Program for QuidCon 2021 Released
As previously announced, QuidCon 2021, the first virtual Muggle quidditch convention, will be held March 5–7. Tickets have been available for purchase, and the schedule has now been released.
Over the three days, there will be 18 panels, 11 webinars, 9 activities, 3 keynote speeches, and 2 workshops. Some of the programs will be held at the same time. Full panel details should be presented soon, and some information has already been posted to the QuidCon Facebook page.
The first program to be announced was Quidditch Jeopardy by Fast Break News, which is the first activity that is scheduled for Friday, March 5. QuidCon 2021 attendees can sign up to be contestants and test their knowledge of the history of Muggle quidditch. For help with that, Fast Break News releases a retrospective article called “Back to Hoops” every Thursday.
Another piece of programming that needs advance preparation is Quidditch Family Feud by Major League Quidditch. There is a survey open to the first 100 submissions with questions about respondents’ Muggle Quidditch opinions. (There’s even a question about the best excuses to give to professors or coworkers when you go to a tournament on the weekend!) The results will be presented during the last activity at QuidCon at 9:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 7.
One of the speakers is Yara Kodershah, who will deliver the keynote speech “From Diversity & Inclusion to Equity: Leveling the Quidditch Playing Field.” This is one of a few programs scheduled so as not to conflict with other programming. The speech will address inequities in Quidditch and how they can be changed.
Another speaker will be Billy Quach, of Billy Quach Films, who will discuss “Making Quidditch Fun to Watch: Producing Videos, Highlight Reels and Livestreams.” Even US Quidditch (USQ) has its own programs: “Community by the Numbers: What the USQ Census Data Tells Us,” “Q&A with USQ,” and “Rulebook 14: Collegiate Discussion.” One of the panelists available for the “Q&A with USQ” panel will be USQ Livestream Coordinator Team Lead Michael O’Connor, who provided the following statement to the QuidCon Facebook page:
A big ask of the community and a huge initiative of our team at USQ is making game footage more accessible, entertaining, and equitable. I believe I can give in-depth and accurate answers to questions surrounding those subjects.