Seven cool things about Ascendio, #4

by · June 21, 2012

Ascendio is H.P.E.F’s upcoming eighth and final Harry Potter convention. Taking place at the luxurious Portofino Bay Resort at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL from July 12-15, 2012, Ascendio offers a unique way for fans to celebrate Harry Potter at the heart of the Wizarding World.

Online registration for the convention will close next Monday – June 25, 2012. That is why this week we are featuring one cool thing about Ascendio each day here on MuggleNet.

Today’s featured post is about Ascendio’s lengthy list of formal programming open to all registrants at the convention. Formal programming appears in the format of panels, workshops, roundtable discussions and even lectures by experienced or passionate Potter fans and is often educational, exciting and enjoyable all at once. The image accompanying this news post is comprised of words from the titles of some of these programming sessions, such as:

– Acting for Cosplay
– Butterbeer, Cauldron Cakes and Fizzing Whizbees: Food Sharing as a Cultural Marker
– Cruciatus Curse and the Psychology of Pain
– Flights of Fancy: The Dreamworlds of Harry Potter
– Harry’s Chest-Monster and Your 7-year-old: Insights on Introducing Young Readers to the Harry Potter Series
– J.K.’s Women
– Potter in New Media
– Secrets and Lies: Deception in the Harry Potter Novels
– Twin Core: An Exploration of Twins in the Wizarding World
– The Unpublished JKR – Behind the Scenes of Lev Grossman’s 2005 Interview

Programming at Ascendio starts on Thursday when Young Adult fiction authors hold Q&A sessions and readings of their work. Then it explodes on Friday July 13th and continues strong all through Saturday July 14th. Each programming event takes place at the Portofino Bay’s elegant convention center in one of their highly decorated rooms.

MuggleNet is looking very forward to joining hundreds of Harry Potter fans at Ascendio. There is still time to register, now through 6/25. Individual day passes are available as an alternative to full registration. For more information, visit the Registration page!

Eric S.

Eric Scull joined MuggleNet in November of 2002. Since that time, he’s presided over a number of sections, including name origins and Dear Hogwarts, but none so long as the recently revived Crazy Caption Contest. Eric is a Hufflepuff who lives in Chicago and loves the outdoors.