Debrief: Dragon Con 2024
Atlanta, GA – August 29 through September 2, 2024

Dragon Con 2024 is done and dusted, and like 2022, it was an experience of highs and lows.

Attendance was reported at 72,000, which is higher than the 65,000 from 2022 and was definitely felt in the heavier traffic. I still like the idea of an attendance cap around 70,000.

As usual, we did a lot of good charity work this year. The Georgia chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will be receiving at least $210,000. That’s lower than last year’s numbers, but still fantastic. The blood drive nearly set a record as well.

Dragon Con was also a getaway from reality that I really needed. I left the con physically exhausted but both creatively and emotionally energized.

On to the discussion!

First on the list, I want to thank the track directors and their volunteer staffs for welcoming me into their homes for the weekend and offering the chance to talk on their stages.

• Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel (American Science Fiction Classics)
• Kellen Harkins (American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media)
• Karen and James Henson (Military Sci-Fi Media)
• Cisca Small (Fantasy Literature)

Second on the list, but by no means any less important, I’d like to thank the volunteers. There are so many who help bring this convention to life every year. In fact, the vast majority of the people who keep the convention flowing are volunteers. I’d like to especially note Disability Services, Safety, and Tech Ops. These folks push the limits and innovate to keep this show moving. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.

Number the third, I’d like to thank the convention for having me back as an Attending Professional. This was my sixteenth Dragon Con (counting participation since 2009) and my seventh as an Attending Pro (counting participation since 2016, though I wasn’t an AP in 2020 or 2023). I appreciate them having faith in my abilities to both participate and moderate programming events, and really enjoy spending the weekend having fun, catching up with my geek family, and meeting new people.

I’m a big fan of helping people and building communities. One of the ways that we do this is through the  Dragon Con Newbies program. Our walking tours and Q&A sessions helped well over 700 people get their bearings and start Dragon Con on the right foot. In fact, we anticipated 600 people and ended up sending 726 on tours. Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony, and Kevin Bachelder are amazing friends and a joy to work with. Thanks to all of our tour leaders and wranglers for volunteering their time and knowledge, as well as our team of moderators in the Facebook group who work hard all year to keep the malcontents out.

I didn’t get a picture, but one of my favorite costumes this year was during the Newbie tours. One of our tour guides, Shannon Swearingen, was dressed as Tour Guide Barbie. She was amazing.

Also amazing: Sherry from Disability Services, who hung around for the entire 5-hour tour/Q&A block to answer questions.

My panel schedule was pretty awesome this year. I got to talk about the new Quantum Leap (with Kevin Bachelder, Kristin Jackson, Wayland Smith, Anthony Liggins, and plenty of ties back to the original series), Farscape‘s 25th anniversary (with Amanda Tillman, Callie Kelley, James Henson, and a room full of amazing Scapers), Office Space (with Gary Mitchel, Michael Bailey, Van Allen Plexico, ToniAnn Marini, and a fantastic discussion about corporate America), the Cylons of Battlestar Galactica (with Kevin Cafferty, James Henson, and Karen Henson), the Batman 85th anniversary (with Michael Bailey, Kevin Eldridge, Mike Gordon, and Denise Lhamon) , and the science of space travel. All of them were fun with great back-and-forth discussions.

That last one, focusing on the fictional and real science of space travel, was amazing since I was able to geek out with Dr. Erin McDonald (the current scientific adviser for Star Trek) and writers Alli Martin and Doug Burbey. The discussion was a lot of fun and had me buzzing for the rest of the day.

I wasn’t originally scheduled for the Batman panel, but Michael Bailey reminded me of our 75th anniversary discussion in 2014. It was an 8:30am panel on Sunday, but the line to see it was surprisingly long. I also wasn’t scheduled for Ultimate Face-off: Nicolas Cage vs John Travolta, but I jumped in to help Keith DeCandido, Michael Wesley Collins, and ToniAnn Marini argue the finer points of the Cage match.

I was probably least prepared for The Musicals & Plays of Fantasy Literature, but it was a good discussion alongside Mera Rose, M. C. Williams, and Sarah Rose. It was also my first panel on the Fantasy Lit track.

My lighter schedule this year offered plenty of opportunities to enjoy the convention without the pressure of running all over the place. My wife and I attended a panel with the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast and a panel featuring Jodie Whittaker from Doctor Who. Both of those panels were a lot of fun with plenty of laughs and great stories. The Jodie Whittaker panel also made me realize that there is little difference between her and the Thirteenth Doctor.

