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OUR WEBSITE: CON-GREGATE.COM

**** The temperature in the con spaces varies greatly from room to room. Bring layers! ****
Venue: Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!! clear filter
Friday, July 11
 

2:00pm EDT

Alakazam...It's Love!
Friday July 11, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Romantasy is taking the speculative fiction market by storm. But what is it? Our panelists will discuss the differences between romantasy. fantasy and romance, and suggest some books to help readers find the sparkle.
Friday July 11, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Literary/Writing

3:30pm EDT

Book Covers and Spines - How to catch people's eyes
Friday July 11, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Chris, JE Pittman? Stuart?
Friday July 11, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!

5:00pm EDT

Unveiling Genetics: Healing, Innovating, and Exploring Ancestral DNA
Friday July 11, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Enter the fascinating world of genetics, where gene therapy holds transformative healing powers and scientists are on a quest to revolutionize healthcare and uncover the mysteries of our ancestral DNA. Let's discuss the boundless opportunities genetics presents, embarking on a journey of discovery and innovation to unlock the full potential of this enchanting field.

requests:

Angela Giddings?
Jason Graves?
Randall Hayes?
Speakers
avatar for Meri Elena

Meri Elena

Literary Guest
I am a North Carolina speculative fiction writer, mostly of dark fantasy and paranormal, but I don't really color inside the lines. I published my first short story when I was fourteen, and my mom insisted I use a pen name. I took some creative license with my actual first and middle... Read More →
Friday July 11, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Science

7:00pm EDT

Room Closed
Friday July 11, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Friday July 11, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Room Closed

8:00pm EDT

The Creative's Paradox
Friday July 11, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
As an independent creator, how do we balance our time between the activities we love (creating), and the ones we don't.    The panelists discuss the difficult decisions on how they invest their time, and moreover how they can actually continue to create often while working a traditional job and having a personal life.    

Moderator: Roger Carden

Requests: Syrinx, Kevin Davis, Michael G williams, Molly McDonough, Bill Tracy
Speakers
avatar for Roger Carden

Roger Carden

Online Media Guest
Roger and Janet Carden are the husband-and-wife team behind The Halfling and the Spaceman: Journeys In Active Fandom. (2022-present) The Halfling and the Spaceman is a podcast featuring a series of conversations with creators as they detail their personal journey from becoming inspired... Read More →
Friday July 11, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Fandom

9:30pm EDT

Time is Fleeting - 50th Anniversary of Rocky Horror Picture Show
Friday July 11, 2025 9:30pm - 10:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Damnit, Janet, can you believe that it’s been 50 years since we broke down in front of that creepy castle! Join our panel of Transylvanians as we discuss one of the original cult midnight movies! Can you withstand the antici...

requests:
Speakers
avatar for Misty Massey

Misty Massey

Literary Guest
Misty Massey is the author of the Mad Kestrel series of rollicking fantasy adventures on the high seas, including Kestrel's Dance, winner of the 2023 Palmetto Scribe Award For Best Novel, and the upcoming Dead Man series. She freelances as a copy and developmental editor for Falstaff... Read More →
avatar for Carol Cowles

Carol Cowles

Online Media Guest
Carol has long been a fixture of Geek Culture in Charlotte, NC. She has served for several years as the Programming Director for ConCarolinas and worked the Carolina and Arizona Renaissance Festivals for 15 years. She also podcasts – she is Carol the Cat on Guardians of the Geekery... Read More →
avatar for Sarah J. Sover

Sarah J. Sover

Literary Guest
Sarah J. Sover is the author of fantasy crossover novels, short stories, and nonfiction articles. Sarah writes the Fractured Fae Series (Fairy Godmurder, Faed to Black, and Pixie Dusted), Contemporary Fantasy she calls Jessica Jones with sparkle, for Falstaff Books. Her comedic fantasy... Read More →
avatar for Gary Mitchel

