Glenside Club Meeting: Thursday April 21, 2022 @ 7:30PM Central

Note new videoconferencing links below!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank in advance all of the folks who are working diligently to prepare for our our upcoming CoCoFEST! event. As a past attendee, it can be easy to take for granted all of the hard work folks put in to ensure the fest happens and happens well.

There’s been multiple committee meetings, the most recent discussing things as varied as:

  • Door prize tickets (make sure you stop by the admission booth to get your ticket!)
  • Auction logistics (last year’s auctioneer Jason Timmons has graciously agreed to run the auction again this year)
  • Attendee badges (Salvador Garcia’s design includes space for two lines of text, a name and vendor/exhibitor/officer information)
  • Video feeds (we’ll have both an exhibit floor feed and a presentation feed, via our YouTube and Facebook pages)

Obviously, CoCoFEST! Coordinator Grant Leighty has been principal in ensuring all the tasks are identified cand completed, with assists from TandyList maintainer Randy Weaver, Treasurer Eric Canales concerning fest fees, Tony Podraza handling bookkeeping, and Rich Bair supporting admissions. Many thanks to all of them and the remainder of the coordination committee for the work they are doing.

Let’s not forget the host (7!) of speakers for this year’s event. It’s nice to have both a mix of well known and relative newcomers as well a mix of topics that should include something of interest for everyone. I appreciate D. Bruce Moore, John Linville, L. Curtis Boyle, John Strong, CoCo Crew, Paul Thayer, Ken Waters, and Kevin Phillipson taking the time to prepare and present at the show. We could put on a fest without speakers and presentations, but I don’t think it would be nearly as fun or engaging.

Whether it be pre-enjoyed or new, we also appreciate the myriad of products offered by vendors taking time from their busy schedules to man a table or 3. I hope everyone leaves with a new item for the hobby from one of our vendors.

I’ll give a shout out to Jason Timmons for conducting the No Minimum Bid Auction with humor and wit. I think the banter makes the auction even more enjoyable, even for those who successfully keep their bidding hand in their lap.

Finally, thanks to those who will be joining us in less than 4 weeks either in person in Elk Grove or virtually via the Internet. The interest and engagement you provide motivates the planning committee, the speakers, the vendors, and the club to put in the work to make the event happen. Never underestimate how much just enjoying the event means to those who sell, exhibit, speak, or otherwise handle show functions.

This month’s meeting will no doubt focus on the fest. Last minute items to discuss, questions to answer, and any financial details to share. We’d love for you to join. Given our recent registration as a non -profit, we’ve been able to secure some additional discounts on technologies we use to run the club and the fest, which means we’re switching from BlueJeans videoconferencing to Zoom. Note the new link below.

We will open the call early at 6:30PM as in previous months, for some time to catch up and say hello to new faces.

Meeting Agenda (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k3K_t-wQq9dI34DoYc5iE5va1ifwKnIm/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101249560154994960936&rtpof=true&sd=true)

To join the Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/95723672795?pwd=MVlSZG5Nd0FjVU1WNzlVQXlBRU91QT09

Meeting ID: 957 2367 2795
Passcode: GCCC

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,95723672795#,,,,478869# US (Chicago)

Meeting ID: 957 2367 2795
Passcode: 478869
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adWzcwDPZE

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://zoom.us/meeting/tJEqdequqTktE9Fc96ZBSO9gTu-SU3koRhjz/ics?icsToken=98tyKuCtqTkpHNOXtxCCRowMB4job-7wtnpaj_p7n0azOQJgTVrxAvcPAYcsG9fi

For those unable to join us on Zoom or have prior commitments, we will livestream and have a replay available on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/290791956162) and our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFk2dMxcjJcX2qbSqFHQMbA).

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CoCoFEST! 2022 Update, Time is Running Out

I hope everyone is having a great start to Spring this year. It’s nice to enjoy longer days and warmer weather. This also means that CoCoFEST! is getting closer. 2022 marks our 30th anniversary for the Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! If you have not made your travel plans or booked your vendor/exhibitor table, time is running out.

