Since our website forums are still down, we've set up this LJ post for people to find roommates; no posts are screened, OpenID and Anon posts are allowed (but we will delete any spam) and you can discuss any hotel roommate situation here. We at HPEF undertake no responsibility for any information you post or any roommate situation you enter into and you make any plans regarding roommates or hotel experiences at your own risk.

Crossposted from ascendio2012:
The Ascendio team is proud to announce our Formal Programming sessions.   It includes everything from JK’s women to Snape’s Redemption to How to Make a House Scarf bracelet.  Interested in from Hunger Games or Quidditch or online games?  We’ve got that!  How about publishing, crafts, law, education, psychology, history, or religion?  Whether you are a fan of the Harry Potter books, films or both, there is something for everyone!

Click on this link   to see the listing of Formal Programming sessions.  There’s also a online grid to help you get a better view of where and when each session will take place.  Grid Views:   Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  &  Sunday

There are so many different wonderful presentations planned for this year’s event that it’s going to be tough to figure out which sessions to attend.  That’s why we’ve created an Ascendio scheduling app using Guidebook.   You can download your copy now at:  http://guidebook.com/g/Ascendio/

Please remember there are lots changes that happen in conference schedules…even up to the last minute. Please check back frequently for updates including cancellations, session time changes, speaker changes and program additions.

 

Web Grid views:  Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  &  Sunday

PDF Grid views:  Thursday  |  Friday  |  Saturday  &  Sunday

 All programming is subject to change. Please check back frequently for updates.

Ascendio will be hosting fanfic readings throughout the conference!

Are you a fanfic writer, or have a favorite fic you're dying to do a dramatic reading of? Ascendio wants to hear from you! Slash, het, gen, drabbles, epics -- anything goes! We invite Ascendio attendees to submit their information to our Fanfic Readings Chair, who will coordinate readings throughout the whole weekend! Authors big and small are encouraged to do readings, as well as fans of stories whose authors will not be attending. However, we do ask, if you'd like to do a reading of someone else's work, that you secure permission from the author before doing so.

Sign-up using the form below, or email Ravenna at ravenna_c_tan@yahoo.com

The Deadline for sign-ups is May 3, 2012.

Applications are now open for the 2012 Eric Bowling Scholarship, which will provide one qualified individual with a Full registration for Ascendio, a ticket to Night of a Thousand Wizards 2 on July 12, $100 towards travel expenses and a mention in the Ascendio program.

We offered a similar scholarship to Infinitus, in the aftermath of Eric's sudden passing in December of 2009, and again, since we can't have him with us in person for Ascendio, some of the senior HPEF staff want to remember him by inviting someone to attend, as he cannot.

Please pass the information about the application & scholarship around; the scholarship is a terrific chance to be a part of an amazing Harry Potter fandom event.

Originally posted by <lj user="pinkfinity" /> at <a href="http://ascendio2012.livejournal.com/9244.html">Announcing the Eric Bowling Scholarship for Ascendio</a><div class="repost">Applications are now open for the 2012 <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFJyNEhBZ1QwTFpuU1RpWEZpOTIyT1E6MQ#gid=0">Eric Bowling Scholarship</a>, which will provide one qualified individual with a Full registration for Ascendio, a ticket to <a href="http://hp2012.org/?page_id=864">Night of a Thousand Wizards 2</a> on July 12, $100 towards travel expenses and a mention in the Ascendio program. <br /><br />We offered a similar scholarship to Infinitus, in the aftermath of Eric's sudden passing in December of 2009, and again, since we can't have him with us in person for Ascendio, some of the senior HPEF staff want to remember him by inviting someone to attend, as he cannot. <br /><br />Please pass the information about the application & scholarship around; the scholarship is a terrific chance to be a part of an amazing Harry Potter fandom event. <br /></div>

Ascendio will host our third Craft Faire as an opportunity for amateur crafters, artists, writers, or musicians to display and sell their products to other attendees on Friday afternoon. Craft Fair sellers must have annual income from sale of such wares that is under $5000. Craft Fair sellers agree not to sell wares elsewhere at the Symposium, but may discuss/hand out printed material throughout Ascendio, and further agree to sell only works that do not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property rights.

There’s a sign-up fee of $25, which only applies to people wishing to display and sell, not to attendees wishing to shop! Fansites, groups and individuals can all participate, and anyone with a Friday, Full or Merlin’s Circle registration can add it to their registration within the registration system.

Anyone who signs up by April 15, and gets us a 50 word summary (plus a url and etsy/tumblr/twitter usernames) by April 20, will have their info included in the Ascendio Program, and on the website.

At Infinitus, we had over 30 creative fandomers participate in the Craft Faire, and hundreds of shoppers enjoyed the browsing and buying experience! Won’t you participate this year?

More info here.

