Dragon*Con News

Updated July 15, 2008

If this is your first time to the Media Relations website, please take a few minutes to review the Media Requirements. After you have done this, if you are eligible for a Media Badge or Press Ribbon, please request your passes using the New Media Form.

If you are Returning Media, please use the Returning Media Form to request passes.

Media Registration will be closing earlier this year than previously stated. The last day to register will be Sunday, July 20, 2008 at midnight EST. Please make all pass requests prior to this date. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Due to the rapid growth of the convention, we will have to greatly limit the number of Media Badges and Press Ribbons that we give out. This means that many of you who have qualified in the past and have met all the requirements, may not be eligible for free badges this year. You are still welcome to attend as Media; however, it might be necessary to purchase your badge this year.

Websites must be preapproved and are NOT necessarily eligible for Media badges. Only websites with direct affiliation to mainstream NEWS Media sources will be considered for Media badges this year. Fan groups, Podcasters, Bloggers and Documentary crews are NOT eligible for Media badges.

• Pre-Registration is up 30% from last year.

• The Dealers Room and Exhibitors Halls are sold out.

• The NEW Dragon*Con Photo Gallery is now online.

• The Marriott remodeling project has been completed. We will have use of the new Atrium Ballroom.

• The Dealer's Room, Exhibitors Hall and Comic Artist Alley will all return to the Marriott this year. The Walk of Fame will remain at the Marriott, but move to the Atrium level.

• Gaming will return to the Hilton, but the Hilton starts its renovation project which has allowed us to add space in the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel.

• The Sheraton Atlanta Hotel has been added as a Host Hotel. The Grand Ballroom will be utilized for large events. Some Track Programming will also be housed at the Sheraton.

• Dragon*Con TV will be expanding their coverage of daytime Main Programming events in the Centennial Ballrooms. These programs will 
  be available on the DCTV channel in hotel rooms during Dragon*Con.

• We have added 5 new programming tracks this year. Anime/Manga, MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online), Skeptics, Romance Writers and Horror.

• The 2008 Charity Auction will be for the American Heart Association in memory of Patrick Roberts. Patrick was the Art Show Director from 2000-2006 and passed away earlier this year from heart related issues.

• 2008 will host the 6th Annual "Pay It Forward" Blood Drive at Dragon*Con, sponsored by The Heinlein Society and LifeSouth Community Blood Center.

• We raised $15,000 for the American Diabetes Foundation, the official Dragon*Con charity for 2007. This, added to the $3,500 Team Dragon raised, makes the total $18,500 for the fight against diabetes.