FREE ADMISSION

This is the first year that admission to CoCoFEST! will be FREE to attend. We’re hopeful this will both encourage more local folks to visit our event and potentially join Glenside. As always, if you would like to become a member of the Glenside Color Computer Club, we will be collecting membership dues at the Fest. Vendors and Exhibitors, note that your fees include a 2022 club membership. If you have any questions, or you would like to pay for the membership before CoCoFEST!, please contact Glenside Treasurer Eric Canales for assistance.

HOTEL

CoCoFEST! Will be held at the same location as last year. This is a larger venue from year’s past and it will provide us plenty of room to grow. If you have not booked your room yet, please do so as soon as possible. The cutoff date for the special rate of $99 a night plus tax will end at midnight (CDT) on April 29th. Please remember to use the group code “COF” when making your reservation.

COVID-19 Update

I have received a few emails about the vaccine and masks mandates in order to attend the event. I am happy to announce that there are NO masks or vaccine mandates at the hotel or to attend CoCoFEST!. Cook county lifted the health orders back on February 28th. If anything changes, I will post an update on the Glenside website and I will send an email to all registered vendors and attendees. I do NOT see this changing in the near future.

Dinners

There is still time to register for dinner on Saturday night. The dinner will be catered by the hotel and it will be served as a buffet. There will be plenty of food for everyone to enjoy, but you MUST pre-register to ensure we have an accurate head count.  The dinner is only $20 a person, and dinner for kids 12 or younger is free. I must provide the head count to the hotel on May 6th, so we will end preregistration for the dinner on May 5th.

The Preliminary Menu

  • Two options from the following list:
    • Meatloaf
    • Chicken
    • Pork Loin
    • London Broil
    • Broiled Tilapia
  • One side from the following list:
    • Garlic Mashed Potatoes
    • Wild Rice
  • Seasonal Vegetables
  • Dinner Rolls
  • Dessert
  • Freshly brewed Coffee and Tea

Like last year, I will be sending an email to everyone who has preregistered for the dinner to provide feedback for which items that we want to be served. We need to choose two items for the main entrees. Also, if you need to request vegetarian/vegan meals, please contact Grant Leighty.

Speakers

This year we had no problems finding people who wanted to give a presentation. I actually had to turn people down and offer them a spot in next year’s CoCoFEST!  This is a great problem to have, and I will be looking for ways to accommodate more speakers at future Fests. This year we will have seven speakers that will provide new products, new games, technical presentations, and podcasts. There will be something for everyone to enjoy.  Please check out the speakers bio and information.

2022 Speakers

  • CoCoCrew Podcast
  • D. Bruce Moore (New Game Announcement)
  • John Linville (De Re CoCo)
  • John Strong (New Product Announcements)
  • Ken Waters and L. Curtis Boyle (BASIC09 and GFX2 enhancements in NitrOS-9/EOU)
  • Kevin Phillipson (Turbo9 Project)
  • Paul Thayer (Developing Retro Games in the Modern Era)

Vendors/Exhibitors

Our new venue offers space for 62 sales or exhibit tables, and 34 vendors/exhibitors have reserved all but NINE (9) tables currently. If you’re considering showing off a project or offer items for sale, do not delay in visiting TandyList for your table(s) today. The first table is $20, and each additional table is $15.

Auction

We will have an auction again this year. Since we just had a CoCoFEST! just a few months ago, we are looking for donations. Please look around your house and see if you have any items that you may want to donate to the auction. If you are not able to attend this year’s CoCoFEST!, but you have items that you want to donate, please contact Grant Leighty. We are willing to pay for reasonable shipping fees.

We look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s 30th Anniversary of the “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! We would still like to have everyone preregister at TandyList so we can keep the lines short at the registration tables. If you have any questions about CoCoFEST!, please contact Grant Leighty, CoCoFEST! Coordinator.  


 

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