BayCon
| BayCon | |
| Flag Event (FE) | |
| Type: | Speculative fiction convention (science fiction, fantasy, horror & supernatural) |
| Status: | Active (annual) |
| Location: | Santa Clara, California |
| When: | Annual; historically Memorial Day weekend, moved to the Independence Day weekend from 2022 |
| First held: | 1982 |
| Host: |  Tenth Fleet (recurring Fleet Event / Summit host)
|
| Guest(s) of Honor: | Past guests have included David Brin, Brandon Sanderson, Larry Niven, Bob Eggleton, and Michael Whelan
|
BayCon is the San Francisco Bay Area's longest-running fan-run speculative fiction convention, and the flagship convention of the Tenth Fleet's area of responsibility. Founded in 1982 as the Bay Area's regional science fiction and fantasy convention, it was held over Thanksgiving weekend for its first two years, moved to Memorial Day weekend from 1984 through 2019, and — after the 2020 event was cancelled during the pandemic and 2021 was held virtually — returned in 2022 on the Independence Day weekend, where it has remained.[1][2] Its venues have included the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara (through 2015), the San Mateo Marriott, and, since 2023, the Santa Clara Marriott.[1] In more recent years BayCon has broadened its remit from science fiction and fantasy to the wider speculative fiction genre, showcasing horror and supernatural themes alongside its traditional programming.
BayCon has been designated a Flag Event — the modern successor term to the "Fleet Event" classification in use before the 2023 reorganization — and is the convention at which the Tenth Fleet has most consistently gathered. Task Group 91.1 attended BayCon every year from 2014 through 2019, and once more upon the convention's 2022 return, and the fleet has hosted its annual Tenth Fleet Summit at BayCon in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2024, and 2026.
Tenth Fleet origins at BayCon (2014)
The Tenth Fleet's association with BayCon dates to BayCon 2014 (23–26 May, themed "Got Honor?"), where the Saganami-C-class heavy cruiser HMS Wolf was commissioned in Ceres, in the California Central Valley, under the command of then-CAPTJG James Jones.[3][4] The following month, Task Group 91.1 was formed under CAPTSG Sir Thomas Marrone by order of the First Space Lord, with Wolf among its three charter vessels.[5][6] BayCon thereafter became the task group's home convention.
Tenth Fleet Summits
The Tenth Fleet Summit is the fleet's principal annual in-person gathering, held at BayCon. From 2015 through 2019 the fleet and its principal California task group alternated hosting duties: the fleet-wide Tenth Fleet Summit convened in the odd-numbered years, while in the intervening even-numbered years Task Group 91.1 held a summit for its own members.
- 2015 — Tenth Fleet Summit, hosted by Task Group 91.1; the commissioning of the fleet's first LAC carrier, HMS Cerberus.[5]
- 2016 — Task Group 91.1 Summit (the first such summit for the task group's own members); the commissioning of the destroyer HMS Chainshot.[5]
- 2017 — Tenth Fleet Summit.
- 2018 — Task Group 91.1 Summit.
- 2019 — Tenth Fleet Summit.
- 2024 — Tenth Fleet Summit (resumed after the pandemic-era hiatus).
- 2026 — Tenth Fleet Summit, designated a Flag Event and the 10th Fleet Summit for 2026 by Tenth Fleet Order 2511-01.[7]
2023: MantiCon and the TRMN reorganization
BayCon 2023 (1–4 July, themed "A Night at the Space Opera") was held jointly with a MantiCon, drawing members from across The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc. in what was the organization's largest single gathering on the West Coast.[1] It was at this convention that TRMN adopted its revised bylaws and transitioned to governance by a Board of Directors, holding its first annual meeting and electing its officers and committee chairs.[8]
BayCon appearances
| Year | Dates | Theme | Tenth Fleet significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 23–26 May | "Got Honor?" | HMS Wolf commissioned; Task Group 91.1 formed the following month |
| 2015 | 22–24 May | "Women of Wonder" | Tenth Fleet Summit (host: TG 91.1); HMS Cerberus commissioned |
| 2016 | 27–30 May | "It's All About Space!" | First Task Group 91.1 Summit; HMS Chainshot commissioned |
| 2017 | 26–29 May | "Dystopia/Utopia" | Tenth Fleet Summit |
| 2018 | 25–28 May | "Patchwork Fandom" | Task Group 91.1 Summit |
| 2019 | 24–27 May | "Insert Coin to Continue" | Tenth Fleet Summit |
| 2020 | Cancelled (pandemic) | No convention | |
| 2021 | Virtual only | No in-person gathering | |
| 2022 | 1–4 July | "The Sun Rises" | BayCon returns in-person on the Independence Day weekend; TG 91.1's final BayCon attendance |
| 2023 | 1–4 July | "A Night at the Space Opera" | Held jointly with MantiCon; TRMN adopts new bylaws and seats its Board of Directors |
| 2024 | 4–7 July | "Pure Imagination" | Tenth Fleet Summit |
| 2025 | 4–7 July | "A Convenient Parallel Dimension" | Held jointly with Westercon 77 |
| 2026 | 3–6 July | "The Answer" (BayCon 42) | Designated a Flag Event and 10th Fleet Summit by Tenth Fleet Order 2511-01 |
Convention dates, venues, and themes per BayCon's published history.[1][2] TG 91.1 attended each in-person BayCon from 2014 through 2019 and again in 2022; the task group was dissolved on 25 February 2025.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwp - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtf - ↑ Orders:BuShips Directive 1405-07, 25 May 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtg - ↑ Orders:Naval Directive 14JU-01U
- ↑ Orders:Tenth Fleet Order 2511-01
- ↑ See Portal:Policy Documents for the 2023–2024 policy framework enacted following the reorganization.