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About Us
What Is The New England Fan Experience (NEFanX)?
The New England Fan Experience is a weekend long interactive and educational event. It is a multi-faceted event, offering diverse programming in the areas of science fiction, fantasy, anime, pop culture, gaming, science fact, technology, costuming, and much, much more.
Our mission is to provide our members with well rounded events that teach as well as entertain. Although our speaker’s sign autographs and collectables are available, we offer so much more than grabbing a few signatures or collectables. At our event you not only get to meet out guest speakers you get to learn about what they do, how things are made, what collectables are worth, how to get into the entertainment industry and so much more.
Do you want to know what it is like in space? Well ask an astronaut. Do you want to know what it takes to be a published author or successful artist? Speak to our special guests. Do you want to know how robots work? Check out our demos. Do you want to work in the field of voice acting? Learn more about it from our voice actors. Are you interested in Japanese culture? See our demos on Sward arts or Ikibana. Our show has so much to offer its like going to school, only more fun. You can if you choose to do some basics, see an actor you like, you can take a more active part in things by asking questions at panels, workshops, Q&A sessions. Learn about the entertainment arts, Science & Technology and the gaming industry. You can even volunteer and learn the ins and outs of planning an event. You can learn so much from our event, but you need get involved. You can also learn a lot about other cultures through the world of entertainment, such as styles of productions and art, fashion and even music.
We are dedicated to providing the highest quality interactive, educational, and entertaining experience possible. We always offer a wide ranging activities such as panels, workshops & contests, guest presentations, screening rooms, demonstrations, art displays, musical concerts and more... All to provide you with the Ultimate Fan Experience! Remember you learn more from experiences than you do from reading about it. Parents, you would be amazed at how much more your child can learn when they are being entertained. Adults and teen you will be pleasantly surprised how much more knowledge of entertainment and science you can come away with!
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Who We Are - United Fan Con Directors
Paul Scott Aldred - President
Debra Greaves Aldred - Director of Fundraising/Director of Technology
Amanda Steen - Clerk
Sue Herzberg - Treasurer
Robert Langer - Director of Research
Paul Fest - Director
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Hours
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Event
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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| Pre-Registration |
3pm-9pm |
9am-5pm |
9am-2pm |
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Registration
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3pm-9pm
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10am-5pm
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10am-2pm
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Main Programming
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4pm-1am
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10am-2am
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10am-6pm
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Vendor Room
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3pm-8pm
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10am-6pm
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10am-6pm
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| Video / Media Rooms |
3pm-9pm |
Noon-9pm |
Noon-6pm |
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Gaming
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3pm-Midnight
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10am-Midnight
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11am-4pm
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THINGS TO DO
The New England Fan Experience 2009 convention theme is "MAKING THE MOVIES".
ART SHOW
We are continuing the art show with our move to the Courtyard. We welcome all forms of art, sculpture, paintings, computer, small and large. The only requirement is that it is yours. Please do not submit art that does not belong to you! All artists must register and receive approval. Any questions can be sent to Amy Litman at (artshow@nefanx.com)
BREAKFAST WITH THE ACTORS
Sunday morning we host a Breakfast with the actors. The additional fee is $35 in advance; $45 at the door (if available). The breakfast will last for approximately 1½ hours depending on the actors' schedule.
COSTUMING / COSPLAY
We will once again hold a costume contest on Saturday as well as hall costuming over the weekend. So dust off your best costume and share your work with fellow con goers.
DEMONSTRATIONS
Info coming!
DINNER WITH THE ACTORS
Saturday night's Dinner with the actors is only available to members. Tickets for the dinner will be an additional $65 if purchased in advance and $75 at the door (if available).
FUN EVENTS
Info coming!
GAMES AND GAMING
There is an electronics gaming room dedicated to those who enjoy big screen TV action. Other games will be added and information will be available soon.
