Chapter 1: The Kansas City Victory and Convention Framework
MidAmeriCon, known affectionately as “Big Mac,” represented the 34th Worldcon and Missouri’s second hosting of the world science fiction convention, held September 2-6, 1976, at the Radisson Muehlebach Hotel and Phillips House in Kansas City. Under Ken Keller’s chairmanship, this convention would implement revolutionary attendance control measures that fundamentally transformed Worldcon economics while establishing precedents that continue to influence convention management decades later.
The KC in ’76 bid’s victory over Columbus in 1976 and Highmore in ’76 during the 1976 Worldcon Site Selection at Discon II (1974) demonstrated Kansas City fandom’s organizational capabilities while positioning them to address growing concerns about convention size management that had dominated fannish discourse throughout the mid-1970s. The two-year planning period provided crucial time for developing innovative approaches to attendance control and financial management that would prove both controversial and influential.
Chapter 2: Guest Selection and Programming Leadership
The selection of Robert A. Heinlein as Guest of Honor represented inspired choice that honored one of science fiction’s most influential and commercially successful authors while ensuring marquee attraction capable of justifying increased membership costs. Heinlein’s presence provided literary credibility and mainstream appeal that could satisfy both traditional fans and newer attendees while demonstrating the convention’s commitment to celebrating science fiction’s greatest achievements.
The complementary selection of George Barr as Fan Guest of Honor recognized artistic achievement within fannish circles while Wilson Tucker’s role as Toastmaster provided experienced leadership from one of fandom’s most respected figures. This guest lineup balanced professional recognition with community celebration while ensuring programming quality that could justify the controversial pricing innovations that would define MidAmeriCon’s approach to attendance management.
Chapter 3: Masquerade Innovation and Entertainment Excellence
Joni Stopa’s direction of “the highly lauded masquerade” established new standards for costume competition organization while the inclusion of Sally Rand among judges demonstrated professional entertainment industry recognition that elevated the event beyond amateur community activity. The masquerade’s success showed how innovative programming could enhance convention quality while managing increased attendance through improved organization rather than simple restriction.
The memorable detail that “Patia von Sternberg did a strip tease while they deliberated” exemplified the convention’s blend of professional standards with fannish irreverence, creating entertainment that satisfied diverse audience expectations while maintaining community character. This balance between sophistication and humor would influence subsequent masquerade development while demonstrating how innovative programming could accommodate growth without sacrificing essential fannish culture.
Chapter 4: Revolutionary Pricing Strategy and Economic Innovation
MidAmeriCon’s dramatic pricing escalation – from “less than $6” initially to “an unheard of $50 at the door” – represented radical departure from traditional fannish economics that prioritized accessibility over revenue optimization. This controversial strategy acknowledged practical realities of venue costs and organizational complexity while using economic barriers to control attendance in ways that challenged fundamental community values about inclusion and democratic participation.
The pricing innovation “became Worldcon tradition,” establishing precedent for economic attendance management that would influence convention financing for decades. This transformation from honor-system, minimal-cost community gatherings to market-based, price-differentiated events reflected broader professionalization trends while creating ongoing tensions between accessibility and sustainability that continue to influence Worldcon policy debates.
Chapter 5: Security Innovation and Membership Control
The introduction of “hospital bracelets to back up name badges as proof of membership, to control ghosting” demonstrated sophisticated approach to attendance verification that acknowledged growing challenges in managing large-scale events with traditional fannish trust-based systems. This security innovation reflected practical necessities of controlling access to limited venue spaces while maintaining reasonable verification procedures that could accommodate legitimate membership without excessive bureaucracy.
The anti-ghosting measures represented recognition that informal community controls were inadequate for events attracting thousands of attendees, many of whom lacked traditional fannish community connections that had previously enabled effective self-policing. This security professionalization established precedents for membership verification that would become standard practice while marking transition from intimate community gatherings to mass events requiring systematic access control.
