{{Short description|Annual convention for convention organizers}} {{Infobox convention | name = SMOFcon | image = | caption = | status = Active | genre = Science fiction | venue = | location = varies | country = | first = 1984 | last = | organizer = | filing = | attendance = | website = {{URL|http://ldtm57.pairserver.com/smofcon/}} }}
'''SMOFcon''' is an annual convention that focuses on the organisation of science fiction conventions. The first SMOFcon took place in 1984, and most have taken place in the United States.
SMOFcon typically attracts 100–150 attendees, and usually occurs in the first weekend of December, though other dates have been known. The content includes formal and informal sessions covering insights from events held in the previous year, information about the latest trends from the community and external experts, reviews of previous events and feedback to bidders for upcoming events, with a focus on learnings that can be widely shared.
A significant number of SMOFcon attendees are also Worldcon organisers and the programme usually includes sessions about the most recent Worldcon and on bids for future Worldcons.
The name of the convention is derived from the word SMOF (also spelled smof), which is an acronym which stands for "Secret Master(s) Of Fandom" and is a term used within the science fiction fan community. Its coining is generally attributed to science fiction author Jack L. Chalker.
==List of SMOFcons== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Name ! Year ! Dates ! City ! Country ! Web ! Site/Facility ! Chair/Sponsoring Org ! Size |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>0th || 1973/74 | | New York | United States | | Sheraton | Stew Brownstein |align=right| |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>1st || 1984 | Oct 12–14 | Washington, D.C. | United States | | | Ben Yalow, Joe Siclari, Theresa Renner |align=right| |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>2nd || 1985 | Nov | Oakland, CA | United States | | CANCELLED | Tom Whitmore, Debbie Notkin + 3 others |align=right| |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>3rd || 1986 | Dec 5–7 | Lowell, MA | United States | [http://www.mcfi.org/smofcon3/] | Lowell Hilton | Mark Olson (MCFI) |align=right|137 |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>4th || 1987 | Nov 20–22 | Columbus, OH | United States | | Quality Inn Columbus Airport | Bob Hillis |align=right| |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>5th || 1988 | Dec 9–11 | Phoenix, AZ | United States | | Hyatt Regency Phoenix | Bruce Farr (CASFS) |align=right|102 |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>6th || 1989 | Dec 8–10 | Toronto, ON | Canada | | Holiday Inn Airport | Lloyd & Yvonne Penney |align=right| |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>7th || 1990 | Dec 7–9 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | United States | | Airport Hilton | Joe Siclari (SFSFS) |align=right| |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>8th || 1991 | Dec 6–8 | Portland, OR | United States | | Shilo Inn Airport | John Lorentz (OSFCI) |align=right|128 |- | <span style="display:none">0</span>9th || 1992 | Dec 11–13<ref>{{cite news |first=Wayne |last=Aiken |work=Holy Temple of Mass Consumption |issue=11 |title=Upcoming Conventions |url=http://www.textfiles.com/magazines/HTOMC/htomc.011 |date=October 1992}}</ref> | New Orleans, LA | United States | | Doubletree Hotel | Peggy Rae Pavlat |align=right|95 |- | 10th || 1993 | Apr 23–25 | Jersey | Channel Islands | | Hotel de France | Tim Illingworth |align=right| |- | 11th || 1993 | Dec 3–5 | Lexington, KY | United States | | Griffin Gate Marriott Resort | Scott & Jane Dennis |align=right|110 |- | 12th || 1994 | Dec 2–4 | Burbank, CA | United States | | Burbank Hilton | Chocolate Moose; Vice Chairs: Bruce Pelz & Ben Yalow (SCIFI) |align=right|175 |- | 13th || 1995 | Dec 1–3 | Austin, TX | United States | | Austin Red Lion | Fred Duarte Jr. (FACT) |align=right|121 |- | 14th || 1996 | Dec 6–8 | Seattle, WA | United States | | Seattle Hilton | Richard Wright (NCL) |align=right| |- | 15th || 1997 | Dec 5–7 | Boston, MA | United States |[http://www.mcfi.org/smofcon15/] | Doubletree Suites Hotel | Sharon Sbarsky (MCFI) |align=right|153 |- | 16th || 1998 | Dec 4–6 | Colorado Springs, CO | United States | [http://216.92.95.157/Smofcon/smofcon.html] | Radisson Inn | Kent Bloom (FFF) |align=right|86 |- | 17th || 1999 | Dec 10–11 | New Orleans, LA | United States | [http://www.sfsfc.org/SMOFcon/index.htm] | New Orleans DoubleTree Hotel | Michael Siladi (SFSFC) |align=right| |- | 18th || 2000 | Dec 1–3 | Cocoa Beach, FL | United States | | Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach | Joe Siclari (SFSFS) |align=right| |- | 19th || 2001 | Dec 7–9 | York | UK | [http://www.smofcon.com/19/] | Monkbar Hotel | KIM Campbell |align=right| |- | 20th || 2002 | Dec 6–8 | San Diego, CA | United States | | Hacienda Hotel | Scott & Jane Dennis |align=right|125 |- | 21st || 2003 | Dec 5–7 | Rosemont, IL | United States | [http://midfan.org/Smofcon.html] | Embassy Suites O'Hare | Erik V. Olson (Midfan) |align=right|123 |- | 22nd || 2004 | Dec 3–5 | Washington, DC | United States | [http://www.seahunt.org/smofcon22/] | Wyndham Washington, DC | Peggy Rae Sapienza (WSFA) |align=right|123 |- | 23rd || 2005 | Dec 2–4 | Portland, OR | United States | [http://www.osfci.org/smofcon/] | Red Lion Convention Center Hotel | David Schaber (OSFCI)<ref