1979 – (May 25-27) – VCON 7:

Guest of Honour: JACK VANCE. Toast Master: FRANK HERBERT.

Venue: Gage Residence, UBC, Vancouver.

Attending: 700.

CONCOM: Chairman – Mike Bailey; Programming – Mike Bailey & Fran Skene; Treasurer – Ed Beauregard; Chief Gofer – Norma Beauregard; Security – Chris Bell; Technical Support – Al Betz; Trivia Quiz – Stuart cooper, Bar – Kat Ferguson; Publicity – Jim Welch & Helene Flanders; Registration – Steve Forty; Hotel liaison – John Fraser; Hucksters – Jim Johnston, Ken Wong, John Fraser; Art Show – Vaughn Fraser; Films – Ed Hutchings; Costume Bacchanal – Jo-Anne McBride; Publications – Barbara Przeklasa & Vaughn Fraser; Logistics – Thom Wescott: Elron Awards – Ed Beauregard.

Sponsored by BCSFA, the British Columbia Science Fiction Association. Three days of double-track programming with separate rooms for films, art show, hucksters, gaming & hospitality, plus Student Union Building Cafeteria for banquet.

FIRST VCON to feature a musical jam session, FIRST to include a “pre-cancelled” early morning panel, FIRST to show videos on a “request basis” after midnight, and FIRST to have a demonstration of an electronic music synthesizer.

FRIDAY (May 25/79 – Vcon 7) events included:

–          YOUR FIRST TIME panel on first experiences with SF, moderated by Jo-Anne Mcbride with panelists Ted Collins, David Greer & H. Warner Munn;

–          opening round of the TRIVIA QUIZ with 8 teams of 4 people competing to answer 50 questions;

–          a demonstration of the Roland Microcomposer Synthesizer courtesy of Bill Lewis Music & Jack Matthews;

–          a MEET THE AUTHORS reception;

–          a FILKSING led by Vera Johnson;

–          a MUSIC AND SCIENCE FICTION panel with Stuart Cooper ( mod ) and Del Dettman, Paul Rudolph, John Shirley & Xaliman;

–          and a MUSICAL JAM SESSION described as “an impromptu skiffle session with Jack Vance on Jazz Banjo!”

SATURDAY (May 26/79 – Vcon 7) featured:

      –     the PRE-CANCELLED PANEL;

      –     a talk on ENERGY WEAPONS by Dr. Jesse Brewer of UBC; the NEOFAN slide show & panel with Jon Thomson;

–          a FAN PUBBING panel with Georges Giguere ( mod ) & Elinor Busby, Frank Denton, Steve

            Fahnestalk & Suzanne Tompkins;

      –     a panel on SCIENCE FARCE, LUDICROUS SCIENCE & AMAZING LOGIC by Jim Welch ( mod) & Greg Bennett, Chuck Garvin, Roy Hunter and Ed Hutchings;

      –     a panel on TV, MOVIES & SF with Chuck Davis ( mod ) & Gordon Erickson, Jim Welch and Ken Wong;

–          a SHORT STORY WORKSHOP with Julian Reid, Crawford Kilian, John Shirley & J.T. Stewart;

–          a talk on the JUPITOR FLYBY by Tom Tothill;

–          an H. WARNER MUNN READING;

–          a STAR TREK panel with Barb Dryer ( mod ) & Robert Earl Day and Cat Middlemiss;

–          ALIEN: A PREVIEW presented by Michael Walsh;

–          ARMAGEDDON IN SF panel with Bob Brown ( mod ) & William Gibson, John Shirley and Alex Strachan;

–          LONE SLOANE AND HIS FRIENDS slide show on French SF comics given by Ed Hutchings;

–          AUTOGRAPH SESSION;

–          2nd round of TRIVIA QUIZ;

–          and the COSTUME BACCHANAL, M.C.’d by John Tanner;

–          followed by a DANCE with music by “The Melodic Energy Commission”.

 SUNDAY (May 27/79 – Vcon 7) had:

–          an ART AUCTION with George Giguere as auctioneer;

–          SOCIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF MICRO COMPUTERS panel with Bob Barnes ( mod ) & David Bowerman, Dr. A. Moshowitz, Dr. D. Sely and Thom Wescott;

–          final round of TRIVIA QUIZ;

–          the MARRIAGE, DREAMS AND FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE IN THE WORKS OF URSULA K. LE GUIN talk by Mason Harris;

–          a DEAD AUTHORS PANEL with Leigh Brackett ( Susan Walsh ), John W. Campbell Jr. ( Ed Beauregard ), Hitler — from Norman Spinrad’s ‘The Iron Dream’ — ( Ed Hutchings ) and H.G. Wells ( Mason Harris );

–          a BANQUET with speeches by Frank Herbert & Jack Vance,

–          with ELRON AWARDS presentation by Ed Beauregard,

–          ending with the DEAD DOG PARTY.