Chapter 6: Programming Restrictions and Fringe Fandom Limitations
The controversial decision to limit “programming about fringe fandoms” reflected deliberate attempt to maintain traditional science fiction focus while controlling attendance growth from media fan communities that had contributed significantly to recent convention expansion. This programming restriction demonstrated tension between inclusive growth and cultural preservation that characterized much 1970s fannish debate about community boundaries and organizational priorities.
The failure of programming restrictions to control growth – evidenced by final attendance figures – revealed limitations of content-based attendance management while highlighting the appeal of large-scale events regardless of specific programming focus. This experience provided important lessons about the relationship between programming content and attendance patterns that would influence subsequent convention planning approaches and community inclusion policies.
Chapter 7: Attendance Results and Size Management Assessment
The final attendance of “3,014 attending members out of a total of 4,200” demonstrated both the success and limitations of MidAmeriCon’s attendance control measures, achieving reduction from Discon II’s 3,587 total membership while still maintaining numbers that challenged traditional organizational approaches. The 72% attending rate among total members reflected the impact of supporting membership options and geographic access limitations that affected participation patterns.
These figures validated concerns about convention growth while showing that economic barriers could influence attendance without eliminating the fundamental challenges of managing large-scale events. The comparison with Discon II provided empirical evidence for evaluating different attendance management strategies while establishing baselines for assessing the effectiveness of various control mechanisms in balancing access, sustainability, and community character.
Chapter 8: Hugo Ceremony Innovation and Banquet Transformation
The groundbreaking decision to separate “the Hugo Awards Ceremony and GoH Speeches from the banquet and held separately as an extravaganza” created new programming format that would fundamentally transform Worldcon structure while addressing practical challenges of accommodating large audiences for major events. This innovation acknowledged that traditional banquet formats were inadequate for conventions of MidAmeriCon’s scale while creating new opportunities for ceremonial spectacle.
The separation’s success paradoxically created new problems by enabling “the rise of the over-the-top, nearly unmanageable Hugo ceremony” while proving “the death knell of the Worldcon banquet.” This transformation demonstrated how solutions to immediate logistical challenges could create long-term structural changes that influenced convention culture in unintended ways, establishing patterns that would continue to evolve throughout subsequent decades.
Chapter 9: Publications Excellence and Professional Standards
Tom Reamy’s convention publications achieved “professional production values, with the first-ever hardcover program book,” establishing new standards for convention documentation that reflected increasing professionalization and financial resources available through higher membership fees. This publication quality demonstrated how economic innovations could enable enhanced services while creating expectations for continued improvement in convention materials and presentation.
The mimeographed newsletter “The Bullsheet,” edited by Jeff May and Linda Bushyager across six issues, maintained traditional fannish publication approaches while providing comprehensive convention coverage that served both immediate communication needs and historical documentation purposes. The combination of professional program materials with traditional fannish newsletters showed how conventions could embrace innovation while preserving essential community communication traditions.
Chapter 10: Legacy Innovation and Historical Impact
MidAmeriCon’s comprehensive video documentation by KMAC, organized by Scott Imes, created unprecedented historical record that enabled future preservation and analysis of convention programming and community interactions. The subsequent digitization and YouTube posting by FANAC demonstrated long-term value of systematic documentation while providing contemporary fans with access to historical materials that illuminate convention evolution and community development.
The convention’s lasting influence appears not only in specific innovations like pricing strategies and ceremony separation but in its demonstration that fannish communities could successfully manage large-scale events through systematic planning and professional approaches while maintaining essential community character. MidAmeriCon established precedents for balancing tradition with innovation, community access with financial sustainability, and amateur enthusiasm with professional competence that continue to influence Worldcon organization and policy development. The “Big Mac” nickname itself reflects community affection that persisted despite controversial policies, showing how effective execution could overcome initial resistance and create lasting positive associations with necessary but difficult organizational changes that preserved convention viability during period of dramatic growth and transformation.
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