Shorah!
It’s summertime and we’re already in full swing for planning 2024 Mysterium! Before we dive into that, however, we wanted to share some of the highlights from the 2023 survey that we sent out as well as some other goodies.
Survey Highlights
We work hard to improve Mysterium every year and appreciate the feedback you have been sending in. Some of our experiments work, and sometimes they don’t and need some tweaks, but we always strive to make the experience better. We had a lot of fantastic suggestions and we will definitely consider them for future years!
Some of the highlights of the results:
- Swag: Pre-ordering the swag was a huge hit! This was a bit of an experiment this year. We were using a new system for registration that allowed us to print badge numbers, pre-order swag, print labels for the swag bags, and pack them in a super-efficient manner, and an all-around amazing system! We will definitely be using this again.
- Paypal: We had quite a few people ask for Paypal support. Unfortunately, they are, how shall we put this politely, very unkind to organizations like Mysterium. We need to stick to using Square and Stripe for our credit card processing portals.
- The noise level in the con room: Yep, we hear you. It was frustrating for us too and we’re looking into options on how to improve that.
- Accessibility: We try to make Mysterium accessible and there were some great suggestions on some things we can tweak! Thank you so much for sending those in!
- Covid policy: We strive to make Mysterium a safe environment for everyone and appreciate the feedback on our policy. It’s too early to anticipate what 2024’s policy will involve, but our hope is that we can find some solutions that will be more inclusive.
- Newsletter: The newsletter got a surprising amount of support! Alright, we’ll take a look at doing that this year! We want you to get the information we send out. 🙂
June’s Prompt Winner
June’s creative prompt was “Scream!” as Mysterium drew closer. The winner was redwoodrroad, who submitted this little beauty:
Youtube videos
All of the videos from Mysterium 2023 are now available on our Youtube channel! Check it out here.
Downloadables
We promised, so here they are! The 3D model files for the maze boxes and cryptexes, puzzle packets, and other downloadable files are now available on the website. More items will be added in the future! Please feel free to check them out here: Downloadables
Planning for 2024
If you missed the announcement, Mysterium will be in Canada next year. As exciting as that is, it also means that you will need to plan ahead for international travel. If you do not have a passport, we recommend that you get an early jump on it, as the turnaround time is taking longer than ideal.
More information may be found on the Department of State website: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html
2024 Kick-off
And without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to your con-chairs for 2024.
Dan Binder (Fused Shadow) –
Dan first attended Mysterium in Orlando in 2017, then after a night at a tiki bar apparently agreed to join staff the following year (details are still a little hazy).
You’ll most likely encounter him working on the Mysterium website and/or posting on the Discord server, the latter especially if someone happens to mention Twilight Princess.
If you’re seeking him out in person, you can find him on a hiking trail or ski slope, or petting the nearest dog.
Hannah Catherine Mills-Woolsey (Annacat) –
Annacat attended her first Mysterium in Philadelphia in 2002, has been part of the Mysterium Committee since 2019, and has become the con’s self-appointed expert on all things Narayan-related. For her day job, she is a supervisor and instructor at a Vocational Education program for people with disabilities.
Her hobbies include participating in community theater, coaching a Special Olympics dance team, hiking, camping, kayaking, and loving every single animal in the world.