aeternitas2011

April 26, 2011

Greetings to Aeternitas Participants from Annie’s Book Stop!

Annie’s Book Stop is an independent book store located adjacent to the Margate (well, OK, there’s a cemetery in between) and we’re delighted to be a sponsor of Aeternitas. We sell mostly pre-read paperback books in numerous categories and also carry new books, primarily current best sellers and popular series. On behalf of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, I would like to extend a hearty welcome as you prepare for your weekend in Laconia.

In honor of Aeternitas, we will be holding a drawing on Sunday May 1st at 12 noon, at the Leaving Brunch. You must be present to win. I am sure you agree that one of life’s great joys is exposing the next generation of readers to Harry Potter! Thus drawing prizes will include at least one complete set of the Harry Potter series in paperback. All drawing prizes will come encased in an unusual piece of Harry Potter memorabilia.

Stop by at any point during the weekend to get your name into the drawing and check out the many treasures and bargains at Annie’s. We plan to be stocked up on Harry Potter related titles such as The Sorcerer’s Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter and The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, plus some new sci-fi and fantasy releases.

Copies of books by keynote speakers Leanna Renee Hieber and Robyn Schneider will be available on-site at the conference during the keynote luncheon on Friday, all at a discount! Cash, MC, Visa or Discover accepted.

Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber -11.20
Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber -11.20
Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess by Leanna Renee Hieber -11.20*
The Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher (Robyn) paperback -5.99
The Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher (Robyn) hardcover -12.80

*available for the first time at Aeternitas!!

If you miss the keynote luncheon, no problem! Leanna’s and Robyn’s books will be available at Annie’s all weekend and the two authors will be signing books at Annie’s on Sunday May 1st from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.

And finally, a special offer for Aeternitas participants: On Friday eve from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturday AM from 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM, we will be accepting books for cash in the following categories…

Young adult fantasy
Paranormal
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Cozy Mysteries
Westerns

We also offer store credit for pre-read paperbacks in good condition in all categories. For more information on cash or credit for books, please contact me at anniesbookstop@metrocast.net .

Safe travels,
Judy Normandin
Annie’s Book Stop
1330 Union Ave.
Laconia, NH 03246
603-528-4445
http://www.anniesbooks.com/displaylocation.php?id=laconia

Welcome to Aeternitas

Hello Witches and Wizards!

Aeternitas is in just a few days and the ConCom wanted to share some information about arrival, the hotel, food options, and the local area, to ensure that each of you can make the most of your time.

Arrival

Check –in at the Margate is at 4:00PM. They will try to have rooms ready early if possible, but they cannot make any promises. On that note, if you arrive by car, it will be best to leave your bags in your car until you have checked in and found out whether or not your room will be available. Alternatively, The Margate is allowing guest to store their luggage in the Blackstone Lounge while they wait for their rooms.

Registration for Aeternitas 2011 will be happening in the event tent on the West Lawn beginning at 1 PM on Thursday and will remain open until the end of the Fashion Show at 10 PM. On Friday, registration will also be open in the event tent from 9 AM- 5 PM, and after that it will move to the Aeternitas info desk, which will be located in our 24 hour common room (The Mariah Room).

About the Margate

The Margate on Winnipesaukee is a private, family run resort that has been in operation for 50 years.

The resort consists of multiple buildings: The Inn Building, Amenities Building, Lake Building, and the West Buildings:

The Inn Building is located across the street from the rest of the resort, and houses guest rooms.

The Amenities building house the front desk, main lobby, business center, indoor pool, sauna, and fitness center. It also is home to the Blackstone Restaurant, Blackstone Lounge, Bistro Bar, conference rooms, and connects to the Lake Building via an underground tunnel. This building has free wi-fi available.

The Lake Building is home to two of the conference rooms, an ice machine and vending machine, and guest rooms. The top floor of this building is where the Mariah Room is- this room will be our 24 Hour Common room and home of our info desk. This building connects to the Amenities Building via an underground tunnel.

