The Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
Guest of Honor:
Neil Gaiman
Artist Guest of Honor:
Lisa Snellings-Clark
Musical Guest of Honor:
Lorraine a' Malena
Special Guest of Honor:
Gene Wolfe
2005 Compton Crook Award Winner:
Tamara Siler Jones
May 26 - 29, 2006 Memorial Day Weekend
At Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, Baltimore, MD
A Four Day, 24-hours-a-day Extravaganza!
Over 300 Hours of Multi-Track Programming featuring authors, publishers, editors,
artists, scientists, musicians and other creative SF luminaries. Join over a thousand SF fans for the
area's largest and longest running convention of its kind! Visit our huge art show, dealer's room,
concerts, dances, gaming room, computer room and video room. Everything Science Fiction and
Fantasy in one huge package.
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The POCKET PROGRAM is now
available as a PDF download! Come and get it!
HOURS OF OPERATION:
Most areas of the convention will close at 3:00am each night with the exception
of Anime, Video, Filk and the Frankie & Vinnie's Con-suite. These will be open 24 hours a day or as
close to that as our volunteers can manage.
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REGISTRATION:
$55 Full Weekend
Daily Rates:
$25 Friday May 26
$37 Saturday May 27
$32 Sunday May 28
$12 Monday May 29
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
GROUP RATE FOR MEMBERSHIPS:
Buy ten memberships at one time of one type and get the eleventh free. Must provide names and
addresses and pay with one check or credit card transaction. Great for fan clubs, family groups or
circles of friends. Buy 20 and get two free. For details write registration@bsfs.org
or use mail in form. Active duty military receive free one-day membership on Monday.
Balticon 40 Podcasts! There will be Podcasting during Balticon 40, if you need some information
before arriving at the con, or if you want to listen to our recent podcast interviews, check out our web site:
www.balticonpodcast.org .
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HOTEL:
Balticon will be held at the Marriott's Hunt Valley Hotel in Hunt Valley Maryland just north of Baltimore on Interstate 83.
THE HOTEL IS PRESENTLY SOLD OUT ON ALL NIGHTS.
Other Hotels Known to have rooms as of 5-1-06:
The Courtyard by Marriott, across street, 410-584-7070.
Embassy Suites, across street, 410-584-1400.
Ramada Inn, 1 mile from con, 410-667-4900.
Days Inn Timonium, 2 miles from con, 410-560-1000.
Chase Suite Hotel, 2 miles from con, 410-584-7370.
Extended Stay America Baltimore-Timonium, 3 miles, 800-398-7829.
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TRAVEL TO MARRIOTT'S HUNT VALLEY INN:
Find and take I-95 or I-295 North. Follow the from Points South info below.
From Pennsylvania and Points North:
Take I-95 South to I-695. Take the I-695 exit West towards Towson. From I-695, take the I-83 exit
North towards York, PA. Then follow directions below. Or if you
prefer, use the Pennsylvania Turnpike to cross Pennsylvania to Harrisburg and then take I-83 south
to the exit 20A, for Shawan Road East. Some folks prefer the ride on the Turnpike and you can pick
it up from many spots as it crosses most of southern Pennsylvania.
From Washington, DC and Points South:
Take I-95 North until you reach I-695. Take the left-lane exit North towards Towson onto I-695. From
I-695, take I-83 North towards York, PA. and then see below.
Once you've taken the I-83 North Exit from I-695:
Five miles North of the I-695/I-83 interchange is exit 20A, for Shawan Road East. Take this exit, the
hotel is at the bottom of the ramp on the right.
Parking:
Free parking around the hotel on all sides. Huge free parking lots on the east side of the hotel.
Parking lots could hold three times normal Balticon attendance and it is all free. Do remember to
lock your cars and hide valuables though, even though we are outside the urban area; please take
the precautions typical of a suburban shopping mall's parking lot. Did we mention the parking is FREE?
Public Transportation:
Light Rail
runs to the Hunt Valley Mall (across and up the street from our hotel) in the northern direction,
and to BWI in the southern direction. The transfers, however, are not entirely obvious and are
subject to change with the double track expansion. There are two stations you might use. The
station at Hunt Valley is at the intersection of Shawan Road and York Road, which is about 3 blocks
from the hotel. Call the hotel to ask them to pick you up and if the van is available, they will.
Otherwise from that station you'll need to walk 3 blocks west on Shawan Road to get to the hotel
and cross Shawan Road a four lane highway. The Pepper Road Station is the last stop before the
Hunt Valley Station. Get off at Pepper Road and walk west on Pepper Road for one block. Look to
your north west and spot the big brick hotel that does not have a sign, and that is the Hunt Valley
Inn. Cross Pepper Road and then cross huge parking lots to get to the Hunt Valley Inn. This stop is
closer and you don't need to cross a four lane highway. Bring a travel dolly if you have suitcases
because it is a walk either way. Check with the
MTA for
exact rail schedule. You can also call MTA at 410-539-5000.
If you have a reservation at the hotel call once you get to the Light Rail Station to 410-785-7000 and they will
pick you up. Or if you are not reserved you can call Jimmy's Cab Company at 410-296-7200 and for approximately $3.00
fare they will move you the 1500 ft to the hotel. (four football fields in length distance).
