May Update: CONsole Room is Bigger on the Inside

Image Caption: “Think about me when you’re living your life one day after another, all in a neat pattern. Think about the homeless traveler and his old police box, with his days like crazy paving.” – The 7th Doctor

Happy Spring, Whovians!

Our convention committee is coming out of our post-con rest and already have some exciting progress for CONsole Room 2024: Bigger on the Inside!  Take a look at the latest, including our first guests, hotel reservations, a spotlight on VIP memberships, and open convention committee positions.


GUESTS: PLEASE WELCOME SYLVESTER MCCOY TO CONSOLE ROOM!

Did you hear the news? There’s a Doctor in the house!

We are so thrilled to share that 7th Doctor SYLVESTER MCCOY will be joining us in person at CONsole Room 2024. Sylvester was the Doctor to previous Guest of Honour companion Sophie Aldred (“Ace”) and is also known for numerous other roles on stage and film, including on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit film trilogy.

You can learn more about our current guest list on our GUESTS page.

GUESTS: PLEASE WELCOME NEW PODCAST TO CONSOLE ROOM!

We’re also thrilled to share our first Featured Guests! Matt Everkoul and Chris Hawton, co-hosts of “The All-New Adventures of the Doctor Who Book Club” podcast, will be joining us for our 2024 convention. Through this podcast, Matt and Chris read and review a new Doctor Who book each month. We look forward to hearing new literary perspectives from Matt and Chris during the convention!

You can learn more about our current guest list on our GUESTS page.

HOTEL ROOM BLOCK IS OPEN

CONsole Room returns to the HILTON MSP AIRPORT/MALL OF AMERICA HOTEL and our room block is currently open!

Staying at the hotel is a great way to help the convention, but also gives you a home base for the weekend, a place to watch virtual panels, and easy access to local amenities

Staying at the convention hotel puts you within arm’s reach (so to speak) of everything the convention has to offer, cozy and relaxing hotel amenities, and more.

Early morning? You’re already at the con.

Late night of dancing or conversation? You’re within steps of a place to sleep.

Don’t want to deal with possible snow? You can hang out with Whovians all weekend long without ever having to step outside – and have easy access to mass or shared transit if you do.

Our room block is open until a couple weeks before the convention or until full, whichever comes first. Book your home away from now!

Learn more on our HOTEL PAGE or go to the HILTON HOTEL WEBSITE to book your room now.

REGISTRATION SPOTLIGHT: VIP MEMBERSHIPS

Did you know that we have a VIP membership?

VIP memberships give you access to all of the in-person and virtual fun all weekend AND already includes our convention shirt and enamel pin for the year. They also include some special VIP-exclusive perks, such as access to our Thursday night mixer with our Guests of Honour and Featured Guests.

A limited number of VIP memberships are currently available for in person and virtual attendees. Please make sure to review the VIP listing on our website for a full, up-to-date list of VIP perks!

Learn more about our VIP memberships, as well as our other membership offerings, on our REGISTRATION page.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: JOIN OUR CONVENTION COMMITTEE

Did you know CONsole Room Events is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization? We are truly an event created by the fans for the fans – and we’re looking for additional volunteers to join our team! Whether you’re new to volunteering or a convention veteran, we’d love to hear from you.

Some of the roles that are currently open can be found below:

    • Art Show Lead(s) and Team Members: The Art Show team would manage and own pre-event set-up, at-con set-up and take-down, and sales during the convention.
    • ConSuite Team Members: Partner with the ConSuite Lead to assist with running the ConSuite experience, including pre-event set-up, keeping the space clean and re-stocked, directing additional volunteers, and serving fresh food as needed.
    • Escape Room Lead(s) and Team Members: The Escape Room team would help update the Escape Room experience for 2024 and run the Escape Room during the convention.

If you are interested in one of the roles above or want to learn more, please contact our volunteer department at volunteer@console-room.org.

If you have a role you might be interested in that isn’t listed above, either before the convention or during the con, please still feel free to reach out. Volunteers are always welcomed!

More information about volunteering can be found on our I Want to Help page.

We’ll be sharing all kinds of updates, announcements, and Whovian fun over the coming months while we ramp up to our 11th annual convention.

Stay tuned on social media, via email, and here on our website to make sure you don’t miss a thing, then get ready to join us in January either in-person or online!

Final Reminders for CONsole Room 2023

Image Caption: “We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one.” – The 11th Doctor

WHO is excited for CONsole Room 2023? We’re just one final day away!

In our last broad update before the convention, review our guest list (with one final addition!), check out our guide to the convention, see reminders on important information about hotel parking, and more.