LIVE CONCERT
We will again be hosting a live band in concert on Friday evening, and this year it will be The Others, a band that records songs about the hit show Lost.
PANELS
The panels and activities featured at our convention are presented by professionals and fan volunteers. If there is something you wish to see at the convention, feel free to make suggestions. If you feel that you and perhaps others you know are interested in hosting a panel, then please contact the appropriate Experience Leader as listed here.
SHADOW CAST
The incredibly talented staff and friends of New England Fan Experience will present a Shadow Cast of REPO: the Genetic Opera, on Friday night. Information will be available on this website as soon as we have it settled.
THEMED DANCE PARTY
This year's Saturday dance theme is in keeping with our MAKING THE MOVIES overall convention theme. If you've seen the live Academy of Motion Picture's telecast, or one of the many E-entertainment News specials, you'll understand what this special theme is: THE OSCARS. Come as the movie star you know that you are! A dead one, a living one, a starlet, a leading man, in character, out of character, animated or live, dress up to impress up.
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Policies
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Policy for New England Fan Experience 2009 (aka: da Rules)
Policies may be changed at any time, at the discretion of the New England Fan Experience and/or the UFC.
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| General Policy
We don't want to be all full of rules and regulations, this convention is supposed to be fun. But there are some laws that cannot be broken, no matter where you are. Here is our main General Policy in a nutshell: "If it's against the law in Boston, it's against the rules of NEFanX. If it's against the law in Massachusetts, it's against the rules of NEFanX. If it's against the law in the United States, it's against the rules of NEFanX." So, if you want to do something illegal, you won't be doing it here. Right? We have a very good Security Division. So, please try to be on your best behavior, because these guys really don't want to take your convention membership away from you... which they will, if you break any laws.
The rest is A-Z so you can find the NEFanX policy more easily:
Adult Membership
Any member aged 15+ is considered an adult for purposes of entry to the convention. Additional membership identification will be needed for those who are 18+ to allow their participation in mature content panels. Any adult who brings a person aged 14 or less to the convention must present ID proving themselves to be 21+ and sign in as that person’s guardian.
Artists Alley and Art Show
You’ve got your own special page, so click here.
Autograph Policy
Some celebrities charge for their autographs, and all are purchased separately from your membership / admission. Seat holders who have purchased Weekend Package for main ballroom programming, except Leonard Nimoy presentations and Ambassador Pass holders for Leonard Nimoy presentations receive a numbered badge; the number is assigned based when you purchased your membership. The earlier you purchase, the lower your badge number. Lines for autographs are formed based on badge number. Some celebrities may sign autographs at tables on their own time schedule at their own discretion, others may only participate in one or two hour autograph sessions once or twice during the weekend. We will make every attempt to post to the website what time those sessions will be. Buying an autograph ticket does not ever guarantee that you will get an autograph. It is your responsibility to line up on time. If autograph sessions are missed no refunds are issued.
Celebrity Contact Policy
For the comfort of our celebrities DO NOT ask a celebrity walking in the convention hallways or participating in dinners, dances, or panels to stop for a photograph or autograph. We do not allow photos to be taken of celebrities at any signing tables. All photos taken with celebrity must be done during one of the official photo sessions. We want the celebrities we bring to the New England Fan Experience to interact with the membership. So, we require that our membership behave as they would in our home - with dignity and friendliness. This is for the comfort of our celebrities. If you do not cooperate with this particular policy our convention Security will have your membership withdrawn.
Child / Teen Discounts
With an Adult Membership/Admission purchase, the adult guardian may also request up to three Child Memberships (aged 10 and under) for admission to any Experience. With an Adult Membership/Admission purchase, an adult guardian may purchase Teen Memberships (ages 11-14) at 1/2 price of the Adult Experience membership. These discounts are good on Experience memberships/admissions only and are not available on weekend packages or on any other add-ons or special events (banquet, breakfast, photo sessions, autographs, etc). .