AMTRAK: Your arrival
station is Penn Station (downtown Baltimore - avoid middle of night due to no light rail, check
schedules). You can reach AMTRAK at 800-523-8720 or 800-872-7245. Then use light rail north to the
hotel or find a taxi.
Greyhound: You will
arrive in downtown Baltimore at 2110 Hains St. and then use the 27 bus to travel 0.9 mi. to the Camden
Yards station, or walk 0.5 mi. to the Hamburg Street light rail stop and use Light Rail to the hotel.
Check schedules to make sure you can make connections.
BWI Airport: Airport
General Information: 800-435-9294 or 410-859-7100 or 410-859-7111. Use light rail or one of the Shuttle
Services based at the Airport.
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PARTIES: Get 'em while they're FREE!
Open parties will be registered and grouped in one area easily accessible to everyone. Registering
your open party will ensure that you are covered by Balticon's corkage agreement (allowing you to
serve food and non-alcoholic drinks), and that your neighbors don't mind the noise generated.
Parties will be open until 3:00 am. Alcohol is not permitted at open room parties.
There is a $50.00 for the weekend party cleaning fee that the hotel will add to your bill for hosting
open room parties. This one time fee is $50.00 for one, two or three nights of hosting an open
party.
NOTE: The first TEN open party signups we receive will get their cleaning
fee paid by the con! This is a first come, first serve deal, so don't wait!
Open Room Parties scheduled so far:
Worldcon Bid: Denver in 2008
Worldcon Bid: Montreal in 2008
Savage Film Group Screenings all Weekend
Philcon in 2006
Space Party 2006
If you plan on holding a private party you should let us know at
party@balticon.org; we will put you with the other open
parties, so you can stay up all night talking and laughing without worrying about potential noise
complaints. If your room is in the party area, but you are not throwing an open party, you will not
be charged the additional cleaning fee. The hotel will take a deposit for open party rooms which
will be returned when they confirm the room is not damaged. Open party rooms must be confirmed
with hotel before May 5, 2006 or the hotel may reject the request for such a room. Please check
the box on the registration form if you would like to receive the open-party information packet or
send mail to party@balticon.org. Following these rules means
we can continue holding open room parties at Balticon.
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VOLUNTEERS:
Balticon is an all-volunteer managed convention and we can always use more
help. Show your SF community spirit by volunteering a few hours at the con. Volunteers who work
more than 10 hours receive our exclusive volunteer T-shirt. Work more than 20 hours and next
year's Balticon membership is comped. Sign up via email, at the convention or check the Volunteering box on
the registration form.
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ADVERTISING:
BSFAN:
The BSFAN is an award-winning annual publication of the Baltimore Science
Fiction Society, Inc., and it features original art, original science fiction and fantasy writing, and
highlights the accomplishments of program participants at the annual science fiction convention
known as Balticon.
Circulation:
Estimated readership is 2000-3000, based on an estimated distribution of 1700 at the Memorial Day
weekend convention, Balticon 39.
Advertising Rates:
Full page ad: $220
Half-page ad: $120
Quarter-page ad: $77
Business Card Size $33
Bona fide non-profit fan organizations are subject to a 50% discount off these
rates. Fan Publications wishing to trade ads must request to do so in writing by March 15, 2006.
Publication Format for Ads:
Two column format, 8.5" x 11". Ads may run either vertically or horizontally.
Please allow 1/2" border on all sides. Bleed to edge may be charged extra.
Acceptable Printing Materials:
Please send black and white camera-ready mechanicals only--our present means
of printing do not allow color interiors. Camera-ready copy may also be emailed as an attachment
(pdf format preferred--please query concerning other electronic formats) to bsfan@bsfs.org or
mailed on disk or CDROM (readable on a Windows-based PC).
Closing Date:
Published annually, final camera-ready copy must be received no later than
March 31, 2006.
Mailing Instructions:
Send all reservations and advertising copy to:
Balticon 40
P. O. Box 686
Baltimore, MD 21203-0686
For further information, contact the Balticon 40 committee at (410) JOE-BSFS
(410-563-2737 for the alphabetically challenged) or "bsfan at bsfs dot org".
Please make all monies payable in U.S. currency to: Balticon 40.
bsfan@balticon.org.
ADVERTISING OUTSIDE BSFAN:
For only 7 cents per item, your brochure, catalog, flyer or novelty item will be placed in each
registration packet by our enthusiastic volunteers. Of course our freebie table is still free for your
use, but if you want to make a firm impression and have your items placed in the registration packet
contact us at balticoninfo@balticon.org Special rates for sponsorship
of events such as con-suite or program room "banner hanging sponsorships" are available upon
request by contacting chair@bsfs.org.
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POLICIES:
Smoking and Pets:
Maryland law prohibits indoor public smoking except in designated smoking hotel
sleeping rooms and smoking sections in the restaurant and bar.
Pets are not allowed in the hotel. Legitimate service animals are not pets.
Costume Weapons:
Costume weapons must be inspected and peace bonded. Taking costume
weapons outside the hotel will create conflict; please do not take anything that
looks like a weapon outside the hotel.
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ACCESS:
If you require special access services from the convention, please contact us
before March 1, 2006 and we will attempt to accommodate you
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All materials copyright © 2005 Baltimore Science Fiction Society, Inc., unless otherwise noted. |