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A Letter From Shareece
To My Dear Attendees, Staff and Special Guests,
15 years ago, I went to my first anime convention ever in Denver. Nan Desu Kan. You may have heard of it. I met so many amazing people, including some that are now some of my closest friends. When I went to NDK, that first dream came to me. My dream was to bring such an amazing experience to the Black Hills. There was nothing like it. And I was determined. Everything starts small, so of course I didn’t start SoDak right away. I had mini-events at Waldenbooks and it grew from there.
Since then, SoDak has grown so much and done so many amazing things. 15 years ago, there was no Press Start, only one comic store. No Game Stores. Heck, even Waldenbooks had only an endcap for manga and comics. Now. Now there’s a barcade, two comic book stores, Seraphim Theatre, Bunny's Heroes, two collectible card game stores, 3 Gamestops, and Books-A Million has a third of their store just catered to geeks. It’s a great time to be a geek and a great time to celebrate what we have accomplished.
When I first saw that glimmer of a dream, I didn’t know where it was going to go and what it was going to accomplish. Because. That’s the thing about dreams. They change. They evolve.
I know I said the scary words. Change. Evolve. But, trust me. Something I have grown to learn is that. 1. Change happens. It all depends on how you react to it is how much it’ll effect you. And. 2. That change will sometimes open the best and most unexpected opportunities in your life.
There is a reason for talking about dreams and change and evolution.
SoDak Con as we know it, is changing. It might not be what you are used to and honestly it will be a drastic change. But it needs to happen. Over the last 15 years, my drive and passion to always work so hard for SoDak, was you. My amazing attendees. My kids, because that is exactly how I have always felt you were. You were my family, and my kids that I needed to be there for. To give you a home. A place to call your own.
But that has come at a sacrifice. Not just of me. Or my family. Yes my family. My three lovely children who have selflessly given their mother to SoDak Con for the last 15 years. But also of my staff and their families. And there comes a time when you need to look at whether something is sustainable, no matter what you are willing to sacrifice. And SoDak Con, as a three day event is not sustainable. Now before you jump and ask questions and wonder if there is anything that can make it work on the scale it has come to be, there isn’t. At least not from SoDak as a convention.
I of course over the last few years have done everything I could to make it sustainable, or even covered the cost myself so that you would never lose your home. So when it hit me like a tons of bricks what I should have accepted years ago, that this baby of mine couldn’t live without me. I knew I had to do something else to keep a home for my kids. OUR family. So, to answer your questions. Yes. SoDak Con as a three day event at the Civic Center will no longer be happening. And the other question, is Yes. I have other ways to give you a home. We are not leaving. We are not going away. We are Changing. We are evolving. Instead one weekend a year, you will now have three smaller events to go to and attend. Not only three smaller events, but also at lower costs so it helps not only SoDak, but also you as the attendee.
We will still have the Masquerade Ball in November. Guarantee, that is not going anywhere. We also are now going to have a small event called Slice of SoDak that will be in March of 2019. It will be a day con to connect and have fun but less cost. And last but not least, we will be doing Camp SoDak. Camp SoDak Con there will be some vendors, panels, lots of fun and possible campfire stories with special guests. All of these new events will be announced with dates, prereg and locations soon.
And before you say, Shareece that’s not enough! There are tons of amazing things going on around this area that’s not just SoDak Con. Seraphim Theatre has three Cosplaypolitan events a year, that is a fun cosplay club event, plus their spring one has cosplay workshops. The Rapid City Library has an anime club, card gaming club and so much more. There is a great mini gaming con here in the late winter run by Matt Glover, called Micro Con. There is also Nan Desu Kan down in Denver, which I got all of my inspiration and training from. There's Siouxper Con in Sioux Falls which I advised for during the year of them forming and getting started. And there are a vast array of mini-cons on the East side of the state. Besides all of these great events and businesses, this is a great time for you to go change your world around you. Create. Show me what you can do.
Just like a family, there comes a time that you grow past your home and family. There is a time for you to make the world yours. There is a time that you evolve and move on. This is the time for you to take on the world and make it your own. . Show us the world your going to create.
And just like family, we are not leaving you alone. We are not going away. Your family is still here and so is your home. We are changing and evolving into something that will be amazing and give you more homes and more places to be yourself. Thank you so much for being apart of this crazy ride that is SoDak Con and I can’t wait to start these new adventures with you. I love you guys, and thank you for letting me create this home for you.