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES may a person age 14 and under be allowed to attend the convention without an Adult Guardian. Adult Guardian must prove age of 21+ and will be held responsible for good conduct. Adult Guardians will be required to register all persons under their guardianship at Registration.
Convention Registration
PHOTO ID (passport, School ID card, Drivers license, etc) will be required to be shown by all persons with Adult-level Memberships at the Registration Desk when they enter the convention for the first time. Pre-registered members MUST bring Proof of Identity in order to pick up their packets. If NO Photo ID is available, you can bring in two forms of non-photo ID, i.e. a report card, birth certificate, household bill, or equivalent.
IF you cannot produce a Photo ID, with date of birth, to prevent liability issues, we will not be able to provide you with convention identifiers that would allow you into mature programming. If you are youthful in appearance and cannot provide ID proving you are age 15+ then you will be required to sign in with an adult guardian who can prove they are age 21+.
Transfers - I can no longer attend: You can transfer your Membership / Admission to another person for this convention year. This must be done in writing, and can only be accomplished if you have the name and particulars of the new member ready for us to transfer the membership. The new member must also acknowledge in writing that they have accepted the membership. Again, emails and faxes are fine for these transfers, but must be received by the Registration Coordinator no later than November 1, 2009.
Convention Table Exchange
If you run a convention in New England and would like a free table to advertise your convention and sell memberships, we require a like-exchange. No more than four (4) of these “Exchange Tables” will be available at NEFanX 2009. Note: If the convention exchanging is willing to provide, in exchange, a small number of free memberships to go with the free table, New England Fan Experience is willing to reciprocate with the equal number of free memberships for your table personnel. This exchange is at our discretion, and may be withdrawn without notice.
Dealers and Vendors:
We’ve got a whole page of information just for you, so just click here.
Fan Groups and Tables
If a Fan Group has a minimum of four (4) paid Experience memberships, they have the option of requesting a Fan Table from the convention. (If you already have a free membership to the Experience for 2009, based on your volunteering for NEFE 2008, does NOT equate to a paid membership.) Fan Table space is limited. If money for items other than memberships is exchanged at the Fan table (i.e. raffles, sales, etc.), the appropriate forms must be filed with the City of Boston and copies given to our Fan Liaison. And if anything is sold at a Fan Table, it must be different from what is being sold at Dealer’s tables. In the case that an item(s) are brought by Fan Groups that is/are the same as what a Vendor brought to sell, it must be removed from the table.
Being a volunteer for your own group does not constitute being a convention volunteer. Working at your fan group’s table is not volunteering for the convention. If you help/volunteer for convention duties you can be reimbursed, per the regular volunteering rules; i.e. being directed to perform duties for the convention, by convention staff, and filling out our convention volunteer form; if enough hours are signed off on you earn a free membership for next year’s convention. Fan tables are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Electricity at Fan tables is very limited, if you need electricity, let us know, but it is not guaranteed that you will get any.
Lost Badges and other Convention Identifiers:
Badges and other convention identifiers are required to be on your person and in plain sight at all times. If any of these things are lost you will be required to leave the convention or re-purchase at the current prices.
Fan Panelist and Entertainers Policy
Fan panelists and entertainers are not professionals or celebrities; therefore we do not pay them to participate in NEFanX. As we are a “pay-it-forward” convention we offer fan panelists and entertainers the opportunity to earn next year’s convention free. Fan panelists earn by participating in at least four (4) scheduled panels this year, Fan entertainers earn by preparing and presenting one entertainment that runs at least 2 hours this year. (Fan entertainers must be selected by the convention experience leaders with final approval by the convention chairman.) Panelists: please see our website to present your ideas for panels and to sign up as a panelist. Entertainers: please contact the experience leader that most represents the area you would like to present an entertainment in to apply. Fan panelists and entertainers do not earn a volunteer or staff t-shirt, unless they also put in time as a staff member or volunteer for the convention, which they are very welcome to do. We have a scale that allows for add-ons of time in every area of volunteerism.