The West Buildings house guest rooms that open up to the outside, motel style.

Each room comes equipped with an ironing board, a blow dryer and a Keurig (please note, the hotel provides 4 K Cups per room per day. They also only offer one variety of coffee. You are welcome to bring your own.) Soap, shampoo, and conditioner is also provided but in limited quantities. In addition the Lake-View and West Building rooms have free WiFi and mini-fridges. A limited number of mini-fridges will be available upon request in the Inn Building but cannot be guaranteed.

ATMs

There is no ATM at the Margate. The closest ATM is just across the street at the Shaws Grocery store, but it is only available during store hours. The nearest physical bank is .2 miles away: TD Bank 1402 Lake Shore Road, NH (603) 527-3700.

Food

Included in the cost of registration for Aeternitas is one meal- The Leaving Brunch. There will be snacks (salsa and chips, etc) at the Fashion Show and the Ball, but you should have dinner prior to each of these events as full meals are not included.

The menu for the brunch is as follows:

Hogwarts Scrambled Eggs Served with: Chopped Tomato, Grated Cheese, Snipped Chives

Vegan Scrambled “Eggs”

Hagrid Home Fried Potatoes

Fleur's French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Molly Weasley's Muffins, Butter & Preserves

Bacon & Sausage

Whole Fruit

Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaf & Tea

Poppy Pomfrey 's Hot Chocolate

Assorted Juices: Apple, Orange & Cranberry

The Margate Resort does not have a fully functioning restaurant during the off season. In the mornings from 7 AM to 11 AM, they offer a free continental breakfast for hotel guests. They also will be offering a hot breakfast buffet that costs 6.95 plus tax per person.

The Bistro Bar will also be open each day from 3 PM to 12 AM and will be serving light fare and cash bar.

Outside of the Margate walls, there are tons of food options. There is a grocery store right across the way, and tons of eateries within walking distance or short driving distance. Here is a small selection of the offerings:

Lakeside Restaurant- 143 Lake Street Laconia, NH (603) 524-3304

KFC- 1315 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH (603) 524-2900

‎

Wendy’s- 1428 Lake Shore Road, Gilford, NH (603) 528-966

Papa Gino’s- 1425 Lake Shore Rd Gilford, NH (603) 528-3355

Dunkin’ Donuts- 1400 Lake Shore Road, Gilford, NH (603) 528-1751

T-Bones & Cactus Jack’s- 1182 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH (603) 528-7800

China Bistro- 89 Lake Street, Laconia, NH (603) 524-0008

Annie’s Café & Catering- 585 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH (802) 766-4093

Patrick’s Pub and Eatery- 18 Weirs Rd # 1, Gilford, NH (603) 293-0841

This is just a small selection, other listings can be found in the hotel guide in your room.

Shopping and Recreation

Aside from the array of local eateries, the Margate is also in close proximity to many stores, banks, and gas stations, for your convenience. Recreation options are a little less plentiful during the off season, but below is a list of shopping, recreation and more:

Shaw’s Supermarket- Ste A, 1400 Lakeshore Drive Gilford, NH (603) 528-2929

Mobil Gas Station- 1400 Lake Shore Road Gilford, NH 03249 (603) 524-8014

‎

Annie’s Book Stop- 1330 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH (603) 528-4445

