Clockworks and Rabbits

Good day, Agents.

I am writing you this message in the hopes that I might share my thoughts on the convention that we held from May 20th to 22nd at the Holiday Inn Pointe-Claire. There is some information that I am sure you are waiting to hear, and I know that I am wanting to share with you all.

First and foremost, allow me to share with you our accomplishments. On the topic of attendance, 439 agents descended on Montreal, making this the largest convention of its type to be held on this island ever. Our annual Fursuit Parade culminated in a total of 77 fursuiters. That’s an amazing 17% of the whole convention! For the Ecomuseum, our charity, we raised $2,194.73. And though we didn’t reach our goal for this year, every cent raised means that much more to be put towards the welfare and care of the animals at the Ecomuseum. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of such an amazing and giving community. This puts What The Fur’s total donations to the Ecomuseum at over $17,500. That’s astounding!

As many of you have been asking, here are some of the links to all of the photos that we have. We would also like to ask that if any of you have photographs that you would like to share, please let us know!

• The Official What The Fur Fursuit Group Photo: http://rga.la/WTF16_Group


• The Official What The Fur Photo Booth Gallery: http://rga.la/WTF16_PhotoBooth


• Our collection of candid shots from around the convention: http://rga.la/WTF16_Candid

Moving on to other business, I want to put out a very big and heart-felt thank you to each and every one of you. From the veteran con-goers to the newly arrived first time attendees, you all make What The Fur what it is: home. Seeing all of the smiling faces, the friends hugging and having a good time, the fursuiters and artists, the DJs and the gamers, it reminds me of the reason that we – the staff and volunteers – do this every year. Seeing old friends to making hundreds of new ones is just a part of the convention for us.

And further on that, as Chairperson for What The Fur, I have to say that those that deserve all of the thanks are the ones who put in the hard work to make everything happen and to bring it all together. All of the staff and volunteers. You are beyond compare. There are too many names to name so I will refrain from trying, but suffice it to say that What The Fur isn’t my convention. The convention is theirs. The convention is yours. So I want to thank you. You who are reading this and having those flashbacks to one of the best weekends of the year. You who have been a part of something great. You who made this small little thing a place to call home. Thank you. And to help make things even better, I ask that each and every one of you follow this link to our survey, and let us know exactly what you liked and didn’t, and how we can make things better: http://rga.la/WTF16_Survey

Over the next few weeks, the staff and I will be still working. We will be putting together plan for next year, and as soon as we have things solidified we will announce it and let you know. I would love to make the announcements right here and now but there are just a few more redacted documents that need to be filed away before we’re ready for that. But what I can say, unequivocally, is that yes, we will be looking forward to seeing you all again in 2017.
When we all come home again.

On behalf of the whole team here at What The Fur, I will close by giving you all of our most sincere thanks.

Feli
Agent 002 - Chairperson, What The Fur

Attention all secret agents!

Too many gadgets exploding in your face lately? A lack of support on your missions with the latest tools? Need a change of pace from all that action-y, in your face mission stuff?

Then we have the perfect mission for you!

What The Fur is growing, and with it, we need staff. Without staffers who help to run the con, we can't continue to put on such an amazing show. As such if you have the technical chops and energy to step up to the challenge, then we want you!

Currently the AV and IT departments are looking for staff that have experience with a wide variety of equipment. We're not going to bore you with the details, but if you've used a video camera (and no, we're not talking about your cellphone) or know what a network switch is, then drop us a line.

If you have a resume showing us your volunteer or work experience with any of these roles, all the better! If not, don't worry. Just let us know what you've done and with what tools & projects, etc. Training will be included so don't fret if you feel you may not have all the skills necessary.

Being staff can be very rewarding and helps to give us the ability to put on bigger and more technically spectacular events each year. Give us a shout now!

av@whatthefur.ca

Last chance to pre-register for *What The Fur*! At midnight (eastern) tonight we shut it down to get prepared for the convention in 2 weeks.
Head on over to http://www.whatthefur.ca/registration/registration.php to register now!

The Holiday Inn is also ending its room availability as of midnight, so it's your last chance to reserve a room!

Also, our schedule is now available! Panel details will be added shortly.
http://www.whatthefur.ca/events/schedule_1.html

Time ticks away. One second per second, moving forward and not stopping. It's a drawback to not actually having a time machine. And as time moves forward, the future becomes the present, and then the past. But when something is coming on the temporal horizon, you have to get yourself ready to seize the moment. And the time for seizing is now. Or will be now. Or will have has to be...

