The Powers that Be, and apparently there aren’t too many of them, have decided that the 2014 DipCon will be held in Seattle, Washington from 23-27 January 2014 in conjunction with the last WACCon. You can cast your ballot on that question at this site. If that doesn’t work, email Nathan Barnes at nbarnes@gmail.com and complain about it. Never having been to a WACCon myself I am taking the word of those who have and urging you to go. For some insights on what Nathan Barnes, the host, is planning, check out his website at http://nbarnes.jux.com/. The event will be the usual four round tournament spread over three days, preceded by a banquet/roast on Thursday night. One round of the tournament will be designated as a team event. There will be no variants to distract you. There will be a top board in the final round and the awards and such will be awarded Sunday afternoon, so if you need to work Monday you can get an evening flight out of SEA airport with no problems. There is no registration fee, but the banquet will cost you USD50. Room rates at the Washington Athletic Club will cost USD 160 (single) or USD 190 (double). Less expensive alternatives are available. A word to the wise, hotels in downtown Seattle are expensive and the quality doesn’t always measure up to the name on the marquee. I’ve researched this and the WAC appears to offer good value for the money. For cheaper alternatives or sharing a room contact Nathan, and I suggest you do that soon. If you plan to drive to Seattle your housing options are more varied and rooms near the Space Needle are very reasonable, although parking near the Con site can be expensive. Seattle is one of my favorite cities. I’ve been there twice in the past three years, just for the fun of it. Check out http://www.visitseattle.org for more on things to do or see. If you can, add a day or two to your visit to play tourist. You’ll find it a rewarding adventure. So whether it’s to celebrate WACCon’s ten year run or attend a wake in its memory, or just to see if Nathan really wears such goofy hats, come to WACCon. Who knows, you may get to see me feast on Turkey or eat Crow!
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