Time Line for ConGregate
ConGregate was founded in 2013 in response to StellarCon's need to go on hiatus. Without StellarCon, there was going to be lack of a general science fiction convention in the Triad region of North Carolina. Previous members of the StellarCon committee, as well as some of founding members of Trinoc*coN, got together and decided to begin a new convention to fill the upcoming void.
The core group founded ConGregate Productions, Inc., which in turn ran the first ConGregate in 2014, in Winston-Salem, NC. The following year, the old host hotel for StellarCon, which was now under new ownership, reached out to ConGregate and an arrangement was made to bring the convention to High Point, NC in 2015. ConGregate moved back to the Downtown Marriott, in Winston-Salem, in 2021; and in 2023 added the Embassy Suites (connected via a short skywalk).
Starting in 2024, ConGregate began a partnership with SAGA, a professional development conference for writers.
ConGregate has hosted two DeepSouthCons (DSC), DSC 55 in 2017 and DSC 59 in 2021.
Below, you can find some information about each of the ConGregate conventions that have been held.
Past Conventions
ConGregate 10 / SAGA 2024
July 12-14, 2024
Downtown Marriott & Embassy Suites
Winston-Salem, NC
Featured Guests:
- Sherrilyn Kenyon (GoH)
- Jody Lynne Nye (GoH)
- Maurice Broaddus (SAGA GoH)
- Valentine Wolfe (GoHs)
- Bill Fawcett (Special Guest)
- Les Johnson (Special Guest)
- Mikey Mason (Special Guest)
ConGregate 9
July 14-16, 2023
Downtown Marriott & Embassy Suites
Winston-Salem, NC
Featured Guests:
- John Scalzi
- Michael A. Stackpole
Chairman: James Fulbright
ConGregate 8
July 22-24, 2022
Downtown Marriott
Winston-Salem, NC
Featured Guests:
- Timothy Zahn (GoH)
- Valentine Wolfe
Chairman: James Fulbright
ConGregate 7 / DeepSouthCon 59
July 9-11, 2021
Downtown Marriott
Winston-Salem, NC
Featured Guests:
- Michael A. Stackpole (GoH)
- Timothy Zahn (GoH)
- John G. Hartness
- Tim Rickard
- Toni Weisskopf
Chairman: James Fulbright
PHOENIX AWARD
Allen L. Wold
REBEL AWARD
Cheralyn Lambeth
2020
There was no convention in 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation.
ConGregate 6
July 12-14, 2019
Red Lion Hotel
High Point, NC
Featured Guests:
- Eric Flint (GoH) - in absentia
- Valentine Wolfe
- Michael A. Stackpole
- Toni Weisskopf
Chairman: James Fulbright
ConGregate 5
July 13-15, 2018
Red Lion Hotel
High Point, NC
Featured Guests:
- Jane Lindskold (WGoH)
- Charles E. Gannon (WGoH)
Chairman: James Fulbright
ConGregate 4 / DeepSouthCon 55
July 14-16, 2017
Radisson Hotel
High Point, NC
Featured Guests:
- Barbara Hambly (WGoH)
- Alan Pollack (AGoH)
- Michael A. Stackpole
- Toni Weisskopf
- Timothy Zahn
Chairman: James Fulbright
PHOENIX AWARD
Simon Hawke
Aaron Allston (posthumously)
REBEL AWARD
Michael D. Pederson
Bob Ellis (posthumously)
RUBBLE AWARD
Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel
ConGregate 3: "Geek Summer Camp"
July 15-17, 2016
Radisson Hotel
High Point, NC
Featured Guests:
- Steven Barnes (WGoH)
- Lindsey Look (AGoH)
- A.J. Hartley
- Valentine Wolfe
Chairman: James Fulbright
ConGregate 2: Scoundrels and Rogues
July 10-12, 2015
Radisson Hotel
High Point, NC
Featured Guests:
- Timothy Zahn (WGoH)
- Michael A. Stackpole (WGoH)
- Albin Johnson (FGoH)
- Scott Rorie
- Valentine Wolfe
Chairman: James Fulbright
ConGregate
July 11-13, 2014
Downtown Marriott
Winston-Salem, NC
Featured Guests:
- Larry Correia (WGoH)
- Mark Poole (AGoH)
- Toni Weisskopf
- Jennifer McCollom
Chairman: James Fulbright
Manly Wade Wellman Award
ConGregate is the site location of the award ceremony of the Manly Wade Wellman Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Past Winners
- 2024: Donna Glee Williams
- 2023: Ursula Vernon
- 2022: Monica Byrne
- 2021: Natania Barron
- 2020: Michael G. Willaims
- 2019: Christopher Ruocchio
- 2018: Gail Z. Martin
- 2017: A.J. Hartley
- 2016: John Hartness
- 2015: Murr Lafferty
- 2014: Murr Lafferty
Short Film Festival Winners
We have created a separate page for the annual winners of the ConGregate Short Film Festival.