Gary Mitchel

Fan Guest
Gary Mitchel is a writer, reviewer, gamer, podcaster, and general geek living near Atlanta.Gary is the Co-Director, with Joe Crowe, of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at Dragon Con. Together, they plot panels on various geeky topics, from 80s vampires, to cats in space, to the... Read More →
avatar for SYRINX

SYRINX

Online Media Guest
SYRINX is active across multiple entertainment platforms, blending creativity with music production, acting, and media. As an independent music producer and remixer, he previously worked with a record label from 2017 until its disbanding in 2023. Alongside his music career, he has... Read More →
Friday July 11, 2025 9:30pm - 10:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Film/TV/Media Arts
 
Saturday, July 12
 

10:00am EDT

Secret History and Alt-worlds
Saturday July 12, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Some of the best fantasy novels are inspired by real world history. We'll talk about how easy it can be to find the magic behind the reality in real-world settings, and suggest some of the best examples for readers to immerse themselves in.

requests:
Speakers
avatar for J. E. Pittman

J. E. Pittman

Literary Guest
J.E. Pittman dabbles in many speculative worlds. He blurs the borders between genre and crafts salient lies to tell a measure of truth. His work has been described as: capriciously chimeric, dreamlike, and a vivid enigma with indelible images stamped on your brain. He independently... Read More →
avatar for Kevin A Davis

Kevin A Davis

Literary Guest
Kevin A Davis is an award-winning contemporary fantasy author with three published series; the episodic DRC files with Kristen, the Khimmer Chronicles featuring the lively assassin Ahnjii, and the AngelSong series centering around the indominable Haddie. A multitude of his short stories... Read More →
avatar for Robert Hampson

Robert Hampson

Science Guest
Dr. Robert E. Hampson is a neuroscientist, professor, and science fiction author who spends his days decoding how memories work and his nights trying to remember where he left his keys. With a Ph.D. in Physiology & Pharmacology, he’s been on a lifelong quest to figure out what’s... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Literary/Writing

11:30am EDT

Small Press Publisher Roadshow (Sol, Prospective Press)
Saturday July 12, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Saturday July 12, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Publisher Presentation

1:00pm EDT

Falstaff Books Roadshow and Books Extravaganza
Saturday July 12, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Sarah Sover - has new book coming out
Darin Kennedy
Speakers
avatar for Sarah J. Sover

Sarah J. Sover

Literary Guest
Sarah J. Sover is the author of fantasy crossover novels, short stories, and nonfiction articles. Sarah writes the Fractured Fae Series (Fairy Godmurder, Faed to Black, and Pixie Dusted), Contemporary Fantasy she calls Jessica Jones with sparkle, for Falstaff Books. Her comedic fantasy... Read More →
avatar for John G. Hartness

John G. Hartness

Literary Guest
John G. Hartness is a teller of tales, a righter of wrong, defender of ladies’ virtues, and some people call him Maurice, for he speaks of the pompatus of love. He is also the award-winning author of the urban fantasy series The Black Knight Chronicles, the Bubba the Monster Hunter... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Publisher Presentation

2:30pm EDT

Baen Books Traveling Roadshow and Prize Patrol
Saturday July 12, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Speakers
avatar for Robert Hampson

Robert Hampson

Science Guest
Dr. Robert E. Hampson is a neuroscientist, professor, and science fiction author who spends his days decoding how memories work and his nights trying to remember where he left his keys. With a Ph.D. in Physiology & Pharmacology, he’s been on a lifelong quest to figure out what’s... Read More →
avatar for Gray Rinehart

Gray Rinehart

Literary Guest
Gray Rinehart is a writer, an editor, a singer/songwriter, and a retired Air Force officer. He is the only person to have commanded a USAF satellite tracking station, written speeches for Presidential appointees, devised a poetic form, and had music on The Dr. Demento Show. He is... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Publisher Presentation