Photo and Video Privacy Policy
We allow fans to take photos and videos of one another and of the celebrities on stage, and we do not have any way of policing what they put on YouTube or their internet photo spaces. So, if you don’t want what you’re doing at the convention on the internet, don’t do it. We’d like to say, “What happens at the con stays at the con,” but that can’t happen any more. By purchasing a membership to the convention you have relinquished your right to privacy within the convention.
Photo Sessions
Only those with photo session vouchers for that given guest are allowed in line for the photo session. That means your friends will need to wait for you in other parts of the convention area. Only one person is allowed in the photo with the guest. You will not have the ability to position the photo background or seating arrangement. These are taken care of by our director of photography and his staff for everyone's benefit. You must arrive at the designated photo session location on time; lining up early is fine, but do not be late. Because not all sessions run the entire scheduled time please be prepared to wait in line when the photo session begins, not later in the hour, as the session may be completed already. Do not expect the celebrity to be waiting for you after the scheduled session is already completed. Please be ready to take your photo when it is your turn as we have an extremely tight schedule to get all of the photos taken and then produced.
Photos non-sessions: All attendees are allowed to take photos and videos (unless otherwise advised) of guests during their talks, from their seats.
Professional Panelists and Celebrities
We offer comped membership to our professional panelists and celebrities. Some of our professional panelists and celebrities are also offered a room for of the convention, depending on their travel needs and our requirements. All professional panelists and celebrities are contracted with our corporation to perform specific functions at specific times during the convention. Professional panelists must have credentials in areas we find interesting and of value to our convention’s annual education based programming. For further information please contact our convention chairman at chairman@nefanx.com
Return / Refund Policy
When you purchase your membership / admission you are paying for an event. This is similar to a play or a sporting event. New England Fan Experience membership / admission purchases are non-refundable unless the convention (or specific event) is canceled by New England Fan Experience; this includes admission memberships, photo session passes, food function vouchers, autograph passes, and anything else we sell to make the NEFanX an Experience. What this means: If we cancel the convention you get your money back, if a guest you want to see cancels their appearance you do not. If we cancel the banquet or breakfast you will get your money back, if a guest cancels or decides to not participate in that event then you will not. If you forgot to line-up for a photo-op at a specific time, you do not get your money back. If you are purchasing a membership solely for a guest then we suggest you wait and purchase your membership when you arrive at the event. Hopefully memberships and or admissions for that celebrity’s autograph photos etc are still available. All guests are subject to work commitments and might be forced to cancel their appearance.
Safety Weapons Policy
We like costumers and cosplayers and cool things added to costumes. But, you must have anything that looks like a weapon peace-bonded by Security AND you must keep that peace-bonded mark on your weapon at all times. No exception! No excuse. No peace-bond? You get one of two choices: 1. Allow our Security Chief to confiscate the weapon for the rest of the convention, or 2. Forfeit your membership. No real firearms or projectile weapons are allowed at the convention at any time, not even if you have a state and city permit.
Seating Policy
Weekend Package holders will receive reserved seats at the front of the main presentation room (except during Special Experience presentations). All other members have general admission seating in the room, seating is limited. All Experience members have general admission seating to all other panels and events. General admission does not guarantee you a seat. All seating for guest talks and panels are limited to room capacity. Weekend Package holders will be first seated at special functions, i.e. Dinner with the Stars, Breakfast with the Stars, etc.
Volunteers Policy
Volunteers are the most important asset we have at NEFanX, and while we are raising educational awareness in the areas of popular culture we are interested in, we’d like our volunteers to learn something as well. Therefore, volunteers are members of the convention. Volunteers must pay for their convention membership, but we are a pay-it-forward convention, and if you work a certain number of hours before the convention in a staff position, or at the convention in a volunteer position, you will be comped for the following year’s convention. Our specific policy is as follows:
1. Work 20+ hours prior to the convention (not including meeting times), and have the chairman sign-off on your volunteer timesheet, earn our heartfelt thanks, a staff position (including mention in the website and souvenir book), a t-shirt, and membership to the following year's convention.
