Arisia '08Arisia Abbreviated History
| Date | Venue | Guilty Parties: ConChair & Arisia Officers | Guests of Honor & Special Guests | Theme | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arisia '90 Feb 23-25, 1990 | Lafayette Swissotel Boston, MA | Chair: Matthew Saroff President: Mary Robison (1) VP: Kim Van Auken Treasurer: Tom Fish Clerk: Adria Crum | WGoH: Richard Bowker AGoH: A.C. Farley FGoH: Spike McPhee | 842 | |
| Arisia '91 Feb 1-3, 1991 | Vista International Waltham, MA (2) | Chair: Matthew Saroff Pres: Mary Robison VP: Robert Bazemore Treasurer: Marshall Ellis Clerk: A. Joseph Ross | WGoH: Jack L. Chalker AGoH: Bob Walters FGoH: Laurel Cunningham-Hill and Richard Hill | ~1050 | |
| Arisia '92 Jan 3-5, 1992 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Kimberly S. Van Auken Pres: Patrick McCormack VP: Jeffrey Jordan Treas: Marshall Ellis Clerk: A. Joseph Ross | WGoH: Craig Shaw Gardner AGoH: Robin Wood Tech Guest: Alex Latzko Filk Guest: T.J. Burnside Clapp Guest Editor: Ginjer Buchanan (4) Guest Editor: Shoshanna Green (4) Media Guest: Lynne Stephens | (3) | 1094 |
| Arisia '93 Jan 15-17, 1993 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Robert "Insanity" Bazemore Pres: A. Joseph Ross VP: Heather Coon Treas: Allan Kent Clerk: Mark Dulcey | WGoH: Ellen Kushner AGoH's: Charles Lang and Wendy Snow-Lang Fan GoH: Monty Wells Tech GoH: Carl Zwanzig | 1670 | |
| Arisia '94 Jan 21-23, 1994 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers (6) | Chair: James S. Belfiore, Jr. Pres: A. Joseph Ross VP: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Treas: Allan Kent Clerk: Edward Dooley | WGoH's: Spider and Jeanne Robinson AGoH: Michael Whelan Fan GoH: Dave Kyle | (5) | 1513 |
| Arisia '95 Jan 13-15, 1995 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Sheila Oranch Pres: Joelll Herda VP: Jim Stevenson Treas: Erik Bunce Clerk: Edward Dooley | WGoH: C. J. Cherryh AGoH: Jael Fan GoH: Walter Kahn Tech GoH: Deryl Burr Filk Guest: Michael Longcor | 1810 | |
| Arisa '96 Jan 12-14, 1996 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Pres: Cris Shuldiner VP: Walter Kahn Treas: Randall Cohen Clerk: Robert Fairburn IV | WGoH: Emma Bull and Will Shetterly AGoH: Lissanne Lake Fan GoH: Rob Bazemore (aka Insanity*3) (7) Musical Guest: Boiled In Lead | Minneapolis Music | 1826 |
| Arisia '97 Jan 10-12, 1997 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers (8) | Dictator: Pat McCormack (9)(10) | WGoH: R. A. Salvatore AGoH: Bob Eggleton Fan GoH: The Gang of Five (11) | Exploring Tyranny In Our Literature and In Our Lives (12) | 1874 |
| Arisia '98 Jan 16-18, 1998 | Westin Waltham-Boston Waltham, MA (2) | Exec Director: Glen R. Goodwin (14)(10) Pres: Jeffrey L. "Hunter" Jordan VP: Brendan Quinn Treas: Skip Morris Clerk: Paul Selkirk | WGoH: James P. Hogan AGoH: Cortney Skinner Fan GoH: Marty Gear | Freedom: Stories of The Revolution! | 1538 (13) |
| Arisia '99 Jan 8-10, 1999 | Westin Copley Place, Boston | Chair: Cris Shuldiner Pres: Elka Tovah Menkes VP: Glen R. Goodwin Treas: Skip Morris Clerk: Rachel Silverman | WGoH: Roger MacBride Allen AGoH: Gary A. Lippincott Fan GoH's: Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden Science Guest: H. Paul Shurch aka "Dr. SETI" | The 10th Arisia Party Like It's 1999 (15) | 1672 |
| Arisia '00 Jan 14-16, 1900 (16) | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Paul Selkirk Pres: Noel Rosenberg VP: Cris Shuldiner Treas: Skip Morris Clerk: Tom "Merv" Murphy | WGoH: Jane Yolen AGoH: Tom Kidd Fan GoH: Sharon Sbarsky Musical Guest: Echo's Children | (16) | 1965 |
| Arisia '01 Jan 12-14, 2001 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Elka Tovah Menkes Pres: Brendan Quinn VP: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Treas: Skip Morris Clerk: Tom "Merv" Murphy | WGoH:Lois McMaster Bujold AGoH: Wojtek Siudmak Fan GoH: jan howard finder aka "Wombat" | Looking Back on the Future | 2082 |
| Arisia '02 Jan 18-20, 2002 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Noel Rosenberg Pres: Brendan Quinn VP: Colette Fozard Treas: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Clerk: Paul Selkirk | WGoH: Katherine Kurtz AGoH: Tristan Alexander Fan GoH: Eugene Heller | So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: A Tribute to the Works of Douglas Adams | 2309 |