3:30pm EDT

Don't Hide from the Hide - Leather Working
Saturday July 12, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
From belts to jackets, boots to armor, many builds include pieces that can be made from leather but learning how to use this incredibly versatile material can be intimidating. We’ll cover the basics of what tools and materials you need (and where to get them), the difference between types of leather (and what to use them for), and an overview of techniques needed for both tooling and garment sewing.  
Speakers
avatar for Tom Hutchens

Tom Hutchens

Costuming Guest
For the founder of the Mando Mercs Costume Club, being a Mandalorian fan goes all the way back to 1983, a five year old sitting in the theater watching Boba Fett fall into the Sarlacc Pit in “STAR WARS: Return of the Jedi.In 2007, Tom Hutchens founded the Mando Mercs Costume Club... Read More →
avatar for Tinker Tank

Tinker Tank

Costuming Guest
Miriam, also known as Tink, is a UNC Chapel Hill graduate with a degree in Studio Art. Though art has been a life-long passion, ​her introduction to costuming and leather work was through her post collegiate pursuit of replicating the outfit of her childhood hero -- Xena. She has... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Costuming/Cosplay

4:00pm EDT

MV Media and Mocha Memoirs RoadShow
Saturday July 12, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Givens Kurtz

Nicole Givens Kurtz

Literary Guest
Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and Science Fiction and Fantasy (Book Riot).” They’ve named her as one of the 6 Black SFF Indie Writers You Should be Reading, 30 Must-Read SFF Books by Black Authors, and The Best of the West: 8 Alternative... Read More →
avatar for Milton J. Davis

Milton J. Davis

Guest of Honor
Milton Davis is an award-winning Black Speculative fiction author and owner of MVmedia, LLC, a small publishing company specializing in Science Fiction and fantasy based on African/African Diaspora history, cultures, and traditions. For sixteen years he has been at the forefront of... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Publisher Presentation

5:30pm EDT

Queer Press Road Show (Golddust Publishing and Space Wizard Science Fantasy Books)
Saturday July 12, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Speakers
avatar for Jason Roach

Jason Roach

Literary Guest
Jason Roach is an American Writing Awards award-winning finalist in LGBT+ Fiction & Thriller Fiction for his book The House on Dead Man’s Curve – inspired by his personal paranormal experiences. His new M/M Vampiric romance series, The Vampire Crusades, launched in August of 2024... Read More →
avatar for William C. Tracy

William C. Tracy

Literary Guest
William C. Tracy (he/him) writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy. His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic including nine books and a TTRPG. He’s also published Fruits of the... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Publisher Presentation

7:00pm EDT

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night
Saturday July 12, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
SF, fantasy, horror or crime...the best stories set their reader on a mission to figure out what's really going on right along with the characters. But how do you set up a mystery without giving everything away in Chapter Two? We'll discuss misdirection, red herrings, and weaving clues into the narrative without making things too obvious.

requests: Misty Massey, JE Pittman, Sarah Sover, Kevin Davis, Jason Roach, Darin Kennedy
Saturday July 12, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Literary/Writing

8:30pm EDT

1985: The Year in Horror!
Saturday July 12, 2025 8:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Join our panel of horror enthusiasts, film industry professionals, and certified 80s movie experts as they go over
the very best (and the very worst) that horror had to offer exactly 40 years ago in this fun and fully interactive
discussion!


Speakers
avatar for Carol Cowles

Carol Cowles

Online Media Guest
Carol has long been a fixture of Geek Culture in Charlotte, NC. She has served for several years as the Programming Director for ConCarolinas and worked the Carolina and Arizona Renaissance Festivals for 15 years. She also podcasts – she is Carol the Cat on Guardians of the Geekery... Read More →
avatar for Bill Mulligan

Bill Mulligan

Film Guest
Bill Mulligan is a podcaster, author, and indie filmmaker with a passion for horror and storytelling. With years of experience in independent cinema, he has contributed to numerous film projects as a writer, director, and special effects artist, such as 400 Ways To Kill A Vampire... Read More →
avatar for Dave Harlequin