2. Work 12 hours at the convention, and have a convention leader or volunteer coordinator sign-off on your volunteer timesheet, earn our heartfelt thanks, a t-shirt, and the following year’s convention.
3. Work 8 hours at the convention, and have a convention leader or volunteer coordinator sign-off on your volunteer timesheet, earn our heartfelt thanks, and a t-shirt.
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Our History
What Is United Fan Con?
This is the story of how like-minded people working together took a one day show and turned it into an educational event. United Fan Con, Inc. has worked and will continue to work hard to produce fun educational fundraisers in order to be able to hold our larger annual event that educates people about the worlds of entertainment, science, and science fiction in a fun and safe environment.
United Fan Con began as a name for a one day Science Fiction and Comic Book Convention organized by Paul Scott Aldred with the help of volunteer staff from the US Branch of UNIT (the local Doctor Who fan-club). The event was designed to educate and entertain fans about the world of Science Fiction Media and Comics. It was held on May 23-1992 at Boston University.
In late 1993, Paul Scott Aldred, again with the help of volunteers from the US Branch of UNIT, funded two Doctor Who guests for Wishcon III in Springfield, Massachusetts. Wishcon was a Star Trek convention which raised money for the Make a Wish Foundation through its charity auctions. Following the show, K & L Productions, the convention Promotion Company founded by Joe Kindle & Tim Lubrano which backed and organized the Wishcon event, disbanded. They offered the Wishcon brand name to Paul Aldred. Paul and Tim Lubrano, formerly of K & L Productions, and many volunteers made up from other fan organization as well as attendees and local committee members made Wishcon IV and V a reality.
In 1996 the event was renamed United Fan Con. Over the years, the focus of the event has expanded and the teaching aspects grew to include an even larger number of panels and workshops, which often were lead by industry experts and exceptionally knowledgeable fans of the panel/workshop topic. This type of programming, along with the fact that we were a completely volunteer organization (no organizers were paid a salary) and the decision that any profits made would be put into planning and hosting the next annual event separated us from many other science fiction media conventions of the time.
From the very start the convention was bringing in actors who talked about how they got into the business, changes in the entertainment world, differences between the mediums of TV, radio, stage, and film, and would comment on questions brought up by attendees. Some actors spent time leading workshops to help people learn the basics of performing. Other actors were less hands-on and enjoyed discussing how being an actor/actress changed their life or made their childhood different from other kids. The events also featured artists, model, and special effects people who worked on mainly science fiction oriented productions and would discuss how their talent was used to enhance the audience’s viewing or hearing of the show, film, or stage production in question; some even held workshops to explain the tricks of the trade. Screenwriters, directors, and producers have also appeared at our event over the years to discuss their work and help run workshops where people might write a short screenplay, direct a skit, etc.
Over time the event evolved even further. The science fiction guest-list expanded; other parts of the entertainment world were becoming involved with the event. These others included, but are not limited to musicians, board- and video-gaming experts, comedians; all of whom come to educate our attendees, as well as being entertaining. Whether it was how games are made or how to improve your skills at playing or what it takes to write a script, direct a film, write a hit song, how to deliver a funny line, the best way to get your idea noticed, showing how to get the best sound of an instrument, teaching improv comedy… people have learned a lot about the entertainment world and themselves in the process.
In 2002 United Fan Con incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and became United Fan Con, Inc. a non-profit corporation dedicated to educating people regarding the trends and developments in the science fiction world, and how science fiction, media, and science are intertwined. Since the beginning, United Fan Con organizers and volunteers have worked with other groups to bring actors and educators to places where the average person can interact with and learn from them and their experience and knowledge.
