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The Badges of Nine Worlds Geekfest Are More Than Just Entry Tickets

Identity badges at comic conventions are commonplace. They generally double as your ticket into the show and, if you don't flip it over, your identity, company affiliation, and status.

But at Nine Worlds Geekfest in London's Novotel West hotel this coming weekend, you can learn a lot more. I will repeatedly reference Kieron Gillen's description of the show as the petri dish of conventions, as it is here that ideas can be tried, evolved, improved upon, and then stolen by bigger conventions for the betterment of all.

And that includes the ID badge. From their website:

We will be using a system to indicate communication preferences. We will once again be using coloured acetate overlays. These will put a vivid coloured stripe over the bottom third of your con badge, so will be highly visible, and in the same place for everyone. They will also be easy to change during the course of the event. The acetates will go over and around your con badge. The acetates will have a simple shape cut out of them, for anyone who has difficulty identifying colours.

The Badges of Nine Worlds Geekfest Are More Than Just Entry Tickets

blue stripe over your badge with a star shape will indicate that you are actively seeking communication. This may be used because you have no communication difficulties, and love meeting new people, or you have difficulty initiating conversations, but would like people to initiate conversations with you. No distinction will be drawn between these, and the communication preference system will not be restricted to those with communication difficulties.

The Badges of Nine Worlds Geekfest Are More Than Just Entry Tickets

yellow stripe over your badge with a triangle shape will indicate that you only want to talk to people you already know, or if you initiate communication.

The Badges of Nine Worlds Geekfest Are More Than Just Entry Tickets

red tint stripe over your badge with a circle shape indicates that you don't want any communication right now, except in an emergency.

Signs explaining the system will be placed in locations people linger, such as lifts and above wash basins in toilets.

As well as this, the show offers pronoun stickers, allowing people to place their chosen pronouns on their badge. This was the first show I saw people doing that, and it has now started to be more common elsewhere. But at Nine Worlds, it's just the way things are done. And this is just one of many aspects we'll be highlighting about the show before it opens.

What this kind of thing accomplishes is allowing some people who might not attend another comic convention to go to the show. By bending over backwards to increase accessibility to all, it widens the amount of people able to go to such shows. And while other shows are happy to skim off the fanbases of the genres and reap the benefit, Nine Worlds tries to go deeper, and it's to its credit.

Ticket prices have been frozen at £119 for an adult three-day, but day tickets are also available for £49.99. Under 16s go free with a pre-booked ticket, but they must be accompanied by an adult ticket holder. The show runs from the 10th to the 12th of August with an evening get-together on the 11th… I'll see you there.


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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