the programme, please feel free to drop us a line.
Who It’s For: LexiCon is run by fans, for fans – which means anyone who loves science fiction and fantasy, in any form. Most members are avid readers, but we also include many fans of film and TV, games, etc. Both amateur and professional writers and other creators also attend.
Who We Are: The LexiCon convention committee is a talented lot, with award winning writers, editors, passionate fans, and international speakers among the group. We’re from a diverse set of backgrounds too, each with a fascinating story to tell. Although we won’t bore you here!
Why ‘LexiCon’? Good question. Each year the NatCon is run by a different team of volunteers, who pick a name for their convention. Fannish SF cons traditionally tend to use names containing the word ‘con’, though there are exceptions. ‘Lexicon’ derives from the Greek language, meaning ‘of or for words’. The eclectic herd of personalities that make up the LexiCon concom decided on the name because it summed up a number of our goals:
- To communicate our love of science fiction and fantasy in all its many forms.
- To engage in conversation around the way language is used in these realms to explore ideas and create new meaning.
- To create a culture of diversity and inclusivity.
After all, if we do have one thing in common here, it’s that we’re passionate about words.
We also feel strongly that words and well thought out communication have power – the power to create a culture, to put a strong shoulder behind a positive message and to be inclusive to those from all walks of life.