Convergence (goth festival)
Encyclopedia
Convergence is the annual net.goth
party run by and for members of the alt.gothic
and alt.gothic.fashion newsgroup, and other related Usenet newsgroups. Started in 1995, it is a chance for net.goth
s and others who normally only meet on the Internet
to come together in real life. Events at Convergence typically included live bands and club
nights, bazaars, fashion, art shows, panels, and tours of goth-themed locales in the host city. It was a unique event that combined the features of a music festival
and fan convention
.
In recent years, however, the festival aspects of this event have been stripped away leaving the event transformed into a meet-up for old friends from past Convergences to get-together.
community in response to proposals by volunteer committees. So far all have taken place in North America
.
Past Convergences have been held in:
newsgroup
hierarchy, at the time residents of Chicago, as an international gathering of members of the newsgroups and related net.goth
groups. It was conceived as an opportunity for those who had previously known each other primarily or exclusively through Internet
fora, to meet and get to know each other in person.
There has been considerable debate regarding the extent to which the event should reach out to other on-line gothic communities, as well as members of local non-Internet
-based Gothic
scenes. Some planning committees have made efforts to expand the scope of the event; while others have made similar efforts to restrict advertising to predominantly the founding net.goth
communities.
Attendance ranged over the years usually between 300-800, but attendance spiked at Convergence 13 to between 1100-1500+ (depending if the Skinny Puppy only audience was included). That year, a panel convened to discuss shrinking the size and scale of the event thereafter, and a decision was made to concede. In the years that have followed, attendance has declined to under 200 year-after-year.
newsgroups. The C*b*l is widely recognized as having made some of the most substantial contributions to maintaining Convergence, and are among its most frequent attendees. The group also maintains the official Convergence website, and provides organizational and informational assistance to host committees.
Each Convergence is organized and run by an ad hoc
volunteer committee. Committees typically consist of residents of the host city, a large percentage of whom are expected to be active participants on alt.gothic or related net.goth
groups.
Net.goth
Net.goth is short for usenet goth. The term is used to describe regulars of the alt.gothic hierarchy of newsgroups, uk.people.gothic and aus.culture.gothic....
party run by and for members of the alt.gothic
Alt.gothic
alt.gothic is a popular Usenet group mainly frequented by goths. It is the canonical net.goth forum, and the birthplace of Convergence.- References in Media :...
and alt.gothic.fashion newsgroup, and other related Usenet newsgroups. Started in 1995, it is a chance for net.goth
Net.goth
Net.goth is short for usenet goth. The term is used to describe regulars of the alt.gothic hierarchy of newsgroups, uk.people.gothic and aus.culture.gothic....
s and others who normally only meet on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to come together in real life. Events at Convergence typically included live bands and club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
nights, bazaars, fashion, art shows, panels, and tours of goth-themed locales in the host city. It was a unique event that combined the features of a music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
and fan convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
.
In recent years, however, the festival aspects of this event have been stripped away leaving the event transformed into a meet-up for old friends from past Convergences to get-together.
Location
Convergence is a "floating" event. The location for each year voted on by the net.gothNet.goth
Net.goth is short for usenet goth. The term is used to describe regulars of the alt.gothic hierarchy of newsgroups, uk.people.gothic and aus.culture.gothic....
community in response to proposals by volunteer committees. So far all have taken place in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Past Convergences have been held in:
- Convergence 1 (June 23–24, 1995): Chicago
- Convergence 2 (August 9–11, 1996): Boston
- Convergence 3 (August 1–3, 1997): San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
- Convergence 4 (August 21–23, 1998): Toronto
- Convergence 5 (April 2–4, 1999): New OrleansNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
- Convergence 6 (May 26–29, 2000): SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
- Convergence 7 (August 17–19, 2001): New York
- Convergence 8 (May 31 -June 2, 2002): Montreal
- Convergence 9 (April 25–27, 2003): Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- Convergence 10 (May 7–9, 2004): Chicago, Illinois
- Convergence 11 (April 22–25, 2005): San DiegoSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
- Convergence 12 (April 13–16, 2006): New Orleans, Louisiana
- Convergence 13 (May 25–27, 2007): PortlandPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
- Convergence 14 (August 8–11, 2008): Ybor City
- Convergence 15 (July 17–20, 2009): Long BeachLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
- Convergence 16 (August 13–16, 2010): Park City, UtahPark City, UtahPark City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
- Convergence 17 (June 24-26, 2011): Cozumel
Attendance
Convergence was initially proposed and planned by two long-time members of the alt.gothicAlt.gothic
alt.gothic is a popular Usenet group mainly frequented by goths. It is the canonical net.goth forum, and the birthplace of Convergence.- References in Media :...
newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
hierarchy, at the time residents of Chicago, as an international gathering of members of the newsgroups and related net.goth
Net.goth
Net.goth is short for usenet goth. The term is used to describe regulars of the alt.gothic hierarchy of newsgroups, uk.people.gothic and aus.culture.gothic....
groups. It was conceived as an opportunity for those who had previously known each other primarily or exclusively through Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
fora, to meet and get to know each other in person.
There has been considerable debate regarding the extent to which the event should reach out to other on-line gothic communities, as well as members of local non-Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-based Gothic
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
scenes. Some planning committees have made efforts to expand the scope of the event; while others have made similar efforts to restrict advertising to predominantly the founding net.goth
Net.goth
Net.goth is short for usenet goth. The term is used to describe regulars of the alt.gothic hierarchy of newsgroups, uk.people.gothic and aus.culture.gothic....
communities.
Attendance ranged over the years usually between 300-800, but attendance spiked at Convergence 13 to between 1100-1500+ (depending if the Skinny Puppy only audience was included). That year, a panel convened to discuss shrinking the size and scale of the event thereafter, and a decision was made to concede. In the years that have followed, attendance has declined to under 200 year-after-year.
Organization
There is no formal Convergence organization per se. Since shortly after its inception, the bidding and voting process has been managed by a more-or-less consistent group of volunteers, known informally as the C*b*l, composed of several of the longest-term participants in the alt.gothicAlt.gothic
alt.gothic is a popular Usenet group mainly frequented by goths. It is the canonical net.goth forum, and the birthplace of Convergence.- References in Media :...
newsgroups. The C*b*l is widely recognized as having made some of the most substantial contributions to maintaining Convergence, and are among its most frequent attendees. The group also maintains the official Convergence website, and provides organizational and informational assistance to host committees.
Each Convergence is organized and run by an ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
volunteer committee. Committees typically consist of residents of the host city, a large percentage of whom are expected to be active participants on alt.gothic or related net.goth
Net.goth
Net.goth is short for usenet goth. The term is used to describe regulars of the alt.gothic hierarchy of newsgroups, uk.people.gothic and aus.culture.gothic....
groups.