It was also a good year for seeing friends. Most years, my wife and I only see Kevin Bachelder once or twice during con. He’s a busy guy with the Urban Fantasy track. This year we saw him almost once per day!  We also had a great run-in with James Palmer and his family. We were standing in line for coffee when the Palmers came by, and we had a fun discussion as James and I caught up and introduced our families to each other. It’s personal interactions like this that really make Dragon Con special for me.

I have few disappointments this year. One of them is pretty big, but it’s not my story to tell right now for multiple reasons. All I can say is that it was pretty big and really sucked.

One major disappointment pertains to volunteers. Back in 2022, I talked about my low tolerance for people who abuse the volunteers. That low tolerance remains a constant, and it applies this year toward people who don’t remember one simple fact: Track volunteers own their track room. What they say goes (within the bounds of official convention policies) because each track’s staff makes the rules for their track room. One of the Classic Track rules this year was no eating or drinking because attendees couldn’t police themselves in previous years. Too many people thought it appropriate to abuse the volunteers because the rules.

Other instances of abusing track staff came from panelists who thought it appropriate to interrupt in-progress panels so they could set up their own events. When the track staff pushed back, the incoming panelists ignored them.

The other big disappointment relates to volunteer training, particularly with respect to Disability Services. When my wife and I got in line for a large guest panel, we asked if the line queue had any stairs (which the queues should not for those with mobility issues). We were assured that it didn’t, but once the line started moving, we found that was not true. The volunteer was also not helpful when we asked where the DS queue was located. We were not alone as the same problem resulted in several disabled attendees being turned away from the panel before it loaded.

First on the list, the Dragon Con parade. We only saw part of it as we rushed from the Marriott to the Westin between panels, but Dragon Con TV (DCTV) streams the event so we can watch it later. It is the largest annual parade in Atlanta, and is the only event open to the public during the convention. It’s kind of a big deal.

One of the exciting moments from 2024 involved the parade. Several of us, including ToniAnn, Kyle, Andrew, and Becca, had to rush from the Marriott to the Westin, but the parade was in the way. This parade shuts down city streets and floods the sidewalks with tons of people. By the time we realized that the parade was not going to be done in time for us to get to our respective panels, it was too late to go back to the Marriott and circle around the convention’s footprint. Luckily, we found a resident of Peachtree Center who offered to let us into the parking garage. It’s not a path you can normally take since the way is blocked by a keycard, but it did get us across the street so we could navigate the crowd and reach the Westin.

We all made it on time, and the impromptu Westin dash was a fun adventure.

Second, the Dragon Con exercise program. I routinely rack up 30-35 miles each year, but this year was a bit light. My wife met that mark from all the running she did as a volunteer this year.

Third, the Dragon Con Hustle. Because I clock a lot of mileage during the con, I have no problem signing up for the virtual 5k each year. The money goes to charity and I get a unique medal for doing what I was already doing.

Fourth, the LifeSouth blood drive. It’s a Dragon Con tradition and it saves lives.

Fifth, meeting E. K. Johnston. I know, I know, talking about my love of all things Ahsoka Tano is entirely on brand, but the Ahsoka novel is pretty unique. I thanked the author for what she did with the character in the “dark times” between Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. I also mentioned how I liked the adaptation in Tales of the Jedi.

Sixth, meeting Jodie Whittaker. Our group of friends traditionally gets a professional photo op with the Doctor when they come to con. We have David Tennant, Peter Capaldi, and now Jodie Whittaker. I’m looking forward to continuing this fun tradition as the other actors come to town. I really hope Christopher Eccleston comes back, and I’d also love to add some professional photos with some classic Doctors too.

Seventh, the creativity on display. I was loving every minute of the crafting, construction, and cosplay that the attendees brought to the convention. And, yes, that BB unit is sporting the old Marriott carpet design.

Finally, Dragon Tales. It was a lot of fun to sign copies of this charity work for people, and I know my wife had a blast tracking down our friends who wrote for it as well. I talked about this book last month, and you can still pick up a copy on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle formats.

If you want to attend next year, the next Dragon Con will be held from August 28 to September 1, 2025. Memberships (badges/tickets) are on sale now, and hotels will be available soon. If you’re new to Dragon Con, I recommend joining Dragon Con Newbies for additional tips and tricks to enhance your experience.

I recommend the convention to everyone. There’s nothing quite like Dragon Con.

353 days until Dragon Con 2025.