This is the November Preconference MAPACA Newsletter. Our next annual conference is November 7-9 in Atlantic City, NJ.
In this Newsletter, we have news, events, and information for the 2024 Annual Conference, including:
- Travel Information
- Conference events and happenings
- Conference news and information
- Our COVID-19 statement for the 2024 Annual Conference
- Important dates
Travel Information
The MAPACA 2024 Annual Conference is just a few days away! We can’t wait to welcome you to the Tropicana Atlantic City for #MAPACA2024!
If you are driving to the conference, and staying at the conference hotel, the resort fee includes a $5 credit towards self-parking at the Tropicana.
If you are flying into Atlantic City International Airport, it is “just minutes from the city and offers shuttle, taxi and rental car transportation.”
Atlantic City is also accessible by train via NJ Transit from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and by bus from the New York City area. Check out https://www.atlanticcitynj.com/plan/transportation/ for more information.
Regardless of whether you’re arriving or departing, safe and happy travels!
Conference events and happenings
Raise your hand if you love food and good times! We encourage you to attend the Publishers’ Exhibit Coffee & Tea Breaks, the Receptions, and the Crash Course.
Publishers’ Exhibit/Coffee & Tea Breaks
The publisher exhibit will be open in Mambo 3 + 4 on Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
There will be daily coffee and tea breaks in the morning from 9 to 11:15 and in the afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30 on Thursday and Friday only.
2024 Reception and Annual Meeting - Thursday, November 7 from 6:30-8 in Castanet 1 + 2
Join us as we present the Lorance Award, Donald Award, and Walden Prize at the Reception and Annual meeting on Thursday, November 7 from 6:30-8 in Castanet 1 + 2. This year’s recipients are:
Lorance Award: Jordan McClain, PhD, longtime MAPACA contributor and consultant based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Donald Award: Jessica Hautsch for the paper “Casting the Self into Fictional Worlds through Online Personality Quizzes”
Walden Prize: David Frank for the paper “In-Between Seoul and Springfield: Korean Animation and The Simpsons”
Celebrate our award winners and enjoy a generous reception and cash bar.
2024 Divine Impact Award with winner Samuel R. Delany - Friday, November 8, 6-8:30 in North Tower Salons 3 & 4
The winner of the 2024 Divine Impact Award (DIA) is Samuel R. Delany! Come celebrate at the DIA Reception at the 2024 Annual Conference, Friday, November 8, 6-8:30 in North Tower Salons 3 & 4.
In 2016, Samuel R. Delany was inducted into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. Filmmaker, novelist, and critic, he is the author of the award-winning books Babel-17 and Dark Reflections, as well as Nova, Dhalgren, and the Return to Nevèrÿon series. A retired professor, he lives in Philadelphia with his partner Dennis. His website is www.samueldelany.com.
Samuel Delany will have books for sale and will be doing a signing after the DIA talk! You can purchase on-site:
Atheist in the Attic - $12
Big Joe - $20
Cash is strongly encouraged. Delany will also sign personal books (up to four signatures total, per person). There is no charge for signings.
In addition, the audience will have a chance to ask questions at the Q&A portion of the DIA event. A generous reception and cash bar will accompany this event.
Graduate Student Gathering - Friday, November 8, 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm in Summit Hospitality Suite
Calling all graduate students! Join us for a meet-up with your fellow graduate students, an Atlantic City/New Jersey-themed trivia contest, networking, and light refreshments in a relaxed hospitality setting. A hint for dedicated newsletter readers - brush up on AC casino names!
Crash Course - Saturday, November 9, 12:15 pm to 1:45 pm in Castanet 1 + 2
The Crash Course is always one of our favorite events! It’s a high-density session featuring 5-minute micro-presentations about current popular culture topics. Light refreshments will be served!
Conference news and information
Print programs and Personal Schedule
We will have a limited number of printed programs available at the check-in desk for $20.
You can always view the conference schedule on the MAPACA website.
Keep track of your busy MAPACA Annual Conference schedule by following these steps to add sessions to your Personal Schedule:
If you click on a session title from the conference’s general schedule or the schedule by area, you’ll find an “Add to personal schedule” button, which will add the session to the “Personal Schedule” section of the website. This allows you to keep track of the conference sessions you’re interested in.
Once clicked, that button will read “In personal schedule,” and, if clicked again, it will remove the session from your calendar. Simple as that.
Non-presenter single-day passes
Day Passes for non-presenters are now available on mapaca.net! Rates are:
Thursday: $70 including the reception
Friday: $85 including the reception and Divine Impact Award with Samuel R. Delany
Saturday: $70 including the Crash Course with refreshments
Connecting to technology
Remember to pack your adapters and dongles to connect your device to the projectors in the rooms, which have HDMI connections. We’re looking at you Macbook folks!
BYOL (bring your own lanyard) and recycling badge holders
This was a great success in Philadelphia last year, so we’re bringing it back to help reduce waste at #MAPACA2024 in AC. Bring your favorite lanyard to use at the conference. Not only will your lanyard help reduce waste, but it will also be a stylish fashion accessory and conversation starter! Also, please recycle your badge holders at the end of the conference at a designated drop-off point.
MAPACA merch!
Looking for a way to show off your love for MAPACA? Grab some of our exclusive merch and wear your passion for popular culture proudly!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/MAP...
Social media
Follow us on social media to get the latest updates on the 2024 MAPACA Conference! Connect via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for news and information!
We encourage you to post about the conference using your platform of choice using #MAPACA2024!
COVID statement
We look forward to welcoming you to our 2024 conference this November. At this time, our conference will be mask-encouraged to support our immunocompromised community members. Remember, the proper wearing of a mask that covers your nose and mouth helps prevent community spread and protects everyone, especially immunocompromised colleagues.
Before the conference, please check to see if you are eligible for a vaccine or booster for COVID-19 or other seasonal diseases, such as the flu. Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination locations near you. Keeping up to date with vaccines, in line with public health and your doctor’s guidance, further supports our community.
Finally, we are asking you to do your part in contributing to the health and well-being of your fellow MAPACA attendees by staying home if you feel sick and/or are symptomatic. The Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association (MAPACA) is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely. These guidelines may change based on infection rates in the country and Atlantic City, NJ as the conference approaches.
Important dates
- November 7-9: 2024 Conference in Atlantic City, NJ
Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA)
P.O. Box 1358
Lansdowne, PA 19050
To donate, please visit https://mapaca.net/donation