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Penny Farthing Pod Races - Course Hazard Information

31
Jan 2014
The esteemed Symposium Games Pin awarded to the champions of each game.

The esteemed Symposium Games Pin awarded to the champions of each game.

Greetings future Symposium Games participants and support staff. I’m writing tonight to provide you with new pertinent information regarding the hazards you may (will) encounter as your group’s pod racer navigates the course during the Penny Farthing Pod Race.

1. Tusken Raiders - If you have read the previous course brief you will know that you may (will) encounter some unscrupulous Sand People with NERF guns, firing on you from the cliffs as you begin to round turn one. The race committee has decided to allow each racer to have shields mounted on their engines (your pushers can carry a shield in their free hands) This shield must be hand held and no larger than 18 inches across (round or rectangular) This shield can be used to block foam fury from hitting your engines (pushers) while you are in the straight approaching turn 2.

2. Narrow Passage - As you can see in the course map below (click to enlarge) there is a slope in the final straight-away of the course. This rise in elevation will provide more than just a strain on your engine(s), it is also a NARROW passage which IF both of your engines manage to make it into turn 2, it could be a tight fit. This also means that if you are going to be bringing your OWN customized Pod Racer (tricycle) you will have to account for a canyon (ramp) width of exactly 3 feet from one hand rail to the other. The entrance to the canyon is wide open: thirteen feet from the back wall of turn 2 to the opening of the canyon. This means that getting into the canyon should be easy, as long as your pod racer isn’t too wide.

Use this information wisely as you design your custom pod racer (not required but encouraged- see the rules for more information)

SES14_Penny_Farthing_Podrace_Rules.pdf

BlueAsh_Ballrooms_Races

 

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Dirigible Races - Course Change

30
Jan 2014
The esteemed Symposium Games Pin awarded to the champions of each game.

The esteemed Symposium Games Pin awarded to the champions of each game.

Greetings veteran and future dirigible racers. I am writing to inform you of change in the course for this year’s Steampunk Empire Symposium Dirigible Races. After completing a second site visit in which measurements were made and air currents were checked, a revision of the course map has been made. This new course map has the course change plotted and all environmental control vents and intakes marked. The original rules post has been revised with this new information but I present it here as well for your review.

SES14_Dirigible_Races_Rules_revised

Click the thumbnail image below to see it full size:

BlueAsh_Ballrooms_Commence_Your_Run_revFor those who are veteran flyers let me assure you that the course change was NOT due to air currents created in the airspace by vents and intakes. As you can see in the new map, there are very few intakes, and they are completely out of the plotted course you will be taking. The vents however may look daunting to you, but do not fret, the vents do not have any high velocity air coming from them, and the low velocity air from each vent all blow inward towards the center of the course. (they don’t point DOWN, they point IN)

The course change was necessary due to ceiling height at the beginning of the ramp. You may not have noticed from the map, but the center of the room is 3 steps lower than the terrace surrounding the course, and the center of the room has a ceiling height of only 10 foot (I know, it sucks, but it’s what we have to work with).

For this reason I am RECOMMENDING that if you haven’t designed and built your dirigible yet, it’s recommended that you do not use the 6 foot vertical dimension rule as a point to shoot for, shorter is better due to the low ceiling.

That completes this update. Stay tuned for any future updates, but I think we’re probably set and ready to go.

CaelynTek

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Sponsoring the Symposium

29
Jan 2014
Symposium Sponsor Sheet Cover

Click the image to a four page mock up of the 2014 Symposium Program Book with ad size examples.

The are a number of ways that businesses and individuals can help support the the Steampunk Empire Symposium and reach our growing audience.

Symposium attendees come from very diverse demographics and a wide scope of ages ranging from 8 to 88, but surveys have shown that the average attendee is between 25 and 35, college educated with a yearly income over $50,000. Attendees are near equally split between men and women, with the women slightly out numbering the men.