What The Fur?
Time Travellin' Furries
May 22-24 2015
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.whatthefur.ca

In Tomorrow's News Today:
Pre-registration Deadline
Hotel Deadline
Programming Update
Conbook Submissions
Charity Auction
Dealers Update

http://whatthefur.ca/home_e.php?entry_id=1429920963&title=april-news


==========


Le temps s’écoule... Seconde par seconde, allant de l’avant sans pouvoir être arrêté. Il est problématique de ne pas avoir de machine à voyager dans le temps. Avec le temps qui s’écoule, le futur devient le présent, puis le passé. Mais quand un événement apparaît sur l’horizon temporel, il faut être prêt à l’accueillir. Et il est maintenant temps. Ou il sera maintenant temps. Ou il était temps plus tard…

What The Fur?
Time Travellin' Furries
22 au 24 mai 2015
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.whatthefur.ca

Les nouvelles de demain, aujourd’hui:
Fin de la période de préinscription
Période de réservation pour l’hôtel
Nouvelles de la programmation
Soumissions pour le Livre de Convention
Encan de Charité
Nouvelles des Vendeurs

http://whatthefur.ca/accueil.php?entry_id=1429921286&title=nouvelles-davril

The lights are being lit, the fires are being stoked, and the grandiloquent statement is ready for release. So pay attention, and pay that chap who let you borrow his datascope to read this missive.

What The Fur: A Steam-Powered Celebration
May 23-25 2014 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.whatthefur.ca

Lodgings (Hotel News)
As from our previous messages, the hotel has sold out of rooms with two double beds. But there are still rooms with King beds available! And even suites where you have a kind and a double-sofa bed! So if you’re still looking to book a room, there are options available.
Also, the Sheraton has graciously extended the room reservation dates to May 6th. That gives you two weeks from today to reserve your rooms in the hotel at our rate. After that date, we can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to get the WTFur room rates.
http://whatthefur.ca/hotel/hotel.php

Room and Ride Shares
If you missed our small messages over the last few weeks, we have added a page to our website for room and ride shares. It is a place where people can post their info if they are looking to share a room with someone, looking to carpool to the convention, or have spaces in their rooms or cars to share. People are coming from all over, so if you want to offer space, or want to barter for a space, that’s the place to do it! http://whatthefur.ca/hotel/room-ride.php

Registration
With the extension of the hotel dates, we’ve decided to also extend the pre-registration deadline. That means you have two more weeks to register for the convention and save yourself a little bit of money in the process! And though our Regular and Sponsor levels will be available at the door, the Patron level will not be.
2014 T-shirts will also not be available after pre-registration ends! They are available as an add-on to your registration, or with a Sponsor or Patron membership.
http://whatthefur.ca/registration/registration.php

Charitable actions (and auctions)
Every year, What The Fur raises charity donations and provides them to the Ecomuseum Zoo. The Ecomuseum zoo’s operations are not subsidized. They are covered by admissions and other revenues, whereas the renewal and development of its infrastructures depends primarily on donations and fundraising activities. What The Fur has been a proud sponsor since 2010, raising over $9000 to date. If you have a little spare change (those Twoonies weigh a lot in your pockets and purses), toss it into the charity bucket!
Also, What The Fur holds an auction, where proceeds also are donated to the Ecomuseum. If you are an artist or one of our dealers, please consider putting something into our art show for our charity auction. Even if you’re just attending the convention, and you think you have something you’d like to put in our auction, we’ll gladly add it to the list! Just bring it with you to the convention! (Americans: Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback are like money around here!)
http://whatthefur.ca/information/charity.php

Programming
What The Fur strives to provide everyone with one of the best convention experiences available, offering a cozy, friendly atmosphere. But we like giving people something to do and something to learn as well! And we could never do that without help from you! We’re still accepting offers to run workshops and panels, to sit on group discussions, or even to participate in some of our events! If you have something you’d love to share, teach or show, let us know! http://whatthefur.ca/events/programming1.html

Dance your heart out
Saturday won’t just be the day we all wait for the dance to start. We’ll be hosting our first ever Dance Competition! And we’d like to hear from you if you want to enter! This goes for fursuiters and non-suiters alike.. We want to know if you’ll be participating, and if so, and you have a particular piece of music in mind, let us know so we can get things ready! Shoot us an email to dance@whatthefur.ca to let us know.
And then, later in the evening, we will start out our dance with a Chronographic Reception, our Steampunk-Themed Masquerade ball, so break out the Bowlers and braces (but please, leave your bigger clockwork guns at the door). Then it will move on to the dance everyone craves.
Are you looking to perhaps entertain your fellow con-goers with musical magic? Then you're in luck! We're still taking applications for DJs for our dance! If you're thinking of being a DJ, we just need a little bit of information from you. To make sure we can select DJs that fit, not only with the con but with each other, we'd like to know what kind of music you would like to play. To that end, please fill in the form on our Dance page, and we'll get to making our selections!
http://whatthefur.ca/events/dance14.html