Walmart - 1458 Lake Shore Road Gilford, NH 03249 (603) 528-8011

Dollar Tree - 1458 Lake Shore Road #190 Gilford, NH 03249 (603) 527-0403

CVS - 1371 LAKESHORE DRIVE GILFORD, NH 03246 (603) 524-2460

NH Liquor & Wine Outlet - 18 Weirs Road, Gilford, NH (603) 524-6083

Laconia Savings Bank - 1441 Lake Shore Road Gilford, NH (603) 528-1121

Hoyts Cinemas Gilford 8- 9 Old Lake Shore Road, Gilford (603) 528-6600

Smitty’s Cinema Pub - 630 West Main Street, Tilton (603) 286-3275

Fun Spot Arcade - 579 Endicott Street North Laconia, NH 03246 603-366-4377

Tanger Outlets - 120 Laconia Road Tilton, NH 03276

Laconia Ice Arena - 468 Province Rd, Laconia NH 03246 (603) 528-0789

Packing

Finally, we would just like to remind you of a couple of items you might want to pack:

A swimsuit- if you plan to join us at the pool party on Saturday night, or to enjoy the pool at another time, don’t forget your swimsuit!

An umbrella- it’s April in New England and it looks like it may rain a bit on some of our days! If you are staying in the Lake Building, you will be lucky enough not to have to go outside much. However, everyone needs to go outdoors to get to the event tent, so packing an umbrella may not be a bad idea.

ATTENTION ALL FANGURLS

 gelsey and averygoodun  despreately needed Aeternitas roomies,  and I wasasked  if I could you PLEASE boost the bandwidth on their plea for roomies?

Please contact these fangurls directly.

See you at con!

Please Note: This is a repost of my message on the forums.  Mods, if this isn't allowed here, my apologies!


I don't have a car, so I am looking for anyone who plans on driving from the Greater Boston area and wants someone to split the gas bill with (or I'll even cover it, if it's $15 or less).

I don't smoke, I'm fairly pleasant, and I can hold a conversation; but if you'd rather not talk, I'm just as happy to listen to my iPod and leave you alone. :3

So, anyone out there need a travel buddy?

Spotlight on Aeternitas: Vendors and Merch

Below, we have provided the information for each of our vendors, a list of items that will be on sale at the Aeternitas table, and an idea of what to expect from our silent auction and raffles! Please assume that all transactions will be CASH ONLY. There is no ATM at the Margate, but the closest one is just across the street at the Shaws Grocery Store.

Vendors</i>

Deathly Hallows Shop ( http://deathlyhallows.bigcartel.com/ )

Sells a selection of jewelry inspired by the Deahtly Hallows Symbol, in wood, acrylic and silver..

Dinah Bulcholz ( http://unofficialharrypottercookbook.com/ )

Dinah Bulcholz is the author of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. She will be selling and autographing copies of her
books in the vendor room on Thursday only.

Elf Creations and Designs ( www.elfcreationsanddesigns.com )

Elf Creations sells hand crafted character rag dolls, costuming accessories, journals, book covers and other unique items.

Evie Tees ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/evietees)

Evie Tees sells t-shirts, tote bags, pocket mirrors, and more!

Hogwarts Admissions ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/JLhomemade)

Hogwarts Admissions sells a variety of handcrafted items.
Hogwarts acceptance letter, magical wands, bookmarks, and cell phone charms/key chains.

Resa Nelson ( www.resanelson.com)

Resa Nelson, the author of The Dragonslayer’s Sword and OurLady of the Absolute will be selling autographed copies of
her book Friday through Sunday.

NYDA ( www.meetup.com/NYC-HPA )

NYDA is NYC’s chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance.
The NYDA will be selling OLISvander original wands in both Lumos and original, House Spirit Bracelets
(and now School Spirit, too), and more!

Salem Secrets ( www.salemsecrets.webs.com)

Salem Secrets sells jewelry, soaps, and more.

Aeternitas Table

At the Aeternitas 2011 info desk you will be able to purchase the following:

Aeternitas T-Shirts- 15.00

Aeternitas Posters- 10.00

Extra Programs- 15.00

Harvey Putter DVDs- 20.00

The Group That Shall Not Be Named T-shirts 15.00

"READ" Posters 5.00

TGTSNBN Stickers .50

PLUS: House ties, silk scarves and bandannas from Wizardties.com!

