Octocon is the Irish National Science Fiction Convention, running since 1990. This year, we are focusing on developing a sustainable future for the convention, which celebrates diversity, inclusion and accessibility to fandom.
Octocon’s membership ranges from 350-450 people across 10+ countries, including a healthy spread across the island of Ireland. Our current committee has links with creative and fandom groups around the country, as well as other events around the world, including Gaelcon (annual in Dublin); Glasgow 2024, a Worldcon For Our Futures; and Reconnect – Eastercon 2025 (Belfast).
Our charity for 2023 is the Irish Deaf Society.
In order to fully support them and to make the convention as inclusive and accessible as possible to everyone, we are seeking sponsorship to address the needs of the convention. Below are four ways you can support the convention:
Sponsor Irish Sign Language Interpreters
As a fan-run convention, our capacity to hire interpreters is extremely limited. A donation to the convention of €300 would enable us to hire interpreters to cover key moments of the programme, including the open and closing ceremonies, and the Guest of Honour interview. In an ideal world, we would be able to cover more areas of the convention with interpreters, to provide access to members of the deaf community to the convention.
Your sponsorship will be acknowledged in a special thank you page in our programme book and on our website, and in our communications with the Irish Deaf Society.
We also encourage direct donations to the Irish Deaf Society, whose work serves the interests and welfare of the Deaf community. It provides a number of education, personal and social services to Deaf children, adults, and their families.
Help with Printing Costs
Our programme book is a key souvenir of the convention. In the past few years, we have been unable to put it into print – partly because our convention ran online, and partly because of increased costs in printing.
The convention requires approximately €450-500 in total for the printing of the Programme Book. Regardless of whether this target is reached, a digital copy of the Programme Book will be made available through Issuu.
Advertising in the Programme Book
The programme book has advertising space available, at a cost of €150 for a full page, and €200 for the back cover. Half-page and quarter-page advertisements can be arranged at €80 and €40 respectively. Donations in excess of the quoted rate are greatly appreciated; any additional funding will go towards the other costs of the convention.
In-kind Sponsorships
Aside from monetary support, in-kind sponsorship enables Octocon to move towards a sustainable future. We will always have need of the following:
- Microphones
- Stream decks
- Computer monitors
- High definition recording camera
- Laptop
- Equipment mounts
- Banners
- Signage
- Snacks and Drinks for our volunteers, staff and traders
- T-shirts
- Lanyards
- Badges
- Auction donations
Become a Friend of the Convention
If you wish to support the convention but don’t have a specific intention in mind for your donation, you might consider becoming a Friend of the Convention. This is a €100 Membership type, available readily through https://registration.octocon.com/
Friends of the Convention are acknowledged in our programme book with a special thanks.
Thank you so much for your consideration!
Do not hesitate to ask me any questions, I am happy to answer.
Paul Carroll, Chair 2023