| Arisia '03 Jan 17-19, 2003 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Skip Morris Pres: Joel Herda VP: Noel Rosenberg Treas: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Clerk: Paul Selkirk | WGoH: Harry Turtledove AGoH: Victoria (Poyser) Lisi & Julio Lisi Fan GoH: Anthony R. Lewis, FN Gaming Guest: Looney Labs | Alternate Realities | 2264 |
| Arisia '04 Jan 16-18, 2004 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Evil Overlord(10): Carsten Turner Pres: Joel Herda VP: Noel Rosenberg Treas: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Clerk: Alex Latzko | Sculpture GoH: Arthur Ganson WGoH: Tim Powers Fan GoH: Kim Van Auken Special Freedom Guests: Eric S. and Catherine Raymond Special Filk Guest: Tom Smith | The Future of Freedom | 2283 |
| Arisia '05 Jan 21-23, 2005 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Buzz Harris Pres: Carsten Turner VP: Rick Kovalcik (RKOV) Treas: Alex Latzko Clerk: Claudia Mastroianni | WGoH: Barbara Hambly AGoH: John Picacio Fan GoH: Victor J. Raymond Special Media Guest: Harry Knowles Special Fannish Movie Guests: HiddenFrontier.org Special Filk Guests: Mary Ellen Wessels & Ed Stauff | Through Alien Eyes | 2086 |
| Arisia '06 Jan 13-15, 2006 | Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers | Chair: Nicholas "phi" Shectman President: Rick Kovalcik (RKOV) Vice President: Lisa Hertel Treasurer: Benjamin Levy Clerk: Rachel Silber | WGoH: Allen Steele AGoH: Frank Wu Fan GoH: Barb Schofield Special Musical Guest: Heather Dale | Focus | 2412 |
| Arisia '07 Jan 12-14, 2007 | Hyatt Regency Cambridge | Chair: Joel Herda President: Rick Kovalcik (RKOV) Vice President: Lisa Holsberg Treasurer: Benjamin Levy Clerk: Rachel Silber | WGoH: Esther Friesner AGoH: Hilary Scott | Humor | 2137 |
| Arisia '08 Jan 18-21, 2008 | Hyatt Regency Cambridge | Chair: September Isdell President: Nicholas "phi" Shectman Vice President: Crystal Huff Treasurer: Benjamin Levy Clerk: Rick Kovalcik | WGoH: Laura Anne Gilman AGoH: Marrus Fan Performer GoH: Eric in the Elevator | Pirates and Ninjas | 2369 (registered) 2280 (badged / attended) |
Notes:
- Nineteen-ninety was Arisia's second year of existence, officers from the first year were: President: Cris Shuldiner, VP Mary Robison, Treas: Tom Fish, Clerk: Brian Cooper
- The "Vista International" is now the "Waltham Westin" hotel.
- No theme, but there was a "Carmen Miranda Silly Hat Contest".
- Ginjer and Shoshanna were each listed as "Special Guest Editor" in different sections of the Program Book. No-one (including the chairman) remembers what really happened.
- Arisia's 90-92, 94 & 95 were each officially a "Speculative Media Conference". The inside cover of A'94 was the first to call Arisia a "Science Fiction Convention". Arisias '93, '96 & '97 called it a "Convention". Arisia '98 went both ways. Arisia '99, '00 & '01 said "Science Fiction Convention". (Warning - this is a religious issue among Arisia Die-Hards).
- The "Park Plaza Castle" (formally the armory for the First Corps of Cadets National Guard Unit) was used for the masquerade and several other events due to an outside wedding being scheduled in the hotel main ballroom.
- At A'96 our Fan Guest of Honor got married in the hotel ballroom as his "GoH Event".
- Arisia '97 was the last year under the old family-owned Park Plaza management. The hotel sale closed the Monday after the convention.
- There is no mention in the A'97 Program Book of Arisia Corporate or its officers. They apparently didn't exist since we had a "Dictator". (For the record, they were President: Cris Shuldiner, VP: Brendan Quinn, Treasurer: Marshall Ellis, Clerk: Glen Goodwin.)
- Arisia has a position of Convention Chairman. Occasionally they forget this and call themselves something else.
- The "Gang of Five" were Arisia's Founders: Brian Cooper, Tom Fish, Mary Robinson, Matthew Saroff, Cris Shuldiner.
- Theme aka "The Iron Boot of Tyranny".
- Arisia '98 had a strict attendance cap of 1500 due to hotel function space limitations. The cap was raised to 1550 and no-one was turned away.
- Chair was originally Randall S. Cohen, replaced by Glen Goodwin during the Summer of '98.
- There actually was no external theme for this convention as the Chair does not believe in them. What is listed here is the internal theme designed for the staff to have fun with.
- No official theme, but the "in joke" was that Arisia '00 was officially "Not Y2K Compliant", so the dates were printed as 1900.