Silent Auction

Exclusive original artwork created for the Aeternitas Program will be auctioned off.

Raffles

We have lots of goodies to raffle off to raise money for the charities! We are still accepting donations, so there may be more,
but the list includes:
Wizard Rock baskets, house scarves, a sweater from wizard knits, a wand from Alivan's, autographed copies of Harvey
Putter, a Slytherin lap afghan and more!

Raffle tickets are priced as follows: one ticket for 2.00 and three tickets for 5.00.

Hello Witches and Wizards!

There are just SEVEN days left until Aeternitas 2011!? Can you believe it? Are you as excited as we are?

Over the next few days you will be hearing from us a couple of times. We will be sending out our "Spotlight on Aeternitas Vendors and Merchandise", so that you will all know how much money you want to bring for shopping and raffles! We will also be sending out our �Welcome to Aeternitas� mailing in which we will tell you what to expect when you arrive, provide important hotel information, and tell you a bit more about Laconia!

Today�s mailing is a mixed bag of reminders and announcements:

Reminders!!

Our first reminder is that pre-conference team sign ups for HP Family Feud end on Monday, the 25th! You will still have a chance to sign up on site, but it is easier for us if you sign up in advance! If you are interested, please visit the Family Feud page: HERE.

Our second reminder is to sign up for our text service to receive announcements on site AT Aeternitas! To sign up for this service: Text AETERNITAS to 41411 or go to this site and fill out the sign up form.

Our third and final reminder is that Aeternitas needs volunteers!! Now that you have had time to digest our schedule and plan your days, if you think you have some time to dedicate to running the con, please email volunteers@aeternitas2011.org! You may also sign up for shifts on site in our staff room which will be located in the Gunstock Room. However, it makes things easier for the ConCom, if we have as many people as possible sign up for their shifts in advance!

Announcements!

Our first announcement is that one of the member of HP-MA has come up with a fabulous dance routine to Lady GaGa�s Bad Romance. We would love to have a teen movie moment at the ball where half of the ball breaks into a spontaneously choreographed dance routine!!! If you are interested, view the instructional video here. We will also be setting up a live practice time at the con, stay tuned for when and where! And be sure to pass this along to all of your friends!

Our second announcement is for all of our Bellas! We will be organizing a Bella cosplay shoot during the conference! If you are interesting in being involved just show up in your Bella costume at 4:15 PM on Friday the 29th! The shoot will take place at the Enthusiasts booth in the vendor room which will be located in the Antico Room!

Thanks everyone! We will see you next week!

Dear Aeternitas Attendees,

We apologize but due to problems with flight arrangements Ministry of Magic will be unable to join us at Aeternitas 2011.

We appreciate your understanding and know how excited many of you were to see their performance. We are looking into adding additional performers to the line-up. We will provide updates as soon as we can.

Thank you,

The Aeternitas ConCom

Aeternitas Anti-harassment Policy!

Hello Witches and Wizards!

We have published a copy of the Aeternitas Anti-Harassment policy on our site. This policy will also be published in our program. We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all of our attendees and we expect all of you to abide by this policy. The policy is as follows:

The Aeternitas 2011 ConCom is dedicated to a harassment-free conference experience for all attendees regardless of age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, house affiliation, or even your favorite ship, or wizard rock band. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, house affiliation, favorite ships, favorite wizard rock bands, etc. deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Also, please note- the taping or photography of presenters may only be done with the presenter’s permission.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, Aeternitas staff may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately.

Aeternitas 2011 senior staff can be identified by their badges and two-way radios. Volunteers and conference staff will be located in all areas of the hotel. When in doubt, the volunteers located at our information desk (located in the common room on the top floor of the Lake Building) will always be able to contact a member of senior staff for you. The hotel desk will also be able to help contact a senior staff member.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events.

T-Shirt Pre-Orders and Aeternitas Keynote Reminders!