We’re so glad you’ve chosen to spend the weekend with us, whether in person or virtually. If you haven’t registered yet, you can still join us in person (visit Registration when you arrive) or virtually by registering for a CYBERMITE or CYBERMAN virtual registration.

Power up your sonic screwdriver, strap on your vortex manipulator, and get ready to have a blast online or in person this weekend. Allons-y!

PLEASE WELCOME NEW GUESTS TO CONSOLE ROOM 2023!

We’re excited to announce our final Guest of Honour, Caitlin Blackwood! Caitlin is most well-known in the Doctor Who universe for playing Young Amy Pond.

You can learn more about our current guest list on our GUESTS page.

AUTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOGRAPHS NOW AVAILABLE

Autographs and Photographs are now available for purchase for in person and virtual attendees!

Please review the information on our website about ordering, as the steps differ a little depending on how you are joining us.

You can learn more on our AUTOGRAPH AND PHOTOGRAPH page.

For those of you used to the hotel we’ve been using for the past decade – and those joining us for the first time! – please take the time to review the information below for updates on hotel operating procedures.

Parking at the Hotel
Parking in the hotel parking lot is FREE for all CONsole Room attendees. In 2023 the hotel is implementing a new paid parking system – you will likely see signs throughout the parking lot with QR codes guiding you to a parking website – but parking is FREE for CONsole Room attendees. In order to access the free parking, please make sure to stop by Registration soon after your arrival at the hotel to receive access to our free parking code.

Cash vs. Cashless Amenities
The hotel has moved to a (nearly) fully cashless system.

CASHLESS: If you plan to eat at the hotel bar/restaurant, you will need to either charge your meal to your room (if you are staying overnight at the hotel) or use a credit or debit card.

CASH ONLY: Please note that the cash bars in our convention space (by or in the ballroom on the second floor) on Thursday (for VIPs), Friday, and Saturday nights will only accept cash.


Our website contains all the information you need to navigate the convention this weekend, either in person or virtually. Visit our Guide to CONsole Room 2023 to find in-person room hours and gain an understanding of our hybrid layout.

Some highlights for this weekend are below, but make sure to continue to explore the pages underneath “What to Expect” in our website menu to learn more about the convention!

REVIEW OUR SCHEDULE

Our schedule for CONsole Room 2023 is up and available on our website! Take a look at what you can expect in just a few more days.

View the SCHEDULE online.

Please note that CYBERMAN and CYBERMITE links will be sent directly from Eventbrite to in person and virtual attendees Thursday or Friday.

COVID-19 REMINDERS

As a reminder, if you are joining us in person please make sure you have reviewed our 2023 COVID-19 policy so that you know what to expect when you arrive at our convention.

Thank you for continuing to support our convention and this community! We look forward to seeing you all in just a few days, whether in person or virtually..

GPS CHARITY AUCTION

Our Charity Auction supports CONsole Room’s partner, the Geek Partnership Society. Bidding will be online and available to in person and virtual attendees.

Learn more and access the auction by visiting the GPS PAGE on our website.

#WHOITYOURSELF EVENTS OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

We have three #WhoItYourself special events this year – Build-Your-Own Hydroponics Workshop (FREE), Seed Art Activity, and Painting with Plasmavores – and registration is open.

Learn more on our WHOITYOURSELF page, or register now through SQUARE.

COMMEMORATIVE SHIRT ORDERING HAS RE-OPENED

Our commemorative shirts are again available to order, now through January 31! Don’t miss this opportunity for a wearable memory celebrating this year’s convention – and all the years leading up to it.

Please note that any shirts ordered at this time will not ship until after the convention.

Learn more on our COMMEMORATIVE SHIRT PAGE or order now through CUSTOMINK.

NEW ENAMEL PINS CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF CONSOLE ROOM

As part of this year’s convention, we have created enamel pins celebrating all ten years of CONsole Room so far! Moving forward, we hope to make a new convention pin every year.

Learn more on our ENAMEL PINS page, or order now through SQUARE.

Hotel Room Block Re-Opened Through Jan 8

Image Caption: “Are all people like this? So much bigger on the inside.” – Idris

Hello, Whovians! We have an important hotel update: If you were trying to book a room in our convention hotel yesterday, you may have noticed that you were not able to access rooms using our convention Group Code.

We are pleased to announce that the room block has been RE-OPENED through the weekend (ending at the end of the day on Sunday, January 8). If you were hoping to stay with us – and access our discounted hotel room rate, find cozy amenities within reach, and support the convention in the process – you now have a few extra days.

>> Book your hotel reservation now.
>> Learn more about our convention hotel.

Then, continue to stay tuned! As of today, we are just TWO short weeks away from CONsole Room 2023 and we have more announcements to come this week: New GUESTS, our 2023 schedule, guides to the convention, and so much more.