name="sc23">{{cite web |publisher=Oregon Science Fiction Conventions |title=Board of Directors Meeting – December 5, 2005 |url=http://www.osfci.org/minutes/BOD-2005-12.htm |date=2005-12-05}}</ref> |align=right|155<ref name="sc23"/> |- | 24th || 2006 | Dec 1–3 | Kansas City, MO | United States | | Hotel Phillips | Margene Bahm (MASFFC) |align=right| |- | 25th || 2007 | Dec 7–9 | Boston, MA | United States | [http://www.mcfi.org/smofcon25/] | Hilton Boston Logan Airport | Geri Sullivan (MCFI) |align=right|214 |- | 26th || 2008 | Dec 4–7 | Columbus, OH | United States | | Drury Inn & Suites | Kim Williams |align=right|130 |- | 27th || 2009 | Dec 4–6 | Austin, TX<ref name="fss090517"/> | United States | [http://alamo-sf.org/smofcon27] | Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown | Karen Meschke (ALAMO) |align=right|156 |- | 28th || 2010 | Dec 3–5 | San Jose, CA<ref name="fss091207"/> | United States | [http://www.smofcon28.org/] | Larkspur Sainte Claire | [https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Glazer Glenn Glazer] (SFSFC) |align=right|157 |- | 29th || 2011 | Dec 2–4 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | [http://www.smofcon29.org/] | Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam | Vincent Docherty |align=right|130 |- | 30th || 2012 | Nov 30 – Dec 2 | Philadelphia<ref name="fss111220"/> | United States | [http://www.smofcon.com/30/] | Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing | Joni Brill Dashoff & Laurie Mann |align=right|196 |- | 31st || 2013 | Dec 6–8 | Toronto, Ontario<ref name="fss130328"/> | Canada | | Fairmont Royal York Hotel | Diane Lacey (CanSmof) |align=right| |- | 32nd || 2014 | Dec 5–7 | Manhattan Beach, CA<ref name="fss131208"/> | United States | [http://www.smofcon32.org/] | Manhattan Beach Marriott | Bobbi Armbruster & Kim Marks Brown (SCIFI) |align=right|212 |- | 33rd || 2015 | Dec 4–6 | Fort Worth, TX<ref name="fss141207"/> | United States | [http://www.smofcon33.org/] | Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa | Tim Miller (Dallas Future Society) |align=right| |- | 34th || 2016 | Dec 2–4 | Rosemont, IL | United States | [https://www.facebook.com/groups/896346927081566/] [http://www.dpsinfo.com/smofcon/34/index.html] | Crowne Plaza | Helen Montgomery |align=right|167 |- | 35th || 2017 | Dec 1–3 | Boston, MA | United States | [http://www.smofcon35.org/] | Back Bay Hilton | Laurie Mann |align=right|219 |- | 36th || 2018 | Nov 30 – Dec 2 | Santa Rosa, CA | United States | [http://www.smofcon36.com/] | Flamingo Conference Resort and Spa | Bruce Farr |align=right|~165 |- | 37th || 2019 | Dec 6–8 | Albuquerque, NM | United States | [http://www.smofcon37-abq.com/] | Hyatt Regency Albuquerque | Ron Oakes | align=right| |- | SMOFcon 37&1/4 || 2020 | Dec 5 | Virtual | | [https://web.archive.org/web/20200925091104/https://cansmof.ca/index.php/smofcon] | | SMOFcon 38 & 39 Committees | |- | SMOFcon Europe / 39 || 2021 | Dec 3–5 | Lisbon | Portugal | [https://www.smofconeurope.com/] | VIP Executive Art's Hotel | James Bacon & Vincent Docherty | align=right|55/144 |- | SMOFcon 38 || 2022 | Dec 2–4 | Montreal | Canada | [https://smofcon38.ca/] | Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel | Jannie Shea | |- | SMOFcon 40 || 2023 | Dec 1–3 | Providence, RI | United States | [https://smofcon40.org/] | Providence Marriott Downtown | Lisa Hertel (MCFI) | |- | SMOFcon 41 || 2024 | Dec 6–8 | Seattle, WA | United States | [https://smofcon41.org/] | DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport | Marah Searle-Kovacevic | |- | SMOFcon 42 || 2025 | Dec 5–7 | Stockholm | Sweden | [https://smofcon42.com/] | {{interlanguage link|Dieselverkstaden|sv}} | Carolina Gómez Lagerlöf |align=right|~130 |- |}
==References== {{reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="fss090517">{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Glyer |work=File 770 |title=Where Secret Masters Lurk |url=http://file770.com/?p=1079 |date=May 17, 2009 |accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="fss091207">{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Glyer |work=File 770 |title=2010 Smofcon Will Be in San Jose |url=http://file770.com/?p=2392 |date=December 7, 2009 |accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="fss111220">{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Glyer |work=File 770 |title=The City of Smofly Love |url=http://file770.com/?p=7770 |date=December 20, 2011 |accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="fss130328">{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Glyer |work=File 770 |title=2013 Smofcon Website Up |url=http://file770.com/?p=12197 |date=March 28, 2013 |accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="fss131208">{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Glyer |work=File 770 |title=2014 Smofcon Site Picked |url=http://file770.com/?p=15392 |date=December 8, 2013 |accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> <ref name="fss141207">{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Glyer |work=File 770 |title=2015 Smofcon Goes To Fort Worth |url=http://file770.com/?p=19989 |date=December 7, 2014 |accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> }}
== External links == *[http://www.smofcon.com/ SMOFcon official website] *[http://www.conrunner.net The Conrunner's Wiki] *[http://www.jessesword.com/sf/view/1030 OED Citations for SMOF]
Category:Science fiction conventions Category:Recurring events established in 1984