Help make it better for everyone
Like mentioned above, we couldn’t do this without you. We do this to put smiles on faces, and sometimes we work tirelessly to make that happen, but the end result is always worth it. If you have some time to give, let us know. We’ll happily welcome you to our volunteer team. Just send us an email to volunteers@whatthefur.ca, or fill in the form on the website to let us know you’d like to help. We need wranglers and referees, gophers and guides, help with setup and teardown. There’s no lack of opportunity. As well, we’ll be trying to toss a few rewarding things your way, like early exclusive access to the Dealers Den and some nice, front-row seats at the events.
http://whatthefur.ca/registration/volunteers.html

What the Fur is in two months! Held in the beautiful Sheraton airport hotel in Dorval, and with a Steampunk theme, it promises to be an excellent event.

We still have spaces available in the Dealers Room! Are you an artist? A crafty person? An author? Are you a not-furry-but-still-steampunk type of vendor? Do you sell cool stuff at cons or craft shows or other such events? If so, please consider adding WTFur to your roster! Visit http://www.whatthefur.ca/registration/dealers.php for more info and to register.

Don't want to spend the whole weekend vending? You also have the option of Artist Alley! For this, you need a regular registration for the con.http://www.whatthefur.ca/registration/registration.php

Just want to have fun, socialise, sit in on informative panels? You can do that. Got art to show off and maybe sell? Get an art show panel. Got something to teach? Contact our programming and see what panels you can join or propose your own!

What the Fur is a fun, friendly con for all ages. You don't have to be furry, you just have to have an open mind and want to have some fun.

Come to WTFur! http://www.whatthefur.ca/

What The Fur: A Steam-powered Celebration
May 23-25 2014
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

What The Fur? Fairy Tales
May 17-19 2013
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.whatthefur.ca

How can we let a good thing end so soon?
The answer: We can't. The masses have spoken, and so the decision has been made to keep pre-registration open for another 2 weeks! Well, nearly. We will be keeping pre-registration going until Friday, May 3rd at Midnight. But this will be your final chance to pre-register.
This also means the last few tables in the Dealers Den are up for grabs too!
http://register.whatthefur.ca

And the good news keeps on coming!
The Hotel has informed us that it will continue to accept room reservations at our convention rate so long as they have the rooms available in the hotel! So if you're still doing the math, or just about missed the deadline, don't worry! There's still room! But the offer is subject to change without notice, so don't delay too long!
http://hotel.whatthefur.ca

Looking for something to do?
Do you want to be on programming at What The Fur? It's not too late to suggest a panel or workshop.
Or you can look at our current panel listings - what we already have planned - and sign up for a panel or two.
http://programming.whatthefur.ca

So, it's that time of year again.
Spring. And that means it's time for me to pimp the convention a little harder.

What The Fur: Fairy Tales is almost upon us, and that means it's time to get our tails in gear!
Online Pre-registration AND hotel rates both close on April 16th - that's less than a month away! So get in while you can! There's still a few rooms left in the block, and there is still plenty of room in the convention!

What do we have to offer this year? Aside from the new hotel, being closer to a major transit station, and still being right in the heart of downtown, we have all sorts of things!
As out theme is Fairy Tales, we will be starting our dance on Saturday with a Grand Masquerade Ball. So break out your nicest duds and maybe wear a nice tie on your fursuit. Masks are not required, but then again, if you're in suit already...

Our dealers room is even bigger than before, meaning more room, less crowding, and more things!

And we are pleased to present the International Fursuit Hockey League! Yes, that's right, fursuiters, playing hockey, for the fun and amusement of us all! We have 3 teams forming so far. And we'd love for more. so if you're interested, drop us a line!

And we're bringing back our Fursuit Parade this year! Right now we're figuring out exactly where it'll go, but it will be happening!

And, as always, we can't do this without your help. So if you'd like to share something, or to help out with a panel or debate, run a workshop, DJ at our dance, or just be a volunteer, let us know! We're always looking for new people to work with to make this the best experience for everyone.

Lastly, remember that we're not just doing this for ourselves. But also for our charity, the EcoMuseum. Over the last three years we've raised more than $7000 for the EcoMuseum, with more than $4000 of that last year alone. Let's keep the giving spirit alive and see if we can best that amount this year.

So remember: May 17th to 19th, Montreal. The best little furry convention you can attend.

http://whatthefur.ca

 Are you an author, writer, play-write or some kind of visionary-what-writes-things-down?
Are you bored and looking for a challenge?
Do you like to work for peanuts? (literally. We can pay you in plain, dry roasted or honey roasted)
Then What The Fur is looking for you!

We're undertaking a small project, and we are looking for someone to help us. There will be deadlines, and probably lots of corrections or changes, but we want your help!

If interested, send us an email to information@whatthefur.ca

(maybe cashews?)