Ahoy! It is time to set sail for Furthest North summer 2010! The theme for this year is Pirates vs. Ninjas, so grab your lucky shurikens or eyepatch and prepare to board the coolest Furthest North yet!
Furthest North summer 2010 will run from July 30-August 2, at the Wildhay Group Campsite in the beautiful Alberta Rocky Mountains.
The Furthest North team has been busy planning and making changes over the past several months in order to make the event even more enjoyable and accessible by all. Items to note are:
* Furthest North has been extended to four days! That's an extra day to relax, hang out, groove, or finish reading that book you've been putting off.
* Guests of Honour! This year we'll have not one, but two Guests of Honour! Silverlindz will be representing the fursuiting portion of the event while Shinigami will be representing the art community. We are working on getting them to host a workshop or two, so stay tuned!
* In an effort to make the event accessible to even more people, we are introducing a tiered registration system. The most basic form includes only event admission - you're on your own for food. We've had people ask for this for a couple of years and so we're going with it. The next level of registration is the sponsorship level. This includes all meals and is similar to previous years' registration. The highest level of registration is super-sponsorship. This includes food, like the sponsorship level, but also includes a super-sponsor t-shirt and assorted Furthest North goodies.
* The return of the pre-registration prize draw! In previous years, we experimented with offering a prize draw amongst those who pre-registered. This year sees the return of that draw, and it will occur when pre-registration closes at the end of June. Prize details will be announced soon!
* Referral rewards. Know someone that might be interested in attending Furthest North? Let them know about the event! Receive a 10% discount on your registration for every person you refer who has not attended since at least 2007.
* A more formal Artist's Den will be setup this year. For only $10, artists and vendors will have a new common area to deal their wares. In addition, they will receive promotion through the Furthest North web site (
http://www.furthestnorth.ca) and the con guide. People are still free to sell elsewhere - this isn't meant to prohibit that, but to instead offer a sheltered, lighted area for this willing to pay a few dollars to help offset the cost.
* We have selected a non-profit charity, RASTA, to be the recipient of donations. This charity is a general animal welfare and rehabilitation organization in Alberta, not focusing on one particular species but interested instead in the well-being of all animals. For more information about RASTA, visit their web site at
http://www.rastarescue.org.
The question that I hear many of you asking is the cost. As explained previously, we are introducing new tiered registration. The most basic form of registration, without food, is $50. Sponsorship registration, including meals, is $150. And super-sponsorship registration is $250. Until the end of June though, these registrations are discounted to $35, $135, and $200 respectively.
There are many more details that we are working to sort out, so please check back often. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at
thallanor@furthestnorth.ca and I will do what I can to assist, or put you in touch with someone who can.
If you are interested in registering for Furthest North summer 2010, also e-mail me at
thallanor@furthestnorth.ca and we'll get the ball rolling.
When you have a moment, feel free to visit
http://www.furthestnorth.ca/forum/ and register in the forums to participate. The more we work together, the better that we can make Furthest North!
Thank you again to everyone for their continued support, and I look forward to seeing you all at Furthest North.
Sincerely,
Thallanor Rasmuson
Founder, Furthest North
