On October 19th &20th, 1000’s descended on Seattle’s Conference Center for GeekGirlCon. Now in its 3rd year, this annual convention is a “celebration of geeky women and girls across the nerd spectrum and their contribution to comics, gaming, science, technology, pop culture, art, math, academics, engineering, and much more.” Despite its focus on the female gender “all genders, orientations, races, ethnicities, abilities and fandoms are welcome,” and this is what I love about GeekGirlCon. It truly provides “an open, inclusive, and welcoming place for geeks of all types.”*
The Exhibitor Hall was even larger this year continuing the lovely trend of growing exponentially every year. And while there was something for everyone, the vendors were definitively geared towards women: this was a great place to pick up something unique whether it be a geeky tee, comic book skirt or even a thong bedazzled with a D20. I was also very impressed in the wide price range, while some of the finer jewelry and art had price points of over $500 you could also find something cool for only $10. New this year was the addition of an Artist’s Alley which allowed even more geeks to showcase their work. They also had a DIY Science Zone, which was pretty darn cool.
The programming also continued to be stellar this year, with almost too many interesting topics to choose from. Notable geek lifestyle and fashion panels included: “Geek Girl Style: Demanding Recognition from the Fashion World” (did you know more women than men wear gaming tees now?), “The Psychology of Cosplay” (where Dr. Letamendi released the results of her 800 person cosplay study), and “Home Geek Home” (Make Princess Leia cupcakes! New ways to frame geek art! Color coordinate your bookcase!).
From L to R: @amy_geek, @GeekChristy, @TheStephThorpe, @JustJenn, @ArkumAsylumDoc, & @AutumnBuck
RCR TIP: The best asset on the red carpet? Sometimes it’s just being surrounded by friends. There is a power and a joy in sharing common interests with like-minded people and GeekGirlCon is a prime example of this. Brava!
*Quotes from GeekGirlCon’s Strategy Guide ‘13