MantiCon

MantiCon is a science fiction convention hosted by The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc. (TRMN). The first four annual events were held 2015-2018 on Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota. Each year featured David Weber as the principal Guest of Honor. Additional guests varied by year, and often included David Weber's Honorverse co-authors.

Mainstage set for panels at MantiCon 2018 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hilton

MantiCon has since become the designation for TRMN-hosted conventions in other cities and at other times of the year, with a 2019 convention held in Utah.

MantiCon was conceived by TRMN founder and First Lord of the Admiralty Martin Lessem as a convention centered on Honorverse fandom and related military science fiction, drawing on the talent and experience of TRMN members to operate the event. He selected the Minneapolis area as the location because it is centrally located for US members, and because it had the largest concentration of local TRMN members.

The convention featured evening parties, a dealers' room, and multiple tracks of programming including discussion panels, author interviews, and childrens' programming. Gaming was a major component, with immersive Battletech pods and immersive spaceship bridges running Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator. Live entertainment included Harisen Daiko, a taiko drumming group.

TRMN's annual general meeting was held at MantiCon each year of the event, and the TRMN awards ceremony was a major event each year.

To date, MantiCon has been the largest gathering of TRMN members in one place, with members attending from at least six countries.

2015

29-31 May, 2015 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hilton. Featuring David and Sharon Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Marko Kloos. A catered banquet was held on Saturday night, with entertainment provided by professional ballroom dancers, as well as a performance by FLA Martin Lessem.

Operational Awards

See Orders:BuPlan Dispatch 1508-01

Peerages

The first MantiCon saw the creation of a number of peerages, including:

• Boundary Waters — Baroness (Laura Lochen)
• Henesy — Steadholder (Tom Saidak)
• Neu Sachsen — Baronin von Neu Sachsen (Laura Lüschen)
• New Arlington — Baron (Christopher Wueve)
• New Ulyanovsk — Duke of New Ulyanovsk (Niemeyer)
• Runnymead Fields — Baron (Mark Gutis)

2016

28-30 May, 2016 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hilton. Featuring David and Sharon Weber, Manu Intiraymi.

Peerages

• Maelstromm — Steadholder (David Melsome)

2017

26-28 May, 2017 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hilton. Featuring David and Sharon Weber, Captain Dale Dye, USMC.

Awards

• TRMN Forum Announcement of awards issued at MantiCon 2017
• TRMN Forum Announcement of Flag Promotions at MantiCon 2017
• MantiCon 2017 Operational Awards: Orders:Second Fleet Order 1706-A
• Achievement Awards issued for service at MantiCon 2017: Orders:Second Fleet Order 1707-B

Peerages

• Mountain View — peerage land granted to Earl New Essex (Robert Bulkeley)
• Redstone — Baroness (Heidi Nelson)

2018

25-27 May, 2018 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hilton. Featuring David and Sharon Weber, Timothy Zahn, Eric Flint, and Marko Kloos. This was the Webers' 25th wedding anniversary, and an elaborate vow renewal ceremony was held on the main stage.

• Photos from throughout the Manticon 2018 event
• Photos of the Wedding Ceremony
• After Ceremony Photos
• More photos from MantiCon 2018

Awards

• TRMN Forum Announcement of Peerages awarded at MantiCon 2018
• TRMN Forum Announcement of awards issued at MantiCon 2018
• TRMN Forum Announcement of Flag Promotions at MantiCon 2018
• TRMN Forum Announcement of Operational Awards for MantiCon 2018 participation (Orders:Second Fleet Order 1806-B)

Peerages

• Baudenvost — Baron von Baudenvost (Philip Wohlrab)
• Clear Lake (later renamed Long Beach) — Baroness (Cindy Jeffers)
• Clipper Island — Baron (Mark Gledhill)
• Duquesne Tower — Senator for Life (James Sena)
• New Caladan — Baron (Jeffrey Webb)
• New Florence — Baroness (Pamela Cole)
• New Halifax — Baron (Rob Marshall)
• Silver Lake — Baron (Garret Bitker)

2019

4-7 July 2019 at the Hilton Garden Inn & Dayton Conference Center in Layton, Utah, hosted by NASFIC 13 (Spikecon). Featured guests were David Weber, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Vincent Villafranca, Bjo & John Trimble.

Awards

• TRMN Forum Announcement of Awards issued at MantiCon 2019
• TRMN Forum Announcement of Operational Awards for MantiCon 2019 participation

Peerages

• Black Thunder — Baron (Rob Folden)
• Grays Harbor — Baron (James "AJ" Olsen)
• Sutherland — Baron (Michael Houghtaling)

2023

1-4 July, 2023 at the Santa Clara Marriott in Santa Clara, California, hosted by BayCon.

Awards

• Operational awards for BayCon/MantiCon 2023 participation: Orders:Tenth Fleet Order 2309-02 (covering both BayCon/MantiCon 2023 and RadCon 2023)
• Additional BayCon/MantiCon 2023 awards: Orders:Tenth Fleet Order 2401-01
• Photos from the Tenth Fleet Awards Ceremony, 1 July 2023 at BayCon/MantiCon

Peerages

• Acorn Valley — Baroness (Megan Krick)
• Belleau Wood — Baron (William T Farley II)
• Bronte Creek — Baron (David Misener)
• Castine — Baron (Peter Gold)
• Foxglove — Baron (Lisa Ann Wiedemann)
• Glacier Point — Baron (Geoffrey Vincent Kramer)
• Wolf Point — Baron (Samuel Walter Dietzmann)

External Links

• MantiCon website
• MantiCon Facebook page