Documentary producer Hansi Oppenheimer (Color Me Obsessed) is interviewing fan fiction writers and readers for film project, and is currently shooting in the tri-state (NY/NJ/CT) area; she’s interested in discussing the history of fan fiction, the writing/beta process, and related topics with fanfic writers – and readers – and she’ll be conducting interviews during Ascendio. If you’re interested in participating, please email Hansi at heoppenheimer @ gmail.com (without the spaces) as she’ll be coordinating directly with interviewees. It sounds like a terrific project, and Ascendio is excited to be participating in it!

Tomorrow's the deadline for programming submissions! Check out the Call for Proposals, and tell us what you want to talk about!

As at past HPEF events, almost all of our formal programming sessions are attendee-generated, which means that we ask you, the Ascendio attendee, to host discussions, lead round tables, and, if your academic or fannish interests lie in that direction, even present a paper about a specific Harry Potter-focused or -inspired topic. Past programming sessions have included Creating a Byronic Hero: Severus Snape and the Gothic Fathers of Harry Potter; Creating Without Canon: Writing Next-Gen Fanfic; Norm-Formation, Inconsistency and the Rule of Law in the Wizarding World; When Fans Become Activists, and more.

We've also been talking about possible Ascendio programming sessions here; topics people are tossing around include a session on Regulus Black, Snape/Hermione, Draco/Hermione, writing about the Next Generation, JK Rowling's women, telling stories and sharing feelings through icons and gifs, and how people are keeping the Harry Potter flame alive.

We're having a great discussion on Ascendio programming sessions that people want to present, be on a panel for, see others present or otherwise encourage here on our LJ. Please join the discussion - you can use OpenID, Twitter, Facebook or your Google ID, or post anonymously if you wish.

Remember, Ascendio's formal programming comes from our attendees, and we showcase what you want to see!

Comments are turned off for this post, so we can keep the discussion going over there!

Hi all! We're working on plans for our next event - ascendio2012 which, as you may know, is taking place back at Universal Orlando (this time at the Portofino Bay Resort) from July 12 - 15.

Just to let you know about a few upcoming developments:

1. The deadline for formal programming submissions is February 29; as always, the wonderful programming you want to attend is totally and completely in your hands. We welcome proposals from every types of attendee — academics, shippers, crafters, artists, cos-players, fanfic writers, WizardRock artists & fans, authors and more! If you’re ready to submit your proposal, you can do so here – or keep reading this page to learn more about the types of programming sessions we hope to host at Ascendio, and how to submit your proposal.

As at past HPEF events, almost all of our formal programming sessions are attendee-generated, which means that we ask you, the Ascendio attendee, to host discussions, lead round tables, and, if your academic or fannish interests lie in that direction, even present a paper about a specific Harry Potter-focused or -inspired topic. Past programming sessions have included Creating a Byronic Hero: Severus Snape and the Gothic Fathers of Harry Potter; Creating Without Canon: Writing Next-Gen Fanfic; Norm-Formation, Inconsistency and the Rule of Law in the Wizarding World; When Fans Become Activists, and more. Click here for more info, and to see how to submit this year.

While the website forums are down, please use this post to discuss programming proposals, thoughts on sessions you want to do, calls for co-panelists, etc. You can use OPenID, Facebook, Twitter, Google or other services to log in if you don't want to use your LJ account, or if you don't have one.

2. Special Guests already announced for Ascendio include returning guests Chris Rankin and Lev Grossman, as well as a bunch of members of Team StarKid - and we welcome Veronica Roth, Aimee Carter, Beth Revis, Mark Oshiro (aka MarkReads), Michelle Hodkin, Veronica Roth, Kaza Kingsley agents Carlie Webber, Lindsay Ribar, Joanna Volpe and editor Molly O’Neill, as well as the Hindi sisters from The Hillywood Show.

3. We're going back to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on July 12 until 1:00 in the morning! More information is here.

4. Ascendio seeks talented singers and musicians to help assemble a program of music inspired by Harry Potter. Here is your chance to perform your favourite Wizard Rock song, create an original dance with HP music, present a short theatrical sketch of HP-inspired material, or put together an ensemble of “Double Double” complete with croaking frogs! Click here to learn how to audition!

Ascendio is proud and pleased to host pitch sessions with literary agents Carlie Webber, Lindsay Ribar and Joanna Volpe (more may be added)! Take this unique opportunity to do literary agent “speed dating,” pitching your completed novel to three agents at once! If an agent is interested in your novel, they will request sample pages or the whole manuscript — you never know what could happen!

How do pitch sessions work? Agent pitch sessions are like speed dating — you’ll get five minutes to sit down with an agent, give them an elevator pitch for your book, and if they are interested, they will request sample pages/your full manuscript. After five minutes, your time is up and the next person sits down, and you can move on to the next agent.

Two pitch sessions are scheduled: Friday from 4-5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. This means the agents will get to hear approximately 40 pitches each; more sessions may be added later due to demand.

We will be allowing online sign-ups for approximately 25% of the session slots (using the below form), in order to accommodate those who won’t be able to sign-up in person, on a first-come, first-served basis. The remainder of the session slots must be signed-up for at Ascendio, either at our Thursday afternoon Book Fair or at the Meet & Greet table on Friday/Saturday.

Click here to sign up now!