We are a not for profit, 100 percent fan run science fiction, fantasy and gaming convention that is put on by the Des Moines Science Fiction & Fantasy Society. The convention is held annually in the Des Moines, Iowa metro area and this is our 37th year.
We are very different (much better!) than large, corporate conventions. To get started, we recommend reading our FAQ for a quick overview. Then explore the rest of the website at your leisure!
Featured Guests
Schedule
2:00 PM – Registration opens; Art Show, Dealer Room, and Gaming Rooms open
6:00 PM – Art Show and Dealer Room closed
7:00 PM – Opening Ceremonies & TICC Performance
9:00 PM – Hospitality Suite and Room Parties open
10:00 AM – Art Show and Dealer Room open
4:00 PM – Guest of Honor Discussion
5:00 PM – Art Show closed
6:00 PM – Art & Charity Auctions; Dealer Room closed
8:00 PM – Masquerade & Cosplay
8:00 AM – Art Show opens
10:00 AM – Dealer Room opens
12:00 AM – Art Show closes
2:00 PM – Dealer Room closes
3:00 PM – Closing Ceremonies and Prize Giveaways
Full schedule to be published around March, 2027.
DemiCon is an interactive adventure with all sorts of amazing ways to be involved. You can help us build the schedule by submitting your panel and activity ideas.
Don't want to run your own programming but willing to sit on someone else's panel? We have a sign-up for that too.
If you are a professional guest who would like to be considered for a professional invitation, or if you would like to recommend a professional guest, please use the "Request a Pro Invite/Recommend a Professional Guest" form.
News, updates, and highlights
Important Dates and Deadlines
| Around Feb, 2027 | Deadline to apply to be in the Author Showcase is TBA. |
| Around Feb, 2027 | Deadline to apply to be a vendor in the Dealers' Room is TBA. |
| March 1, 2027 | Deadline to submit your ideas for panels and other programming. |
| April 1, 2027 | Discount for early registration ends. All convention memberships now regular price. |
| April, 2026 | Room block registration deadline. Exact date TBA. |
| April 16, 2027 | Early registration ends. After April 16 you can still register, you will just need to register at the door. |
| April 28, 2027 | Must arrive by date for any art being mailed to the art show. |
Apply to be a department head
New in 2027, we are soft launching a DemiCon 38 department head application.
The idea is simple. When ConCom asks people to run a department, they might inadvertently overlook a great new volunteer or push an existing volunteer into role A when they might really want to do role B.
In addition, because we have been doing this for 38 years in a row, there are a lot of longtime volunteers that now self-describe as old and tired. If you are new to this sort of thing and interested in getting involved, this is a great way to toss your hat in the ring.
FAQ
| Is applying required? | Not at all! But submitting the application will give you preference for running that department. |
| I've never done something like this. How would I know what to do? | All of us started out in the same place. We have lots of notes, guidance, and a support network of other volunteers to help you along the way. |
| What happens if no one applies to be a department head? | ConCom will then have to do what they have always done. Plead, beg, bribe, etc. until we find enough people to help. |
| Do I get anything for being a department head? | Yes! Many conferences and conventions reward their volunteers for all the hard work they are putting into running the event. Historically, no one has gotten into DemiCon for free unless given a Guest of Honor or Professional Guest invitation. Along with the new department head application, we are also going to give each department one free membership to DemiCon 38. |
| Tell me more about the free DemiCon 38 membership? | We are empowering the department heads to use their one free membership however they think will best benefit the convention. You can use it for yourself, reward a volunteer who is helping you, give it to a friend who has never attended DemiCon before, give it away as a prize, etc. You can even decline the free membership! |
| What if two people want to co-manage a department? Do we get two memberships? | Not at this time. Giving away too many memberships is not fiscally sound. Since we are not-for-profit, each free membership takes away from the conventions' ability to bring in great new guests and provide the amenities attendees have come to expect. If two people want to co-run a department, we encourage you to work out what happens to the membership yourselves. For example, if you use it for yourselves, you could split the cost of the second membership. |
| I've run multiple departments in the past. Does that mean I now would get multiple free memberships? | Not at this time. If you run two departments, you will still only get one free membership. Part of the reason we are trying this experiment is to get more people involved and to try and spread out the workload between volunteers. We are intentionally trying to incentivize people to not take on too much work on their own. We would much rather you give 100 percent to one department than to give 75 percent to department A and 25 percent to department B. |
| Aren't some departments easier and less work than others? | You are right! However, every department is still valuable, and we want to empower as many volunteers as possible. Look at it this way, some people really want to be involved but might not have the time or skill set to run one of the larger departments. We really want to find the right roles for the right people so that both the department and the larger convention thrive. |
| Who decides who gets the department head role if multiple people apply for it? | ConCom will carefully consider what each applicant could bring to the role and will decide who we would like to ask to be the eventual department head. |
| When will ConCom make their decisions? | Historically, we try to select department heads before the first department head meeting. The first meeting is typically late summer/early fall. |
| What responsibilities does a department head have? | That depends a lot on which department you are running. Some departments are much larger, with more moving parts and important deadlines. Others might have less pre-con work and more at-the-con work. And some are the opposite, with most of the work being completed before the convention with very little to do over the weekend. We will work closely with you to manage expectations and ensure you have the support you need. This is an experiment to make it easier for new people to step in, give existing volunteers more choice, and help ConCom find the best fit for each role. We'll learn from this and adjust in future years. |