Recently, our events have expanded to cover other interests for the members including anime and Kaiju and real science. We always have room to expand and will add other areas as they become part of America’s interests and popular culture. As in the past when our event changed from a few actors talking about their current work to include more and more educational panels and presentations, we are a constantly evolving and changing organization. Our first Science Guest Headliner appeared in 2008 in the person of the astronaut Story Musgrave.
Fans of a wider variety of subjects have also become involved as volunteers and staff; bringing new ideas and helping the convention evolve. United Fan Con will continue to pursue these new members and ideas in order to stay in touch with what the populace wants to know more about.
United Fan Con also helps other organizations promote, advertise, and staff their conventions. We do it in the spirit of fandom to create better harmony between all conventions including both fan-run and professional endeavors. Arisia, Creation Entertainment, Hobbystar, I-Con and CauldronCon are just a few of the groups to have enjoyed this mutually beneficial relationship with United Fan Con.
In 2008 it was decided that United Fan Con, Inc. would produce other educational events and offer our services to other groups to help promote events in which we shared common interest. Because United Fan Con will now be producing and helping with other events and because most people have only thought of our annual event as a Science Fiction event it was decided to rename the event the New England Fan Experience. As New England Fan Experience we will able to inform and educate more people in more areas of the entertainment and science worlds. At the end of 2008, United Fan Con, Inc. filed paperwork in order to change its status from a Commonwealth recognized not-for-profit entity to a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit group.
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United Fan Con Supporters Group
The UFC Supporters Group, for the non-profit educational corporation United Fan Con, Inc., is made up of individuals who contribute to the organization so that it can accomplish its works, both fiscally and physically. These individuals may choose to be active or inactive within the organization. They can consider their donation merely their indication of support for the United Fan Con, Inc. or they can consider it their indication of willingness to work for United Fan Con, Inc. sponsored events.
For a minimum tax deductible annual donation of $60, you will be not only help keep events like the New England Fan Experience alive. Your donation will assist new events to take place that will keep people informed of the latest trends in the media and visual arts relating to science fiction, anime, kaiju, pop culture, gaming, science, technology and more. Additional donations can also be considered a charitable contribution, as long as no goods or services are exchanged for said donation.
Benefits of being a supporter include:
1) First consideration for a leadership positions in any event sponsored and supported by the corporation.
2) Your name listed in the supporter's page of the corporation and event publications, including but not limited to; the annual report, event programs, convention souvenir books.
3) A non-binding voting process that gives the board of directors an indication of where the main support for an event or corporate item of information stands in popularity. Votes may only be cast in person at special meetings called by the board for the purpose of disseminating information and gathering opinions.
4) A 20% discount on fundraising items prepared in support of the corporation. These items can include but are not limited to: Commemorative T-shirts and other garments, celebrity photos, celebrity autographs, dinner with the stars, etc. These items will not include any consigned items being sold by the UFC or individual events.
5) Special not-for-sale to the general public items will be developed by each event chairman or head that can only be had by "The Supporters". These items will only be sold to "The Supporters". These items can include but are not limited to; autographed celebrity photos, commemorative T-shirts and other promotional clothing and accessories, invite only dinner with the stars, invite only parties, DVD sets of an event, photo CDs of an event.
6) An annual report which will detail company activity throughout the year.
Fine print: Minimum donation amount will be adjusted for inflation and other variables on an annual basis and is, payable at any time during the calendar year. A review of this amount will be made annually by the corporation treasurer and any advisors s/he seeks or employs for this requirement. This donation is expected annually, and reminders will be sent out by the Clerk of the Board of Directors one month before the next donation is due. "The Supporters" donation does not include entrance to any corporate sponsored event. Annual earned memberships from events do not constitute a waiving of this donation requirement. Donations for membership in the corporation are in no way related to memberships in events sponsored by the corporation.
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