TeslaCon – A Fantastic Immersive Event from Walls to Weapons!

So Tesla-Con I has come and gone and all in all, the people really enjoyed it!  From panels on character development, taxidermy, tiny top hats and (of course) airships to the delightful tea room (and its lovely view) to the wonderful special guests to various investors, luminaries and members of the ship’s crew (RIP – Henri Grebelle, Lady Grebelle, MacMurry and The Duke of Buckingham) falling dead – it really was quite a weekend.

TeslaCon was represented by several outstanding groups, people, and event planners. The Airship Archon, the Imperial Anti-Piracy Squadron, Cherie Priest, Mark Donnelly! Truly, friendly faces, fantastic dress and creative weaponry and gadgets were at every corner.

The opening ceremonies began the murder mystery right away, with a character dropping dead from a poisoned drink — and continued through the night with a poison gas bomb in the engine room. Throughout the three days,  the actors remained in elaborate character —  sometimes even two or three — and encouraged the other guests to dig deep for clues and come rushing to every scene. A dark and somber eulogy (which apparently the dead speak at) was even delivered for one of the killed crew members. An old-timey seance delivered even more clues, and some real intrigue. The mystery concluded at a Steampunk Gun Show, as bait to draw out the real killer! People were excited and engaged throughout the convention.

From visuals to audio, no expense was spared in outfitting the airship, er, dresing the hotel. Room placards were printed, period dress restroom signs were hung, and dozens of signs, posters, and art adorned all the hallways.

Con-goers were greeted by in character porters and ticket takers while music and ambiance (and the drone of engines) played continually in the background. In the well-staffed (and oh-so-polite) tea room, a window to the clouds presented a majestic view of our flight. Next door, hand selected vendors presented their wares at the ship’s store.  An antique shop even graced the lobby of the airship!

Thanks to Daria Melnikova for the TeslaCon compilation video.

Here are some photos from a variety of people who attended the con.  Next year promises even more elaborate decor and production – we can’t wait (of course we can’t, we’re part of the team) – but we do have a suggestion for next year.

Don’t drink the water (bring your own).

Now to get ready for Tesla-Con II!