Platinum Sponsor - $1,000

  • 6 foot by 3 foot banner in main stage hall.
  • Logo or ad prominently displayed at the top of far right column with link to your website. Image is 280 pixels tall by 160 pixels wide, and posted upon payment and remains on the site until the end of May 2014.
  • Full page (4.5 x 7.5 inches) black and white ad in program book.
  • Four full VIP weekend admissions to the Event and Sponsor Reception.
  • On-stage mention at opening & closing ceremonies.

Gold Sponsor - $500

  • 4 foot by 2 foot banner in main stage hall.
  • Logo or ad prominently displayed toward the top of far right column with link to your website. Image is 160 pixels tall by 160 pixels wide, and posted upon payment and remains on the site until the end of May 2014.
  • Half page (4.5 x 3.25 inches) black and white ad in program book.
  • Two full VIP weekend admissions to the Event and Sponsor Reception.
  • On-stage mention at opening & closing ceremonies.
Balloons

The popular Dirigible Races

Special Event Sponsor - $100

  • Logo or ad displayed in the far right column with link to your website. Image is 160 pixels tall by 160 pixels wide, and posted upon payment and remains on the site until the end of May 2014.
  • On-stage mention before/during your sponsored event.
  • Quarter page ad in program book & mention with printed description of event.

Currently available events:
Penny Farthing Races, Fashion Contest, Tea Dueling, Lightsaber Cricket, NERF Dueling, Symposium Ball, Bocce Ball contest, and Mustache Contest.

SES 2013 Program Book Cover

The 2013 Symposium Program Book

Program Books Ads

  • Back Cover - $500 (7.5 inches tall x 4.5 inches wide, color)
  • Inside Cover - $200 (7.5 inches tall x 4.5 inches wide, color)
  • Full Page - $100 (7.5 inches tall x 4.5 inches wide, black and white)
  • Half Page - $60 (3.75 or 7.5 inches tall x 4.5 or 2.25 inches wide, black and white)
  • Quarter Page - $40 (3.75 or 1.8 inches tall x 2.25 or 4.5 inches wide, black and white)

Ads can be accepted in PDF or JPEG (300 dpi) format.

Patron Badge Upgrade - $50

  • Invitation to the Sponsors & Patrons Reception.
  • VIP seating in the Music Hall.
  • Advance viewing of exhibits.
  • Steampunk Symposium Pin gift.

We thank you for considering sponsorship of the Steampunk Empire Symposium. Please contact Aloysius Fox at [email protected] with further questions.

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Symposium Ink

28
Jan 2014

Guess what we get to do THIS year?

tattooThats right, you guessed it . . . your very own commemorative Symposium tattoo!
the Pandora Society presents Hot Rod Charlie’s tattoo parlor, with two great tat artists joining us for our humble con in April.

Hotrod Charlie’s tattoo shop in the Clifton area of Cincinnati consists of ‘L.A.’ and the shop’s owner, Charlie, whom I met during my Roller Derby days, years ago. At this event, they will being hanging out in suite #142, in the same strip of hotel rooms as many of the Airship suites, all set up and ready to ink you up in one of many stylish designs . . . or a combination!

1395219_10201481529893162_871550928_nWe have decided to use the annual Symposium pins (excluding the GAMES pin) for the artwork commemorating SES through three years. To keep the artwork for the artists time-efficient, affordable and clear, the pieces will be about 1 3/4″ in diameter. This way, whether you want just one based off this year’s pin, or you’ll have been to all three years and want them all, they’ll be small enough for a cluster if you’re super into it . . .

The artwork is not fully finished on the 2014 pins, but they should be available soon to think over. Also, for those of you just wanting something less involved, a simpler design with a gear with the con initials and date worked in will be offered. Special requests and personal designs will be considered by the artists, if you decide to get all fancy and pinky out ;)

So come one, come all to the tattoo parlor at the Steampunk Empire Symposium and get yourself, and maybe your special someone, a lasting souvenir from your favorite Steampunk convention!

