Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon VanBlarcom.
Hi Sharon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Sharon VanBlarcom. I am the Secretary/Treasurer of the Farpoint Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization with the mission to promote the cultural and educational advancement of literary, graphical, musical and theatrical art forms inspired by science fiction, anime, comics, fantasy, horror and all realms of the imagination. We provide informational and technical assistance to creators and fans of these art forms through discussion via the internet and social media, projects and activities in the community, and the annual Farpoint Convention where creators and fans can learn with and from each other.
I have also been the chair for the Foundation’s annual Farpoint Convention since 2001. The team gave me a crown, scepter, sash and bubble wrap jacket to celebrate my 25th anniversary at this year’s convention. The bubble wrap jacket is protection against injury so none of them will have to take the job! Farpoint Convention has been an annual event in Maryland since 1993. organized as a gathering for fans of and creators in all genres of imaginative fiction (Science Fiction, Anime, Comics Fantasy, Horror, Super Heroes) in all the media formats in which they might appear (Movies, Television, Podcasts, Books, 2D and 3D Art). You name it, we want to celebrate it! The convention’s focus is on Fandom and all who comprise it, to encourage, to educate, and to enable our fellow fans in their lives and pursuits. Our goal is to give fans the opportunity to meet other fans and creators, to forge friendships, and to develop their own creative gifts.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Running a small non-profit is not easy. Getting attention as a tiny group is always a challenge, which is why we do our best to participate in similar events up and down the East Coast whenever possible to let others know about Farpoint Foundation and what we do.
Running a small annual convention on a shoestring has its own issues. The convention market has changed so dramatically since we started in 1993. While comic cons existed, they were not the huge events they are now. Celebrity guests would come for a small upfront appearance fee and sign autographs at no charge to attendees. The number of competing events was much lower as well, making attendees more willing to travel to an event. Our survival plan involves watching the convention market and being as flexible as possible to respond to the market, but without losing focus on our non-profit mission. This process requires us to work year-round to successfully stage our annual convention weekend, which is the Farpoint Foundation’s major fundraiser of the year.
Over the years, our convention has also experienced forced venue changes when our long-term hotel home was shut down 5 months before our 2024 event. We have experienced sad personnel losses from age and illness. We navigated and survived COVID when so many other genre conventions did not. Our survival has depended upon the Farpoint community, built of people who have attended and participated since 1993. Our fandom family is full of generous and welcoming people who support our mission and rise to the occasion to assist when needed. We wouldn’t be Farpoint Foundation / Convention without them.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work with Farpoint is voluntary. The majority of our Foundation and Convention staff gives of their time and talents because they support and enjoy what we do. It is awe-inspiring to hear from our staff and attendees how their participation with Farpoint enhances their family lives, friendships and community. Being the convention chair for 25 years, I have been honored to share knowledge of the industry with other small non-profit and local convention groups. I don’t consider such outreach as “helping the competition”. The community built around small science fiction, anime and comic conventions up and down the East Coast is what keeps our fandoms alive, especially in the modern era of Big Media and Big Comic Cons. My personal philosophy is that the fandom convention market is well-served having both types of events. Big Comic Cons have the resources to showcase big-name guests and events which excite fans, while small groups such as Farpoint focus our resources on community building and support to encourage creativity in today’s fans and tomorrow’s.
My family has always joked that Farpoint is my unpaid full time job. But I also have a full time job working as an Acquisition Logistics Analyst for a Maryland engineering and technology firm supporting the United States Navy. My company encourages and supports all of their employees in community service and non-profit work. My boss and team members enjoy hearing about my “adventures in convention land”. My 2 children have grown up volunteering for Farpoint. My daughter used her Farpoint experience to gain both a college internship and her current position as a Business Development Specialist for a major Washington DC non-profit organization. The entire Farpoint team is part of our extended family. The ties created from working and playing together for over 2 decades has made us strong. Small, maybe, but strong!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Change in the pop culture convention industry is driven by a combination of cost and fan interest. Costs have risen dramatically in all of the convention expense areas over the last few years: cost to bring celebrity guests in, venue and equipment rental, insurance, staffing, etc. Conventions are under pressure to keep ticket, autograph and photo costs down as much as possible, but it has become necessary to raise them to cover the increasing expenses of staging an event.
The success of long-standing conventions has also attracted a lot of new startup conventions during this same period. This is sometimes detrimental to the industry since many of these new conventions are started up by people who have very little event planning and running experience. These are often people who are looking to make a quick buck under their impression that running a convention is not hard. Admittedly, it is not hard on the level of building a satellite, but it involves hard work, a lot of planning balancing venues, equipment, housing, insurance, staffing, taxes, finances and more. Someone trying to do it by themselves will fail. A group without experience will also fail. These short-lived conventions damage the industry by disappointing fans who paid their hard-earned money to attend only to not experience the event they were promised.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://farpointcon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farpointfoundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarpointCon/
- Twitter: https://x.com/FarpointCon
Image Credits
Sharon VanBlarcom
Rebecca Jarvis-Stockhausen
Neil Ottenstein
