# Would you go to a virtual convention? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 8, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370 "2020-05-08T00:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/1 "2020-05-08T00:37:41Z")
Science fiction, fantasy, gaming and other conventions are being cancelled left and right due to virus concerns, but [The World Science Fiction Convention](https://conzealand.nz/), which was to be held in New Zealand this year, has decided to go virtual. Virtual panels, virtual events…even virtual parties. The cost will be $300 New Zealand($162.67 U.S.), but I’m wondering what the money is going to pay for. No hotel costs, no travel costs, no setup costs, no pipe and drape costs, no security costs etc. No autograph sessions, no dealer’s room, no art show, no socializing with friends old and new at a local restaurant or bar etc. I’m not sure it is worth the cost of “going”-What say you? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/2 "2020-05-08T01:13:31Z")
My dental convention was cancelled. They streamed the classes online so we could still get our continuing education credit. So I guess, yes I’d go to a virtual convention. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/3 "2020-05-08T01:38:03Z")
Last year’s Worldcon in Dublin had over 4,000 attendees. Even cutting that in half to 2,000, it adds up to about $600,000 NZ($366,300 U.S.). Anyone have any ideas how much it might cost to set this up? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/4 "2020-05-08T01:57:34Z")
Even if I thought the virtual experience would be worth $300, I’d have serious questions about where that money is going. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/5 "2020-05-08T02:18:57Z")
Hugo statuettes (including shipping costs) Cancellation fees for the hotels and other facilities. Other non-refundable expenses, like plane tickets for the GOH (to save money, they are often purchased on a non-refundable basis) Refunds for dealer tables and art show space Zoom meeting fees (the audiences and number of events are far too big to use the free version) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/6 "2020-05-08T02:19:15Z")
So how much would it cost to attend a physical World Science Convention in New Zealand–airfare (assuming you are coming from the U.S.), hotels, food, car rental, booze etc plus the convention fee? RealityChuck: don’t conventions also pay substantial fees to the SF celebrities appearing there (virtually in this case)–not just plane tickets? ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/7 "2020-05-08T02:34:56Z")
Staff time! Huge virtual events may be cheaper to mount but they do not happen by magic. Or does the event in question use all-volunteer labor? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/8 "2020-05-08T02:42:27Z")
> [@ASanders](#): > > Staff time! Huge virtual events may be cheaper to mount but they do not happen by magic. Or does the event in question use all-volunteer labor? Staff is usually volunteer. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/9 "2020-05-08T04:00:24Z")
I might attend a virtual convention. But, it would have to be pretty spectacular for me to pay for it. Even then, being cheap and broke, I wouldn’t pay anything like $300 for it. If I did pay for a virtual convention, everything had better work- no lagging, no crashing, good audio and video etc. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/10 "2020-05-08T04:35:59Z")
I attend several gaming conventions (both big and small) every year. I was supposed to attend a very small (~35 people), private gaming convention in Ohio two weeks ago. When it became clear that getting together face-to-face wasn’t going to be possible, the organizers converted it to a virtual/online convention. While we had a few hiccups, overall, it went extremely well; we had games run using several different platforms, including Roll20, Zoom, and Discord (each gamemaster chose which platform they wanted to use). But, I think part of why it worked well is that it was with a fairly close-knit group – all of us know each other, and we were willing to put up with hassles and glitches to play with friends. On the other hand, I was also supposed to attend (and run games at) Origins, a big (~20,000 attendees) gaming convention in Columbus, OH next month. A couple of weeks ago, they announced that they were moving the in-person con to October, and that they would be running an online convention in the original June dates. Even though I had a lot of fun with our small virtual con, I quickly realized that I had very little interest in participating in a larger virtual convention – at a big con, you’re frequently playing with other players whom you’ve never met before. Most of the time, that works out pretty well (though anyone who goes to gaming cons has stories about weirdos and jerks they’ve played with). But, playing online is just more challenging overall, and I don’t think I have the patience to try to run a online game for a bunch of people I don’t know, who may have crappy broadband, don’t know how to mute their microphones when they aren’t talking (or don’t care to), etc. I can foresee that any particular game at “Origins Online” is going to have a pretty good chance of being a mess. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/11 "2020-05-08T04:48:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Science fiction, fantasy, gaming and other conventions are being cancelled left and right due to virus concerns, but [The World Science Fiction Convention](https://conzealand.nz/), which was to be held in New Zealand this year, has decided to go virtual. Virtual panels, virtual events…even virtual parties. The cost will be $300 New Zealand($162.67 U.S.), but I’m wondering what the money is going to pay for. No hotel costs, no travel costs, no setup costs, no pipe and drape costs, no security costs etc. No autograph sessions, no dealer’s room, no art show, no socializing with friends old and new at a local restaurant or bar etc. > I’m not sure it is worth the cost of “going”-What say you? I tend to attend Dragon\*Con in Atlanta every year, but was planning to skip this year because I’m going to have my first kid around June 2, and figured it’d probably be best to skip it. However, I do know they may be in some financial trouble this year by canceling (they are also volunteer run) so I may consider paying for a virtual con - esp since can actually attend with little one being around. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/12 "2020-05-08T12:03:05Z")
No, I would not pay that much for a virtual con. Most of what would make it a unique experience has been removed. I would also expect that, if they go digital, they could heavily reduce costs, since people can do stuff from home without travel. As for special guests: for one, seeing them online isn’t really all that special, they will be put out less not having to travel, and, well, what else are they going to be doing with so much stuff shut down? Costs should go down there, too. There are situations where I think virtual is basically the same as the real thing. For example, since you have to stay 6 feet away, I don’t see much difference between having your friend (or coworkers) physically there to talk to you and talking to them virtually with a video feed. But cons are mostly about the experience of going somewhere, and most of that is gone in anything virtual. Hell, I wouldn’t even get to see cosplay in person. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/13 "2020-05-08T12:50:52Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > RealityChuck: don’t conventions also pay substantial fees to the SF celebrities appearing there (virtually in this case)–not just plane tickets? My understanding is that for fan-run conventions like Worldcon, the (less than a dozen) Guests of Honor receive comped memberships and travel expenses. No one gets a big fee for attending. I’m going to “attend” ConZealand (and at least one other convention this year) virtually. I consider the membership fee to be (in this case) a way of helping out the CNZ con committee deal with the expenses of this unprecedented situation (BTW Worldcons that make a surplus generally donate the money forward to the next year’s convention to support them in case they have unexpected problems). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-go-to-a-virtual-convention/853370/14 "2020-05-08T12:52:27Z")
[NECSS (pronounced “nexus”) The North East Convention on Science and Skepticism](https://necss.org/) is having a virtual convention this year. It is live streamed and the speaker list is impressive. “Come join us this year from the comfort of your own virus free home.”