Friday, August 13, 2010

Hawaii Lost Conference to Change Location

I'm sad to report that the Lost academic conference that was to be held in Hawaii this coming January will no longer be held in Hawaii (wah... all those crushed Nik at Nite dreams of meeting on the Lostie beach...) There was a very low response to the call for papers, and it's probably because most people simply cannot afford to go to Hawaii (David and I had a long phone chat about the possibility of relocation back in June, so it doesn't surprise me, but we were both still holding out hope that things would change). I still plan to get to Hawaii one of these days and take the Kos Tour that everyone has told me so much about, but I will absolutely also be at the Lost Conference, wherever it may be! (Something tells me Sydney, Australia, will probably also be out of the question!) As soon as a new location is chosen, I will post it here! Here is the announcement by organizer David Lavery.

We are sorry to inform you that the conference as planned will not take place. We received a very disappointing response to the CFP. We suspect the economy may have been a major factor, and the time of year, January, was a problem for many.

But we have not given up. We are seeking to reboot the conference and hope to be able to announce a new location and date by October. Our goal is to piggy-back with another conference (we have one in mind) possibly in October 2011 and on a beach (Atlantic, not Pacific) in the mainland US. The cost of attendance should be significantly lower.

We will inform everyone once the reboot is finalized. If you have proposed a paper already, we will keep your proposal on file. If you wish to withdraw your proposal, please let us know or have any questions (or suggestions), write us.

8 comments:

SenexMacDonald said...

Now I might be able to go. I so wanted Hawaii but, being a teacher, and the conference being a Wed-Sat. would mean asking for time-without-pay. I am sure my Board would LOVE to give me the time off ... again! But this is not a wedding, and Hawaii - nice as it would have been and I'd be so on that beach with you, Nik! - I am, unfortunately happy that I might now be able to plan getting to it. Nik, we can get some drinks with umbrellas and think of Hawaii, if needed. :(

Fred said...

What! Not Hawaii. Here's the silly thing about all this. It's cheaper for someone like me to fly to Hawaii than to fly to the Atlantic coast. And if I want to go to the eastern seabaord, I have to fly through Vancouver--I might as well just kiss the conference goodbye then. Anyone who has flown through YVR knows what a pain it is--personally, I've chosen many times to take Amtrak across the U.S. than pass through YVR. Please, David Lavery, at least move it to L.A., that would be more fitting with the show.

humanebean said...

Total bummerosity! I was actually laboring under the illusion that I might be able to make it to Hawaii for the conference. Ah, well ...

Pearson Moore said...

Aw, shucks. I'll have to find some other excuse to go to the island and take the Lost tour. Does Oceanic fly to Hawaii?

-Pearson Moore

LoyallyLOST said...

*Pearson Moore~MWAHAHAHAHAHA!*
It only seems logical that the LOST conference be held on Oahu! DUH! Well, perhaps LA? That was a major city in the show.
What is the KOS Tour? Please, Nikki! You MUST visit Oahu! You, of ALL people, should have already been there! You should have had first class air paid by Darlton, to meet the cast & go on set!
To anyone who is thinking about the LOST Legends Tour~go for it! You will NOT be disappointed!!!
Oh, well. We should all set aside a time when the conference is to be held & watch a favorite episode of LOST while eating fried chicken(in honor of Hurley)& drink a frilly little foofoo drink with the umbrella in it, since we can't go to the conference!
Namaste, my LOSTIES!

Colleen/redeem147 said...

I'm voting for Ann Arbor.

Fred said...

@Colleen/redeem147 said... I'm voting for Ann Arbor

Noooooo!!!! I spent years there doing grad work. Noooooo!!!!!! If not Oahu, then LA. Or how about Vancouver, site of Stargate, X-Files.

CBP68 said...

This New Yorker is thrilled! I cannot wait to find out if it is Hilton Head Island, Jekyll Island or one of Florida Keys!

Yay East Coast!