We would like to remind everyone that TOMORROW is the last chance to pre-order an Aeternitas 2011 T-Shirt! There sill be very few available for purchase on site, so be sure to order yours now! T-shirts are $15.00 and can be purchased HERE.

Additionally, we would like to inform everyone that tickets to the Aeternitas Keynote can still be purchased through next Thursday, April 14th. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchasedHERE!

Epic Win Burlesque tickets are also still available online! Tickets are 25.00 will be available on site as well (unless they sell out beforehand!), but if you purchase in advance you will also receive a signed cast photo! Get your ticket TODAY!

Keynote Luncheon and Leaving Brunch Menus!

The keynote luncheon includes a wrap station featuring the following premade wraps and sides:

Turkey, Cranberry, Boursin, Shredded Lettuce, Tomato.

Chicken Salad w/ Dried Cranberries.

Vegetarian w/ Hummus.

Sliced Italian Meats, Provolone Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato.

Hamm, Swiss, Mustard & Lettuce.

Potato Salad, Garden Salad, and Potato Chips.

Chef's Choice Dessert

Water, Iced Tea, and Coffee

The leaving brunch will feature an array of breakfast food:

Hogwarts Scrambled Eggs Served with: Chopped Tomato, Grated Cheese, Snipped Chives

Hagrid Home Fried Potatoes

F'leur's French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Molly Weasley's Muffins, Butter & Preserves

Bacon & Sausage

Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaf & Tea

Poppy Pomfrey 's Hot Chocolate

Assorted Juices: Apple, Orange & Cranberry

Please note that if you indicated any dietary restrictions on your registration that have not been addressed by this selection, you will be provided with a separate plated meal- we will be contacting you in regards to this no later than the 20th. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: amanda@aeternitas2011.org

Master Schedule!

The master grid of all the Aeternitas Programming is now available for download and printing! The black and white version can be found here! And the color version here!

HP Family Feud Team Sign Ups Extended!

Considering that we have only just given you our full schedule, we have decided to extend the online signups for HP Family Feud until April 25th! We will also allow teams to sign up on site at our registration desk, until noon on Friday! For more information about HP Family Feud and to sign up online please visit: this page.

Stay Up to Date AT Aeternitas!

Want to keep informed of the latest room changes, special announcements, lost house elf notices and pending Death Eater attacks at Aeternitas? We unfortunately aren't able to send a Patronus informing you of the fall of the Ministry, but we have the next best thing! Text message alerts!

Aeternitas has signed up for the Textmarks text message system. This is a TXT system that will only send you TXT's that we send out, and we will only be using the system during the duration of the con.

We recommend you sign up as soon as possible so you are all set when April 28th rolls around.

There are two ways to register for the service:

1. Text AETERNITAS to 41411

2. Go here and fill out the sign up form.

If you have any questions about this service please post them in the comments. We will answer them as best as we can.

Thanks and see you at the con!

Hello Witches and Wizards,

We would like to remind everyone that today is the last day that full registration will be available for Aeternitas 2011. If you have been waiting to register, this is your last chance! Full registrations and registration for the Keynote will close at 11:59 PM this evening. Registration will remain open for Epic Win Burlesque up until the day of the show or until it sells out, t-shirts will remain available online until April 7th, and day passes will be available online and onsite. Aeternal Circle Memberships will also still be available online. For more information please visit: the registration page.

Additionally, we are pleased to announce that formal programming, informal programming, and wrock side stage schedules are now available on all of their respective pages! Please visit: formal programming, informal programming, and wizard rock for the details!

Finally, we are happy to announce that day passes are now available for Friday and Saturday! Day passes are $40.00 per day and include all programming for each day (with the exception of the keynote and Epic Win Burlesque on Friday and the pool party on Saturday), a conference badge, and a schedule of the day’s events. These passes will be available for purchase online from now until the event, and they will also be available for purchase on site. To purchase a day pass now, please fill out this form.