I attended my first convention when I was eighteen. Back in 1989. A small Doctor Who convention in the now demolished King Henry the 8th hotel in St. Louis. It was the first large fan-run convention I had ever attended, and I attended as Security. I guarded the VIP room and guest corralling. If you’re an older Doctor Who fan then you’ll know how unexpected it is for an 18 year old young woman to open a door to a hotel room to see Sophie Aldred standing there with a smile on her face. That was my first taste of behind the scenes of a convention.
While I never had the same entrance into conventions as I did with my first one, I have continued to attend cons. I’ve been on panels, been on staff, run registration, done odd jobs. Enjoyed the convention atmosphere. I have always enjoyed straddling the fence between being on the inside and enjoying the experience of con.
In 2017, I discovered this convention in Atlanta, 221B Con. A fan run convention dedicated to Sherlock Holmes. With the end of BBC Sherlock and people I found on the internet, some who have since become some of my dearest pocket friends I see once a year, I made the last minute decision to attend. And I’m glad I did.
It was awkward and fascinating and I went back in 2018. And haven’t missed a year since. In 2019, I began joining panels at 221B Con. I even attended the virtual convention in 2020 during the pandemic.
Because that wasn’t enough, Between 2020-2024, I created and hosted my own small virtual convention for a small group of Sherlock Holmes fans.
For those who know by now, in April 2024 the beekeepers decided that 2025 would be their last year. They were tired and membership was down. They felt 221B Con had run its course. The congoers, however, had different ideas. Myself and a new con friend, Johanna Draper Carlson, went up to Crystal and Heather at the end of Final Bow and offered our help. They were mostly running the entire con on their own and they were tired.
In August of 2025 we reached out again and offered our help. And that’s when it all took off. Without stepping on toes, Johanna and I took over some of the tasks. Helping with social media posts, getting messages out there. Letting people know when registration was open, when the hotel room blocks opened. Panel ideas, panelist applications, vendors, the hotel. It was a crash course at the true behind the scenes of how a convention ran.
During this time, I had joined the staff of two other fan run conventions. I ran registration for Holmes in the Heartland 2023 and I have been on the registration staff for AnimeSTL since 2018. Helping out with a convention shouldn’t be too hard, right?
By March 2025, we had everything ready. Johanna had taken over promotions, we had donations coming in, the hotel rooms and registration were booming. Vendors were ready. Everything was set for what was supposed to be the Final Bow for 221B Con.
Then came that fateful evening in March. Johanna was going on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere to promote 221B Con and needed to know if this was the final year. I received a call from Johanna, Crystal, and Heather one evening to discuss the continuation of 221B Con. Crystal and Heather agreed they couldn’t continue running it. But they would be willing to hand over the reins to Johanna and myself.
So kids, that’s how Johanna and I inherited a convention.
Spoilers: Running registration for both a convention that hosts up to 90 people and a convention that hosts 8,000 people is cake compared to running an entire convention. There are so many hats we had to wear that I didn’t even own before!
2026 was our trial by fire. I will always be forever grateful to Crystal and Heather who agreed to stay on as board members and our shadow people, in the background to assist but mostly to enjoy themselves for the first time in thirteen years. There are so many different things that need to be done to pull off a successful convention. Hotel space (we are so thankful to the Atlanta Airport Marriott for being so welcoming), set up, payments, registration. The updated website itself took three months before it went live. Panels, panelists, vendors, payments for that. Smaller things like U-Hauls, enough people to help unload and load and set up. Tiny things like inflatable couches. Staplers. Pens. Card readers. Badge ribbons. So many things. Johanna and I acquired helpers along the way in the form of Eileen who redesigned our website, Sebastian, who took over social media posts and pushed interactions, Edward who runs the Strangers Room breakfast and took over Vendor Coordinator for this year, and Ewebie, who reopened a fan favorite in the Writer’s Suite. To Michael and Rusty who were willing to do anything that was needed. There are so many others as well. So many people stepped up to help make sure 221B Con 2026 went off without too many bumps.
The con itself was mostly a blur. Ask me one thing I enjoyed during April’s con and I couldn’t tell you one specific thing. Consistently running from one place to another, making sure everything went smoothly. Finding lost items, trying to figure out who could help where at the last minute. All I remember is Sunday night, sitting on a couch with Crystal and a few others when the midnight toast began. Finding out that being a beekeeper isn’t only putting out fires and double checking that everything is going according to schedule. It’s also about toasting old friends, gone friends, making memories and connections with those who are still here.
I’ve attended 221B con for nine years. It has taken me down roads I didn’t even think were open for me. It has opened up possibilities and opportunities I never would have imagined. I’ve made so many friendships that I hold dear and this year, I was lucky enough to step into the role of family. Running 221B Con is one of the hardest, stressful, and most brilliant things I’ve ever been honored to do in my life. I am grateful to Crystal and Heather every day for not only creating something so long lasting and beloved, but trusting Johanna and I enough to hand their baby over to us. It was an education and an enjoyment. I plan on continuing for as long and Johanna and I can.
See you all in 2027!
No comments:
Post a Comment