Dave Harlequin

Film Guest
Described by both press and colleagues as an "independent renaissance man" and "voice of the underground," among other things, Dave Harlequin is a professional screenwriter, journalist, author, and independent filmmaker from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the Creative Director of... Read More →
Saturday July 12, 2025 8:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Film/TV/Media Arts
 
Sunday, July 13
 

10:00am EDT

Summer Vacation in Other Realms
Sunday July 13, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
It's a Geek Summer Vacation!  There are plenty of worlds we would love to visit, but which ones would we want to take our family on vacation?  From camping in Lothlorien in Middle Earth to staying at the Inn of the Last Home on Krynn, let's talk about all the places we would visit if we had the ability.
Sunday July 13, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Fandom

11:30am EDT

Cowabunga! 35th Anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie!
Sunday July 13, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Description: Is it the best comic book movie ever made? It's certainly the best one involving ninjas, testudines, and Sam Rockwell! Our panel of experts will talk about the high kicks, the low blows, and determine the best pizza toppings that pair with nunchucks!
(Note to Tera - if there's any way we can order some pizzas to make this panel a Pizza Party, that would be fantastic. If not, I understand!)

requests:
Speakers
avatar for Chuck Parker

Chuck Parker

Performance Guest
A performer for more than 35 years, Chuck Parker has filled many musical roles: heavy metal guitarist, singer/songwriter, jazz sideman, open mic host, filk circle regular, session player, and World’s Okayest Bassist™.Chuck has been a regular on the con circuit for more than a... Read More →
avatar for J. E. Pittman

J. E. Pittman

Literary Guest
J.E. Pittman dabbles in many speculative worlds. He blurs the borders between genre and crafts salient lies to tell a measure of truth. His work has been described as: capriciously chimeric, dreamlike, and a vivid enigma with indelible images stamped on your brain. He independently... Read More →
avatar for Gary Mitchel

Gary Mitchel

Fan Guest
Gary Mitchel is a writer, reviewer, gamer, podcaster, and general geek living near Atlanta.Gary is the Co-Director, with Joe Crowe, of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at Dragon Con. Together, they plot panels on various geeky topics, from 80s vampires, to cats in space, to the... Read More →
Sunday July 13, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Film/TV/Media Arts

1:00pm EDT

DON’T COME TO THIS PANEL!
Sunday July 13, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Seriously, don’t come to this panel. There is nothing for you here. No one will talk to you. They probably won’t
even acknowledge that you exist. There will be no discussions. There will be nothing interesting happening. There
is nothing fun here. And there most certainly won’t be prizes for anyone that manages to stick around from
beginning to end… or maybe there will be. Who knows? Don’t say we didn’t warn you. In fact, don’t say anything.
Don’t even come. Why are you still reading this?? Go away.

O Hai Mark?
Speakers
avatar for O. Hai Mark

O. Hai Mark

Online Media Guest
O. Hai Mark is an online host and creator as well as and independent film producer. He is a Twitch streamer and web-show host who has who is releasing his third film (as a producer). In addition to producing online content and independent shorts, O. Hai Mark hosts online game nights... Read More →
avatar for Dave Harlequin

Dave Harlequin

Film Guest
Described by both press and colleagues as an "independent renaissance man" and "voice of the underground," among other things, Dave Harlequin is a professional screenwriter, journalist, author, and independent filmmaker from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the Creative Director of... Read More →
Sunday July 13, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
  Fandom

2:00pm EDT

Con in Review
Sunday July 13, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
Con in Review
Speakers
avatar for James Fulbright

James Fulbright

ConChair/President, ConGregate Productions
James Fulbright was introduced to AD&D by a friend in 1979. After joining his first gaming group, his friends convinced him to start attending conventions like StellarCon and Hexacon. It wasn’t long before attending cons led him to start helping out with those cons; which, in turn... Read More →
Sunday July 13, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Bethabara (Marriott) - Room can get COLD!!!
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