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Volunteer for Symposium 2014

27
Jan 2014

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Arnold’s Last Hurrah - Cincinnati, OH

25
Jan 2014
Oct 15 2008

The Final Five, plus the guy with the camera.

As with all things, the origins of the Steampunk Symposium started small. On Saturday, October 15th, 2008 six people met for dinner at Arnold’s Bar & Grill on 8th Street in Cincinnati and that night formed the League of Cincinnati Steampunks. From that day forward the League met on the first weekend of each month and the “salon” slowly grew. For a short while the League moved to Highland Coffee House near the University of Cincinnati campus, and was hosted a few times in people’s houses before coming back to Arnold’s, back to its birthplace, and then it really began to grow.

1

Bathe while commuting to work?

Arnold’s was the perfect choice for the Cincinnati Steampunk Salon; it opened in 1861 and is one of the longest running bars in the nation. During Prohibition Arnold’s remained open and legend has that the bathtub in one of the upstairs dining rooms is the same tub that was used to make bootleg gin during those “dry” years. This bathtub has become iconic for Arnold’s and they even have a motorized bathtub that is driven in parades; the League of Cincinnati Steampunks has marched along side it representing steampunk and Arnold’s in the Bochfest Parade each March, but not this year.

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April 2011, the Salon when the Steampunk Empire Symposium was officially declared.

Over the last five years, new anachronistic ladies and gentlemen have ventured to downtown Cincinnati to join the fun and the numbers steadily grew to a recent average of 50 to 60 people each month, and inevitably the Cincinnati Steampunks have outgrown Arnold’s; the time has come to move the Salon to a bigger venue. Saturday, February 1st, 2014 will the last one held there; this is Arnold’s Last Hurrah and if you are anywhere near Cincinnati, Ohio we invite you to come join us in this emotional farewell to a place that has been so important to the Cincinnati Steampunk scene for so long.

mollys

The new home of the Cincinnati Steampunk Salon

Saturday, March 1st, 2014 the Cincinnati Steampunks will be celebrating Mardi Gras at the fourth annual Voodoo Carnival masquerade, the Pandora Society’s pre-Symposium show, and then on Saturday, April 5th, 2014 the Cincinnati Steampunk Salon moves to its new home at Molly Malone’s. The new Salon has the entire third floor with its own bar, a stage, a projection screen, a DJ booth, and the capacity to hold up to 200 people. Unlike previous monthly meetings where we just ate, drank, and socialized, this new Salon will also offer silent movies, occasional bands and performers, and a monthly DJ to turn the place into a dance club from 11PM to 2AM, AND still for NO COVER (however, we will be asking for a generous pass of the hat for those who do perform).

So to the staff and management of Arnold’s we thank you dearly for taking such good care of us all these years; we will miss you . . . and to Molly’s, we look forward to many years to come as the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Steampunk Scene continues to grow and grow.

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Sounds of Steam Podcast Recording

24
Jan 2014
Travis Sivart

Host Travis Sivart

We are most pleased to announce that the popular podcast Sounds of Steam will be conducting a special live recording Saturday evening at the Steampunk Empire Symposium.

Sounds of Steam is a weekly, Steampunk-themed, syndicated internet-radio show, hosted by Travis I. Sivart and Wendy L. Callahan, focusing on the Steampunk genre and culture. Sounds of Steam airs every Monday at 9PM EDT/6PM PDT (2AM Tuesday morning GMT)

Wendy

Co-host Wendy Callahan

The show has regular segments such as; Drink-Du-Jour, Opening and Closing Toasts, Steampunk Storytime, This Week In History, Upcoming Events, and Steampunk Music Hour. They discuss the influence of Steampunk in the world of movies, literature, music, gaming, and every other corner of culture they can find. Sivart and Callahan interview authors, artists, bands, writers, inventors, time travelers, craftsmen, convention goers and hosts. The podcast explores the hobbies, sub genres, geographic influences and fringe cultures that help shape Steampunk every day. All of this blended with wit, sarcasm and a pub-like atmosphere.

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