DragonCon Guest Streak

Becoming a Guest

• I was initially invited to be a "guest" because of my fame and my legal case (which was in progress at the time).
• They paid for everything that first time, which was a fantastic gesture.

The 15-Year Streak

• After that initial invitation, I was accepted as a guest for about 15 years in a row.
• This streak was an incredible annual tradition for me, full of tech panels, sci-fi fandom, and catching up with friends, which I continued faithfully until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced me to stop the streak.
• Over those years, I watched the convention grow massively:
  • When I first went, the attendance was around 20,000 people.
  • Near the end of my streak, it had exploded to more like 60,000 people.
  • Everything became incredibly overcrowded, but I met so many amazing people there—and there are definitely many more stories to tell.