Minutes of the NJ / NY Costumers’ Guild Meeting on 4/18/10
Hosted by Diane K. in Kendall Park, NJ
In attendance: Diane, Byron & Tina, Kathy D., Rich & Stephanie, Dora, Carl, Marcy, Sue T., Deanna.
CC29 Update:
Darlene has sent Dora the link for the Tony Awards. Mailboxes will be set up on the CC 29 website so that departments may be contacted. Karen has linked the Costume-Con website to ours. We are also on Facebook.
Byron said that he would have the Historical Masquerade rules to her, and wants them to go “live” on the last day of CC 28. He is prepared to start taking entries at CC 28. Hopefully an interactive application form will be available on the website.
Possible appropriate theme songs: “42nd Street”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “Another Opening, Another Show”, “Give My Regards to Broadway”.
Field Trips: Diane is willing to be the contact person for that. Diane, Sue, Toni & Kathy are reasonably local to NYC. Carl suggested that 90 days before CC 29 we should list all of the currently open shows. Byron pointed out that most members will not have time for more than one field trip, so perhaps we should not come up with too long a list.
We will look into the possibility of pre-con hall costume award ribbons, such as Kevin & Andy used before CC 26. CC 29 dates, “You’re A Star”. White or gold ribbon with purple print. Check Hodges website. How many? Lots! We can appoint agents in other areas of the country. Also free membership to Best Novice @ cons. Byron said that he will do so @ NASFIC. He also suggested that we keep the membership rate at its present level through CC 28 weekend. Brief discussion of rates/tickets: tickets to view for evening shows. Youth rate: ½ of adult; kid-in-tow (under control of an adult - not running wild) $10. Tina asked if we can accept plastic in payment. Possibly Pay Pal? Toni suggested that “end date” for rate changes should be at the end of the month. She also brought a draft flyer to be taken to cons.
Con Tech: Dora & Joel will be meeting at the hotel on 5/15 or 16 to do measurements, figure stage layout, so that he can generate a list of exactly what we will need. For tech crew, reduced rate & provide food in the evenings Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Start offering committee/staff rate to tech crew. Make Joel the point of contact; he should talk to the techies – if there are any problems he can work them out with Dora.
Friday Night Social: Byron will buttle the door - will need a velvet rope. Dora will ask Ken to do paparazzi photos. At CC 24 Stephie had a great cigarette girl costume – possible reprise? Byron said that Lenny does a great Bogart. Carl commented on Broadway associated eateries: Broadway Deli, where show folk picked up the newspapers early to see the reviews, the Latin Quarter, Sardi’s.
Con Suite: Byron said that we should try to have it fully funded. Dora: Elaine will be taking it for Saturday night, to publicize CC 30.
Staffing: Karen is still doing the Future Fashion Folio. Ricky is good @ getting new people in; Byron suggested that he could be asked to be the “newbie greeter” at the con. Toni suggested that the FFF should be called “Bialystock & Bloom, Inc.”, and that the doll contest be titled “Guise & Dolls”.
Misc.: We will need restaurant & shopping guides. Also bus & train directions. Toni doesn’t think that the hotel has a shuttle, and that it might be better to take the train. She will check to see if there is a bus to the Secaucus train station. Diane said that the new NJ governor’s cutbacks will probably cause public transit prices to go up by @ least 25%. Carl suggested that a few months before the con one or more of us “test” the travel situation via mass transit.
It would be nice if we could get someone knowledgeable from the NYC theater scene who can talk about costume design from the professional point of view. Do any of the Pups have connections, know anyone in theater?
Pups’ Business:
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved; will we post them on the website, as previously discussed?. There is nothing yet on the issue of ownership of the Pups website. We have $1,438.07 in the treasury.
Sue asked everyone to send her stuff. What they want on their personal web page - bio, photos, etc. Carl said that he has a lot of old photos of Pups. Tina would like to see an “in memoriam” section for passed Pups. Byron: a “useful stuff” page: there’s only one article up so far. Please contribute handouts from workshops, etc. (hint to Toni).
Reports:
Diane did an extensive show & tell of her recent Egypt / France / London trip. Books, postcards, lots of photos. Lots of Merlin venue photos, especially! We were all jealous!
Arisia: Toni went. She said it was a lot of fun, and she was on 6 panels (Harry Potter, Dr. Who, etc.)
Lunacon: Several of us were there. Attendance was down, but people had a good time. Tina gave at the blood drive. The masquerade was very small, and was only saved by having several contestants from the $1.98."
Upcoming: CC 28: Byron & Tina, Carl, Dora will be going. Balticon on Memorial Day weekend: Diane, Rich & Stephanie plan to attend. Anime Next: Laura & Deanna will be going. NASFIC: Byron & Tina will be going, of course. Byron wants lots of entrants, as well as ribbons & flyers to take with and hand out. DragonCon: Diane will be going. Anime North in Toronto: no hands up for that one. OdoCon: in August sometime, in Baltimore: Laura will probably be going. Also TorontoTrek sometime in the summer.
Byron put in a plug for Albacon: He’s looking for suggestions (and panelists) for costume programming. And Philcon will have Peter Beagle as GoH.
Toni added two more events: the 9th Ave. Food Festival on 42nd - 57th Streets, 5/15-16, and Museum Mile on Tuesday, 6/8 - 5th Avenue closed and a big street fair.
Diane can’t host the August 21 meeting; she will be at Mini-Merlin Con. Byron & Tina will host at the Summerfield Suites hotel, Hanover/Parsippany.
Pups News: (the good parts stuff!) Diane said that Laura will graduate on 5/17. Anthony Head hugged Diane!
Next Meeting: The next meeting will be at the Hasbrouck Heights Hilton, on 6/26. The meeting room venue will be posted in the hotel lobby. Meeting topic will primarily be CC-29.