BiCon Decides
Sunday 9th March 2025 at 5 p.m.
Online, about 50 minutes duration
Present: Charlie, Ian (for BiCon and also a trustee of BiCon Continuity), Jennifer Moore, Karen, Lisa, Sophie Mason (for BiCamp), Yvonne and Grant Denkinson (Chairing and notes)
Apologies: Kathryn.
We agreed an agenda:
1. Minutes of last BiCon Decides
2. BiCons 2024 and 2025 and beyond
3. BiCon Memory project
4. Any other business
1. Minutes of last BiCon Decides
We agreed the minutes of BiCon Decides 5th August 2023 and the motions passed at it: BiCon Decides – 2023 Organising Team Submissions and BiCon 2023 DMP Submission – Online Component and no major discussions arose. We agreed it would be helpful to have the motions and minutes available together and easy to find. The recommendations were taken into account for BiCon 2024 which had a hybrid character. Surveying attendees from BiCon 2022 and 2023 would need some way of knowing the contact details for those attendees, which are not held by BiCon Continuity or later BiCon teams.
2. BiCons 2024 and 2025 and beyond
Ian ran BiCon 2024 in London as non-residential event requiring greatly reduced organising hours compared residential BiCons. Some volunteers helped with aspects such as entertainment and the online component of the event. Appreciation was expressed.
Ian proposed running BiCon 2025 again as non-residential in Nottingham on the last weekend of July from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July at Nottingham Girls' High School. This coincides with the community oriented Nottinghamshire Pride on the Saturday and we will have less of the BiCon venue that day also. Some accommodation can be booked by attendees, independently of BiCon, near the site and some may be available at Nottingham Trent University. Prices will be similar to 2024. It will be an in-person event and hybrid online also if possible. This news was greeted with general acclaim. Volunteers can contact Ian at nextbicon@gmail.com. Ideas and volunteers for Friday night entertainments (we will have theatre space) and publicity would be particularly welcome. The same expectations and code of conduct will apply. BiCon Continuity are happy for Ian to run the event.
We do not know of any bids to run BiCon 2026. BiCon Continuity Ltd would be happy to collate and support anyone thinking of forming a team or joining one.
3. BiCon Memory project
Jennifer and Sophie and have been working intensely and then with more of a rest on a BiCon Memory project to address the sustainability of BiCon organising. The primary aim is to collect useful information and contacts as a resource for people who want to run a BiCon and secondarily they are collating some history of BiCon. This is mainly on a Discord chat / messaging server BiCon Community Memory Project (see the BiCon Attendees – Past, Present and Future! Discord).
Future developments may be to index writings so someone interested in say organising or working on "reception" could find relevant information. This follows previous fora on the LiveJournal and Dreamwidth services which while now quiet have previous writings and were open to current and previous BiCon organisers. Previous such projects might be found in bi archives. There was appreciation and approval of this project. We noted some difficulties BiCon 2023 organisers expressed and thought the project might alleviate similar.
4. Any other business
Sophie (trustee and director) told us BiCamp, a bi camping event, will take place again from Thursday 29th May to Sunday 1st June at the Kinver Scout Camp in Staffordshire. The event runs by attendees volunteering and has an inclusive and accessible ethos. It is less workshop session oriented than BiCon "less brain, more feeling" and offers climbing, archery, local nature walks etc. There will be space for tents, some dormitory cabins and they can loan some camp equipment. Breakfast and hot evening meals are provided as well as hot water and drinks.
Thank yous were offered to all speakers and listeners in the meeting and Grant for chairing.