Sincerely,
Shareece Tatum
Founder and Executive Director
15 years ago, I went to my first anime convention ever in Denver. Nan Desu Kan. You may have heard of it. I met so many amazing people, including some that are now some of my closest friends. When I went to NDK, that first dream came to me. My dream was to bring such an amazing experience to the Black Hills. There was nothing like it. And I was determined. Everything starts small, so of course I didn’t start SoDak right away. I had mini-events at Waldenbooks and it grew from there.
Since then, SoDak has grown so much and done so many amazing things. 15 years ago, there was no Press Start, only one comic store. No Game Stores. Heck, even Waldenbooks had only an endcap for manga and comics. Now. Now there’s a barcade, two comic book stores, Seraphim Theatre, Bunny's Heroes, two collectible card game stores, 3 Gamestops, and Books-A Million has a third of their store just catered to geeks. It’s a great time to be a geek and a great time to celebrate what we have accomplished.
When I first saw that glimmer of a dream, I didn’t know where it was going to go and what it was going to accomplish. Because. That’s the thing about dreams. They change. They evolve.
I know I said the scary words. Change. Evolve. But, trust me. Something I have grown to learn is that. 1. Change happens. It all depends on how you react to it is how much it’ll effect you. And. 2. That change will sometimes open the best and most unexpected opportunities in your life.
There is a reason for talking about dreams and change and evolution.
SoDak Con as we know it, is changing. It might not be what you are used to and honestly it will be a drastic change. But it needs to happen. Over the last 15 years, my drive and passion to always work so hard for SoDak, was you. My amazing attendees. My kids, because that is exactly how I have always felt you were. You were my family, and my kids that I needed to be there for. To give you a home. A place to call your own.
But that has come at a sacrifice. Not just of me. Or my family. Yes my family. My three lovely children who have selflessly given their mother to SoDak Con for the last 15 years. But also of my staff and their families. And there comes a time when you need to look at whether something is sustainable, no matter what you are willing to sacrifice. And SoDak Con, as a three day event is not sustainable. Now before you jump and ask questions and wonder if there is anything that can make it work on the scale it has come to be, there isn’t. At least not from SoDak as a convention.
I of course over the last few years have done everything I could to make it sustainable, or even covered the cost myself so that you would never lose your home. So when it hit me like a tons of bricks what I should have accepted years ago, that this baby of mine couldn’t live without me. I knew I had to do something else to keep a home for my kids. OUR family. So, to answer your questions. Yes. SoDak Con as a three day event at the Civic Center will no longer be happening. And the other question, is Yes. I have other ways to give you a home. We are not leaving. We are not going away. We are Changing. We are evolving. Instead one weekend a year, you will now have three smaller events to go to and attend. Not only three smaller events, but also at lower costs so it helps not only SoDak, but also you as the attendee.
We will still have the Masquerade Ball in November. Guarantee, that is not going anywhere. We also are now going to have a small event called Slice of SoDak that will be in March of 2019. It will be a day con to connect and have fun but less cost. And last but not least, we will be doing Camp SoDak. Camp SoDak Con there will be some vendors, panels, lots of fun and possible campfire stories with special guests. All of these new events will be announced with dates, prereg and locations soon.
And before you say, Shareece that’s not enough! There are tons of amazing things going on around this area that’s not just SoDak Con. Seraphim Theatre has three Cosplaypolitan events a year, that is a fun cosplay club event, plus their spring one has cosplay workshops. The Rapid City Library has an anime club, card gaming club and so much more. There is a great mini gaming con here in the late winter run by Matt Glover, called Micro Con. There is also Nan Desu Kan down in Denver, which I got all of my inspiration and training from. There's Siouxper Con in Sioux Falls which I advised for during the year of them forming and getting started. And there are a vast array of mini-cons on the East side of the state. Besides all of these great events and businesses, this is a great time for you to go change your world around you. Create. Show me what you can do.
Just like a family, there comes a time that you grow past your home and family. There is a time for you to make the world yours. There is a time that you evolve and move on. This is the time for you to take on the world and make it your own. . Show us the world your going to create.
And just like family, we are not leaving you alone. We are not going away. Your family is still here and so is your home. We are changing and evolving into something that will be amazing and give you more homes and more places to be yourself. Thank you so much for being apart of this crazy ride that is SoDak Con and I can’t wait to start these new adventures with you. I love you guys, and thank you for letting me create this home for you.
Sincerely,
Shareece Tatum
Founder and Executive Director
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