BistoCon 2024 Pros Con Report

[jinkyo]

BistoCon is a slash convention for fans of 1977 British crime drama, the Professionals. Traditionally held every two years in Romulus, Michigan, Virtual BistoCon was created in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Virtual BistoCon uses a mix of common community collaboration platforms to bring Pros fans from all over the world together for two glorious days of panel discussions, vid shows, games, and fun.

 

Here's a quick con report on what happened this year - August 9 and 10, 2024.

In the days leading up to BistoCon, the schedule, links, and bingo cards began to arrive in my inbox. It's go-time when those bingo cards show up!

 

Program is scheduled heavy for both days. This accommodates convention-goers in different time zones while offering hour-long chunks throughout the day where you can eat, nap, whatever.

 

Day 1:

Welcome - Catching up with the early bird arrivals and remembering the people our fandom lost since we last gathered. Welcome sessions repeated later in the day.

 

Episode Watch/Episode Discussion - 4 sessions.

Watch, squee, critique, repeat!

You can find The Professionals on YouTube, on TubiTV in the US, Region B discs from Amazon, or, if we're moots, hit me up.

 

Panel topics: Reality in Fic and Nurturing Fandom

 

Day 2 started hella early for me, but the good thing was that I could attend in my PJs while I brewed my morning coffee!

 

Episode Watch/Episode Discussion - 4 sessions. On both days, some of the discussions were full on, hour-long, guided sessions while others were shorter blocks of discussion between scheduled events.

 

Panel topics: The Importance of Setting, Traits of a CI5 Agent, Fic Recs, Secondary Characters

 

Funtime: Bingo! Pictionary!

 

Vidshows: Two vidshows this year, featuring classics both old and new from the long vidding tradition of Pros fandom. Plus two brand new premiering vids from kat-byrd and JinkyO!

 

I usually come out of a con feeling energized and excited about being part of a community. My 2023 was devastating and I did no fan stuff. 2024, it was important for me to hit up the cons that feed my soul - BistoCon does that for me year after year.

 

Learn more about the next BistoCon at their website, socials, Discord, and mailing list: https://bistocon.org/wp/