BabelCon was a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

and

multigenre convention Fan convention (also known as con or fan meeting), a term that predates 1942, is an event in which fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some ...

, held in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of countie ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

. Established in 2006, the convention took place at the Cook Hotel and Lod & Carole Cook Alumni Center on the campus of

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

. Formerly a project of the non-profit Science & Engineering Education Foundation (SEEF), it was last managed by Babelcon LLC. After a split between the organizers in late 2010, the upcoming convention was postponed then ultimately cancelled. This convention was typically a three-day event comprising panels, seminars, demonstrations, and workshops. Guests sometimes include science fiction and fantasy authors, artists, and celebrities from genre television series and movies. BabelCon was named for the site of a diplomatic conference in the classic ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

'' episode "

Journey to Babel "Journey to Babel" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on November 17, 1967. In the episode, '' ...

History

BabelCon was launched in 2006, as a project of a local science fiction and gaming group, Star One Delta (SOD). The organizers were inspired to create BabelCon after Crescent City Con in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina, efforts to launch a new convention in New Orleans were stalled. In 2008, BabelCon was legally separated from Star One Delta, and a new non-profit organization, the Science & Engineering Education Foundation (SEEF), was created to run the convention.

Conventions

Past events

BabelCon was held on Saturday, August 5, 2006, at the West Baton Rouge Conference Center in Port Allen, Louisiana. Notable guests at the one-day event included ''

Lost In Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel '' The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series ...

'' actor Bob May. BabelCon 2 was held on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at the West Baton Rouge Conference Center in Port Allen, Louisiana. Activities included gaming, a fantasy art show, science panels, and celebrity guests. Notable guests at the one-day event included ''Star Trek'' actors

Lee Meriwether Lee Ann Meriwether (born May 27, 1935) is an American actress, former model, and the winner of the Miss America 1955 pageant. She has appeared in many films and television shows, notably as Betty Jones, the title character's secretary and daught ...

and Robert O'Reilly as well as several local authors and fan groups. BabelCon 3 was held on July 19–20, 2008, at the Holiday Inn Select in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The two-day event featured guest stars Richard Hatch, Suzie Plakson,

J. G. Hertzler John Garman Hertzler Jr. (born March 18, 1950) is an American actor, author, screenwriter, and activist best known for his role on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' as the Klingon General (later Chancellor) Martok, whom he portrayed from 1995 un ...

, and Bob May, paranormal investigators Kalila Katherina Smith and Brad Duplechein, plus several local authors and educators. Attendance was estimated to be about 1000 fans. BabelCon 4 was held on July 17–19, 2009, at the Cook Hotel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Guest stars at the three-day event included Rekha Sharma, Tiffany Grant, Patrick Burns, as well as several local authors and educators. Convention staff said attendance was "down slightly from past years". BabelCon 4.5 was held on March 19–21, 2010, at the Cook Hotel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Originally listed as "BabelCon 2010 - the Year We Make Contact" it was changed to a "mini-con" and given the designation of "4.5". The convention aimed at "a cozy con atmosphere" relying on panels rather than celebrity guests for entertainment. Scaled back due to economic pressures from the

late-2000s recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At t ...

, the event featured Sal Lizard, the president of Starfleet International, as its headline guest. As in previous conventions local authors also gave talks and spoke with guests.

Cancelled events

The next BabelCon event was originally scheduled to be held March 25–27, 2011, but was postponed. After a split in convention management in late 2010, many of the original BabelCon staff and organizers planned their own event after the BabelCon name was registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State by another individual. This event, the Louisiana Science Fiction and Costuming Festival, was first held March 25–27, 2011. In April 2012, new management acquired the assets of Babelcon LLC to settle existing debts and allow the event to move forward. Due to funding issues and another change in management, Babelcon was tentatively rescheduled for mid-October 2012. The convention was eventually cancelled and the organization dispersed.

References

{{coord missing, Louisiana Defunct science fiction conventions in the United States Defunct multigenre conventions Culture of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Recurring events established in 2006 Recurring events disestablished in 2012 Tourist attractions in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Conventions in Louisiana